Method and system for automated distributed pairing of wireless nodes of a communication network

• US 20060250980A1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Pereira, Luis R., Gutierrez, Jose A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• 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 system for pairing wireless nodes includes a plurality of device nodes, such as lamp nodes, a plurality of sensor nodes, such as light switch nodes, and a context manager node. Each of the device nodes, the sensor nodes and the context manager node includes a first communication channel having radio frequency signals and a diverse second communication channel including wireless non-radio frequency signals. Some of the device nodes and the sensor nodes are adapted to collect context information of a corresponding communication environment and to transfer the collected context information to the context manager node. The context manager node is adapted to employ the collected context information and enable automated distributed pairing of a first node of the device nodes and sensor nodes with another second node of the device nodes and sensor nodes.

Claims

1. A method for pairing wireless nodes of a communication network, said method comprising:

employing a plurality of network devices;

employing a context manager node;

for each of said network devices and said context manager node, employing a first communication channel including radio frequency signals and a diverse second communication channel including wireless non-radio frequency signals;

at some of said network devices, collecting context information of a corresponding communication environment and transferring said collected context information to said context manager node; and

at said context manager node, employing said collected context information and enabling automated distributed pairing of a first node of said network devices with another second node of said network devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

adding said first node as a new node to said network devices or as a replacement node for a preexisting one of said network devices;

and

receiving said collected context information at said context manager node before determining at said context manager node said another second node as a pairing node for said first node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said collected context information at least one of radio frequency signal attributes of said first communication channel and wireless non-radio frequency signal attributes of said diverse second communication channel.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

selecting said diverse second communication channel in order that presence, absence or degradation of said wireless non-radio frequency signals is affected by said corresponding communication environment to provide said collected context information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising

adding said first node as a new node of said network devices;

and

authenticating said new node by said context manager node before pairing said new node with said another second node.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising

activating said new node;

sending a parameter from said new node to said context manager node over said first communication channel in order to request a key;

detecting said new node at said some of said network devices and reporting the detected new node to said context manager node by said some of said network devices;

determining some of said some of said network devices at said context manager node;

instructing said some of said some of said network devices to send the key which is encrypted by said parameter to said new node over said diverse second communication channel;

receiving and decrypting the key at said new node; and

employing said decrypted key at said new node to join said communication network.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising

employing as said parameter a uniquely identified ticket to validate said receiving and decrypting the key at said new node.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising

employing one of a radio frequency broadcast or a series of multi-hop radio frequency unicasts to send said parameter from said new node.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising

sending a device type from said new node to said context manager node;

selecting a plurality of candidate nodes from said network devices at said context manager node;

instructing each of the candidate nodes to send location information to said new node over said diverse second communication channel;

receiving said location information at said new node from some of said candidate nodes;

determining context information of said some of said candidate nodes;

reporting said determined context information to said context manager node;

determining at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said new node at said context manager node; and

instructing said at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said new node.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising

determining signal strength at said new node of the wireless non-radio frequency signals of said diverse second communication channel for said received location information from said some of said candidate nodes;

and

determining said context information at said new node from said determined signal strength.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising

replacing an old node of said network devices with a replacement node;

and

authenticating said replacement node before pairing said replacement node with another node of said network devices.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising

sending a device type from said replacement node to said context manager node;

selecting a plurality of candidate nodes from said network devices at said context manager node;

instructing each of the candidate nodes to send location information to said replacement node over said diverse second communication channel;

receiving said location information at said replacement node from some of said candidate nodes;

determining context information of said some of said candidate nodes;

reporting said determined context information to said context manager node;

determining at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said replacement node at said context manager node; and

instructing said at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said replacement node.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising

employing said old node at a first location;

and

placing the replacement node at a second location which is the same as or similar to the first location.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising

verifying if a replacement of said old node is taking place before instructing said at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said replacement node.

15. A system for pairing wireless nodes, said system comprising:

a plurality of network devices; and

a context manager node,

wherein each of said network devices and said context manager node comprises a first communication channel including radio frequency signals and a diverse second communication channel including wireless non-radio frequency signals,

wherein some of said network devices are adapted to collect context information of a corresponding communication environment and to transfer said collected context information to said context manager node, and

wherein said context manager node is adapted to employ said collected context information and enable automated distributed pairing of a first node of said network devices with another second node of said network devices.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said first communication channel employs an IEEE 802.15.4 communication network including said radio frequency signals.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said wireless non-radio frequency signals are selected from the group consisting of visible light signals, ultrasound signals and infrared signals.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said first communication channel employs a low-rate-wireless personal area network.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said context manager node forms a gateway node of said first communication channel.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said first communication channel employs an IEEE 802.15.4 communication network;

and wherein said gateway node is a PAN coordinator of said IEEE 802.15.4 communication network.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein said network devices include a plurality of lamp nodes and a plurality of light switch nodes;

wherein said system is a building automation system; and

wherein said first node is one of said light switch nodes which is paired with said another second node, which is one of said lamp nodes.