Echelon Corporation

Echelon Systems Corporation

James M Von De Bur

Glen Meyers Riley

Robert L Einkauf

Robert A Dolin

Richard S Kagan

An improved apparatus and method for communicating information in a networked system wherein network variables are employed to accomplish such communication. Network variables allow for standardized communication of data between nodes in a network. A first node may be programmed, for example, to sense certain information and to report the information as a network variable X. A second node may be programmed to receive the variable X and to control devices based on the current value of the variable. The present invention provides for defining connections between the first and second node to facilitate such communication and for determining addressing information to allow for addressing of messages, including updates to the value of the variable X, between the nodes.

Method for enhancing the performance of a network

Selecting a protocol class of service for a network variable

Networked variables

An interface file structure for allowing transfer of information between nodes in a network and a binding process for configuring nodes in the network. The interface offers an advantageous format designed to provide for minimal reading and writing of records while requiring minimal storage space per record. Further, an advantageous format for storing numeric information is disclosed in which information providing the number of buffers allocated and the size of such buffers is stored in a single nibble thus reducing required storage space.

Method and apparatus for storing interface information in a computer

Method and apparatus using network variables in a multi-node network

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

James M Von De Bur