Device and method for automatic switching of communication protocol of network devices based on user action

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10326659-B2
Application number	US-201715700726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2013
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A computer implemented method for automatically switching communication protocols. The method includes detecting a user input, determining, based on the user input, a first communication protocol needed to address the user input, and creating a virtualized network wherein devices that use a second communication protocol are represented via virtualized devices according to the first communication protocol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for automatic communication protocol switching between devices connected to a computer network system, comprising:
a processor;
a network interface connected to the processor; and
a memory connected to the processor, including computer-readable and processor executable computer instructions:
for communicating in a first communication protocol having a first bandwidth, and in a second communication protocol having a second bandwidth, and
for switching between the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol for communicating data via the network interface,
wherein when the processor executes the computer instructions, the processor determines which of the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol is to be selected, and communicates the data to a second computer network device using the selected one of the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol via the network interface,
when the second computer network device is not able to receive the data transmitted from the processor using the first communication protocol, the processor transmits the data to the second computer network device using the second communication protocol, and the second computer network device receives the data from the processor sent via the second communication protocol,
wherein the computer network system includes a HVAC system, and
wherein:
the first communication protocol is based on a BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is a different protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, or
the second communication protocol is based on the BACnet protocol, and the first communication protocol is the different protocol.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the different protocol is a proprietary protocol.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the different protocol is based on a non-BACnet protocol.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the different protocol is based on the BACnet protocol.

5. A device for automatic communication protocol switching between devices connected to a computer network system, comprising:
a processor;
a network interface connected to the processor; and
a memory connected to the processor, including computer-readable and processor executable computer instructions:
for communicating in a first communication protocol requiring a first bandwidth and in a second communication protocol requiring a second bandwidth, and
for switching between the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol for communicating data via the network interface,
wherein when the processor executes the computer instructions, the processor determines which of the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth is to be selected, and communicates the data to a second computer network device using the selected one of the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol via the network interface,
when the second computer network device is not able to receive the data transmitted from the processor using the first communication protocol, the processor transmits the data to the second computer network device using the second communication protocol, and the second computer network device receives the data from the processor sent via the second communication protocol,
wherein the computer network system includes a HVAC system, and
wherein: the first communication protocol is a BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is a non-BACnet protocol, or the first communication protocol is the non-BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is the BACnet protocol.

6. A computer network system, comprising:
a HVAC system;
a network;
a first computer network device connected to the network; and
a second computer network device connected to the network,
wherein the first computer network device is configured to use a first communication protocol having a first bandwidth, and a second communication protocol having a second bandwidth,
the first computer network device determines which of the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth is to be selected, and
when the first computer network device selects the first bandwidth, the first computer network device transmitting data via the network using the first communication protocol to a second computer network device, and when the second computer network device cannot receive the data transmitted from the first computer network device using the first communication protocol, the first computer network device transmits the data to the second computer network device using the second communication protocol, and the second computer network device receives the data via the network from the first computer network device using the second communication protocol, and
wherein: the first communication protocol is a BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is a non-BACnet protocol, or the first communication protocol is the non-BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is the BACnet protocol.

7. A computer implemented method for automatically switching communication protocols of a HVAC system, the method comprising:
a processor detecting a user input to a computer device connected to a network;
the processor converting the user input to data;
the processor selecting one of a first communication protocol having a first bandwidth, or a second communication protocol having a second bandwidth,
the processor communicating the data to a second computer network device using the selected one of the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol via the network,
wherein when the second computer network device cannot receive the data transmitted from the processor using the first communication protocol, the processor transmitting the data to the second computer network device using the second communication protocol, and the second computer network device receiving the data from the processor sent via using the second communication protocol, and
wherein: the first communication protocol is a BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is a non-BACnet protocol, or the first communication protocol is the non-BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is the BACnet protocol.

8. A computer network system, comprising:
a HVAC system;
a network;
a first computer network device connected to the network; and
a second computer network device connected to the network,
wherein the first computer network device is configured to use a first communication protocol having a first bandwidth, and a second communication protocol having a second bandwidth,
the first computer network device determines which of the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol is to be selected, and
when the first computer network device selects the first communication protocol, the first computer network device transmitting data via the network using the first communication protocol to a second computer network device, and when the second computer network device cannot receive the data transmitted from the first computer network device using the first communication protocol, the first computer network device transmits the data to the second computer network device using the second communication protocol, and the second computer network device receives the data via the network from the first computer network device using the second communication protocol, and
wherein:
the first communication protocol is based on a BACnet protocol, and the second communication protocol is a different protocol that is different from the first communication protocol, or
the second communication protocol is based on the BACnet protoco

Assignees

• Trane Int Inc

Inventors

• Coleman Howard
• Glaser Jonathan
• Hartman John L
• Mahendran Maheshwaran
• Dishop Timothy James
• Opatz Aaron
• Amyotte David
• Vanderzee Joel C

Classifications

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04L41/0886 Primary

  Fully automatic configuration · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title

• H04L69/08

  Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion · CPC title

• H04L12/2836 Primary

  Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network (controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24) · CPC title