[54] METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY
MANAGING A NETWORK OR REMOTE
FUNCTION-EXCECUTTNG APPARATUS
FROM A PROGRAMABLE NETWORK
CONTROL CENTER
[76] Inventor: William F. Gray, 512 Herndon Pkwy., Herndon, Va. 22070
[21] Appl. No.: 156,973
[22] Filed: Nov. 24,1993
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 658,847, Feb. 22, 1991, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 149,671, Jan. 28, 1988, Pat. No. 4,996,703, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 853,893, Apr. 21,1986, Pat. No. 4,748,654.
[51] Int. CU> G05B 23/02; G05B 15/02
[52] U.S. Q 340/825.15; 340/825.06;
340/825.07; 364/146
[58] Field of Search 340/825.31, 825.06,
340/825.07, 825.15, 825.18, 310 A, 310 R;
364/132, 141, 144, 146
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,419,667 12/1983 Gurr et al 340/310 A
4,484,258 11/1984 Miller et al 340/825.07
4,532,509 7/1985 Pulverenti et al 340/825.15
4,672,374 7/1987 DesJardins 340/825.07
4,748,654 5/1988 Gray .
4,972,367 11/1990 Burke 364/141
4,996,703 2/1991 Gray 340/825.22
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
"Network Site Management: The Portable Solution for Troubled Sites", pub. 1988.
"Master*Link: Your On-Site Field Engineer and Headquarters Analyst", pub. 1987.
Primary Examiner—Donald J. Yusko
Assistant Examiner—Mark H. Rinehart
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Leydig, Voit & Mayer
[57] ABSTRACT
A network includes a network control center which stores network management software capable of supporting user-composed programs for automatically managing apparatus at remote sites, each apparatus including a microprocessor, memory and input/output devices interconnected by a bus, connected to remote site equipment. The network control center includes a single partitioned memory device, or various memory devices. A master site memory section stores a master site listing of all of the remote sites. A master function memory section stores a master function listing of all possible functions to be executed by the apparatus at each site. In managing the network of apparatus, a user composes a listing of plural sites selected from the master site listing and a listing of functions for each site from the master function listing, which are stored in a correlated listing memory section. After the correlated listing has been stored, upon a single execution signal set by the user, commands representing the selected functions are transmitted over communication links to the selected sites, without further participation by the user, and the apparatus at the selected sites executes the functions upon receipt of the commands.
15 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets
