Method and apparatus for distributed control of an interfacing-device network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531618-B2
Application number	US-201514920701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Jun 27, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A local controller maintains a local database which stores information associated with a set of interfacing devices of a local-area network. The local database can include a database mirror for a remote database, of a remote controller, that stores information for a set of provisioned interfacing devices. When a remote controller hosting the remote database is offline, the local controller can maintain primary control of interfacing devices within the local area network. However, when the local controller determines that the remote controller has come online, the local controller can rescind primary control of interfacing devices within the local area network to the remote controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
maintaining, by a first network controller, a first database which stores information associated with a first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices of a local-area network, wherein the first network controller has primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices, and wherein a second network controller, which is configured to maintain a second database storing information associated with the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices, is offline; and
responsive to determining that the second network controller has come online:
synchronizing the first database with the second database;
configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices to the second network controller; and

wherein configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control comprises allowing the second network controller to add to the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices a new provisioned sensor-interfacing device or remove an existing provisioned sensor-interfacing device from the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second database is configured to maintain information associated with a second set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices of a wide-area network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first set of provisioned interfacing devices is a subset of the second set of provisioned interfacing devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control of the local area network involves allowing the second network controller to:
monitor sensor-interfacing devices of the local area network;
reconfigure a sensor-interfacing device of the local area network; and
control a sensor-interfacing device of the local area network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network controller is configured not to add to the second database, or not to remove from the second database.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control of the local area network involves determining whether the second database is synchronized with a latest version of the first database.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the second network controller has gone offline, configuring the first network controller to obtain primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices of the local-area network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a respective sensor-interfacing device obtains sensor data from one or more locally coupled physical devices, and wherein a respective physical device includes a sensor for measuring one or more physical attributes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first network controller or the second network controller includes one or more of:
a computing device within the local-area network;
a computing device accessible via a wide-area network; and
a computer cluster accessible via a wide-area network.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
maintaining, by a first network controller, a first database which stores information associated with a first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices of a local-area network, wherein the first network controller has primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices, and wherein a second network controller, which is configured to maintain a second database storing information associated with the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices, is offline; and
responsive to determining that the second network controller has come online:
synchronizing the first database with the second database;
configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices to the second network controller; and

wherein configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control comprises allowing the second network controller to add to the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices a new provisioned sensor-interfacing device or remove an existing provisioned sensor-interfacing device from the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices.

11. The storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the second database is configured to maintain information associated with a second set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices of a wide-area network, and wherein the first set of provisioned interfacing devices is a subset of the second set of interfacing devices.

12. The storage medium of claim 10 , wherein configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control of the local area network involves allowing the second network controller to:
monitor sensor-interfacing devices of the local area network;
reconfigure a sensor-interfacing device of the local area network; and
control a sensor-interfacing device of the local area network.

13. The storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first network controller is configured not to add to the second database, or not to remove from the second database.

14. The storage medium of claim 10 , wherein configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control of the local area network involves determining whether the second database is synchronized with a latest version of the first database.

15. The storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the second network controller has gone offline, configuring the first network controller to obtain primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices of the local-area network.

16. The storage medium of claim 10 , wherein a respective sensor-interfacing device obtains sensor data from one or more locally coupled physical devices, and wherein a respective physical device includes a sensor for measuring one or more physical attributes.

17. The storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first network controller or the second network controller includes one or more of:
a computing device within the local-area network;
a computing device accessible via a wide-area network; and
a computer cluster accessible via a wide-area network.

18. An apparatus, comprising:
a first network controller;
a second network controller;
the first network controller configured to maintain a first database which stores information associated with a first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices of a local-area network, wherein the first network controller has primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices, and wherein the second network controller, which is configured to maintain a second database storing information associated with the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices, is offline; and
a network-management module configured to determining an operating status of the second network controller, wherein responsive to determining that the second network controller has come online, the network-management module is further operable to:
synchronize the first database with the second database;
configure the first network controller to rescind primary control of the first set of provisioned sensor-interfacing devices to the second network controller; and

wherein configuring the first network controller to rescind primary control com

Assignees

• Ubiquiti Networks Inc

Inventors

• Frei Randall W
• Cheng Linker
• Pera Robert J

Classifications

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title

• H04L61/2575

  using address mapping retrieval, e.g. simple traversal of user datagram protocol through session traversal utilities for NAT [STUN] · CPC title

• G06F13/10 Primary

  Program control for peripheral devices (G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04L43/065

  related to network devices · CPC title

• H04L12/281

  indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network (for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025) · CPC title