초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for controlling devices on a network, such as household devices on a home automation network is presented. The present invention provides an extended addressing option and an extended packet size option. The present invention further provides packet order control, partial pack

A method and apparatus for controlling devices on a network, such as household devices on a home automation network is presented. The present invention provides an extended addressing option and an extended packet size option. The present invention further provides packet order control, partial packet support, and multiple bit priority control. The present invention also provides a central controller that avoids the maintenance requirements of a distributed control system. The central controller may be coupled to a computer, allowing the computer to program the central controller and to act as a redundant controller in case the central controller fails or is otherwise unable to effectively control the network. The central controller may communicate with devices and other equipment over a variety of types of networks, including EIA-485 balanced cabling and ethernet networks, as well as other types of networks. The invention provides an automatic wiring testing feature that gives an indication if a node is properly wired to the controller. The invention further provides an identification mode that allows identification of devices and binding of physical devices to their corresponding representations used by the controller.

대표청구항 ▼

A method and apparatus for controlling devices on a network, such as household devices on a home automation network is presented. The present invention provides an extended addressing option and an extended packet size option. The present invention further provides packet order control, partial pack

A method and apparatus for controlling devices on a network, such as household devices on a home automation network is presented. The present invention provides an extended addressing option and an extended packet size option. The present invention further provides packet order control, partial packet support, and multiple bit priority control. The present invention also provides a central controller that avoids the maintenance requirements of a distributed control system. The central controller may be coupled to a computer, allowing the computer to program the central controller and to act as a redundant controller in case the central controller fails or is otherwise unable to effectively control the network. The central controller may communicate with devices and other equipment over a variety of types of networks, including EIA-485 balanced cabling and ethernet networks, as well as other types of networks. The invention provides an automatic wiring testing feature that gives an indication if a node is properly wired to the controller. The invention further provides an identification mode that allows identification of devices and binding of physical devices to their corresponding representations used by the controller. se station controller (302) and a network management system (300) that are operatively interconnected by means of telecommunication connections comprising traffic channels and control channels, and in which system information between the network elements is transmitted in frames that are divided into time slots, and in which system the base station controller (302) controls one or more base stations, and network element identification information has been fed into a network element to be installed, and in which method the network element is physically connected to the system by means of the telecommunication connections, characterized by predetermining identification information on base stations allowed to be connected to the base station controller for the base station controller, and the base station controller transmitting a communication channel at least in some of the frames the base station controller uses for communication with the network elements if the base station controller detects that it has been provided with identification information on base stations not yet connected to the base station controller, and after being physically installed, the network element to be installed searching the frames received by means of the telecommunication connections for communication control channels, and establishing a connection to the base station controller by means of the communication channels found. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized by in frames used by the base station controller for communicating with the network elements, unused consecutive time slots of the frames being divided into one or more groups (406, 412), and each group having one time slot (408, 414) used as a communication control channel. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by LAPD link protocol being used on the telecommunication connections between the base station controller and the base stations, and the base station controller continually transmitting a link protocol link establishment request message over the communication control channel. 4. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the base station to be connected receiving the link protocol link establishment request message transmitted by the base station controller, and the base station monitoring for a predetermined period of time whether any other base station replies to the same establishment request message, and if no other base station replies to the message, the base station transmitting an acknowledgement message to the base station controller. 5. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the base station to be connected receiving the link protocol link establishment request message transmitted by the base station controller, and the base station monitoring for a predetermined period of time whether any other base station replies to the same establishment request message, and if another base station replies to the message, the base station searching for another establishment request message. 6. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the base station to be installed transmitting its identification information and hardware information by means of the information received from the communication control channel to the base station controller comparing the identification information with the identification information on the allowed network elements, and when the identification information is allowed, accepting the network element, and the base station controller allocating necessary time slots for the use of communication between the network element and the base station controller from one or more groups and informing the network element of the allocated time slots over the communication control channel. 7. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by some of the network elements (324, 326) of the radio system being interconnected coupled in series by means of the telecommunication connections. 8. A method as claimed in cl aim 7, characterized by the unused-time-slot groups being transmitted by software as whole groups in the frames to network elements connected to the base station controllers by telecommunication connections capable of the transmission. 