Method and system for synchronization and remote control of controlling units

• US 10,637,681 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Brandt, Anders T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brian E
• Application Number:
  US15/923,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20180212792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1657 Implicit acknowledgement of correct or incorrect reception, e.g. with a moving window
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/189 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of a message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/06 Deflection routing, e.g. hot-potato routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/10 : based on available power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 : where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 : where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/00 : Network data management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling devices, including controller and actuators are disclosed. Actuators may be devices where remote control of the device or devices is convenient, such as lights, window shades, fans and similar items. In one method, controllers are adapted to send commands from a first controller to an actuator and to a second controller, and from the second controller to the actuator and to the first controller, where the controllers store a state of the actuator as a result of the actuator executing the command.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an actuator, the method comprising:

sending a first command from a first controller to the actuator;

sending a first message from the first controller to a second controller informing the second controller of the first command, wherein the first controller and the second controller store a state of the actuator as a result of the actuator executing the first command;

sending a second command from the second controller to the actuator; and

sending a second message from the second controller to the first controller informing the first controller of the second command, wherein the first controller and the second controller store a state of the actuator as a result of the actuator executing the second command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an acknowledgement message from the second controller to the first controller acknowledging receipt of the first command by the second controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command to the actuator changes a state or a position of the actuator, and the first message informs the second controller of the changed state or position of the actuator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a switch action at the actuator;

sending a third message from the actuator to at least one of the first controller and the second controller requesting an action command based on the switch action received at the actuator; and

(i) executing the action command received by the actuator if the action command is received from the at least one of the first controller and second controller within a period of time, or

(ii) executing a predetermined command by the actuator if the action command is not received within the period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the period of time is 5 seconds or less.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command includes a trigger for the actuator to execute an action after occurrence of an event or passage of a period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

experiencing a failure of power at the actuator before occurrence of the event or passage of the period of time;

restoring power to the actuator;

restoring trigger state information from non-volatile memory; and

sending an indication to at least one of the first controller and second controller when the event or the passage of time occurs.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending an alert message to at least one of the first controller and the second controller from the actuator that the event has occurred or the period of time has elapsed, and requesting instructions from at least one of the first controller and the second controller.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising

receiving an indication at the first controller that the event has occurred or the period of time has elapsed;

waiting 5 seconds or less at the actuator for a confirmation message from the first controller or the second controller; and

clearing the trigger when no confirmation message is received within 5 seconds or less.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising

storing the first command in a memory of the actuator and the first message in the memory of the second controller, wherein the first command includes a first setting or position for the actuator;

sending a new command to the actuator, the new command including a second setting or position for the actuator, and informing the second controller of the new command;

sending an alert message from the actuator that the event has occurred or the period of time has elapsed; and

executing the new command for the setting or the position of the actuator.

11. A system for controlling an actuator, the system comprising:

a first controller configured to provide a first command;

a second controller configured to provide a second command; and

an actuator responsive to the first command and the second command;

wherein the first controller is configured to send a first message to the second controller informing the second controller of the first command and to store a state of the actuator as a result of the actuator executing the first command; and

wherein the second controller is configured to store the state of the actuator as a result of the actuator executing the first command.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second controller is configured to send the second command from the second controller to the actuator, to send a second message from the second controller to the first controller informing the first controller of the second command, and to store a state of the actuator as a result of the actuator executing the second command;

and wherein the first controller is configured to store the state of the actuator as a result of the actuator executing the second command.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the actuator is configured to accept the first command, wherein the first command to the actuator changes a state or a position of the actuator, wherein the second controller is configured to accept the first message, and wherein the first message informs the second controller of the changed state or position of the actuator.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the actuator is configured to send a message to at least one of the first controller and the second controller requesting an action command based on a switch action received at the actuator, the actuator configured to:

(i) execute the action command received by the actuator if the action command is received from the at least one of the first controller and second controller within a period of time, or

(ii) execute a predetermined command by the actuator if the action command is not received within the period of time.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the actuator is configured to accept the first command, and wherein the first command includes a trigger for the actuator to execute an action after occurrence of an event or passage of a period of time.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the actuator is configured to send an indication to at least one of the first controller and second controller when the event or the passage of time occurs as a result of the steps:

(i) experiencing a failure of power at the actuator before occurrence of the event or passage of the period of time;

(ii) restoring power to the actuator; and

(iii) restoring trigger state information from non-volatile memory.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the actuator is configured to send an alert message to at least one of the first controller and the second controller that the event has occurred or the period of time has elapsed and requesting instructions.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first controller is configured to receive an indication that the event has occurred or the period of time has elapsed;

and wherein the actuator is further configured to wait 5 seconds or less for a confirmation message from the first controller or the second controller and to clear the trigger when no confirmation message is received within 5 seconds or less.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a memory of the actuator is configured to store the first command, the first command including a first setting or position for the actuator;

wherein a memory of the second controller is configured to store the first message;

wherein the first controller is configured to send a new command to the actuator, the new command comprising a second setting or position for the actuator;

wherein the first controller is further configured to inform the second controller of the new command; and

wherein the actuator is configured to send alert message that the event has occurred or the period of time has elapsed when the new command is executed for the setting or the position of the actuator.