Unique identifier assignment method for use in wireless communication system

Abstract

A CEC controller of a wireless node device determines a destination logical address of a polling message received through a wired interface circuit based on an address list table in an address list memory when the polling message is received from a wired interface circuit, and transmits an ACK for the received polling message through the wired interface circuit in the case that the destination logical address of the polling message is a logical address of a node device connected over a wireless interval.

1 . A unique identifier assignment method for use in a wireless communication system that includes a plurality of node devices including at least two wireless communication devices and each transmitting and receiving messages, each of the at least two wireless communication devices comprising a wired interface and a wireless interface, the unique identifier assignment method including a step of:
 by one of the at least two wireless communication devices, determining a destination unique identifier of a polling message received through the wired interface based on a predetermined condition when the polling message is received through the wired interface, and transmitting an acknowledge signal for the received polling message through the wired interface in the case that the destination unique identifier of the polling message is a unique identifier of a node device connected through the wireless interface.   
     
     
         2 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the at least two wireless communication devices further comprises a unique identifier list memory for storing the unique identifiers, and   wherein the unique identifier assignment method further includes a step of: by each of the wireless communication devices, storing in the unique identifier list memory, unique identifiers of node devices connected through the wired interface and unique identifiers of node devices connected through the wireless interface;   wherein the predetermined condition is that the destination unique identifier of a polling message received through the wired interface is stored in the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         3 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the step of storing the unique identifiers includes steps of, by one of the at least two wireless communication devices:   adding a unique identifier of a node device newly connected to the wired interface, to the unique identifier list memory;   checking periodically connections of the node devices which are connected to the one wireless communication device through the wired interface and whose unique identifiers are stored in the unique identifier list memory; and   deleting a unique identifier of a node device from the unique identifier list memory, where said node device is determined to be disconnected from the one wireless communication device, as a result of checking the connections.   
     
     
         4 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 3 ,
 wherein the step of checking periodically the connections includes checking the connections by polling messages.   
     
     
         5 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein each of the unique identifier list memory further stores flags each indicating whether or not each of the node devices corresponding to the unique identifiers stored in the unique identifier list memory is connected through the wired interface to the wireless communication device comprising the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         6 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 5 ,
 wherein each of the unique identifier list memory further contains physical addresses of the node devices corresponding to the unique identifiers stored in the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         7 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 wherein the step of storing the unique identifiers includes steps of, by one of the at least two wireless communication devices:   referring to the physical addresses in the unique identifier list memory when a node device connected through the wired interface has been disconnected, and determining that a lower node device connected in a lower layer than that of the disconnected node device has also been disconnected in the case that there is the lower node device; and   deleting from the unique identifier list memory, the unique identifier of each of the node devices which is determined to be disconnected from the one wireless communication device.   
     
     
         8 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the wireless communication system further includes an address management controller for managing wireless addresses for the respective node devices, and   wherein the step of storing the unique identifiers includes a step of obtaining wireless addresses from the address management controller, where each of the wireless addresses is for each of the node devices connected to the wireless communication device through the wired interface, and storing each of the wireless addresses in the unique identifier list memory in association with the unique identifier of the corresponding node device.   
     
     
         9 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein each of the wired interfaces includes a voltage signal line, and   wherein the step of storing the unique identifiers includes steps of, by one of the at least two wireless communication devices:   determining whether or not a node device has been disconnected from the one wireless communication device based on a voltage value of the voltage signal line, where said node device is connected to the one wireless communication device through the wired interface and whose unique identifier is stored in the unique identifier list memory; and   deleting from the unique identifier list memory, the unique identifier of the node device determined to be disconnected from the one wireless communication device.   
     
     
         10 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 2 , further including a step of:
 by one of the at least two wireless communication devices, receiving a specific message, and adding an originating unique identifier contained in the received message to the unique identifier list memory of the one wireless communication device.   
     
     
         11 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 10 ,
 wherein the specific message is a Report Physical Address message.   
     
     
         12 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 11 , further including a step of:
 by one of the at least two wireless communication devices, receiving the Report Physical Address message, and adding an originating unique identifier and a physical address which are contained in the received message, to the unique identifier list memory of the one wireless communication device, such that the originating unique identifier and the physical address are associated with each other.   
     
     
         13 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 2 , further including steps of, by one of the at least two wireless communication devices:
 transmitting a list exchange message to the other wireless communication device through the wireless interface when the contents stored in the unique identifier list memory are changed, where said list exchange message indicates changes in the unique identifier list memory; and   adding or deleting a unique identifier of a node device connected through the wireless interface according to a list exchange message indicating changes in unique identifier list memory of the other wireless communication device, when the list exchange message indicating the changes is received from the other wireless communication device.   
     
     
         14 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 13 ,
 wherein the list exchange message contains at least a portion of the contents of the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         15 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 14 ,
 wherein each of the wireless communication devices transmits the list exchange message each time the unique identifier list memory of the wireless communication device is changed.   
     
