Wireless communication diagnostics

• US 10,339,795 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Inventors: Crafts, Jordan H., Barco, Kyle Thomas, Barnes, Bryan Robert, Dolan, David J., Fricke, William Bryce, Hnatow, Joel, Lenz, Jonathan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Daniell L
• Application Number:
  US14/578,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20150179058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/34 Context aware guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/70 Device selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A load control system may include devices for performing communications for controlling an amount of power provided to an electrical load. The devices may include load control devices that may communicate by transmitting digital messages. A user device having an adjustable wireless communication range may be used for discovering devices, configuring devices, and/or diagnosing devices in the load control system. The user device may detect whether devices are within an established wireless communication range of one another for performing communications. The user device may detect digital messages transmitted from a device and/or digital messages received at a device to determine whether the digital messages are correctly communicated in the load control system. The user device may provide an indication to a user indicating whether a digital message is correctly transmitted or received by a device in the load control system.

Claims

1. A user device for determining whether a message from a control-source device to a control-target device is correctly communicated, wherein the control-source device is configured to indirectly control an amount of power provided to an electrical load by sending messages to the control-target device, the user device comprising:

a control circuit configured to;

adjust a wireless range for transmitting a first message to the control-source device;

transmit the first message within the wireless range to the control-source device, wherein the first message comprises a transmission range identifier that indicates a threshold;

receive a second message from the control-source device, wherein the second message is received in a transmission from the control-source device to the control-target device, and wherein the transmission of the second message from the control-source device indicates that a received signal strength of the first message at the control-source device was greater than the threshold indicated by the transmission range identifier; and

determine, based on information in the second message, whether the second message is correctly communicated from the control-source device.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine, based on the information in the second message, a device identifier of the control-source device;

compare the device identifier of the control-source device with a list of load control devices; and

send an indication of whether the control-source device is included in the list of load control devices.

3. The user device of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine, based on the information in the second message, a device identifier of the control-target device;

compare the device identifier of the control-target device with the list of load control devices; and

send an indication of whether the control-target device is included in the list of load control devices.

4. The user device of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

compare the device identifier of the control-target device with one or more device identifiers for load control devices associated with the control-source device; and

send an indication of whether the control-source device is associated with the control-target device for performing communication.

5. The user device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine whether the control-target device received the second message based on information received from the control-target device in response to a query to the control-target device.

6. A method for determining whether a message from a control-source device to a control-target device is correctly communicated, wherein the control-source device is configured to indirectly control an amount of power provided to an electrical load by sending messages to the control-target device, the method comprising:

adjusting a wireless range for transmitting a first message from a user device to the control-source device;

transmitting, by the user device, the first message within the wireless range to the control-source device, wherein the first message comprises a transmission range identifier that indicates a threshold;

receiving, by the control-source device, the first message;

comparing, by the control-source device, a received signal strength of the first message with the threshold indicated by the transmission range identifier;

transmitting, by the control-source device, a second message to the control-target device when the received signal strength of the first message is above the threshold indicated by the transmission range identifier;

receiving, by the user device, the second message; and

determining, at the user device based on information in the second message, whether the second message is correctly communicated from the control-source device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, based on the information in the second message, a device identifier of the control-source device;

comparing the device identifier of the control-source device with a list of load control devices; and

sending an indication of whether the control-source device is included in the list of load control devices.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, based on the information in the second message, a device identifier of the control-target device;

comparing the device identifier of the control-target device with the list of load control devices; and

sending an indication of whether the control-target device is included in the list of load control devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the device identifier of the control-target device with one or more device identifiers for load control devices associated with the control-source device; and

sending an indication of whether the control-source device is associated with the control-target device for performing communication.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining whether the control-target device received the second message based on information received from the control-target device in response to a query to the control-target device.