Application updating in a home automation data transfer system

• US 7,640,351 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intermatic Incorporated (Wpa Participações e Serviços SA)
• Original Assignee: Intermatic Incorporated (Wpa Participações e Serviços SA)
• Inventors: Aper, Gregory J., Doorhy, Brendan, Reckamp, Steven R., Duitsman, Tim, Pelland, Michael, Bovee, Jeffrey K., Gaza, Brian, Mazza, Joseph, Dinescu, Miky
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US11/590,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/250, 709226-229, 709217-218
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856

Abstract

An automation network includes automation network devices connected to the network and a system level interface that interfaces with a transport layer and an application layer of the automation network. A method is disclosed that programs an automation network device in communication with an automation network, where the automation network includes an access point coupled with an external network. The method includes receiving application upgrade data at the access point, where the application upgrade data includes upgrade data associated with a target automation network device in communication with the automation network. Application upgrade data is transmitted through the home to the target automation network device. A next application upgrade data packet to be transmitted across the automation network is requested from the target automation network device. An application stored in the target automation network device is programmed, using an application upgrade data command transmitted to the target home automation network device.

Claims

1. An automation network, comprising:

an automation network device in communication with the automation network; and

a system layer interface encoded in a computer-readable medium and configured to interface with a transport layer and an application layer of the automation network for multiple distinct automation network devices which includes the automation network device, wherein the system layer interface comprises an upgrade command library configured to transmit application upgrade data to the multiple distinct automation network devices.

2. The automation network of claim 1, where the upgrade command library comprises at least one of an application upgrade request command and an application upgrade data command, where the application upgrade request command is configured to request a packet of upgrade data to be transmitted across the network and the application upgrade data command is configured to program a firmware or a software of a target network device.

3. The automation network of claim 2, where the target network device is configured to transmit the application upgrade request command to request a next packet of application upgrade data from the automation network.

4. The automation network of claim 3, where the target network device is configured to receive an application upgrade bulk data command from the automation network.

5. The automation network of claim 4, where the target network device is configured to process the application upgrade data command to program the target network device based on the packet of application upgrade data.

6. A method for programming an automation network device in communication with an automation network, where the automation network includes an access point coupled with an external network, the method comprising:

receiving application upgrade data at the access point, where the application upgrade data includes upgrade data associated with a target automation network device in communication with the automation network, where the automation network includes a system layer interface encoded in a computer-readable medium, the system layer interface being configured to interface with a transport layer and an application layer of the automation network for multiple distinct automation network devices;

transmitting the application upgrade data to the target automation network device through the automation network;

requesting a next application upgrade data packet to be transmitted across the automation network with an application upgrade request command transmitted from the target automation network device; and

programming an application stored in the target automation network device with an application upgrade data command transmitted to the target automation network device.

7. The method of claim 6, where requesting a next application upgrade data packet comprises initially transmitting the application upgrade request command from the target automation network device before receiving the application upgrade data.

8. The method of claim 6, where transmitting the application upgrade data comprises accessing a transport layer command configured to transmit data within the automation network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising accessing the system layer interface, where the system layer interface includes an upgrade command library and a transport layer interface library, where accessing the transport layer command comprises accessing the transport layer interface library associated with the transport layer command required to transmit the application upgrade data.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying, by the access point, a need for data in the target automation network device;

and pushing the data to the target automation network device.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising processing the received application upgrade data at the access point.

12. The method of claim 11, where processing the received application upgrade data includes performing at least one of integrity checks, packetization, and error checks on the received application upgrade data.

13. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium and executed by a processor, the computer program capable of updating an automation network device in communication with an automation network, where the automation network includes an access point coupled with an external network, the computer program comprising a computer-readable medium comprising:

computer-executable code executable to receive application upgrade data at the access point, where the application upgrade data includes upgrade data associated with a target automation network device in communication with the automation network, where the automation network includes a system layer interface encoded in a computer-readable medium, the system layer interface being configured to interface with a transport layer and an application layer of the automation network for multiple distinct automation network devices;

computer-executable code executable to transmit the application upgrade data to the target automation network device through the automation network;

computer-executable code executable to request a next application upgrade data packet to be transmitted across the automation network with an application upgrade request command transmitted from the target automation network device; and

computer-executable code executable to program an application stored in the target automation network device with an application upgrade data command transmitted to the target automation network device.

14. The computer program of claim 13, where the computer-executable code executable to request a next application upgrade data packet comprises computer-executable code executable to initially transmit the application upgrade request command from the target automation network device before receiving the application upgrade data.

15. The computer program of claim 13, where the computer-executable code executable to transmit the application upgrade data comprises computer-executable code executable to access a transport layer command configured to transmit data within the automation network.

16. The computer program of claim 15, further comprising computer-executable code executable to access the system layer interface coupled with the home automation network, where the system layer interface includes an upgrade command library and a transport layer interface library, where the computer-executable code executable to access the transport layer commands comprises computer-executable code executable to access the transport layer interface library associated with the transport layer command required to transmit the application upgrade data.

17. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable code executable to identify, by the access point, a need for data in the target automation network device;

and computer-executable code executable to push the data to the target automation network device.

18. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable code executable to process the received application upgrade data at the access point.

19. The computer program of claim 18, where the computer-executable code executable to process the received application upgrade data includes computer-executable code executable to perform at least one of integrity checks, packetization, and error checks on the received application upgrade data.

20. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable code executable to determine the target automation network device based on an application upgrade data identifier included with the application upgrade data received at the access point.