A/V equipment control over a network
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring or controlling a plurality of equipment modules in a general-purpose module rack, the equipment modules employing a common network agent running on a processor of the module rack, said network agent controlling a plurality of addressable module locations of the module rack, each location capable of having an equipment module installed therein, the method comprising, at the network agent:
- interrogating each addressable module location to identify whether an equipment module is installed in the location;
for each equipment module identified, determining an equipment type, the plurality of equipment modules having at least two equipment types;
for each equipment type identified, determining a list of available control data objects associated with that equipment type, wherein control data objects represent values for use in monitoring or controlling equipment;
compiling a management information database using information about the list of available control data objects associated with each equipment type, the management information database being used by the network agent to interpret object identifiers sent from a network manager;
associating values with the control data objects of equipment modules to be controlled;
communicating said values across a network, wherein the values are identified by equipment type and by control data object;
periodically determining the types of the equipment identified at each module location in the module rack and lists of available control data objects for the identified equipment types; and
updating the management information database using updated information about the lists of available control data objects associated with the types of the equipment identified at each addressable module location;
wherein each of at least some of the control data objects is associated with a dot separated string of integers, and an integer in the dot separated string of integers specifies the location of the equipment module associated with the control data object within the module rack.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Audio visual or other equipment modules in a common enclosure are controlled through an SNMP control agent by interrogating module locations for the presence of an equipment module; determining an equipment type; determining a list of available control objects associated with that equipment type; associating values identified by equipment type and by control parameter with the control objects of equipment modules to be controlled; and communicating said values across a network.
27 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring or controlling a plurality of equipment modules in a general-purpose module rack, the equipment modules employing a common network agent running on a processor of the module rack, said network agent controlling a plurality of addressable module locations of the module rack, each location capable of having an equipment module installed therein, the method comprising, at the network agent:
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interrogating each addressable module location to identify whether an equipment module is installed in the location; for each equipment module identified, determining an equipment type, the plurality of equipment modules having at least two equipment types; for each equipment type identified, determining a list of available control data objects associated with that equipment type, wherein control data objects represent values for use in monitoring or controlling equipment; compiling a management information database using information about the list of available control data objects associated with each equipment type, the management information database being used by the network agent to interpret object identifiers sent from a network manager; associating values with the control data objects of equipment modules to be controlled; communicating said values across a network, wherein the values are identified by equipment type and by control data object; periodically determining the types of the equipment identified at each module location in the module rack and lists of available control data objects for the identified equipment types; and updating the management information database using updated information about the lists of available control data objects associated with the types of the equipment identified at each addressable module location; wherein each of at least some of the control data objects is associated with a dot separated string of integers, and an integer in the dot separated string of integers specifies the location of the equipment module associated with the control data object within the module rack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for automatically creating or updating a MIB for an agent running on a processor of a general-purpose module rack, the agent controlling a plurality of equipment modules in the module rack, the method comprising:
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periodically determining an equipment type and location within the module rack for each equipment module to be controlled by said agent; determining one or more available control data objects associated with each equipment type identified, wherein control data objects represent values for use in monitoring or controlling equipment; and updating a data array for storing values for each control data object for each equipment module to be controlled by said agent, the updating being based on changes in the equipment modules in the module rack, the data array comprising a respective column associated with each equipment module specifying the equipment type and location within the module rack of the respective equipment module and having one or more cells specifying control data object numbers associated with the respective equipment module; wherein each of at least some of the control data objects is associated with a dot separated string of integers, and an integer in the dot separated string of integers specifies the location of the equipment module associated with the control data object within the module rack. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A method for monitoring or controlling a plurality of equipment modules installed in slots of a general purpose module rack using control data objects representing values for use in monitoring or controlling said equipment modules, the method comprising
receiving information relating to at least one of said equipment modules; -
associating a dot separated string of integers with a selected one of said control data objects related to said equipment module by making use of said received information, wherein said received information includes the slot location of said equipment module within the rack and wherein an integer in the dot separated string of integers specifies the slot location of said equipment module within the rack; and utilizing said associated dot separated string of integers in a message for monitoring or controlling said equipment module. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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- 11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded thereon software constructed and adapted to operate as an SNMP agent for a plurality of equipment modules installed in slots of a general purpose module rack, the agent running on a processor of the general purpose module rack, wherein the SNMP agent communicates the values of control data objects describing or controlling the operation or status of an equipment module in the rack to or from an SNMP manager and uses module location information defining the slot location of the module within the rack, and module type information obtained from said equipment module, to interpret SNMP messages from said SNMP manager, each of at least some of the SNMP messages containing a dot separated string of integers having an integer representing a slot location within the general purpose module rack.
Specification