Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for managing information exchanges between apparatus on a worksite

US7984184B2 · kind B2 · utility

26Cited by
25References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 21, 2004
Grant dateJul 19, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 9, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W64/00
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Operations in a worksite (20) are managed by networking at least some items of apparatus (4, 16, 24, 26, 30, 28, 34) which perform tasks in connection with said worksite and which receive and/or send data. The items of apparatus are organized in hierarchical levels according to a determined dependency relationship of the worksite. Communications are made with an electronic data network comprising management means (74, 76, 66, 64) cooperating with a plurality of communications interfaces (42-46), a given item of apparatus having a data link with a specified communications interface. The management means stores a correspondence between each item of apparatus and an address structure reflecting the hierarchical position of that item of apparatus (4, 16, 24, 26, 30, 28, 34) in the determined dependency relationship of the worksite. It uses that correspondence to establish a communications link with a selected item of apparatus, via its communications interface, in response to a call addressed with an address structure reflecting the hierarchical position of that selected item of apparatus.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.