REPROGRAMMING NODES IN A WIRELESS AUTOMATION SYSTEM

• US 20080057931A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Building Technologies Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: McFarland, Norman R., Nass, Geoffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

A method for wireless communication within a building automation system is disclosed. The method includes establishing a communication connection between a wireless device and a controller, and communicating an upgrade packet to the wireless device from the controller. The method further includes executing the upgrade packet to upgrade the wireless device or a building automation component connected to the wireless device. A building automation system is further disclosed. The system includes a controller configured to provide a software module, and a wireless transceiver in communication with the controller and configured to communicate the software module. The system further includes a wireless device in communication with the wireless transceiver and configured to receive the software module to upgrade the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication within a building automation system, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication connection between an automation component and a controller;

communicating an upgrade packet to the automation component from the controller; and

executing the upgrade packet, wherein the upgrade packet is programmed to upgrade the automation component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication connection is established between a communication port disposed in communication with the controller and a serial port disposed in communication with the automation component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication connection is a wired communication connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automation component is in communication with at least a second automation component and wherein the controller communicates the upgrade packet to the second automation component via the automation component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the upgrade packet is communicated to the automation component comprises a firmware upgrade.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the automation component comprises a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, and wherein the memory is configured to store the firmware upgrade and the processor is configured to execute the stored firmware upgrade.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to execute the firmware upgrade and communicate the results to the automation component via the established communication connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing a communication connection comprises communicating with a wireless adaptor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein executing comprises executing a bootloader configured to perform a firmware upgrade based on the upgrade packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the automation component is coupled to a building automation component configured to be wirelessly upgraded via the automation component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is selected from the group consisting of:

a second automation component, a source node, a terminal, and a portable computer.

12. A building automation system comprising:

a controller configured to provide a software module;

a wireless transceiver in communication with the controller, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to communicate the software module; and

a wireless device in communication with the wireless transceiver, the wireless device upgradeable in response to receiving the communicated software module.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller and the wireless transceiver are a portable computer.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless device is in communication with at least a second wireless device, and wherein the controller communicates the software module to the second wireless device via the wireless device.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising a second wireless device in communication with the controller, wherein the second wireless device is configured to provide the software module to the controller.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless device comprises a processor and a memory in communication with the processor and wherein the memory is configured to store the software module and the processor is configured to execute the stored software module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory stores a bootloader configured to execute on the processor to perform a firmware upgrade based on the software module.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to execute a firmware upgrade and communicate the results to the wireless device via the wireless transceiver.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless device comprises a wireless adaptor coupled to a building automation component.

20. A method for wireless communication within a building automation system, the method comprising:

providing firmware to a building automation component;

wirelessly communicating the firmware to a wireless device; and

executing the firmware on a processor within the wireless device, the firmware programmed to upgrade the wireless device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein providing is performed by a portable computer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein providing is performed by a second wireless device in communication with a controller.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the controller is selected from the group consisting of:

a second automation component, a source node, a terminal, and a portable computer.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the building automation component is a second wireless device in wireless communication with wireless device.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein providing is performed by executing a plurality of software instructions on a controller in communication with the building automation component.