LOCATING REFERENCE NODES FOR POSITIONING DEVICES IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20100035546A1
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Pitchers, Stephen M., Simons, Paul R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads

Abstract

A method for matching an actual device in a wireless network to a corresponding device indicated in a plan (1) of such devices is provided. The method is suitable for initiating the commissioning process for a lighting control network (2) or an automated home network and it enables the program controlling the system to establish a number of reference nodes, with respect to which the coordinates of the rest of the nodes in the network are established, without the engineer having to manually enter the identification details of the reference nodes in the computer system. The method comprises identifying a device (3a-3c, 4, 5a-5b, 6a-6c, 7a-7d, 8a-8f, 9a-9f, 10, 11b, 11b) in the plan having unique characteristics compared to the other devices in the plan (1); receiving data comprising the characteristics of the actual device from the wireless network; and in response to the characteristics of the actual device including the unique characteristics, matching the physical device with the identified device. The unique characteristics may comprise a unique type or a unique range measurement to another device. The received data includes the unique ID (101-115) of the actual device and this can be stored in a record for the identified device in the computer system.

Claims

1. A method of matching an actual device of a plurality of devices in a wireless network to a corresponding device indicated in a plan associated with said plurality of devices, the method comprising:

identifying a device in the plan (1) having unique characteristics compared to the other devices in the plan;

receiving data comprising the characteristics of the actual device from the wireless network; and

in response to the characteristics of the actual device including the unique characteristics, matching the actual device with the identified device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plan comprises a record for each device of said plurality of devices indicating the coordinates of that device in a coordinate system.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the received data includes a unique ID of said device and wherein the method further comprising storing the unique ID in the record of the identified device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the unique characteristics comprises a unique type of the device or a unique distance range to another device in the wireless network.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the received data from said actual device includes the type of said actual device and the range measurements between said actual device and neighbouring devices of said actual device.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the range measurements have been obtained by analysing signals sent from the actual device to its neighbouring devices and/or signals sent from the neighbouring devices to the actual device.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein type includes at least one of the make, model and number of end points of said actual device.

8-9. -9. (canceled)

10. Apparatus comprising:

means for connecting to a wireless network;

a memory for storing information corresponding to a plan of a plurality of devices in said wireless network;

means for identifying a device in the plan having unique characteristics compared to the other devices in the plan;

means for receiving data comprising the characteristics of the actual device from the wireless network; and

means for matching the actual device to the identified device if the characteristics indicated in the received data from the actual device include the unique characteristics.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the information corresponding to a plan of devices includes a record for each device indicating the coordinates of each device in a coordinate system.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the received data includes a unique ID of said actual device and wherein the means for matching are operable to store the unique ID in the record of said identified device.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the unique characteristics comprises a unique type of the device or a unique distance range to another device in the wireless network.

14. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the received data from said actual device includes the type of said actual device and the distance measurements between said actual device and the neighbouring devices of said actual device.

15. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the wireless system comprises a lighting system.

16. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the wireless system is a home automation network.

18. A system comprising:

apparatus according to claim 10, and

a plurality of devices connected in a wireless network, the plurality of devices comprising at least one gateway controller operable to communicate with said apparatus.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one gateway controller is operable to communicate with said apparatus over a LAN link.

17. (canceled)

20. (canceled)