9. A method as claimed in claim 7, characterized by information on the unused-time-slot groups being manually set at network elements connected to the base station controllers by telecommunication connections incapable of transmission by software. 10. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the base station to be installed, after searching the frames received by means of the telecommunication connections for communication control channels of the groups, searching the telecommunication connections for routes to the network elements having unused-time-slot groups as whole groups in the frames. 11. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the communication control channel of each group being the last time slot of the group. 12. A radio system comprising one or more network elements (316, 324, 326, 328, 334, 336), a base station controller (302) and a network management system (300) that are operatively interconnected by means of telecommunication connections comprising traffic channels and control channels, and in which system information between the network elements is transmitted in frames that are divided into time slots, and in which system the base station controller controls one or more network elements that comprise network element identification information, characterized by the base station controller being arranged to update the identification information on base stations allowed to be connected to the base station, and the base station controller being arranged to detect that that it has been provided with identification information on base stations not yet connected to the base station controller, and the base station controller being arranged to transmit a communication channel at least in some of the frames the base station controller uses for communication with the network elements, and after being physically installed, the network element to be installed being arranged to search the frames received by means of the telecommunication connections for communication control channels, and to establish a connection to the base station controller by means of the communication channels found. 13. A system as claimed in claim 12, characterized by the base station controller and the base stations to be connected to the to the base station controllers being arranged to use LAPD link protocol on the telecommunication connections therebetween, and the base station controller being arranged to continually transmit a link protocol link establishment request message over the communication channel. 14. A system as claimed in claim 13, characterized by the base station to be connected being arranged to receive the link protocol link establishment request message transmitted by the base station controller, and the base station being arranged to monitor for a predetermined period of time whether any other base station replies to the same establishment request message, and if no other base station replies to the message, the base station is arranged to transmit an acknowledgement message to the base station controller. 15. A system as claimed in claim 13, characterized by the base station to be connected being arranged to receive the link protocol link establishment request message transmitted by the base station controller, and the base station being arranged to monitor for a predetermined period of time whether any other base station replies to the same establishment request message, and if another base station replies to the message, the base station being arranged to search for another establishment request message. 16. A system as claimed in claim 12, characterized by the base station to be installed being arranged to transmit its identification information and hardware infor mation by means of the information received from the communication control channel to the base station controller, and the base station controller being arranged to compare the identification information with the identification information on the allowed network elements, and when the identification information is allowed, to accept the network element, and the base station controller being arranged to allocate necessary time slots for the use of communication between the network element and the base station controller from one or more groups and to inform the network element of the allocated time slots over the communication control channel. 17. A system as claimed in claim 12, characterized by certain capacity being allocated from the telecommunication connection between the network elements of the system for communication between the network elements. 18. A system as claimed in claim 17, characterized by the allocated capacity comprising a given number of some free time slots. laim 1, wherein said establishing step comprises: transmitting a control signal from the PSTN region of said calling station to the PSTN region of said called station through a common channel signaling system path. 6. A method of controlling voice communication between calling and called telephone stations each connected through a respective switch to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) region and remotely located from each other, comprising the steps of: routing a voice call carrying two-way voice communication between said calling and called stations in digital packet format through a path of the Internet; changing the routing of said call between said calling and called stations from the Internet path to a non-packet data format voice telephone network voice path without terminating the call, thereby bypassing said packet data network while maintaining the voice communication call; and wherein said changing step comprises: monitoring said packet data network during the course of transmission of said voice call through said packet data network path to determine a quality of performance level; comparing the performance level determined in said monitoring step with a predetermined threshold level; rerouting the call to said voice telephone network voice path if the performance level of said packet data network as monitored in said monitoring step is below said predetermined threshold: and wherein said performance level is related to data flow rate and said predetermined threshold is a minimum acceptable voice transmission time, said monitoring step comprising: transmitting at least one request packet through the Internet; receiving at least one response packet; and measuring the round trip time duration therebetween. 