Location device

• US 6,943,683 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Perret, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/349,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20030169156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 34031001-31008, 340/568.2, 340/558, 340/568.3, 340/568.4, 340/656, 340/687, 340/3.1, 340/7.29, 340/10.32, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/571.2, 340/538
• US Class Current: 340/538
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A location device connectable to a power outlet of a mains power system, the location device being connectable to a power connection of a network appliance, the location device being operable to transmit location information to the network appliance via said power connection.

Claims

1. A location device connectable to a power outlet of a main power system, the location device being connectable to a power connection of a network appliance, the location device being operable to transmit location information to the network appliance via said power connection.

2. A location device according to claim 1 wherein the location information comprises an identification number corresponding to the location device.

3. A location device according to claim 1 wherein the location information encodes physical location information.

4. A location device according to claim 1 wherein the location information is transmitted periodically by the location device over the power connection.

5. A location device according to claim 1 wherein the location device is operable to receive a location request from the network appliance and transmit location information in response to the location request.

6. A location device according to claim 1 operable to detect the power connection of a network appliance and transmit location information when a power connection is detected.

7. A location device according to claim 1 further comprising a filter whereby the location information is not transmitted over the main power system.

10. A network comprising a server, a location device according to claim 1 and a network appliance comprising a power connection connectable to a main power system, the network appliance further comprising a reader operable to receive location information from a location device via the power connection, and wherein the network appliance is connected to the location device and is operable to transmit the location information received from the location device to the server via the network connection.

11. A network according to claim 10 wherein the server comprises location device information whereby the server can read the location information received from the network appliance and obtain a corresponding physical location for the network appliance.

12. A network according to claim 11 wherein the location device information comprises a lookup table where the location information comprises an identification number and the lookup table comprises physical location information corresponding to each identification number.

8. A network appliance comprising a power connection connectable to a main power system, the network appliance further comprising a reader operable to receive location information from a location device via the power connection.

9. A network appliance according to claim 8 comprising a network connection whereby the network appliance is operable to transmit the location information to another network appliance via the network connection.

13. A method of obtaining a location information of a network appliance, said method comprising:

selecting a network appliance;

selecting a location device connectable to a power outlet of a main power system and a power connection of said network appliance; and

transmitting location information from said location device to said network appliance via said power connection.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said location device transmits said location information in response to receiving a location request from said network appliance.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said location device transmits said location information upon detection of power connection of said network appliance.