US 11,894,943 B2 · Method and apparatus for network device detection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting remote network devices. In one embodiment, the method comprises detecting an event and a) transmitting a message requesting a response from one or more remote network devices, the message comprising a first network identification code, and b) determining whether a response to the message has been received, the response transmitted by a remote network device after receiving the message and determining that the first network identification code matches a second network identification code stored within the remote network device, the response comprising identification information of the remote network device. If c) a response has not been received, terminating the method for detecting remote network devices if a pre-determined time period has elapsed since transmitting the message. If d) a response has been received, storing identification information associated with the responding remote network device and repeating steps a-d until no further responses are received.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for self-assigning a network identification code to a network control device, comprising:

transmitting a command for any remote network node in range of the network control device to respond to the network control device with a network identification code that identifies a local network to which each respective responding remote network node belongs;
receiving a first response from a first remote network node in response to the command, the first response comprising a first network identification code;
removing the first network identification code from consideration as a self-assigned network identification code;
and
selecting the self-assigned network identification code from a plurality of available network identification codes, excluding the first network identification code.

2 more elements

A network control device for self-assigning a network identification code to itself, comprising:

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;
a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless commands to one or more remote network nodes;
a receiver for receiving responses from the one or more remote network nodes;
and
a processor, coupled to the memory, the wireless transmitter and the receiver, for executing the processor-executable instructions that causes the network control device to:
transmit a first wireless command for any of the one or more remote network nodes in range of the network control device to respond to the network control device with a network identification code that identifies a local network to which each respective responding remote network node belongs;
receive a first response from a first remote network node in response to the command, the first response comprising a first network identification code;
remove the first network identification code from consideration as a self-assigned network identification code;
and
select the self-assigned network identification code from a plurality of available network identification codes stored in the memory, excluding the first network identification code.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for network device detection

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for network device detection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14