     
         16 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 14 ,
 wherein the list exchange message contains at least the unique identifier that is newly added to or deleted from the unique identifier list memory, and a bit indicating the addition or deletion of the unique identifier.   
     
     
         17 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 14 ,
 wherein the list exchange message contains information on all the node devices stored in the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         18 . The unique identifier assignment method as claimed in  claim 2 , further including a step of selecting a unique identifier of a wireless communication device itself from among unique identifiers not present in the unique identifier list memory of the wireless communication device. 
     
     
         19 . A wireless communication device for assigning unique identifiers for use in a wireless communication system that includes a plurality of node devices including at least two wireless communication devices and each transmitting and receiving messages,
 wherein each of the wireless communication devices comprises:   a wired interface;   a wireless interface;   a unique identifier list memory for storing unique identifiers of node devices connected through the wired interface and unique identifiers of node devices connected through the wireless interface; and   a controller for controlling transmission and reception through the wired interface and the wireless interface based on contents of the unique identifier list memory,   wherein, when receiving a polling message from the wired interface, the controller determines a destination unique identifier of the polling message based on contents of the unique identifier list memory, and transmits an acknowledge signal for the received polling message through the wired interface in the case that the destination unique identifier of the polling message is a unique identifier of a node device connected through the wireless interface.   
     
     
         20 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 19 ,
 wherein the controller:   adds a unique identifier of a node device newly connected to the wired interface, to the unique identifier list memory;   checks periodically connections of the node devices which are connected to the wireless communication device through the wired interface and whose unique identifiers are stored in the unique identifier list memory; and   deletes a unique identifier of a node device from the unique identifier list memory, where said node device is determined to be disconnected from the wireless communication device, as a result of checking the connections.   
     
     
         21 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 20 ,
 wherein checking periodically the connections includes checking the connections by polling messages.   
     
     
         22 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 19 ,
 wherein each of the unique identifier list memory further stores flags each indicating whether or not each of the node devices corresponding to the unique identifiers stored in the unique identifier list memory is connected through the wired interface to the wireless communication device comprising the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         23 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 22 ,
 wherein each of the unique identifier list memory further contains physical addresses of the node devices corresponding to the unique identifiers stored in the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         24 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 23 ,
 wherein the controller:   refers to the physical addresses in the unique identifier list memory when a node device connected through the wired interface has been disconnected, and determines that a lower node device connected in a lower layer than that of the disconnected node device has also been disconnected in the case that there is the lower node device; and   deletes from the unique identifier list memory, the unique identifier of each of the node devices which is determined to be disconnected from the wireless communication device.   
     
     
         25 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 19 ,
 wherein the wireless communication system further includes an address management controller for managing wireless addresses for the respective node devices, and   wherein the controller obtains wireless addresses from the address management controller, where each of the wireless addresses is for each of the node devices connected to the wireless communication device through the wired interface, and stores each of the wireless addresses in the unique identifier list memory in association with the unique identifier of the corresponding node device.   
     
     
         26 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 19 ,
 wherein the wired interface includes a voltage signal line, and   wherein the controller:   determines whether or not a node device has been disconnected from the wireless communication device based on a voltage value of the voltage signal line, where said node device is connected to the wireless communication device through the wired interface and whose unique identifier is stored in the unique identifier list memory; and   deletes from the unique identifier list memory, the unique identifier of the node device determined to be disconnected from the wireless communication device.   
     
     
         27 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 19 ,
 when the wireless communication device receives a specific message, the controller adds an originating unique identifier contained in the received message to the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         28 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 27 ,
 wherein the specific message is a Report Physical Address message.   
     
     
         29 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 28 ,
 wherein when the wireless communication device receives the Report Physical Address message, the controller adds an originating unique identifier and a physical address which are contained in the received message, to the unique identifier list memory, such that the originating unique identifier and the physical address are associated with each other.   
     
     
         30 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 19 ,
 wherein in one of the at least two wireless communication devices:   when the contents stored in the unique identifier list memory are changed, the controller transmits a list exchange message to the other wireless communication device through the wireless interface, the list exchange message indicating changes in the unique identifier list memory; and   when a list exchange message indicating changes in unique identifier list memory of the other wireless communication device is received from the other wireless communication device, the controller adds or deletes a unique identifier of a node device connected through the wireless interface according to the changes indicated in the received list exchange message.   
     
     
         31 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 30 ,
 wherein the list exchange message contains at least a portion of the contents of the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         32 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 31 ,
 wherein the wireless communication device transmits the list exchange message each time the unique identifier list memory is changed.   
     
     
         33 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 31 ,
 wherein the list exchange message contains at least the unique identifier that is newly added to or deleted from the unique identifier list memory, and a bit indicating the addition or deletion of the unique identifier.   
     
     
         34 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 31 ,
 wherein the list exchange message contains information on all the node devices stored in the unique identifier list memory.   
     
     
         35 . The wireless communication device as claimed in  claim 19 ,
 wherein the controller selects a unique identifier of the wireless communication device itself from among unique identifiers not present in the unique identifier list memory.