Systems, methods and apparatus for supporting multiple network addressing modes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10154006-B2
Application number	US-201615217368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for multiple network addressing modes are disclosed. The method includes selecting one of an automap full mode, an automap-by-type full mode, an automap light mode, an automap-by-type light mode and a manual node commissioning mode for determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices, determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices based on the automap full mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices based on the automap-by-type full mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for newly added network devices to an existing network based on the automap light mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for the newly added network devices to the existing network based on the automap-by-type light mode, and determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices based on the manual node commissioning mode.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of determining and assigning node addresses for network devices in a non-IP based network based on selecting and using one of multiple network addressing modes, comprising:
using a network apparatus having a network address mode selector, selecting between addressing modes including an automap full mode, an automap-by-type full mode, an automap light mode, an automap-by-type light mode and a manual node commissioning mode for determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices;
in response to selecting the automap full mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices according to relative geographical locations of the network devices in the non-IP based network, wherein the node addresses follow a network address sequence, and are determined and assigned automatically;
in response to selecting the automap-by-type full mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices according to the relative geographical locations of the network devices in the non-IP based network within device type specific address ranges, wherein the node addresses follow the network address sequence within the appropriate device type specific address ranges, and are determined and assigned automatically;
in response to selecting the automap light mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for newly added network devices to an existing non-IP based network according to geographical locations of the added network devices in the non-IP based network, wherein the added network devices are addressed to follow the network address sequence starting with a next available address in an original network address geography;
in response to selecting the automap-by-type light mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for the newly added network devices to the existing non-IP based network according to the geographical locations of the added network devices in the non-IP based network within the device type specific address ranges, wherein the added network devices are addressed to follow the network address sequence starting with the next available address within the appropriate device type specific address ranges in the original network address geography; and
in response to selecting the manual node commissioning mode, determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices based on the manual node commissioning mode, wherein the node address for each network device is uniquely and individually determined and assigned.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically addressing each of the network devices in the non-IP based network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the network devices is addressed sequentially.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the network devices is addressed sequentially within an appropriate device type specific address range.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining and assigning the node addresses for the newly added network devices based on the automap light mode further comprising assigning the node addresses sequentially starting with a next available unused address in the original network address geography.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining and assigning the node addresses for the newly added network devices based on the automap-by-type light mode further comprising assigning the node addresses sequentially within a device type specific address range starting with a next available unused address in the original network address geography.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining and assigning the node address for the network devices is performed manually by a system designer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique node addresses have an upper limit, wherein the upper limit is set based on the non-IP based network.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique node addresses are determined and assigned according to a type of network device, or a function of a device within a complex machine, wherein each unique node address is set by a system designer before it is connected to the non-IP based network.

10. A network apparatus comprising: a processor and non-transitory computer readable medium storing processing instructions for determining and assigning node addresses for network devices in a non-IP based network based on multiple network addressing modes, wherein the processing instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
in response to using a mode selector, select between addressing modes including an automap full mode, an automap-by-type full mode, an automap light mode, an automap-by-type light mode and a manual node commissioning mode for determining and assigning the node addresses for the network devices,
in response to selecting the automap full mode, determine and assign the node addresses for the network devices according to relative geographical locations of the network devices in the non-IP based network, wherein the node addresses follow a network address sequence, and are assigned automatically,
in response to selecting the automap-by-type full mode, determine and assign the node addresses for the network devices according to the relative geographical locations of the network devices in the non-IP based network within device type specific address ranges, wherein the node addresses follow the network address sequence within the appropriate device type specific address ranges, and are determined and assigned automatically,
in response to selecting the automap light mode, determine and assign the node addresses for newly added network devices to an existing non-IP based network according to geographical locations of the newly added network devices in the non-IP based network, wherein the added network devices are addressed to follow a network address sequence starting with a next available address in an original network address geography,
in response to selecting the automap-by-type light mode, determine and assign the node addresses for the newly added network devices to the existing non-IP based network according to the geographical locations of the added network devices in the non-IP based network within device type specific address ranges, wherein the added network devices are addressed to follow the network address sequence starting with the next available address within the appropriate device type specific address ranges in the original network address geography, and
in response to selecting the manual node commissioning mode, determine and assign the node addresses for the network devices, wherein the node address for each network device is uniquely and individually determined and assigned.

11. The network apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processing instructions further cause the processor to automatically address each of the network devices in the non-IP based network.

12. The network apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the network devices is addressed sequentially.

13. The network apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the network devices is addressed sequentially within an appropriate device type specific address range.

14. The network apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processing instructions that cause the processor to determine and assign the node addresses for the newly added network devices to the existing non-IP based network based on the automap light mode further cause the processor to assign the node addresses sequentially starting with a next available unused address in the original network address geography.

15. The network apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processing instructions that cause t

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Haensgen Steven T
• Caspers John P
• Wang Yutao
• Kilburn Jeffrey A
• Whitley Darryl E

Classifications

• H04L61/609

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/025 Primary

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• H04L61/6027

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/2535 Primary

  Multiple local networks, e.g. resolving potential IP address conflicts · CPC title

• H04L61/2038

  Electricity · mapped topic