Home automation system including autonomous hub determination of wireless communications link failure and related methods

• US 10,581,630 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2018
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K4Connect, Inc.
• Original Assignee: K4Connect, Inc.
• Inventors: Moody, F. Scott, Gould, Jonathan Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U
• Application Number:
  US16/000,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20190372796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 370254, 709230
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

A home automation (HA) system may include HA operation devices within a structure and HA user interface devices. Each HA user interface device may wirelessly communicate with the HA operation devices to perform at least one HA operation. A wireless access point may be within the structure. HA hub devices within the structure may provide communications for the HA user interface and operation devices. Each HA hub device may include client and back-up access point wireless communications circuitry, and an HA hub device controller cooperating to establish a first wireless communications link between the client wireless communications circuitry and the wireless access point. Each HA hub controller may autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails, and, responsive thereto, establish a second wireless communications link between the client wireless communications circuitry of the HA hub device and the back-up access point wireless communications circuitry of another HA hub device.

Claims

1. A home automation (HA) system comprising:

a plurality of HA operation devices within a structure;

a plurality of HA user interface devices for respective users within the structure, each HA user interface device configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the plurality of HA operation devices to perform at least one HA operation;

a wireless network access point within the structure; and

a plurality of HA hub devices within the structure to provide communications for the plurality of HA user interface devices and plurality of HA operation devices, each of the plurality of HA hub devices comprising

client wireless communications circuitry,

back-up access point wireless communications circuitry, and

an HA hub device controller cooperating with the client and back-up access point wireless communications circuitry to

establish a first wireless communications link between the client wireless communications circuitry and the wireless network access point, and

autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails, and, responsive thereto, establish a second wireless communications link between the client communications circuitry of the HA hub device and the back-up access point wireless communications circuitry of another HA hub device, the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof being determined based upon at least one historical wireless communications link failure.

2. The HA system of claim 1 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a loss of connectivity with the wireless network access point.

3. The HA system of claim 1 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a link quality of the first wireless communications link.

4. The HA system of claim 1 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to determine the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof based upon at least one measured signal strength.

5. The HA system of claim 1 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to determine the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof based upon at least one link communications load.

6. The HA system of claim 5 wherein the at least one link communications load is wirelessly received by the HA hub device.

7. The HA system of claim 1 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to revert to the first wireless communications link based upon autonomously determining when the first wireless communications link has been restored.

8. An HA hub device from among a plurality thereof for a home automation (HA) system comprising a plurality of HA operation devices within a structure, a plurality of HA user interface devices for respective users within the structure, each HA user interface device configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the plurality of HA operation devices to perform at least one HA operation, and a wireless network access point within the structure, the HA hub device being within the structure to provide communications for the plurality of HA user interface devices and plurality of HA operation devices, the HA hub device comprising:

client wireless communications circuitry;

back-up access point wireless communications circuitry; and

an HA hub device controller cooperating with the client and back-up access point wireless communications circuitry to

establish a first wireless communications link between the client wireless communications circuitry and the wireless network access point, and

autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails, and, responsive thereto, establish a second wireless communications link between the client communications circuitry of the HA hub device and the back-up access point wireless communications circuitry of another HA hub device, the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof being determined based upon at least one historical wireless communications link failure.

9. The HA hub device of claim 8 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a loss of connectivity with the wireless network access point.

10. The HA hub device of claim 8 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a link quality of the first wireless communications link.

11. The HA hub device of claim 8 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to determine the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof based upon at least one measured signal strength.

12. The HA hub device of claim 8 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to determine the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof based upon at least one link communications load.

13. The HA hub device of claim 12 wherein the at least one link communications load is wirelessly received by the HA hub device.

14. The HA hub device of claim 8 wherein the HA hub device controller is configured to revert to the first wireless communications link based upon autonomously determining when the first wireless communications link has been restored.

15. A method of establishing a second wireless communications link in a home automation (HA) system comprising a plurality of HA operation devices within a structure, a plurality of HA user interface devices for respective users within the structure, each HA user interface device configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the plurality of HA operation devices to perform at least one HA operation, a wireless network access point within the structure, and a plurality of HA hub devices within the structure to provide communications for the plurality of HA user interface devices and plurality of HA operation devices, the method comprising:

using an HA hub device controller of an HA hub device of the plurality thereof to cooperate with client and back-up access point wireless communications circuitry to

establish a first wireless communications link between the client wireless communications circuitry and the wireless network access point, and

autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails, and, responsive thereto, establish the second wireless communications link between the client communications circuitry of the HA hub device and the back-up access point wireless communications circuitry of another HA hub device, the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof being determined based upon at least one historical wireless communications link failure.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein using an HA hub device controller comprises using the HA hub device controller to autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a loss of connectivity with the wireless network access point.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein using an HA hub device controller comprises using the HA hub device controller to autonomously determine when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a link quality of the first wireless communications link.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein using an HA hub device controller comprises using the HA hub device controller to determine the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof based upon at least one measured signal strength.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein using an HA hub device controller comprises using the HA hub device controller to determine the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof based upon at least one link communications load.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein using an HA hub device controller comprises using the HA hub device controller to revert to the first wireless communications link based upon autonomously determining when the first wireless communications link has been restored.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium for establishing a second wireless communications link in a home automation (HA) system comprising a plurality of HA operation devices within a structure, a plurality of HA user interface devices for respective users within the structure, each HA user interface device configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the plurality of HA operation devices to perform at least one HA operation, a wireless network access point within the structure, and a plurality of HA hub devices within the structure to provide communications for the plurality of HA user interface devices and plurality of HA operation devices, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a controller of an HA hub device of the plurality thereof causes the controller to perform operations comprising:

establishing a first wireless communications link between client wireless communications circuitry cooperating with the HA hub controller and the wireless network access point; and

autonomously determining when the first wireless communications link fails, and, responsive thereto, establishing the second wireless communications link between the client communications circuitry of the HA hub device and back-up access point wireless communications circuitry of another HA hub device and cooperating with the HA hub device controller, the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof being determined based upon at least one historical wireless communications link failure.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the operations comprise autonomously determining when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a loss of connectivity with the wireless network access point.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the operations comprise autonomously determining when the first wireless communications link fails based upon a link quality of the first wireless communications link.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the operations comprise determining the another HA hub device from the plurality thereof based upon at least one measured signal strength.