Distributed control system

• US 7,092,768 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liquid Sky Studios, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Liquid Sky Studios, Inc.
• Inventors: Labuda, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US10/796,904
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 700 2- 5, 700/19, 700/20, 700/65, 700/66, 340/3.1, 340/3.71, 340/825.22, 455/3.03, 455/92, 455/352, 709/217, 709/330, 709/201
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for controlling a plurality of devices in a building. The technique includes detecting a first network event at a first device, updating a network state on the first device based on the first network event, determining at the first device an action based on the network state, and transmitting a second network event to a second device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a plurality of devices in a building including:

detecting at a first device a first network event sent by a second device;

updating a network state on the first device, based on the first network event, to reflect a first change in the network state;

determining at the first device an action based on the network state; and

transmitting a second network event, wherein the second network event reflects a second change in the network state associated with the action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting includes using a reliable protocol to transmit a second network event to the devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting includes broadcasting a second network event to the devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network state on the first device is a filtered network state.

5. The method of claim 1, further including performing the action at the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting the first network event before detecting.

7. The method of claim 1, further including broadcasting the first network event to the devices before detecting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network event is associated with the action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the action determined at the first device is to stand by.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

performing the action at the first device; and

determining whether or not the action was successful.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

performing the action at the first device; and

determining at a third device whether or not the action was successful.

12. The method of claim 1, further including:

performing the action at the first device; and

determining at a third device whether or not the action was successful based on the second network event.

13. The method of claim 1, further including

performing the action at the first device;

determining whether or not the action was successful; and

performing intelligent error correction if the action was unsuccessful.

14. The method of claim 1, further including:

performing the action at the first device;

determining whether or not the action was successful including;

performing intelligent error correction if determining whether or not the action was successful is not completed within a time out period.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the network state includes a device state.

16. The method of claim 1, further including configuring the first device before detecting.

17. The method of claim 1, further including configuring the first device before detecting including downloading an executable to the first device.

18. The method of claim 1, further including configuring the first device before detecting including downloading an executable to the first device from a central processor.

19. The method of claim 1, further including monitoring the network state based on the first network event.

20. The method of claim 1, further including receiving the second network event at a third device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network event is transmitted in an event-specific format.

22. The method of claim 1, further including processing the first network event in an event-specific format on the first device.

23. The method of claim 1, further including:

pre-processing the second network event into a canonical format before transmitting; and

post-processing the network event in the canonical format on a third device;

wherein the canonical format is a generic format that can represent multiple event-specific formats.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a controller that controls one or more devices.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a generic controller that controls one or more devices and wherein the generic controller is not specific to the devices it controls.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a controller that controls one or more devices over an IR connection.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device includes a controller that controls one or more devices over a serial connection.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device includes a controller that controls one or more devices over a serial connection and

a device controlled by the controller performs the action.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein a network associated with the first network event is in a star, bus, or ring topology.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein a network associated with the first network event is a home network.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein a network associated with the first network event is an office network.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a wireless device.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the network associated with the first network event is a local area network based on an IEEE 802.11 standard.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is a lighting device;

the first network event includes a lighting scene request; and

the action determined at the lighting device is to generate the lighting scene.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device controls a projector;

the first network event includes a theater mode request; and

the action determined at the projector is to turn on the projector.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device controls a screen;

the first network event includes a theater mode request; and

the action determined at the screen is to begin lowering the screen.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device controls a projector;

the first network event includes an indication that a screen is half lowered; and

the action determined at the projector is to turn on the projector.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is a lighting device;

the first network event includes a request to pause a video player; and

the action determined at the lighting device is to turn on a light.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is a lighting device;

the first network event includes a request to pause a video player; and

the action determined at the lighting device is to set a light at a dimmed setting.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is a video player; and

the first network event indicates that a screen is lowered;

the action determined at the video player is to play a video.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is a screen;

the first network event includes a request to cancel theater mode;

the action determined at the screen is to raise the screen.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first network event is a vacation mode request; and

the action determined at the first device is based on an action performed at the first device at a time in the past.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first network event includes a vacation mode request; and

the action determined at the first device is based on an action performed at the first device at the same time of day in the past.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network event is time based.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network event is timer based.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network event is event driven.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network event is sequentially defined relative to the second network event.

48. A system for controlling a plurality of devices in a building including:

a processor configured to;

detect a first network event;

update a network states based on the first network event, to reflect a first change in the network state;

determine an action based on the updated network state determined at the first device; and

transmit a second network event that reflects a second change in the network state associated with the action; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory provides the processor with instructions.

49. A computer program product for controlling a plurality of devices in a building, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

detecting at a first device a first network event sent by a second device;

updating a network state on the first device, based on the first network event, to reflect a first change in the network state;

determining at the first device an action based on the network state; and

transmitting a second network event that reflects a second change in the network state associated with the action.