Method of configuring a furniture utility distribution system

A method of self-configuring a utility distribution system in an office environment, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units, each furniture unit having a communication module including a signaler physically associated with that furniture unit, particular ones of said furniture units further including a coupler in the associated communication module connected with said signaler and at least one utility appliance connected with said coupler for distributing utilities;
• providing a network controller adapted to transmitting control signals to each said communication module and receiving control signals from at least the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units;
• interconnecting each said communication module and said network controller into a communication network with at least one signal conductor;
• configuring said communication modules according to the physical location of each of said furniture units in the office environment;
• and
• evaluating said communications network and said furniture units to facilitate the distribution of utilities to the utility appliances by transmitting control signals to said communication modules and receiving control signals from at least the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units, wherein said evaluating includes identifying the physical location of said at least one utility appliance with respect to the respective furniture unit.

A method of self-configuring a utility distribution system in an office environment, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units, each furniture unit having a communication module including a signaler physically associated with that furniture unit, particular ones of said furniture units further including a coupler in the associated communication module connected with said signaler and at least one utility appliance connected with said coupler for distributing utilities;
• providing a network controller adapted to transmitting control signals to each said communication module and receiving control signals from at least the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units;
• interconnecting each said communication module and said network controller into a communication network with at least one signal conductor;
• configuring said communication modules according to the physical location of each of said furniture units in the office environment;
• and
• evaluating said communications network and said furniture units to facilitate the distribution of utilities to the utility appliances by transmitting control signals to said communication modules and receiving control signals from at least the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units, wherein particular ones of said signalers include a portion-of-work space identification mechanism to positionally associate a plurality of said furniture units within a given work space.

A method of self-configuring a utility distribution system in an office environment, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units, each furniture unit having a communication module including a signaler physically associated with that furniture unit, particular ones of said furniture units further including a coupler in the associated communication module connected with said signaler and at least one utility appliance connected with said coupler for distributing utilities;
• providing a network controller adapted to transmitting control signals to each said communication module and receiving control signals from at least the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units;
• interconnecting each said communication module and said network controller into a communication network with at least one signal conductor;
• configuring said communication modules according to the physical location of each of said furniture units in the office environment;
• and
• evaluating said communications network and said furniture units to facilitate the distribution of utilities to the utility appliances by transmitting control signals to said communication modules and receiving control signals from at least the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units, further including providing an identification module with each furniture unit to assist in identification of that furniture unit.

A method of associating a utility distribution system to a physical space in an office environment, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units organized into work spaces, particular ones of said furniture units including a utility appliance network including a plurality of utility appliances for distributing utilities to one of said work spaces and a utility appliance controller;
• providing a network controller adapted to make determinations for controlling said utility appliances;
• providing a communication network for communicatively interconnecting said utility appliance networks with said network controller;
• determining with the respective said utility appliance controller a physical location of each said utility appliance with respect to the respective furniture unit;
• communicating data including said physical location of each utility appliance from each utility appliance controller to said network controller on said communication network;
• and
• providing correspondence in said network controller between a logical address for each said utility appliance and the physical location of that utility appliance using said data communicated from said utility appliance controllers.

A method of installing a utility distribution system in an office space, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units, each furniture unit having a communication module including a signaler physically associated with that furniture unit, particular ones of said furniture units further including a coupler in the associated communication module connected with said signaler and at least one utility appliance connected with said coupler for distributing utilities;
• physically arranging said furniture units in the office space in a pattern that defines a plurality of work spaces;
• providing a network controller adapted to transmitting control signals to each said communication module and receiving control signals from the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units;
• interconnecting said communication modules with each other and with said network controller in a communication network with at least one signal conductor;
• and
• identifying a physical relationship between signalers in said communication network and said pattern of furniture units in order to establish correspondence between said communication network and furniture units, wherein said identifying includes identifying the physical location of said at least one utility appliance with respect to the respective furniture unit.

A method of installing a utility distribution system in an office space, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units, each furniture unit having a communication module including a signaler physically associated with that furniture unit, particular ones of said furniture units further including a coupler in the associated communication module connected with said signaler and at least one utility appliance connected with said coupler for distributing utilities;
• physically arranging said furniture units in the office space in a pattern that defines a plurality of work spaces;
• providing a network controller adapted to transmitting control signals to each said communication module and receiving control signals from the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units;
• interconnecting said communication modules with each other and with said network controller in a communication network with at least one signal conductor;
• and
• automatically identifying a physical relationship between signalers in said communication network and said pattern of furniture units in order to establish correspondence between said communication network and furniture units based upon information the network controller receives from said signalers.

A method of installing a utility distribution system in an office space, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units, each furniture unit having a communication module including a signaler physically associated with that furniture unit, particular ones of said furniture units further including a coupler in the associated communication module connected with said signaler and at least one utility appliance connected with said coupler for distributing utilities;
• physically arranging said furniture units in the office space in a pattern that defines a plurality of work spaces;
• providing a network controller adapted to transmitting control signals to each said communication module and receiving control signals from the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units;
• interconnecting said communication modules with each other and with said network controller in a communication network with at least one signal conductor;
• and
• identifying a physical relationship between signalers in said communication network and said pattern of furniture units in order to establish correspondence between said communication network and furniture units, wherein particular ones of said signalers include a portion-of-work space identification mechanism to positionally associate a plurality of said furniture units within a given work space.

A method of installing a utility distribution system in an office space, including:

• providing a plurality of furniture units, each furniture unit having a communication module including a signaler physically associated with that furniture unit, particular ones of said furniture units further including a coupler in the associated communication module connected with said signaler and at least one utility appliance connected with said coupler for distributing utilities;
• physically arranging said furniture units in the office space in a pattern that defines a plurality of work spaces;
• providing a network controller adapted to transmitting control signals to each said communication module and receiving control signals from the communication modules associated with said particular ones of said furniture units;
• interconnecting said communication modules with each other and with said network controller in a communication network with at least one signal conductor;
• and
• identifying a physical relationship between signalers in said communication network and said pattern of furniture units in order to establish correspondence between said communication network and furniture units, further including providing an identification module with each furniture unit to assist in identification of that furniture unit.