Patents Assigned to Digi International, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20110320636
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a smart energy gateway. The smart energy gateway includes a housing and a power plug integrated into the housing. The smart energy gateway can be mounted to an electrical outlet via the power plug. The smart energy gateway also includes a controller configured to accept transmissions from a smart energy network and communicate a subset of the transmissions to an external network. Other devices and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Joel K. Young, Mark Tekippe
  • Publication number: 20110316717
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a virtual meter. The virtual meter includes a controller configured to communicate, with a utility meter, meter information, using a first communications protocol. The controller may also be configured to translate between the meter information and virtual meter information. The controller may further be configured to communicate, with a smart energy network, the virtual meter information using a second communications protocol. Other devices and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Joel K. Young, David Mayne
  • Publication number: 20110299684
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a method and system for configuring a smart energy network using an auxiliary gateway where an auxiliary gateway is capable of communicating with an energy services interface and a link key database. The auxiliary gateway, on a smart energy network, extracts the unique identifier from a communication related to the smart energy device. The auxiliary gateway may then use the unique identifier to retrieve the smart energy device information from the link key database and communicate the smart energy device information to the energy services interface. The energy services interface may then use the smart energy device information to decrypt a communication from the smart energy device or access manufacturer specific functionality of the smart energy device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: Joel K. Young
  • Publication number: 20110302190
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a method and system for configuring a smart energy network using a link key database. An energy services interface, on the smart energy network, extracts a unique identifier associated with a smart energy device from a communication with the smart energy device. The energy services interface may then use the unique identifier to receive information associated with the smart energy device from the link key database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: Joel K. Young
  • Publication number: 20110273991
    Abstract: The physical position of a movable node in a network is determined by sending a first signal from a first reference node to at least a second reference node and the unknown node. The unknown node receives the first signal and sends a second signal to at least the second reference node in phase with the first signal. The first signal and the second signal are received in the second reference node and the phase of the received signals is compared to determine the position of the unknown node based on the phase difference between the received first and second signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A. Dahl, Scott McCall
  • Publication number: 20110274020
    Abstract: A set sleep period is coordinated among a plurality of mesh network nodes to conserve power. A controller is synchronized with an existing wireless mesh network by sending a network synchronization signal from the controller indicating that sleep timing information is lost, and receiving a reply from one or more wireless mesh network nodes within the existing wireless mesh network comprising sleep timing information for the wireless mesh network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Filoso, Jay Douglas George
  • Publication number: 20110264800
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a connection manager have been disclosed. By providing for persistent connections with clients, the connection manager allows for servers to communicate with clients, which would otherwise be inaccessible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis M. Allred, Elliot Schwartz
  • Patent number: 8036138
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a method and system for optimizing the initial configuration of cyclic sleeping devices on a wireless network. The devices, or nodes, may need additional configuration by a configuration device after being placed on the network. Some nodes may sleep and not report in to the configuration device causing the configuration device to reach out to these non-reporting nodes. The configuration device may have limited resources with which to transmit the configuration to the nodes, and so the network can be efficiently configured if the configuration device reaches out to non-reporting nodes when it does not expect to use its transmission resources to configure a reporting node. This can be accomplished by maintaining a list of nodes yet to be configured, using the node configuration and reporting times to determine periods in which the configuration device's transmission resources will be idle, contacting non-reporting nodes during those periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: Jordan Husney
  • Publication number: 20110215975
    Abstract: An example satellite assembly includes a cover and an antenna attached to the cover. The satellite assembly further includes a base and a satellite module attached to the base such that the antenna is connected to the satellite module when the cover is secured to the base to form a sealed enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: John Clark Roberts
  • Patent number: 8015333
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the end of a daisy chain are described. A node receives an M-wide bit input, terminates K bits of the input, shifts and outputs the remaining M-K bits, and drives from the node K bits onto the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: John R. Carlson
  • Publication number: 20110188420
    Abstract: A set sleep period is coordinated among a plurality of mesh network nodes to conserve power. A neighbor wireless mesh network node in proximity to a second node to be added to the mesh network is actuated, causing the neighbor wireless mesh network to be woke from a sleep state. The second node is added to the wireless mesh network by exchanging data with the neighbor wireless mesh network node to join the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Filoso, Jay Douglas George
  • Publication number: 20110188419
