USING POSITION FOR NODE GROUPING

• US 20110122796A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Pitchers, Stephen Michael, Simons, Paul Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A computer algorithm for grouping a derived spatial arrangement of wireless communication nodes. The wireless communication nodes form a wireless communication network and are configured to control the operation of luminaires in a lighting array. The position of each node in the communication network corresponds to the position of a particular luminaire in the lighting array. The algorithm divides the arrangement of nodes into a plurality of spatial groups, each of which is defined by a line which joins the group'"'"'s member nodes together. The groups are ranked according to their statistical attributes and a number of groups are selected as control groups, such that the member nodes, and hence luminaires, of each control group may be controlled by a single switch or sensor.

Claims

1. A method of grouping a derived spatial arrangement of wireless nodes (27-50) comprising dividing said arrangement into a plurality of spatial groups wherein a particular node is assigned to a particular group if the distance between its spatial position in said arrangement and a defined centre of said group is equal to or less than a defined threshold distance.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the centre of each spatial group is defined by a line which passes through two or more nodes and said distance between a particular node and a particular group'"'"'s centre is measured as the shortest distance between the node'"'"'s position in said arrangement and the closest point on the group'"'"'s centre-defining line.

3. A method according to claim 2 including ranking the groups according to the number of assigned nodes therein.

4. A method according to claim 2, including ranking the groups according to the statistical dispersion in the distances between the positions of assigned nodes and their centre-defining lines.

5. A method according to claim 2 including ranking the groups according to the statistical dispersion in the distances between adjacent assigned nodes.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein said statistical dispersion is the standard deviation or variance.

7. A method according to claim 2 including ranking the groups according to the length of their centre-defining lines.

8. A method according to claim 1 including sorting said spatial groups into rank order based upon their attributes.

9. A method according to claim 8 including selecting a number of said spatial groups to define independent control groups (58-63).

10. A method according to claim 9 including not allowing said nodes (27-50) to be members of more than one of said control groups (58-63).

11. A method according to claim 9 including selecting said spatial groups as said control groups (58-63) in said rank order.

12. A method according to claim 9 including disregarding the top ranked spatial group and restarting the selection of said control groups (58-63) if the selection of said control groups is unsuccessful.

13. A method according to claim 9 including binding said control groups (58-63) to appropriate control means if the selection of said control groups (58-63) is successful.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein said threshold distance (79) is pre-determined by user selectable means.

15. Apparatus configured to group a derived arrangement of wireless nodes (27-50) comprising means operable to divide said arrangement into a plurality of spatial groups wherein a particular node is assigned to a particular group if the distance between its spatial position in said arrangement and a defined centre of said group is equal to or less than a defined threshold distance.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said wireless nodes (27-50) are electrically powered communication nodes in a wireless communication network (26).

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said wireless communication network (26) is configured such that it is able to control the operation of a wireless lighting array (1).

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein each of said wireless nodes (27-50) is associated with a luminaire (2-23) or a switch box (24, 25) comprising part of the wireless lighting array (1).

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said switch boxes (24, 25) are configured to control the operation of the luminaires (2-23).

20. (canceled)