Patent ID: 9065858
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of assigning network addresses for a plurality of ventilators ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) in a network and controlled by a control unit, wherein each of the ventilators ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) has a unique serial number in a serial number memory ( 8 ) and a network address, the serial number being composed of characters of a serial number alphabet, the serial number alphabet beginning with a first character and ending with a last character, the serial number containing a plurality of positions, in which the characters are arranged in an order of significance from a lowest order to a highest order, and wherein the control unit ( 1 ) automatically assigns the network addresses to each of the ventilators ( 3 , 4 , 5 ), the method comprising the steps of: providing an adjustable network address memory ( 9 ) for each of the ventilators, assigning to all of the ventilators an identical start-address as the network address, sending serial number queries with a serial number mask are being sent to the network address, wherein the serial number mask has characters of the serial alphabet as definite positions and wild-card characters as indefinite positions, and the ventilators ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) responding to the serial number mask depending on their serial numbers, wherein the control unit ( 1 ), subject to the responses, assigns the ventilators ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) unique network addresses or modifies the serial number mask for further serial number queries, wherein the control unit ( wherein the control unit ( wherein the control unit ( wherein the control unit ( wherein the control unit (