System and method for dynamic device discovery and address assignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11723836-B2
Application number	US-202318096957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2023
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A pool or spa system includes networked pool or spa devices that can be dynamically configured with network addresses by a controller. The controller can transmit a device discovery request on a network and can receive a discovery response from pool or spa devices that require a network address. The system determines and assigns the network addresses for the pool or spa devices based on unique device identifiers associated with the responding pool or spa devices. The network addresses assigned to the pool or spa device are transmitted to the pool or spa device to be used by the pool or spa devices to communicate with the controller over the network. The system can be used to discover and assign addresses to various types of pool or spa devices, such as pumps, underwater lights, chlorinators, water feature controllers, remote controllers, and/or other types of devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pool or spa system supporting dynamic device discovery, the system comprising:
a master controller for communication with a pool or spa slave device, the pool or spa slave device operable to perform one or more operations with respect to a pool or spa, the master controller including: 1) a communication interface configured for communication with the pool or spa slave device via a network; and 2) a processor configured to:
transmit a discovery request packet to the pool or spa slave device over the network;
receive a discovery request response packet from the pool or spa slave device including a first unique device identifier, the first unique device identifier including a plurality of data fields within the discovery request response packet, said plurality of data fields comprising a first data field identifying a device type of the pool or spa slave device and a second data field distinguishing the pool or spa slave device from one or more other pool or spa slave devices of the same device type; and
transmit a configuration command packet to the pool or spa slave device over the network, the configuration command packet including a second unique device identifier and an available network address, the configuration command packet for configuring the pool or spa slave device for communication using the available network address based on a determination that the second unique device identifier matches the first unique device identifier thereby enabling addressed communication between the pool or spa slave device and the master controller.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the discovery request response packet describes at least one capability of the pool or spa slave device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the discovery request response packet comprises a header corresponding to a discovery request response and a data portion including the first unique device identifier associated with the pool or spa slave device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pool or spa slave device does not retain the available network address when the pool or spa slave device is powered down.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface of the master controller communicates with the pool or spa slave device by way of a gateway device operatively coupled therebetween to facilitate assignment of the available network address to the pool or spa slave device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the master controller is operatively coupled to one or more additional pool or spa slave devices by way of the network, the additional pool or spa slave devices including at least one of a pump, a filter, a sensor, or a heater.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pool or spa slave device is a pump.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising said pool or spa slave device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the master controller is configured for bidirectional communication with the pool or spa slave device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pool or spa slave device is configured for communication with the master controller over an RS- 485 serial connection.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pool or spa slave device is configured for wireless communication with the master controller.

12. The system of claim 1 , comprising a random backoff timer to reduce packet collisions during a discovery period.

13. A method of dynamically discovering a pool or spa device in a pool or spa system, comprising the steps of:
transmitting a discovery request packet from a master controller to a pool or spa slave device over a network;
receiving a discovery request response packet from the pool or spa slave device including a first unique device identifier, the first unique device identifier including a plurality of data fields within the discovery request response packet, said plurality of data fields comprising a first data field identifying a device type of the pool or spa slave device and a second data field distinguishing the pool or spa slave device from one or more other pool or spa slave devices of the same device type; and
transmitting a configuration command packet to the pool or spa slave device over the network, the configuration command packet including a second unique device identifier and an available network address, the configuration command packet for configuring the pool or spa slave device for communication using the available network address based on a determination that the second unique device identifier matches the first unique device identifier thereby enabling addressed communication between the pool or spa slave device and the master controller.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the discovery request response packet describes at least one capability of the pool or spa slave device.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the discovery request response packet comprises a header corresponding to a discovery request response and a data portion including the first unique device identifier associated with the pool or spa slave device.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising the steps of:
correlating the first unique device identifier received from the pool or spa slave device with the available network address; and
assigning the available network address to the pool or spa slave device by master controller based on said correlation.

17. The method of claim 13 , comprising the step of periodically determining by the master controller whether another pool or spa slave device in communication therewith requires configuration.

18. The method of claim 13 , comprising the step of maintaining at least one table correlating the first unique device identifier associated with the pool or spa slave device with the available network address.

19. The method of claim 13 , comprising the step of establishing a connection with a gateway device operatively coupled between the communication interface of the master controller and the pool or spa slave device, the gateway device communicating with the pool or spa slave device on behalf of the master controller to facilitate assignment of the available network address to the pool or spa slave device.

20. The method of claim 13 , comprising the step of establishing communications between the master controller and one or more additional pool or spa slave devices, the additional pool or spa slave devices including at least one of a pump, a filter, a sensor, or a heater.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pool or spa slave device is a pump.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the master controller is configured for bidirectional communication with the pool or spa slave device.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pool or spa slave device is configured for communication with the master controller over an RS- 485 serial connection.

24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pool or spa slave device is configured for wireless communication with the master controller.

25. The method of claim 13 , comprising using a random backoff timer to reduce packet collisions during a discovery period.

Assignees

• Hayward Ind Inc

Inventors

• Blaine David M
• White Jr Kenneth W
• Horrocks Craig Andrew
• Murdock James
• Sawyer Jr Douglas M
• Brunetti Carl
• Heon Robert Donald
• Rivera Linnette

Classifications

• A61H33/005 Primary

  Electrical circuits therefor · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G05B19/0423

  Input/output · CPC title

• H04L12/2809

  indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network (monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51) · CPC title

• H04L41/046

  comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor · CPC title