System and method for transmitting and receiving information on a neighborhood area network

• US 8,502,640 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Veillette, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US12/275,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/825.69, 702/61, 700/169, 700/291, 714/755, 714/784, 711/100
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In accordance with the techniques discussed herein, a device can access data stored by other devices or units on a network. Devices recording data can provide the data to another device for display to a user. A user can then use the information to make decisions about how and when to control energy use. A communications logic unit associated with the radio can format messages including data from a data storage unit. Data can be stored in tables and written to or retrieved by reading or writing part of the table or the entire table.

Claims

1. A mesh network system comprising:

a transmitting mesh device in communication with an energy using device, the transmitting mesh device comprising;

a data storage unit storing data in a standard table and an extended table, the extended table including energy use information of the energy using device and the standard table including one or more of general configuration information, manufacturer identification information, mode information and status information;

a radio to receive a request for energy use information from a receiving mesh device and to transmit a message to the receiving mesh device, the request comprising a request code field specifying a type of request, a table identifier specifying the extended table, an offset specifying a location in the extended table, and a count specifying a number of bytes to be read from the extended table at the location; and

a communications logic unit in communication with the radio operable to read data from the standard table and extended table and to format the data as the message including the energy use information, based on the received request; and

a receiving mesh device in communication with the transmitting mesh device, the receiving mesh device comprising;

a data storage unit for storing table data;

a radio for sending the request for energy use information comprising the request code field, the table identifier, the offset and the count, and for receiving the message transmitted by the transmitting device;

a communications logic unit coupled to the radio, the communications logic unit operable to read the message and write the received energy use information to the storage unit; and

a display;

wherein the receiving mesh device originates the request for energy use information and displays the energy use information to a user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy using device regulates temperature in a room.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy using device is an electricity meter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data stored in the extended table of the transmitting mesh device includes mesh radio information used by the radio to transmit data over a neighborhood area network (NAN).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage unit of the transmitting mesh device includes an address identifying a location on a mesh network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data stored in the data storage unit of the transmitting mesh device includes a GPS coordinate.

7. A mesh network system comprising:

a receiving mesh device comprising;

a data storage unit for storing table data;

a radio for sending a request for energy use information and for receiving a message from a transmitting mesh device, the request comprising a request code field specifying a type of request, a table identifier specifying an extended table at the transmitting mesh device, an offset specifying a location in the extended table, and a count specifying a number of bytes to be read from the extended table at the location;

a communications logic unit coupled to the radio, the communications logic unit operable to read received messages and write energy use information to the data storage unit;

a display for displaying the energy use information to a user; and

a transmitting mesh device in communication with the receiving mesh device and an electricity meter reporting energy use information collected by the electricity meter, the transmitting mesh device comprising;

a data storage unit storing data in a standard table and an extended table, the extended table including the energy use information collected from the electricity meter and mesh radio information used to transmit the data over a neighborhood area network (NAN), the standard table including one or more of general configuration information, manufacturer identification information, mode information and status information;

a communications logic unit having an address on a NAN and operable to read data from the extended table and format the data as a message including the energy use information according to the mesh radio information, based on the request for energy use information; and

a radio coupled to the communications logic unit to transmit the message to the requesting mesh device on the NAN upon receiving the request for energy use information from the requesting mesh device,

wherein the requesting mesh device originates the request for energy use information and displays the energy use information to a user.

8. A method comprising:

providing, by a receiving mesh device, a request to write energy use information data to an extended table within a data storage unit, the data storage unit storing data in the extended table and a standard table including one or more of general configuration information, manufacturer identification information, mode information and status information;

formatting, by the receiving mesh device, the request as a message including a request code field specifying a type of request, a table identifier specifying the extended table, an offset specifying a location in the extended table, and a count specifying a number of bites to be written to the extended table at the location;

transmitting the message to a transmitting mesh device via a radio of the receiving mesh device;

receiving, by the receiving mesh device, energy use information data from the transmitting mesh device;

writing, by the receiving mesh device, the energy use information data in the extended table; and

displaying, by the receiving mesh device, the energy use information data to a user,

wherein the receiving mesh device originates the request to write energy use information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the message further comprises a checksum, wherein the checksum may be used to validate data integrity.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the message is transmitted over a wireless radio via a mesh network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mesh network includes a plurality of wireless mesh nodes for receiving and transmitting radio signals.

12. A method according to claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, by the transmitting device, a request to read data from an extended table of the transmitting device;

formatting, by the transmitting device, a message including a request code field, a table identifier, the energy use data and a count; and

transmitting the message to the receiving mesh device via radio.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitted message from the transmitting mesh device further comprises an offset, the offset identifying a location in the extended table to begin reading the energy use information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitted message from the transmitting mesh device further comprises a checksum, wherein the checksum may be used to validate data integrity.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the message is transmitted via a mesh network.

16. A computer program stored in a non-transitory computer readable form for execution in a processor and a processor coupled memory to implement a method comprising:

providing, by a receiving mesh device, a request to write energy use information data to an extended table within a data storage unit, the data storage unit storing data in the extended table and a standard table including one or more of general configuration information, manufacturer identification information, mode information and status information;

formatting, by the receiving mesh device, the request as a message including a request code field specifying a type of request, a table identifier specifying the extended table, an offset specifying a location in the extended table, and a count specifying a number of bites to be written to the extended table at the location;

transmitting the message to a transmitting mesh device over a radio of the receiving mesh device;

receiving, by the receiving mesh device, energy use data from the transmitting mesh device; and

writing, by the receiving mesh device, the energy use data in the extended table;

wherein the receiving mesh device originates the request for energy use information and displays the energy use information to a user.