Internet control system communication protocol, method and computer program

• US 20080059622A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Professional, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amx LLC (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Mark, Lewno, Mark, Myer, Aaron, Partridge, Charles, Hite, Thomas, McGrane, William, Barber, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 7,673,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2836 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 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A control system, method and computer program are provided for communicating control information in a control system. The control system includes a master controller and a plurality of devices. Each of the plurality of devices have a number of channels. Each channel has an identifying number and a plurality of channel states. The method includes at least initially directing one or more messages sent to and from each device to the master controller, sending a first type of control message from the master controller to respective devices, and sending a second type of control message and a third type of control message from the master controller to respective devices. A control message of the first type directs the respective device to place one of its channels in a specified channel state. A control message of the second type directs the respective device to set the level of a specified parameter to a certain value, and a control message of the third type comprises a character string of variable length.

Claims

1. A method for communicating control information in a control system, wherein the control system includes a master controller and a plurality of devices, each of said plurality of devices having a number of channels, each channel having an identifying number and a plurality of channel states, the method comprising:

at least initially directing one or more messages sent to and from each device to said master controller;

sending a first type of control message from said master controller to respective devices, wherein a control message of said first type directs the respective device to place one of its channels in a specified channel state; and

sending a second type of control message and a third type of control message from said master controller to respective devices, wherein a control message of said second type directs the respective device to set the level of a specified parameter to a certain value, and a control message of said third type comprises a character string of variable length.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein all messages sent to and from each device are at least initially directed to said master controller.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending a fourth type of control message comprising a command from said master controller to a controlling device, wherein at least one of said plurality of devices comprises said controlling device configured to regulate the operation of a controlled device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising converting the character string of said third type of control message to a format supported by one of said plurality of devices configured to receive said character string.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising inserting control messages of one or more of said control message types as respective control message components into a packet, in accordance with a specified protocol, for transmission between said master controller and one of said plurality of devices.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising temporarily assigning a device identification number to a one of said plurality of devices, wherein said device identification number is assigned by said master controller to enable communication of information between said one of said plurality of devices and said master controller, said one of said plurality of devices does not have a permanently assigned identification number, and is transparent to operation of said control system when the device identification number is not temporarily assigned thereto.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising said master controller periodically querying respective devices to monitor availability of respective devices for communication of information.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of devices includes an identification number and one or more ports, each of said ports having an identification number and one or more channels.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising said master controller rendering a channel of a first device into an input state to receive an input from said first device, and said master controller rendering a channel of a second device into an output state to send said input received from said first device as an output to said second device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of said channels is configured to indicate a specific function, parameter or property of its corresponding device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a message sent between said master controller and one of said plurality of devices includes an address indicating the identification number of the one of said plurality of devices, and of the port and channel thereof originating or receiving the message.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein said control system comprises a control area network, and said master controller is configured to exchange messages between respective devices of said control area network and the Internet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said master controller comprises at least one from the group consisting of a device manager, a diagnostic manager, a configuration manager and an IP port connection manager.

14. A control system comprising:

a master controller;

a plurality of devices, wherein each of said plurality of devices is configured with a plurality of channels, each channel having an identification number and a plurality of channel states; and

wherein said control system is configured to at least initially direct one or more messages sent to and from each device to said master controller, said master controller is configured to send a first type of control message, a second type of control message and a third type of control message to respective devices, each device is configured to receive the first type of control message, the second type of control message and the third type of control message such that the first type of control message directs the respective device to place one of its channels in a specified channel state, the second type of control message directs the respective device to set the level of a specified parameter to a certain value, the third type of control message directs the respective device to receive a character string of variable length.

15. The control system of claim 14, wherein all messages sent to and from each device are at least initially directed to said master controller.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein at least one of said plurality of devices comprises a controlling device configured to regulate the operation of a controlled device, and said master controller is configured to generate a fourth type of control message comprising a command to said controlling device that pertains to the operation of said controlled device.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein said character string of said third type of control message is converted to a format supported by at least one of said plurality of devices configured to receive said character string.

18. The control system of claim 16, wherein a device identification number is temporarily assigned to a one of said plurality of devices by said master controller to enable communication of information between said one of said plurality of devices and said master controller, said one of said plurality of devices does not have a permanently assigned identification number, and is transparent to operation of said control system when the device identification number is not temporarily assigned thereto.

19. The control system of claim 16, wherein each of said plurality of devices includes an identification number and one or more ports, each of said ports having an identification number and one or more channels.

20. The control system of claim 19, wherein said master controller is configured to render a channel of a first device into an input state to receive an input from said first device, and is further configured to render a channel of a second device into an output state to send said input received from said first device as an output to said second device.

