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US 6,763,040 B1Granted
Internet control system communication protocol and method
AssigneeAmx LLC
InventorsThomas D. Hite, Ronald W. Barber, Charles W. Partridge, Mark R. Lee, William B. McGrane, Aaron L. Myer, Mark S. Lewno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A communication protocol includes a packet protocol, which includes a protocol field for indicating the type of protocol, a length of data field for listing the length in bytes of the data field, a data field containing sub protocol data, and a checksum for determining the integrity of the packet.
Claims20
In a control system comprising a single master and a plurality of devices, a method for communicating control information comprising:
- configuring said system to initially direct all messages sent to and from each device to said master;
- providing each of said devices with a number of channels, each channel having an identifying number and a plurality of discrete channel states;
- configuring said master to send a first type of control message to respective devices, a control message of said first type directing a recipient device to place one of its channels in a specified channel state;
- and
- further configuring said master to send second and third types of control messages, selectively, wherein a control message of said second type directs a recipient 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 more elements
A control system comprising:
- a master;
- a plurality of devices, each of said devices provided with a number of channels and each channel having an identification number and a plurality of discrete channel states;
- means for initially directing all messages sent to and from each device to said master;
- and
- said master is configured to send first, second and third types of control messages to respective devices, wherein a control message of said first type directs a recipient device to place one of its channels in a specified channel state, a control message of said second type directs a recipient 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 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.