7. A method of controlling voice communication between calling and called telephone stations each connected through a respective switch to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) region and remotely located from each other, comprising the steps of: routing a voice call carrying two-way voice communication between said calling and called stations in digital packet format through a path of the Internet; changing the routing of said call between said calling and called stations from the Internet path to a non-packet data format voice telephone network voice path without terminating the call, thereby bypassing said packet data network while maintaining the voice communication call; and wherein said changing step comprises: monitoring said packet data network during the course of transmission of said voice call through said packet data network path to determine a quality of performance level; comparing the performance level determined in said monitoring step with a predetermined threshold level; rerouting the call to said voice telephone network voice path if the performance level of said packet data network as monitored in said monitoring step is below said predetermined threshold: and wherein the Internet interfaces with a plurality of PSTN regions through respective modules, and said rerouting step comprises: transmitting a first signal from a module connected with the PSTN region of the called station to the called station switch; transmitting a second signal from a module connected with the PSTN region of the called station to the called station switch; in response to said first and second signals, establishing a connection for said call from said calling station switch through the PSTN to a second switch coupled to the called station; bridging the voice call at each of said switches to the established connection; and terminating communication of said call through said public packet data network path. 8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein said establishing step comprises: transmitting an in-band control signal from the PSTN region of said calling station to the PSTN region of said called station through a voice communication trunk. 9. A communications system comprising: a public switched telecommunications network (PSTN) having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems each connected to at least one subscriber line; a public data network separate from said switched telecommunications network comprising multiple remotely spaced routers for linking together paths of said public data network using transmission control protocols to provide connectionless packet service between remote locations of said public data network; at least two of said central office switching systems connected to a respective interface to said public data network, said central office switching systems providing selective connection between said interfaces and the subscriber lines connected to each of said central office switching systems; and means for automatically rerouting a voice call carrying voice communication between subscriber lines of said two central office switching systems that traverse said public data network to a voice path in said PSN in response to a predetermined condition, without terminating the existing voice call; wherein said predetermined condition is the occurrence of an unacceptable level of quality of performance of said public data network, and each said interface comprises means for monitoring said data network during the course of transmission of said voice call through said public data network; and wherein said monitoring means measures voice data packet pulses received per unit time period from the public data network. 10. A communications system comprising: a public switched telecommunications network (PSTN) having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems each connected to at least one subscriber line; a public data network separate from said switched telecommunications network comprising multiple remotely spaced routers for linking together paths of said public data network using transmission control protocols to provide connectionless packet service between remote locations of said public data network; at least two of said central office switching systems connected to a respective interface to said public data network, said central office switching systems providing selective connection between said interfaces and the subscriber lines connected to each of said central office switching systems; and means for automatically rerouting a voice call carrying voice communication between subscriber lines of said two central office switching systems that traverse said public data network to a voice path in said PSN in response to a predetermined condition, without terminating the existing voice call; wherein said predetermined condition is the occurrence of an unacceptable level of quality of performance of said public data network, and each said interface comprises means for monitoring said data network during the course of transmission of said voice call through said public data network; and wherein said monitoring means transmits a request packet through said public data network, receives a response packet, and measures the round trip time duration therebetween. 11. A communications system comprising: a public switched telecommunications network (PSTN) having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems each connected to at least one subscriber line; a public data network separate from said switched telecommunications network comprising multiple remotely spaced routers for linking together paths of said public data network using transmission control protocols to provide connectionless packet service between remote locations of said public data network; at least two of said central office switching systems connected to a respective interface to said public data network, said central office switching systems providing selective connection between said interfaces and the subscriber lines connected to each of said central office switching systems; and means for automatically rerouting a voice call c arrying voice communication between subscriber lines of said two central office switching systems that traverse said public data network to a voice path in said PSN in response to a predetermined condition, without terminating the existing voice call; wherein said predetermined condition is the occurrence of an unacceptable level of quality of performance of said public data network, and each said interface comprises means for monitoring said data network during the course of transmission of said voice call through said public data network; and wherein said monitoring means measures time variance between voice data packets received from the public data network. 12. A communications system comprising: a public switched telecommunications network (PSTN) having a plurality of interconnected central office switching systems each connected to at least one subscriber line; a public data network separate from said switched telecommunications network comprising multiple remotely spaced routers for linking together paths of said public data network using transmission control protocols to provide connectionless packet service between remote locations of said public data network; at least two of said central office switching systems connected to a respective interface to said public data network, said central office switching systems providing selective connection between said interfaces and the subscriber lines connected to each of said central office switching systems; and means for automatically rerouting a voice call carrying voice communication between subscriber lines of said two central office switching systems that traverse said public data network to a voice path in said PSN in response to a predetermined condition, without terminating the existing voice call; wherein said predetermined condition is the occurrence of an unacceptable level of quality of performance of said public data network, and each said interface comprises means for monitoring said data network during the course of transmission of said voice call through said public data network; and wherein said monitoring means detects lost voice data packets.