US 2017/0373952 A1 · METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO ONE OR MORE SENSORS FROM AN INTERNET PROTOCOL NETWORK

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing direct access to one or more sensors from an internet protocol network. One example method includes detecting, by the remote terminal unit, a first sensor coupled to a first communications port. The method also includes generating a first unique internet protocol address for the first sensor, and mapping the first unique internet protocol address, at an application layer of a network protocol stack, to the first sensor. The method includes broadcasting, over the internet protocol network at a network layer, the first unique internet protocol address and an identity of the first sensor with which the first unique internet protocol address is associated. The method includes monitoring, at the network layer of the internet protocol network, for a sensor message identifying the first unique internet protocol address as a destination address, and forwarding the sensor message to the application layer for further processing.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for providing direct access to one or more sensors from an internet protocol network via a remote terminal unit coupled to the internet protocol network, the method comprising:

detecting, by the remote terminal unit, a first sensor coupled to a first communications port of the remote terminal unit;
generating, by the remote terminal unit, a first unique internet protocol address for the first sensor;
mapping the first unique internet protocol address, at an application layer of a network protocol stack of the remote terminal unit, to the first sensor;
broadcasting, by the remote terminal unit over the internet protocol network at a network layer, the first unique internet protocol address and an identity of the first sensor with which the first unique internet protocol address is associated;
monitoring, by the remote terminal unit at the network layer of the internet protocol network, for a sensor message identifying the first unique internet protocol address as a destination address of the sensor message;
and
responsive to detecting the sensor message, forwarding the sensor message to the application layer for further processing.

4 more elements

A remote terminal unit for providing direct access to one or more sensors from an internet protocol network, the remote terminal unit comprising:

a network interface coupled to the internet protocol network;
a first communications port;
a memory;
and
an electronic processor coupled to the network interface, the first communications port, and the memory, and configured to detect a first sensor coupled to the first communications port;
generate a first unique internet protocol address for the first sensor;
map the first unique internet protocol address, at an application layer of a network protocol stack of the remote terminal unit, to the first sensor;
broadcast, via the network interface, over the internet protocol network at a network layer, the first unique internet protocol address and an identity of the first sensor with which the first unique internet protocol address is associated;
monitor, via the network interface, at the network layer of the internet protocol network, for a sensor message identifying the first unique internet protocol address as a destination address of the message;
and
responsive to detecting the sensor message, forward the sensor message to the application layer for further processing.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus to provide direct access to one or more sensors from an internet protocol network

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus to provide direct access to one or more sensors from an internet protocol network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20