SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS CONTROL OF SIGNS

• US 20120022748A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luminator Holding LP (LTG Acquisition, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Luminator Holding LP (LTG Acquisition, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swanson, Rick
• Granted Patent: US 9,852,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/48
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/40 Bus coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/048 Advertisement panels on sides, front or back of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

A system includes a master controller disposed on a transit vehicle, a peripheral device disposed on the transit vehicle, a first wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the master controller, and a second wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the peripheral device. The master controller is operable to send a signal to the peripheral device via the first wireless subsystem, the signal comprising a command related to operation of the peripheral device. The peripheral device is operable to receive the signal via the second wireless subsystem and execute the command. The system utilizes a wireless protocol that specifies a unique identification for the system. The master controller and the peripheral device are each configured via the wireless protocol. The configuration includes storage of the unique identification and operability to restrict wireless communication to wireless communication with other devices so configured.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a master controller disposed on a transit vehicle;

a peripheral device disposed on the transit vehicle;

a first wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the master controller;

a second wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the peripheral device;

wherein the master controller is operable to send a signal to the peripheral device via the first wireless subsystem, the signal comprising a command related to operation of the peripheral device;

wherein the peripheral device is operable to receive the signal via the second wireless subsystem and execute the command;

wherein the system utilizes a wireless protocol that specifies a unique identification for the system; and

wherein the master controller and the peripheral device are each configured via the wireless protocol, the configuration comprising;

storage of the unique identification; and

operability to restrict wireless communication to wireless communication with other devices so configured.

2. The system of claim 1, the system comprising:

a second peripheral device operable to communicate via a wired communication protocol;

wherein the master controller is operable to send a signal to the peripheral device via wired communication, the signal comprising a command related to operation of the second peripheral device; and

wherein the second peripheral device is operable to receive the signal and execute the command.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless subsystem is operable to compress packets and send the compressed packets wirelessly to the second wireless subsystem; and

the second wireless subsystem is operable to decompress the compressed packets and send the decompressed packets to the peripheral device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol uses frequency hopping spread spectrum.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the master controller and the peripheral device are each operable to execute a same algorithm to pseudo-randomly generate a hop table, said same algorithm using the unique identification as a seed for pseudo-random-number generation.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the wireless protocol establishes time slots for synchronization of the master controller and the peripheral device;

wherein the master controller is operable to;

transmit one or more synchronize messages; and

transmit data packets at a start of a time slot;

wherein the peripheral device is operable to;

synchronize to a time slot and hopping frequency of the master controller via the one or more synchronize messages; and

reset a timer when a valid transmission is received, wherein a valid transmission comprises a transmission that contains no errors and matches the unique identification.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol defines a wireless packet format that includes a field for the unique identification.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a control panel is communicably coupled to the master controller.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is an electronic sign.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a light.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein configuration of the peripheral device comprises:

assignment of an initial unique identification of zero to the peripheral device;

receipt of a configuration command by the master controller;

transmission of a program message by the master controller, the program message comprising the unique identification; and

responsive to a determination that the initial unique identification is zero, storage by the peripheral device of the unique identification.

12. The system of claim 1, the system comprising:

a plurality of peripheral devices, each peripheral device in the plurality of peripheral devices having a wireless subsystem communicably coupled thereto;

wherein the master controller is operable, via the first wireless subsystem, to control operation of the plurality of peripheral devices;

wherein the plurality of peripheral devices are configured via the wireless protocol, the configuration comprising;

storage of the unique identification; and

operability to restrict wireless communication to wireless communication with other devices so configured.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the transit vehicle is a bus.

14. A method comprising:

providing a wireless-communication system on a transit vehicle, the wireless-communication system comprising;

a master controller disposed on the transit vehicle;

a peripheral device disposed on the transit vehicle;

a first wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the master controller; and

a second wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the peripheral device;

configuring the master controller and the peripheral device via a wireless protocol for the wireless-communication system, the configuration comprising;

storing a unique identification for the wireless-communication system; and

restricting wireless communication to wireless communication to other devices so configured;

sending a signal by the master controller via the first wireless subsystem, the signal comprising a command related to operation of the peripheral device;

receiving the signal at the peripheral device via the second wireless subsystem; and

executing the command at the peripheral device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

sending a signal comprises compressing packets and sending the compressed packets wirelessly to the second wireless subsystem; and

receiving the signal comprises decompressing the compressed packets and sending the decompressed packets to the peripheral device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless protocol uses frequency hopping spread spectrum.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the configuring comprises executing a same algorithm by the master controller and the peripheral device to pseudo-randomly generate a hop table, said same algorithm using the unique identification as a seed for pseudo-random number generation.

18. The method of claim 17, the method comprising:

wherein the wireless protocol establishes time slots for synchronization of the master controller and the peripheral device;

transmitting by the master controller of one or more synchronize messages; and

synchronizing by the peripheral device to a time slot and hopping frequency of the master controller via the one or more synchronize messages.

19. The method of claim 18, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the master controller, data packets at a start of a time slot; and

resetting by the peripheral device of a timer when a valid transmission is received, wherein a valid transmission comprises a transmission that contains no errors and matches the unique identification.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the peripheral device is an electronic sign.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein configuring the peripheral device comprises:

assigning an initial unique identification of zero to the peripheral device;

receiving a configuration command by the master controller;

transmitting a program message by the master controller, the program message comprising the unique identification; and

responsive to a determination that the initial unique identification is zero, storing by the peripheral device of the unique identification.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the transit vehicle is a bus.