Patent ID: 8174962

Claim:
A global broadcast communication system comprising: two or more subnets; and wherein: at least one subnet comprises: an active broadcast management device; and a passive broadcast management device, wherein a BACnet over Internet protocol (BIP) component of the at least one subnet that has a smaller load than other BIP components of the at least one subnet is configured as a passive broadcast management device for the at least one subnet; a passive broadcast management device assumes a role of an active broadcast management device if the active broadcast management device fails; if a failed active broadcast management device of a subnet returns to a non-failed condition, then the passive broadcast management device leaves the role of the active broadcast management device if the active broadcast management device resumes the role of the active broadcast management device for the subnet; the broadcast management device comprises a broadcast distribution table containing information about other broadcast management devices; the passive broadcast management device reads and updates its broadcast distribution table from the broadcast distribution table of the active broadcast management device of the same subnet; and the passive broadcast management device of a subnet is for monitoring a status of the active broadcast management device of the same subnet and for ensuring that its broadcast distribution table is in synch with the broadcast distribution table of the active broadcast management device.