Plurality of sensors coupled to a series of switching devices
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDavid A. Moore, Lynn G. Pipkin, III, Allen T. Morrison, Hoang Thanh Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of sensors are coupled to switching devices arranged in a series of switching devices. Each switching device has an upstream port and a downstream port. The series of switching devices is formed by coupling the downstream port of each switching device, except a last switching device in the series of switching devices, to the upstream port of a next switching device in the series of switching devices.
Claims14
A sensor network comprising;
- a first plurality of sensors;
- a first base station;
- and
- a first series of switching devices, each switching device comprising:
- an upstream port;
- a bus coupled to the upstream port;
- a downstream port;
- a sensor port connectable to the bus;
- a first switch coupled to the bus and the downstream port;
- and
- a switch controller coupled to the bus and the first switch, the switch controller responsive to signals received from the upstream port to selectively connect the bus to the downstream port and disconnect the bus from the downstream port;
- wherein the first series of switching devices includes a first switching device and a last switching device, the upstream port of the first switching device is coupled to the first base station, the downstream port of each switching device, except the last switching device, is coupled to the upstream port of a next switching device in the first series of switching devices, and sensors of the first plurality of sensors are connected to sensor ports of the switching devices in the first series of switching devices.
A method of discovering switching devices in a series of switching devices, and sensors attached to the switching devices, wherein each switching device has an upstream port and a downstream port, the series of switching devices is formed by coupling the downstream port of each switching device, except a last switching device in the series of switching devices, to the upstream port of a next switching device in the series of switching devices, the method comprising:
- signaling the switching devices to disconnect a bus from the downstream port;
- determining whether a previously undiscovered switching device is present;
- if a previously undiscovered switching device is present:
- reading and recording data associated with sensors coupled to the previously undiscovered switching device;
- signaling the previously undiscovered switching device to connect a bus to a downstream port;
- and
- branching to determining whether a previously undiscovered switching device is present;
- and
- if a previously undiscovered switch is not present:
- recording a last undiscovered switching device as a last switching device in the series of switching devices.
A manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a program set of computer-executable instructions, said program set for causing a base station to discover switching devices in a series of switching devices, and sensors attached to the switching devices, wherein each switching device has an upstream port and a downstream port, the series of switching devices is formed by coupling the downstream port of each switching device, except a last switching device in the series of switching devices, to the upstream port of a next switching device in the series of switching devices, the program set of the manufacture comprising:
- signaling the switching devices to disconnect a bus from downstream port;
- determining whether a previously undiscovered switching device present;
- if a previously undiscovered switching device is present;
- reading and recording at the base station data associated with sensors coupled to the previously undiscovered switching device;
- signaling the previously undiscovered switching device to connect a bus to a downstream port;
- and
- branching to determining whether a previously undiscovered switching device is present;
- and
- if a previously undiscovered switch is not present;
- recording at the base station a last undiscovered switching device as a last switching device in the series of switching devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.