(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,155,012 B2 Austermann, III Et A1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
US008155012B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,155,012 B2 Austermann, III et a1. (45) Date of Patent: Apr. 10, 2012 (54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTING A FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS PIECE OF TERMINAL EQUIPMENT DE 3907652 A1 9/1990 (75) Inventors: John F. Austermann, III, Huntington (Continued) Woods, MI (US); Marshall B. Cummings, Troy, MI (U S) OTHER PUBLICATIONS (73) Assignee: ChriMar Systems, Inc., Farmington Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA)iRec Hills, MI (US) ommended Practice for Ethernet Cabling Systems in Entertainment Lighting Applications [44 pages] (1996). ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (Continued) U.S.C. 154(b) by 331 days. Primary Examiner * Chi Pham (21) Appl. No.: 12/239,001 Assistant Examiner * Soon-Dong Hyun Filed: Sep. 26, 2008 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm * Harness, Dickey & Pierce, (22) P.L.C. (65) Prior Publication Data US 2009/0022057 A1 Jan. 22, 2009 (57) ABSTRACT In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a Related US. Application Data communication system (17) is provided for generating and (63) Continuation of application No. 10/ 668,708, ?led on monitoring data over pre-existing conductors (2A-2D) Sep. 23, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,457,250, which is a between associated pieces of networked computer equipment continuation of application No. 09/370,430, ?led on (3A-3D). The system includes a communication device (16) Aug. 9, 1999, now Pat. No. 6,650,622, which is a attached to the electronic equipment that transmits informa continuation-in-part of application No. tion to a central module (15) by impressing a low frequency PCT/US99/07846, ?led on Apr. 8, 1999. signal on the pre-existing data lines of the remotely located (60) Provisional application No. 60/081,279, ?led on Apr. equipment. A receiver (6) in the central module (15) monitors 10, 1998. the low frequency data on the data lines to determine the transmitted information of the electronic equipment. The (51) Int. Cl. communication device may also be powered by a low current H04L 12/12 (2006.01) power signal from the central module (15). The power signal G08B 13/14 (2006.01) to the communication device may also be ?uctuated to pro (52) US. Cl. .................... .. 370/241; 370/445; 340/568.1 vide useful information, such as status information, to the communication device. Relocation of the electronic equip (58) Field of Classi?cation Search ...................... .. None See application ?le for complete search history. ment with attached communication device to another location on the network is detected immediately and may be used to (56) References Cited update a database. This invention is particularly adapted to be used with an existing Ethernet communications link or US. PATENT DOCUMENTS equivalents thereof. 202,495 A 4/1878 Watson (Continued) 148 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets 35 CIRCUIT i PC 16 14 STATUS DATA ENCODER STATUS DATA READER EXTERNAL DEVICE US 8,155,012 B2 Page2 US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,484,028 A 11/1984 Kelley et a1. 4,487,836 A 12/1984 T61<6y6116g16161 ............ .. 436/2 2322128; A 311183; 379640 4,494,541 A 1/1985 A16111b6161 ..................... .. 606/35 1 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11 4,495,494 A 1/1985 M6c11116 312331333 A 13132; etal' 4,507,568 A 3/1985 Z16g1616161. ............... .. 307/112 3,408,643 A 10/1968 s11111611 12%’312 A $132; gym e1 3,423,521 A 1/1969 1311666116161. ................ .. 725/84 ’ ’ amm y 3425 050 A M969 T 11 t 1 4,528,667 A 7/1985 P16116111 ...................... .. 714/809 315001132 A M970 Gzrféttmane a1 36l/186 4,532,626 A 7/1985 FlOfeSetal. 370/438 3,535,472 A 10/1970 B6bb111,111 . .. 455/14 4’535’401 A 8/1985 Penn """"""""""""""" " 7006 3537 095 A l0/l970 Cones 4,551,671 A 11/1985 Annunzlataetal. 3,593,274 A 7/1971 K111g161, Jr. ................. .. 340/458 12%;? A $322 $231811; """""""""""" " 379/166 315971549 A 8/1971 Farmer 6‘ 311 4,593,389 A 6/1986 W111Zb111g 6161 3,618,065 A 11/1971 T11p6161. ................ .. 340/568.3 4’602’364 A 7,1986 Hermangtal ' 36593,634,845 277 A A/l9721/1972 B(361111611 ...................... .. 340/508 4,617,656’ ’ A 10/1986 K0bayash1et- ' 31. 316961378 A “M972 DTOWII 4,622,541 A 11/1986 s1661<61616 ................... .. 340/566 316971984 A “M972 Aalifsonetal 4,631,367 A 12/1986 c6v16116 6161. 3,731,012 A 5/1973 51161161 ....................... .. 379/380 222%} A 13132? 31320 3,758,728 A 9/1973 L6 R66116161. 379/4 4’639’714 A 1,1987 Crowe 375,259 3,768,084 A 10/1973 H6y1166 ..... .. 