Patent ID: 6744771
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: G08B,H04L

Abstract:
A control network comprising;a communications network; a first master controller and a second master controller, said first and second master controllers being coupled to said communications network; a plurality of devices, a first set of devices being coupled to said first master controller and a second set of devices being coupled to said second master controller via said communications network, each device having at least one port; a first device manager associated with said first master controller and a second device manager associated with said second master controller, said first device manager maintaining first device status data associated with said first set of devices, said second device manager maintaining second device status data associated with said second set of devices, and said first and second device status data including the number of ports on respective devices in said respective sets and a status of each said port, the number and a status of a plurality of levels associated with each said port, and the number and status of a plurality of channels associated with each said port; and a first connection manager associated with said first master controller and a second connection manager associated with said second master controller, said first connection manager being operable to accept data from said first set of devices and route said data to said second master controller, said second connection manager being operable to accept said data from said first master controller and send said data to said second set of devices.