Networking systems, protocols, and methods for controlling target devices

• US 10,237,391 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avi-on Labs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Avi-on Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Miller, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/684,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 455420
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling electric and electronic devices. The devices may communicate with each other in a many-to-many, peer-to-peer network to provide control functionality without the need for a central controller. Device-to-device control messages may be implemented over short range, wireless broadcast messages.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

at least one adaptor, each comprising;

a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via a short-range wireless communications protocol;

a memory storing a Location Id identifying the network system and at least one of a Group Id and a Device Id identifying the adaptor; and

a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory;

at least one target device communicatively coupled to each adaptor; and

at least one switch, each comprising;

a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via the short-range wireless communications protocol;

a memory storing the Location Id, a Device Id identifying the switch, and a target address identifying the adaptor(s) the switch is programmed to control; and

a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, wherein each switch is configured to generate and broadcast a control signal carrying the target address, and wherein each adapter is configured to receive the control signal and operate the target device based on the control signal when the target address matches the Group Id or the Device Id identifying the adaptor;

an initialization/control (“

I/C”

) device, the initialization/control device comprising;

a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via the short-range wireless communications protocol;

a memory storing a Device Id; and

a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, wherein the memory further stores configuration and programming information, and wherein at least a portion of the configuration and programming information is transmitted to each switch and each adaptor of the network system in order to assign each switch and each adaptor a corresponding Device Id and to assign each switch a target address identifying the adaptor(s) the switch is configured to control.

2. The network system of claim 1, each adaptor further comprising a power/control module communicatively coupled between the transceiver and the at least one target device communicatively coupled to the adaptor, wherein the power/control module receives the control signal from the transceiver and is responsible for implementing the control signal on the at least one target device.

3. The network system of claim 1, wherein the network system comprises at least three adaptors and wherein the Group Id is assigned to at least two of the adaptors.

4. The network system of claim 1, the I/C device configured to broadcast a control signal comprising one of a Device Id and a Group Id to each network component of the network system.

5. The network system of claim 1, further comprising a bridge, the bridge comprising:

a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via the short-range wireless communications protocol;

a memory storing a Device Id; and

a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory; and

a network interface facilitating connectivity to a remote server via an outside network.

6. The network system of claim 5, wherein the bridge is configured to:

receive a control signal from the remote server via the outside network; and

broadcast, using the transceiver, the at least one switch and the at least one adaptor.

7. The network system of claim 1, wherein a control signal broadcast from a switch is received directly by each switch and adaptor within range of the switch via the short-range wireless communications protocol, and wherein each switch and adaptor that receives the control signal rebroadcasts the control signal until the control signal has reached each switch and adaptor of the network system.

8. The network system of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises an input sensor, and wherein the control message is generated as a result of a user input sensed by the user input sensor.

9. A method for operating a network system, comprising:

providing the network system comprising at least one switch having a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via a short-range wireless communications protocol, at least one adaptor having a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via a short-range wireless communications protocol, and at least one target device communicatively coupled to each adaptor;

generating and broadcasting, from the at least one switch, a control signal for controlling at least one target device, the control signal comprising a target address identifying the adapter(s) the switch is programmed to control;

receiving, by the at least one adaptor, the control signal;

determining, by each adaptor, whether the target address matches a Group Id or a Device Id identifying the adaptor; and

for each adaptor with a Group Id or a Device Id matching the target address, implementing the control signal to control the at least one target device communicatively coupled to the adaptor;

generating, by an initialization/control device, configuration and programming information comprising, for each switch and each adaptor, at least a Location Id defining the network system and a unique Device Id defining the switch or adaptor;

transmitting from a transceiver of the initialization/control (“

I/C”

) device, the configuration and programming to each switch and each adaptor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein implementing the control signal comprises:

sending the control signal to a power/control module of the adaptor, which is responsible for implementing the control signal on the at least one target device communicatively coupled to the adaptor.

11. The method system of claim 9, wherein the network system includes at least three adaptors, and wherein the Group Id is assigned to at least two of the adaptors.

12. The network system of claim 9, further comprising:

broadcasting, from the initialization/control device, a second control signal for controlling at least one target device, the control signal comprising a target address.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one adaptor, the second control signal;

determining, by each adaptor, whether the target address of the second control signal matches a Group Id or a Device Id identifying the adaptor; and

for each adaptor with a Group Id or a Device Id matching the target address of the second control signal, implementing the second control signal to control the at least one target device communicatively coupled to the adaptor.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by each switch and adaptor within range of the switch via the short-range wireless communications protocol, the control signal; and

rebroadcasting the control signal, by each switch and adaptor that receives the control signal, until the control signal has reached each switch and adaptor of the network system.