Location sharing and tracking using mobile phones or other wireless devices

Method and apparatus providing connection-oriented services for packet switched data communications networks. Directory services include distributed discovery of MAC addresses and protocol alias addresses. Topology services include a link state topology exchange among switches, which provides each switch with a complete topology graph of the network. This enables an access switch receiving a data packet to determine a complete path from a source end system to a destination end system. Another service includes resolution of broadcast frames to unicast frames, in order to reduce the amount of broadcast traffic. Policy restrictions may be applied prior to connection setup. Path determination services enable multiple paths from a source to a destination. Connection management includes source routed mapping of connections on the desired path. A distributed call rerouting service is provided wherein if a link on an active path fails, each switch receives a topology change notification and unmaps any connection involving the failed link. A broadcast/unknown service provides restricted flooding of nonresolvable packets. Furthermore, connection-oriented switching is provided based on the source and destination MAC addresses as a connection identifier. Still further, resolution of networks outside the switch domain is enabled by access switches listening for network and server route advertisements and maintaining best routes to said networks and servers. The best route metrics may be combined with best path metrics to determine a path from a first access switch to an egress switch connected to the external network.

Distributed connection-oriented services for switched communication networks

Various systems and method related to home automation systems are presented. A service robot system may be present that includes a service robot that autonomously moves within a structure to perform a household task. The service robot system may include a wireless communication interface, wherein the service robot system is configured to transmit, via the wireless communication interface, an indication of robot activity indicative of the service robot moving within the structure. Such a home automation system may also include a home security system that includes one or more motion sensors that detect motion within a structure. The home security system may be configured to distinguish intrusion activity (e.g., a burglar) from robot activity based at least in part on the indication of robot activity.

Devices, methods, and associated information processing for security in a smart-sensored home

A digital content distribution and subscription system for digital data files, which provides subscriber (64) with music or video (62) for a fee.Subscribers (64) may subscribe to a predetermined number of song slots for a period of time.The subscriber (64) may select songs from various play lists, which causes encrypted digital audio files (68) for the selected music to be downloaded to the subscriber's PC.A license key (66) is downloaded to the subscriber's PC to enable the selected songs to be decoded and displayed for a predetermined time period.At the expiration of the time period, the license key (66) expires.Each subscriber's selections are tabulated for the purpose of toyality tracking and payment of a license fee to the copyright holder.The current system provides subscribers (64) with relatively high-quality digital audio files (68) and allows subscribers (64) to select from a wide range of stored digital audio files (68) on demand while not violating copyright laws.

Digital content distribution and subscription system

A controller equipped with a user interface having multiple-day programming capabilities, including methods of programming such devices, are disclosed The user interface may include one or more menus or screens that can be used to program a schedule for one or more selected days during the week An illustrative method of programming the controller may include the steps of entering a scheduling routine, selecting multiple days for schedule modification, changing the schedule parameters for one or more periods during the selected days, and then exiting the scheduling routine

Controller interface with multiple day programming

A distributed environmental/load control system comprising a thermostat operable to supply signals indicative of sensed and desired values of a parameter in an environmentally controlled space to a first controller operable to control condition changing equipment for regulating the parameter, the signals being transmitted over a communications link between the thermostat and first controller. A second controller which is operable to control a plurality of loads in accordance with predetermined criteria to limit energy consumed by the loads is connected to the communications link through an interface device operable to process the signals produced by the thermostat in response to instructions furnished by the second controller and to supply the processed signals to the first controller.

Distributed environmental/load control system

An electronic network of communication and processing nodes particularly suitable for control of environmental systems has pluralities of the nodes which are sources for certain types of status messages each of which comprise communication of a particular kind of information on the network. To resolve the question of which of the nodes shall furnish each type of status message, one node is designated the coordinator node, and it stores a status message source list which associates the node assigned for each type of status message with the status message type itself and transmits all or a part of the list on the network to allow each of the status message source nodes to determine therefrom their responsibility with respect to each status message type. These status message source nodes can also transmit request messages on the network by which they request responsibility for furnishing a particular type of status message. Upon acceptance of the request in a request message, the coordinator node enters the node transmitting the request message into the status message source list in asociation with the status message type. In one embodiment, the coordinator node monitors the transmission of status messages on the network and if an instance arises where a status message is supplied by other than the one specified in the status message source list, takes remedial action. In another embodiment each node is given a priority for a particular type of status message, allowing the coordinator node to replace a node assigned to a particular type of status message with another node.

Multi-nodal communication network with coordinated responsibility for global functions by the nodes

A communication network has one master node which maintains an active master list (AML) containing the node addresses of all nodes to which the token will be passed. When nodes are added or deleted from the network, it is efficient in terms of data bus occupancy and individual processing time by the nodes if the successor address for each node is broadcast in a single message, and the availability of an AML makes this possible. The network has the capability of efficiently updating the AML whenever the configuration of the network is so changed.

Token passing communication network including a node which maintains andtransmits a list specifying the order in which the token is passed

A communication system has a first node which transmits on a data bus messages each having a preamble having a predetermined format including a message type and the message length, and a plurality of second nodes receiving messages from the data bus and including elements which can determine that the preamble in each message has the predetermined format. The preamble is particularly useful for allowing the second nodes to quickly detect messages not directed to those nodes of which the elements form a part, allowing the node to ignore the remainder of the message. This allows the individual nodes to exclude the message interpretation for detecting message directed to them, from their processing tasks thereby improving the effective processing speed of the network.

Message generating communication apparatus having a message preamble format allowing parts of certain messages to be ignored

A communications system has an active master node which transmits request messages in serial bit fashion on a data bus, and a plurality of responder nodes each of which receives the request messages on the data bus and may respond to a request message with a serial bit answer message. The possiblity exists that a plurality of responder nodes may provide concurrent answer messages forming a composite signal which the active master node may not be able to recognize as containing answer messages. A low pass filter is provided in the active master node which provides as its output only those pulses in the composite signal whose length is within a predetermined interval, typically from approximately a tenth to one half of the interval for each bit in the answer messages. A counter receives the low pass filter output and provides a collision signal to the associated master node if more than a preselected number of pulses within the predetermined interval are present. By providing the collision signal only after detecting a plurality of these pulses in the low pass filter output, it is possible to avoid false detection of concurrent answer messages whose presence is simulated by noise on the line.

John R. Aggers

Papers

Distributed environmental/load control system

Multi-nodal communication network with coordinated responsibility for global functions by the nodes

Token passing communication network including a node which maintains andtransmits a list specifying the order in which the token is passed

Message generating communication apparatus having a message preamble format allowing parts of certain messages to be ignored

Detector for colliding signals in asynchronous communication