METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TRANSMISSIONS FROM A RESOURCE-RESTRICTED DEVICE, AND BATTERYLESS DEVICE

• US 20120056728A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Erdmann, Bozena, Lelkens, Lelkens Michel Marie, Tolhuizen, Ludovicus Marinus Gerardus Marie, Yuan, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,537,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• 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: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling transmissions of a batteryless device (1) operating in a wireless network, the method comprising the following steps: the batteryless device (1) transmitting a frame including elements for controlling operation of a remote device (2a), or controlled device, the batteryless device being configured with a predetermined number of planned retransmissions of the control frame, the batteryless device sensing a change in the physical phenomenon induced by operation of the controlled device (2a), the batteryless device determining, based on the sensing step, the success or failure of the frame transmission, in case the transmission has succeeded, the batteryless device omitting further retransmissions of the control frame. The present invention also relates to a batteryless device carrying out such method.

Claims

1. A method for controlling transmissions of a batteryless device (1) operating in a wireless network, the method comprising:

the batteryless device (1) transmitting a frame including elements for controlling operation of a remote device (2a), or controlled device, the batteryless device being configured with a predetermined number of planned retransmissions of the control frame,

the batteryless device sensing a change in the physical phenomenon induced by operation of the controlled device (2a),

the batteryless device determining, based on the sensing step, the success or failure of the frame transmission,

in case the transmission has succeeded, the batteryless device omitting further retransmissions of the control frame.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, comprising determining the number of retransmissions and the time spacing between them.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, comprising harvesting a quantity of energy for performing the predetermined number of retransmissions.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 comprising, when the retransmissions are omitted, storing the remaining harvested energy for future use.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlled device is a device controlling light conditions, and wherein the sensing is performed by the batteryless device using a sensing device comprised in the group comprising:

a light-sensitive resistance, a photodiode, a solar cell, and an autonomous light intensity change sensor.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlled device is a valve, and wherein the sensing is performed by the batteryless device by detecting change in the flow via change in a voltage and/or current supplied by a rotating part situating in the flow.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remaining harvested energy is used by the batteryless device to receive configuration data, comprising:

in case of the sensing step determining success of transmission, the batteryless device switching from transmit mode to receive mode,

in case of a successful reception of the batteryless command frame, the proxy device (3) switching from receive mode to transmit mode, and sending configuration data in-band to the batteryless device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, comprising using the remaining harvested energy for determining a transmission channel for transmissions of control frames, and of storing it persistently in a memory.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, comprising:

storing in a non-volatile memory an indication about unsuccessful transmission attempt,

after predetermined number of consecutive unsuccessful transmission attempts, storing in a non-volatile memory a flag informing about possible transmission channel change,

sending subsequent transmissions on other channel(s), and

in case any of the subsequent transmission is successful, clearing the flag and storing persistently the new channel.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, when the performing of the sensing can be enabled and disabled.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, when the wireless network is a ZigBee network.

12. A batteryless device (1) used for controlling remote devices (2a, 2b, 2c) in a wireless network, the batteryless device comprising:

a wireless communication interface (11) comprising means for both transmitting and receiving data,

Means for controlling the wireless interface,

an energy-harvesting circuit,

an energy storage,

means (10) for detecting changes in a physical phenomenal induced by operation of a controlled remote device.

13. A batteryless device according to claim 12, where the interface is implemented according to Batteryless ZigBee protocol.

14. A batteryless device according to claim 12, where the interface is implemented according to ZigBee RF4CE protocol.