Secure network commissioning for lighting systems

• US 10,433,404 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zumtobel Lighting Inc. (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Zumtobel Lighting Inc. (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Inventors: Jonsson, Karl, Zehler, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US16/072,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20190045604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 315291, 315153
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

A lighting system comprises at least one network-capable infrastructure device and a commissioning device. The infrastructure device, such as a ballast or a luminaire, includes a first communication unit configured to communicate with at least one other infrastructure device, and a second communication unit. The commissioning device comprises a commissioning communication unit configured to communicate with the second communication unit of the infrastructure device. The infrastructure device receives a key information via the second communication unit and communicates via the first communication unit with the at least one other infrastructure device using the received key information.

Claims

1. A commissioning device for commissioning a network-capable infrastructure device (2) having a first communication unit and a second communication unit that is physically separate from the first communication unit, the second communication unit communicating wirelessly by visual light communication or acoustic communication, the commissioning device including:

a commissioning communication unit (6) configured to communicate with a second communication unit (4) of the infrastructure device (2) by at least one of visual light communication and acoustic communication,

a display unit (7) configured to display an icon representing the infrastructure device (2), and

an input unit (8) configured to accept an input operation to select the displayed infrastructure device (2), and

wherein the commissioning device is configured to transmit a command to the selected infrastructure device (2) through the second communication unit upon accepting the input operation, and the command makes the selected infrastructure device (2) emit a visual or acoustical signal that identifies itself, and

wherein the commissioning device is further configured to transmit a key information to the infrastructure device (2) through the second communication unit upon the input unit (8) receiving a second input operation in the form of a commissioning request for the identified infrastructure device through the input unit.

2. The commissioning device according to claim 1, wherein the commissioning device (5) is a mobile device or a commissioning application running on a mobile computing device.

3. A The method according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit (7) indicates the displayed icon as a trusted infrastructure device (2) when successfully transmitting the key information to the infrastructure device (2)(S6).

4. A method for commissioning at least one network-capable infrastructure device (2) using a commissioning device (5), the method comprising steps of:

providing at least one network-capable infrastructure device (2) having a first communication unit for communicating with at least one other infrastructure device (10) over a network and a second communication unit that is physically separate from the first communication unit, the second communication unit communicating wirelessly by at least one of visual light communication or acoustic communication;

providing a commissioning communication unit (6) that is configured to communicate with the second communication unit (4) by at least one of visual light communication and acoustic communication;

displaying an icon representing the at least one infrastructure device (2) on a display unit (7) of the commissioning device (5)(S1);

selecting the displayed infrastructure device (2)(S2) by entering a first input into the commissioning device;

transmitting by the commissioning communication unit (6) of the commissioning device (5) automatically in response to the selection operation and entry of the first input, a command to the selected infrastructure device (2) through the second communication unit to identify itself by emitting a visual or acoustic signal upon receiving the command;

receiving the visual or acoustic signal from the second communication unit of the selected infrastructure device that identifies the infrastructure device;

requesting that the identified infrastructure device be commissioned by entering a second input into the commissioning device;

transmitting a key information from the commissioning communication unit (6) of the commissioning device by at least one of visual light communication and acoustic communication to second communication unit of the selected infrastructure device (2) upon entry of the second input into the commissioning device;

receiving the key information in the infrastructure device via the second communication unit (4);

communicating via the first communication unit (3) with the at least one other infrastructure device (10) on the network using the received key information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the display unit (7) indicates the displayed icon as a trusted infrastructure device (2) when successfully transmitting the key information to the infrastructure device (2)(S6).

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the key information is a private key of the infrastructure device (2), and

the infrastructure device (2) is configured to receive the key information in a commissioning process of the infrastructure device (2).