Systems and methods for acknowledging broadcast messages in a wireless lighting control network
First Claim
1. A lighting control system, comprising:
- a plurality of devices forming a wireless mesh network, each of the plurality of devices controlling at least one lighting fixture, and each of the plurality of devices configured as a repeater or an end-device; and
a gateway configured to operate as a coordinator of the wireless mesh network, the gateway further configured to send a message to the plurality of devices, andwherein each plurality of devices;
receives the message,delays for a period of time equal to one of a predetermined set of delay times after receiving the message, andsends a response message to the gateway after delaying for the period of time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure decrease conflicts between individual lighting devices in a wireless network when responding to a broadcast/multicast message sent to a group of devices. In some embodiments the devices delay sending their acknowledgment to commands until after a specific time period. Some embodiments limit the number of time delays to one of a predetermined number of time delays, where the number of time delays are assigned by an external source, such as the gateway. Still other embodiments include assigning each device one of a limited number of preset time delays, where the total number of preset time delays are less than the number of devices, for example, ten (10) percent of the number of devices (here some devices will have the same time delays as other devices). Still other embodiments use bitmaps to designating which one or more individual devices the message is intended for.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A lighting control system, comprising:
-
a plurality of devices forming a wireless mesh network, each of the plurality of devices controlling at least one lighting fixture, and each of the plurality of devices configured as a repeater or an end-device; and a gateway configured to operate as a coordinator of the wireless mesh network, the gateway further configured to send a message to the plurality of devices, and wherein each plurality of devices; receives the message, delays for a period of time equal to one of a predetermined set of delay times after receiving the message, and sends a response message to the gateway after delaying for the period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method, comprising:
-
transmitting a message from a network coordinator to a plurality of devices in a wireless network with information related to a predetermined number of time delays for devices responding to messages from the network coordinator; receiving the message from a mesh network coordinator with one or more of the plurality of devices; determining the individual time delay from the predetermined number of time delays for each of the one or more of the plurality of devices; transmitting a lighting command from the mesh network coordinator; receiving the lighting command from the mesh network coordinator with the one or more of the plurality of devices; and transmitting a response message from each of the one or more of the plurality of devices after waiting a time period equal to the individual time delay for each of the plurality of devices. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification