Distributed control systems and methods

• US 7,089,066 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Colorado vNet, LLC
• Inventors: Hesse, Scott, Kiwimagi, Gary, Ogawa, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Sunray
• Application Number:
  US10/422,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 700/2, 700/276, 700/295, 700/65, 700/79, 700/80, 700/53, 700/17, 700/66, 714/47, 165/254, 72/43, 29/38
• US Class Current: 700/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Distributed control systems and methods. An embodiment of distributed control system may comprise at least first and second nodes operatively associated with one another, the first node issuing a signal to at least the second node in response to an event. A load controlled by the second node, and a distributed controller provided at the second node. The distributed controller executing at least one script corresponding to the signal to control the load.

Claims

1. A distributed control system, comprising:

a plurality of nodes including at least first and second nodes operatively associated with one another, the first node broadcasting a signal identifying an event to the other nodes without addressing any particular nodes, the signal only identifying the event to reduce network congestion;

a signal filter provided at the second node, the signal filter used to determine, before the signal reaching the scripts, if at least one script residing at the second node would be activated based on the event identified in the signal from the first node by comparing an identification in the header of the scripts with the identification of the event;

a distributed controller provided at the second node, said distributed controller executing the at least one script corresponding to the signal to control a building automation function if the second node is responsive to the signal from the first node.

2. The distributed control system of claim 1, further comprising a second distributed controller provided at the first node, said second distributed controller executing at least one script corresponding to the event to issue the signal.

3. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first node comprises program code for processing an event and program code for issuing a signal in response to the event.

4. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein said second node issues an acknowledgement.

5. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first node is an unscripted node and the second node is a scripted node.

6. The distributed control system of claim 1, further comprising a Controller Area network (CAN) bus linking the at least first and second nodes to one another.

7. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the second node issues a command signal.

8. The distributed control system of claim 7, wherein the first node generates output in response to receiving said command signal.

9. The distributed control system of claim 1, further comprising a link operatively associated with the second node to remotely program the second node.

10. The distributed control system of claim 9, wherein said link is operable to at least modify the at least one script at the second node.

11. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first node issues a redundant signal.

12. A distributed control system, comprising:

a plurality of nodes including at least first and second nodes operatively associated with one another;

a distributed controller provided at the first node, said distributed controller having;

(a) program code for executing at least one script to generate a signal indentifying an event to reduce network congestion; and

(b) program code for broadcasting the signal corresponding to the event to each of the plurality of nodes without addressing any particular nodes;

the second node having a signal filter to determine, before the signal reaching the scripts, if at least one script residing at the second node would be activated by the identified event by comparing an identification in the header of the scripts with the event identified in the signal, the second node executing the corresponding script to control a building automation function in response to receiving the signal issued by the first node only if the second node is responsive to the event in the broadcast signal.

13. The distributed control system of claim 12, wherein the first node is a scripted node and the second node is an unscripted node.

14. The distributed control system of claim 12, further comprising a Controller Area network (CAN) bus linking said at least first and second nodes to one another.

15. The distributed control system of claim 12, wherein said second node issues an acknowledgement.

16. The distributed control system of claim 15, wherein said first node generates output in response to receiving said acknowledgement.

17. The distributed control system of claim 12, wherein said second node issues a command signal.

18. The distributed control system of claim 17, wherein said first node generates output in response to receiving said command signal.

19. The distributed control system of claim 12, further comprising a link operatively associated with at least said distributed controller to access the at least one script.

20. A method for distributed control in a building automation environment, comprising:

broadcasting a signal from a first node to all other nodes in the building automation environment including at least a second node in response to an event in the building automation environment without addressing any particular nodes, the signal in only the event to reduce network congestion;

if the second node includes a script corresponding to the signal at the second node as determined, before the signal reaching the scripts, by comparing an identification in the header of the scripts with the identification of the event, then executing the script corresponding to the signal at the second node and

controlling a building automation function from lead at the second node based on the executed script corresponding to the signal issued from the first node.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising generating the signal at the first node by executing a signal-generating script.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising issuing an acknowledgement at the second node for the first node.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising modifying the script at the second node.

24. A distributed control system for building automation, comprising:

a plurality of nodes provided on a building automation network, each of the plurality of nodes controlling at least one building automation device;

an input device provided on the building automation network, the input device generating a signal identifying only an event at the input device to reduce network congestion, and the input device broadcasting the signal to each of the plurality of nodes over the building automation network, the signal not addressed to any particular node in the building automation network; and

a distributed controller provided at each of the plurality of nodes, the distributed controller having a signal filter for determining, be ore the signal reaching the scripts, if at least one script corresponds to the event identified by the signal by comparing an identification in the header of at least one script residing at the plurality of nodes with the identification of the event,

if at least one script corresponds to the event identified by the signal, the

distributed controller executing the at least one script to control the at least one building automation device, and

if no script corresponds to the event identified by the signal, the distributed controller ignoring the signal.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the signal only identifies the event and the script includes at least one function corresponding to the event.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein a function of the at least one building automation device is changed by modifying a script at the node without changing the event.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein a function of the at least one building automation device is changed by modifying a script at the node.