377/12 4’647’721 A 3,1987 Busamel'gl' """"""""" " 3,781,481 A 12/1973 s11611616161. ............... .. 379/299 ’ ’ ' 379A 989 A M974 Manleyetal 4,647,912 A 3/1987 1361666161. 3,818,179 A 6/1974 M666 .......................... .. 219/267 1223233 A g??eet 31 3,828,139 A 8/1974 (31161111561611. 379/401 4’656’318 A 41987 No es ' 379/102 04 3,832,521 A 8/1974 N16116161f ................ .. 219/130.32 4’658’242 A 41987 Zeger """""""""" " ' 318361901 A 9/1974 Mano etal' 4,661,797 A 4/1987 s 11 611 340/561 3,848,179 A 11/1974 K6y61116 ...................... .. 323/280 4’670’902 A 6,1987 Nc-m-rt """"""""""" " 318631036 A V1975 MCCmdden 4,674,084 A 6/1987 s111x1i16161 3,868,484 A 2/1975 136116116161. ............ .. 340/455.2 4’685’129 A 8,1987 Gavrilovich' 3,886,419 A 5/1975 011111166161. ............... .. 318/132 ’ ’ - 3932 857 A M976 Way et 31 4,686,514 A 8/1987 L1p161< 6161. ................ .. 340/571 3,983,338 A 9/1976 M6111611661 .................... .. 379/30 4’691’344 A 9/1987 Brown et a1‘ 4024 359 A “977 D M tal 4,692,761 A 9/1987 R6b1111611 ............... .. 340/825.01 410241360 A M977 Bfmggirz‘ijl ' 4,701,630 A 10/1987 A11111111Z16166161. 4,063,220 A 12/1977 M61661f6 6161. “01946 A 10/1987 01m et 31' 4064431 A 0/1977 Cote 362/4 4,712,233 A 12/1937 KUO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ 379/336 4,101,8784,121,201 A 10/19787/1978 w66111616s1111111Z116161. ............. .. 307/140 Agg?g’ ’ A A128 804 A 0/1978 Russell 32A/A2A 4,723,267 A 2/1988 1611666161. .............. .. 379/93.05 4,131,767 A 12/1978 W6111616111 .. 379/406.06 4728948 A 3/ 1988 Fleld-s A156 799 A “979 Cave 4,731,810 A 3/1988 w611<1116 ........................ .. 379/33 4,160,884 A 7/1979 B16116p ........................ .. 379/348 A and‘ 4,161,719 A 7/1979 Pafikh 6161. ................ .. 375/365 4’733’389 A 3,1988 Puvo 61 4,173,714 A 11/1979 13166116161. 4336195 A 4,1988 McMimyetal 4,179,688 A 12/1979 P61111161 ................. .. 340/815.83 4’737’787 A 41988 Ito et a1 ' 411861339 A V1980 Finger ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 11324/142 4,751,498 A 6/1988 shalviétal 340/524 4,191,971 A 3/1980 13166116116161. ........ .. 348/211.11 ’ ’ ' """""""" " 4230912 A “M980 Lee etal 4,755,792 A 7/1988 PeZZOlO 6161. .............. .. 340/538 4,232,199 A 11/1980 B661w11g1116161. ........ .. 379/197 A g‘gfugegr et 31 4,254,305 A 3/1981 T161661 ........ .. .379/324 4’760’382 A 7,1988 Faulkryler ' 4,260,882 A 4/1981 13611166 250/205 ’ ’ - A268 723 A “981 T 1 379695 01 4,766,386 A 8/1988 011v616161. ................ .. 324/533 412731955 A M981 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11 1 4,779,153 A 10/1988 T611b616 ................... .. 360/96.51 4,277,740 A 7/19g1 Parks ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,, 324/540 41782322 A “H988 Lechperet 31' 4282407 A M981 S. N 379677 4,782,355 A 11/1988 s61<616161. ................... .. 396/72 412901056 A 9/l98l ctlllee 11 1 340638 4,785,812 A 11/1988 P11116161. ........................ .. 607/8 412931948 A 10/1981 $033516; """"""""""" 1' 4,799,211 A 1/1989 11611616161. ................ .. 370/252 4,303,073 A 12/1981 A16111b6161 606/35 4313966 A 3/ 1989 Holtz et a1‘ 4313 081 A M982 Smith 323009 4,815,106 A 3/1989 P16pp6161. ................. .. 375/257 4,315,107 A 2/1982 (316616116 6161. 379/400 4’817’106 A M989 Thompson "" " ' 372/5012 4322677 A M982 W. 324631 4,821,319 A 4/1989 M161611616116161. ..... .. 379/167.13 413401788 A M982 sbnglht ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11 4,823,600 A 4/1989 B16g616161. 413481661 A 9/l982 Lulclihzesi 4,825,349 A 4/1989 M61661 .......................... .. 363/50 4,349,703 A 9/1982 c1166,J1. ..................... .. 379/382 1222652; A $323 vK‘glér'gt'gl' """""""""" " 370/463 4,367,455 A 1/1983 Fried ...................... .. 340/310.11 ’ ’ ' 4383315 A “983 Tomg 4,864,598 A 9/1989 Ly116116161. 4,388,667 A 6/1983 s6111611111611 . 361/231 4366768 A 9/1989 S‘nb-erg 4397 020 A 8/l983 Howson 350/510 4,875,223 A 10/1939 Cums ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ 375/258 4,398,066 A 8/1983 s111b61g ............... .. 379/412 2123322 A HAZE; 1818131“ 370025 4,410,982 A 10/1983 F1616611f1666616161. .... .. 370/384 1 1 “Z 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1' 4413 250 A 11/1983 Porter 6, a1 4,884,287 A 11/1989 1611666161. .. 375/377 4,463,352 A 7/1984 JoffeP611566 61 61., ............... .. 370/424 4,896,315 A 1/1990 Johnsonetal.Felker er a1~ . .. 4,464,658 A 8/1984 T1161611 4,901,003 A 2/1990 C16gg 4,467,314 A 8/1984 w611<616161 ............... .. 700/295 4,901,217 A 2/1990 W116611 ........................ .. 363/126 4,475,079 A 10/1984 G616 ........................... .. 324/533 4,903,006 A 2/1990 B66111g66161 . 307/3 4,479,228 A 10/1984 (:16116 4,907,261 A 3/1990 (311611111611 4,482,999 A 11/1984 161166116161.