21. The control system of claim 16, further comprising a control area network, wherein said master controller is coupled to exchange messages between respective devices of said control area network and the Internet.

22. The control system of claim 21, wherein said master controller comprises a plurality of managers.

23. The control system of claim 22, wherein said managers comprise at least one from the group consisting of a device manager, a diagnostic manager, a configuration manager and an IP port connection manager.

24. A control system comprising:

a master controller;

a plurality of devices, wherein each of said plurality of devices is configured with a plurality of channels, each channel having an identification number and a plurality of channel states; and

wherein said control system is configured to at least initially direct one or more messages sent to and from at least one device to said master controller, said master controller is configured to send a control message to one of said plurality of devices, said one of said plurality of devices being configured upon receipt of said control message to perform at least one of placing one of said plurality of channels of said one of said plurality of devices in a specified channel state, setting the level of a specified parameter to a certain value, and receiving a character string of variable length.

25. A computer program product for communicating control information in a control system, wherein the control system includes a master controller and a plurality of devices, each of said plurality of devices having a number of channels, each channel having an identifying number and a plurality of channel states, the computer program product comprising:

a first computer code for at least initially directing one or more messages sent to and from each device to said master controller;

a second computer code for sending a first type of control message from said master controller to respective devices, wherein a control message of said first type directing the respective device to place one of its channels in a specified channel state; and

a third computer code for sending a second type of control message and a third type of control message from said master controller to respective devices, wherein the second type of control message directs the respective device to set the level of a specified parameter to a certain value, and the third type of control message comprises a character string of variable length.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein all messages sent to and from each device are at least initially directed to said master controller.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising a fourth computer code for sending a fourth type of control message comprising a command from said master controller to a controlling device, wherein at least one of said plurality of devices comprises said controlling device configured to regulate operation of a controlled device.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising a fifth computer code for converting said character string of said third type of control message to a format supported by at least one of said plurality of devices configured to receive said character string.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising a sixth computer code for inserting control messages of one or more of said control message types as respective control message components into a packet, in accordance with a specified protocol, for transmission between said master controller and one of said plurality of devices.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising a fifth computer code for temporarily assigning a device identification number to one of said plurality of devices, wherein said device identification number is assigned by said master controller to enable communication of information between said one of said plurality of devices and said master controller, said one of said plurality of devices does not have a permanently assigned identification number, and is transparent to operation of said control system when the device identification number is not temporarily assigned thereto.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, further comprising a sixth computer code for said master controller periodically querying respective devices to monitor availability of respective devices for communication of information.

32. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein each of said plurality of devices includes an identification number and one or more ports, each of said ports having an identification number and one or more channels.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising a fifth computer code for rendering a channel of a first device into an input state to receive an input from said first device, and a sixth computer code for rendering a channel of a second device into an output state to send said input received from said first device as an output to said second device.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein each of said channels is configured to indicate a specific function, parameter or property of its corresponding device.

35. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein a message sent between said master controller and one of said plurality of devices includes an address indicating the identification numbers of the one of said plurality of devices, and of the port and channel thereof originating or receiving the message.

36. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said control system comprises a control area network, said computer program further comprising a fifth computer code for exchanging messages between respective devices of said control area network and the Internet.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein said master controller comprises at least one from the group consisting of a device manager, a diagnostic manager, a configuration manager and an IP port connection manager.

38. A control system comprising:

a master controller;

a plurality of devices, wherein each of said plurality of devices is configured with a plurality of channels, each channel having an identification number and a plurality of channel states; and

means for at least initially directing all messages sent to and from each device to said master controller;

means for sending a first type of control message from said master controller to respective devices, wherein the first type of control message directs the respective device to place one of its channels in a specified channel state; and

means for sending a second type of control message and a third type of control message from said master controller to respective devices, wherein the second type of control message directs the respective device to set the level of a specified parameter to a certain value, and the third type of control message comprises a character string of variable length.

39. A transport independent communication protocol in a control system, wherein the control system includes a master controller and a plurality of devices, the communication protocol comprising:

a packet protocol having;

a protocol field for indicating the type of protocol;

a length of data field for listing the length of the data field;

a data field containing sub protocol data; and

a checksum for determining the integrity of a packet,

wherein the communication protocol is configured to communicate between the master controller and the plurality of devices.

40. The communication protocol of claim 39, wherein the communication protocol comprises at least one from the group consisting of an Ethernet protocol, an AXLink protocol and a PhastLink protocol.

41. The communication protocol of claim 39, wherein the control system includes a means for dynamically providing a translation from an Internet protocol to the communication protocol.