MULTIPROTOCOL ADAPTOR FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CEBus DEVICES AND REMOTE CONTROLLERS OVER AN ATM-BASED BROADBAND ACCESS NETWORK

摘要

A system for providing remote access and control of electronic devices connected to a CEBus network includes a remotely located master node, e.g. , a utility server controller, which is linked to the CEBus network via an ATM-based broadband access network ("BAN"). A proxy node is provided on the CEBus network, wherein the proxy node is also linked to the master node via the BAN. The remotely located master node may thereby communicate with one or more devices located on the CEBus network by transmitting messages to the proxy node over the BAN. The proxy node converts the messages from an ATM protocol compatible with transmission over the BAN to a respective CEBus network protocol, and then forwards the messages to recipient device(s) over the CEBus network. In the opposite direction, a device on a CEBus network may communicate with the remotely located master node by transmitting CEBus-standard messages to the respective proxy node over the CEBus network. The proxy node packetizes the messages into an ATM transmission format and forwards the messages to the master node over the BAN. The system may be advantageously employed as an energy management system for providing remote control by a utility host master node of a plurality of utility- managed settable nodes located on a plurality of CEBus networks.