Method and apparatus for registering remote network devices with a control device

• US 9,054,892 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolink Intelligent Technology Inc. (Universal Electronics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolink Intelligent Technology Inc. (Universal Electronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lamb, Michael, Gruber, Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Wutchung
• Application Number:
  US13/401,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20130215902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 709/203, 709/206, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone

Abstract

A method and apparatus for registering a remote network device with a control device is disclosed. In one embodiment, a registration information message is received by a bridge device from an unregistered remote network device using a first communication protocol. Identification information within the registration information message is stored in a record in a memory. A second registration information message is transmitted to the control device using the second communication protocol, the second registration information message comprising at least some of the identification information. In response, an acknowledgement message is received from the control device, the acknowledgement message comprising an identification code. When subsequent messages are received by the bridge device addressed to the remote network device using the identification code, the bridge re-transmits these messages to the remote network device, addressing it using at least some of the identification information.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a bridge device for registering a remote network device with a control device, wherein the remote network device communicates using a first communication protocol and the control device communicates using a second communication protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a registration information message from an unregistered remote network device using the first communication protocol, the registration information message comprising identification information relating to the unregistered remote network device;

creating a record within a memory, the record for storing at least some of the identification information;

transmitting a second registration information message to the control device using the second communication protocol, the second registration information message comprising at least some of the identification information;

receiving an acknowledgement message from the control device using the second communication protocol, the acknowledgement message comprising an identification code assigned by the control device, the identification code uniquely identifying the remote network device;

storing the identification code in the memory;

associating the identification code with the identification information;

receiving a subsequent message from the control device addressed to the remote network device using the identification code;

determining at least some of the identification information associated with the identification code;

re-transmitting the subsequent message to the remote network device using at least some of the identification information to address the remote network device;

setting a bridge device identification code to the identification code in the memory; and

resetting the bridge device identification code prior to transmission of a third registration information message to the control device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein resetting the bridge device identification code comprises erasing the bridge device identification from the memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein resetting the bridge device identification code comprises replacing the bridge device identification code with a default identification code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein resetting the bridge device identification code comprises transmitting the third registration information message without the bridge device identification code.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an acknowledgment message to the unregistered remote network device using the first communication protocol, the acknowledgment message comprising the identification code; and

re-transmitting the subsequent message to the remote network device using the identification code to address the remote network device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third registration information message from a second unregistered remote network device using a third communication protocol common to the second unregistered network device and the bridge device, the third registration information message comprising identification information relating to the second unregistered remote network device;

creating a record in the memory for storing at least some of the identification information from the third registration information message;

transmitting a fourth registration information message to the control device using the second communication protocol, the fourth registration information message comprising at least some of the identification information relating to the second unregistered remote network device;

receiving a second acknowledgement message from the control device using the second communication protocol, the acknowledgement message comprising a second identification code assigned by the control device, the second identification code uniquely identifying the second remote network device;

storing the second identification code in the memory;

associating the second identification code with the identification information from the second remote network device;

receiving a subsequent message from the control device addressed to the second remote network device using the second identification code;

determining at least some of the identification information associated with the second identification code; and

re-transmitting the subsequent message to the second remote network device using at least some of the identification information associated with the second remote network device to address the second remote network device.

7. An apparatus for registering a remote network device with a control device, wherein the remote network device communicates using a first communication protocol and the control device communicates using a second communication protocol, the apparatus comprising:

a first transceiver for communicating with the remote network device using the first communication protocol;

a second transceiver for communicating with the control device using the second communication protocol;

a processor for executing processor-executable instructions; and

a memory for storing the processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions causing the apparatus to;

receive a registration information message from an unregistered remote network device using the first communication protocol, the registration information message comprising identification information relating to the unregistered remote network device;

create a record within a memory, the record for storing at least some of the identification information;

transmit a second registration information message to the control device using the second communication protocol, the second registration information message comprising at least some of the identification information;

receive an acknowledgement message from the control device using the second communication protocol, the acknowledgement message comprising an identification code assigned by the control device, the identification code uniquely identifying the remote network device;

store the identification code in the memory;

associate the identification code with the identification information;

receive a subsequent message from the control device addressed to the remote network device using the identification code;

determine at least some of the identification information associated with the identification code; and

re-transmit the subsequent message to the remote network device using at least some of the identification information to address the remote network device;

set a bridge device identification code to the identification code in the memory; and

reset the bridge device identification code prior to transmission of a third registration information message by the bridge device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein resetting the bridge device identification code comprises erasing the bridge device identification code from the memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein resetting the bridge device identification code comprises replacing the bridge device identification code with a default identification code.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein resetting the bridge device identification code comprises transmitting the third registration information message that lacks the identification code.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprising instructions that cause the apparatus to:

transmit an acknowledgment message to the unregistered remote network device using the first communication protocol, the acknowledgment message comprising the identification code; and

re-transmit the subsequent message to the remote network device using the identification code to address the remote network device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprising instructions that cause the apparatus to:

receive a third registration information message from a second unregistered remote network device using a third communication protocol common to the second unregistered network device and the bridge device, the third registration information message comprising identification information relating to the second unregistered remote network device;

create a record in the memory for storing at least some of the identification information from the third registration information message;

transmit a fourth registration information message to the control device using the second communication protocol, the fourth registration information message comprising at least some of the identification information relating to the second unregistered remote network device;

receive a second acknowledgement message from the control device using the second communication protocol, the acknowledgement message comprising a second identification code assigned by the control device, the second identification code uniquely identifying the second remote network device;

store the second identification code in the memory;

associate the second identification code with the identification information from the second remote network device;

receive a subsequent message from the control device addressed to the second remote network device using the second identification code;

determine at least some of the identification information associated with the second identification code; and

re-transmit the subsequent message to the second remote network device using at least some of the identification information associated with the second remote network device to address the second remote network device.