    Abstract: A set sleep period is coordinated among a plurality of mesh network nodes to conserve power, and a temporarily reduced sleep period is coordinated among the plurality of nodes to facilitate mesh network node service or installation activity. The reduced sleep period comprises scheduling a period of time during which the sleep period is reduced, or reverting from the temporarily reduced sleep period to the original set sleep period after predetermined period of time. Temporarily reducing the sleep period includes distributing a message throughout the mesh network when the mesh network nodes are awake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Filoso, Jay Douglas George, John Robert Schwartz
  • Patent number: 7991870
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a connection manager have been disclosed. By providing for persistent connections with clients, the connection manager allows for servers to communicate with clients, which would otherwise be inaccessible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis M. Allred, Elliot Schwartz
  • Publication number: 20110176651
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for digital I/O expander chip with multi-function timer cells have been disclosed. A series of match reload registers load a series of match registers which are driven by a master counter. The status of the match registers can be retrieved through ports. The master counter is reloaded on rollover by a count limit register. The master counter has increment/decrement control and the rollover can be used in an interrupt control block to generate an interrupt request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Norman L. Rogers, Monte Dalrymple, Lynn S. Wood, Steve J. Hardy
  • Publication number: 20110156981
    Abstract: An approximately planar wideband antenna can include a first conductive portion coupled to a dielectric portion and mechanically supported by the dielectric portion, the first conductive portion including at least one edge corresponding to a planar conic section, such as including one or more of an elliptic, a parabolic, or a hyperbolic shape. Such an antenna can be electrically coupled to a matching circuit, the matching circuit configured provide a specified input impedance corresponding to a specified range of frequencies. Such a range of frequencies can span at least an octave, or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Wayne Ridgeway
  • Publication number: 20110138035
    Abstract: The physical position of a movable node in a network is determined by sending a broadcast message from the movable node repeated through a path comprising at least a first node, a second node, and a third node, wherein the first, second, and third nodes have known locations. The movable node receives the broadcast message from the first, second, and third nodes, and measures the time from sending the repeated broadcast message to the time the broadcast message is received from each of the first, second, and third nodes. The movable node determines the distance from the movable node to the first, second, and third network nodes by using at least a known turnaround time and known message propagation velocity, such that the position of the movable node is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: Paul A. Dahl
  • Publication number: 20110122043
    Abstract: A planar antenna, such as included as a portion of a wireless communication assembly, can include a dielectric portion, a first conductive portion, extending along a surface of the dielectric portion, and a second conductive portion, parallel to the first conductive portion, extending along the surface of the dielectric portion, the second conductive portion laterally offset from the first portion to provide a specified lateral separation between the first and second conductive portions. The first and second conductive portions can be configured to provide respective resonant operating frequencies ranges offset from each other, and the first and second conductive portions can be configured to follow a commonly-shared path, including at least one bend, along the surface of the dielectric portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Wayne Ridgeway
  • Publication number: 20110125886
    Abstract: A system and method of communicating with a plurality of different types of devices. A device driver is defined for each type of device. The device driver creates and maintains a set of channels for each device; each channel represents a property of the device. Newly acquired data received from one of the devices is received at the device driver and published to the channel associated with the data. Publishing the newly acquired data to the channel associated with the data includes storing the newly acquired data in a channel database with a time stamp corresponding to the time the data was received. Control information for one of the devices is received at the device driver and associated with one of the channels. The control information is passed to the device being controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventor: Jordan Husney
  • Patent number: 7941687
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for digital I/O expander chip with multi-function timer cells have been disclosed. A series of match reload registers load a series of match registers which are driven by a master counter. The status of the match registers can be retrieved through ports. The master counter is reloaded on rollover by a count limit register. The master counter has increment/decrement control and the rollover can be used in an interrupt control block to generate an interrupt request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Norman L. Rogers, Monte J. Dalrymple, Lynn S. Wood, Steve J. Hardy
  • Publication number: 20110105062
    Abstract: An apparatus, such as an antenna assembly, can include a flexible dielectric sheet, a first flexible conductor coupled to the flexible dielectric sheet, a second flexible conductor coupled to the flexible dielectric sheet, a matching section electrically coupled to the first and second conductors, and a hollow dielectric housing having a curved interior surface. The first and second flexible conductors can be sized, shaped, and laterally spaced a specified distance from each other to provide a specified input impedance corresponding to a specified range of operating frequencies for use in wireless information transfer between the antenna assembly and a satellite. The first and second flexible conductors can be located along the curved interior surface of the hollow dielectric housing following an arc-shaped path along the curved interior surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: Digi International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Wayne Ridgeway, Paul A. Dahl