Communication network for controlling devices

• US 8,386,661 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Ostrovsky, Michael, Lombardi, Alfred J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alrobaye, Idriss N
• Assistant Examiner(s): YU, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US11/559,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 710/15
• US Class Current: 710/15
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

A system and method for controlling devices that are part of a peer to peer network of controllers is provided. Messages are routed to controllers of the network and such messages are used to control devices coupled to said controllers. Status messages indicating the state of devices are routed to controllers to allow the state of the devices to be displayed by said controllers.

Claims

1. A system for controlling devices and displaying status of said devices via a plurality of controllers, the system comprising:

at least one device specific controller (“

DSC”

) coupled to and configured to control at least one device;

at least one non-device specific controller (“

NDSC”

) that is in communication with at least one said DSCs and is configured to control at least one of said devices;

an indication message transmitted by at least one or said DSCs, wherein said indication message is indicative of a change of stunts of at least one of said devices;

an update request message transmitted by at least one of said NDSCs in response to receipt of said indication message; and

a status update message transmitted by at least one of said DSCs in response to said update request message, wherein said status update message includes target status information, wherein said target status information is a final device status, and said target status is not a continuous device status.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one association list stored in each of said DSCs, wherein each of said association lists comprises identifying information of at least one of said controllers, and wherein at least one of said controllers is configured to control at least one of said devices.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each of said DSCs is configured to transmit said status update message to each of said controllers that are on each of said association lists.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one association list stored in at least one of said NDSCs, wherein at least one of said association lists comprises identifying information of at least one of said DSCs, and wherein at least one of said DSCs is configured to be controlled by at least one of said NDSCs.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said controllers further comprises at least one routing list comprising routing information for receiving and transmitting a message.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a primary controller, wherein said primary controller is configured to upload information to at least one of said controllers.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of said DSCs is configured to control the status of at least one of said devices; and

at least one of said NDSCs is configured to transmit a command to at least one of said DSCs to change the status of at least one of said devices.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said DSCs further comprises an actuator.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said devices further comprises an actuator.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of controllers is configured to operate over a network selected from the group consisting of a wireless network and a power line network.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said NDSCs is selected from the group consisting of a scene controller, a zone controller, and a remote control.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said controllers is configured to display a status of at least one of said devices.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said devices is selected from the group consisting of a light, an HVAC appliance, and an electrical appliance.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said DSCs further comprises one or more from the group consisting of transmission circuitry, reception circuitry, a processor, and interface circuitry.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said NDSCs further comprises one or more from the group consisting of a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and interface circuitry.

16. A method for controlling devices and displaying status of said devices via a plurality or controllers, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining change of status information of at least one device by using at least one device specific controller (“

DSC”

) that is coupled to at least one of said devices;

transmitting an indication message from at least one of said DSCs to at least one non device specific controller (“

NDSC”

), in response to said change of status information;

transmitting an update request message from at least one of said NDSCs to at least one of said DSCs, in response to said indication message; and

transmitting a status update message from at least one of said DSCs to at least one of said NDSCs, in response to said update request message, wherein said status update message includes target status information, wherein said target status information is a final device status, and said target status is not a continuous dice status.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of programming at least one association list on at least one first controller, wherein at least one of said association lists comprises a list of at least one second controller that can be controlled by at least one of said first controllers.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of transmitting said status update message from at least one of said DSCs to each of said controllers that are on at least one of said association lists on at least one of said DSCs.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of routing at least one of said messages sent by one of said plurality of transmitting steps from at least one first controller to at least one second controller.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of looking up routing information on a routing is gored in at least one of said controllers.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of uploading information to at least one controller by using a primary controller.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of establishing a communication link between said primary controller and at least one of said controllers.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein said transmitting steps comprises communicating over a network selected from the group consisting of a wireless network and a power line network.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of creating a scene by using at least one of said NDSCs and at least two devices, wherein at least two of said devices are coupled to at least one of said DSCs and are set at a pre-programmed level.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of transmitting said status update message to at least one of said NDSCs only after a pluralityy of other NDSCs receive said status update message.

26. The method, of claim 16 further comprising the step of displaying a status of at least one of said devices on at least one of said controllers.

27. A system for controlling at least one load comprising:

a first controller coupled to and configured to control said at least one load;

a second controller that is in communication with said first controller;

an indication message transmitted by said first controller, wherein said indication message is indicative of a change of status of said at least one load;

an update request message transmitted by said second controller in response to receipt of said indication message; and

a status update message transmitted by said first controller in response to said update request message, wherein said status update message includes target status information, wherein said target status information is a final device status, and said target status is not a continuous device status.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the first controller is a dimmer and the second controller is a remote controller.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the first controller further comprises an actuator for turning on or off the at least one load.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the second controller further comprises an actuator for turning on or off the at least one load.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein said actuator is a manual actuator.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein said actuator is a user-accessible actuator.