Appeal No. 2001-2030
Application No. 08/874,046
communication protocols, data exchange formats and/or command
sets. Unlike conventional home control system data protocols,
the inventive communication system does not address individual
electronic appliances, but, instead, addresses entire component
groups using a group identifier code.
Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A home control system that uses electrical power lines
for communications, comprising:
a plurality of components that are connectable for
communications among themselves through the electrical power
lines, said components including groups of components, wherein
each group is identified collectively by a particular group
identifier code;
components of any particular group being configured to
compose and send messages according to a protocol that differs
from a protocol employed by another group of components, wherein
the messages include the group identifier code of their
particular group;
components of any particular group being further configured
to receive messages from components of different groups and to
disregard messages that include a group identifier code different
than the group identifier code of their particular group.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Guidette et al. (Guidette) 5,227,762 Jul. 13, 1993
Bertsch 5,570,085 Oct. 29, 1996
Dykema et al. (Dykema) 5,661,804 Aug. 26, 1997
(filed Jun. 27, 1995)
-2–
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007