SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NETWORKING CONSUMER DEVICES

• US 20140022941A1
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Apte, Raj B., Paulson, Christopher, Hasenoehrl, Erik John
• Application Number:
  US13/943,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20140022941A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating a virtual representation of a structure that is associated with an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes. Nodes within the ad hoc network may have a communication module configured to communicate with the ad hoc network using at least one of room-limited communications and room-transparent communications.

Claims

1. A method of generating a virtual representation of a structure, the structure associated with an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein each node comprises a communication module configured to communicate with the ad hoc network using at least one of room-limited communications and room-transparent communications, the method comprising:

for each pair of nodes in the ad hoc network, collecting time of flight data for a communication signal sent from one node of the pair to the other node of the pair;

based on the time of flight data collect, determining a relative spatial relationship between each of the plurality of nodes in the ad hoc network;

sequentially transmitting by each of the plurality of nodes a room-limited communication;

for each sequentially transmitted room-limited communication, determining at each of the non-transmitting nodes whether the sequentially transmitted room-limited communication was received; and

when a room-limited signal is not received at a node, determining the existence of a physical obstruction within the structure.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating a visualization of the structure comprising visual indications of the nodes in the ad hoc network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the visualization comprises indications of the physical obstruction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the room-limited communication is an acoustic signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the acoustic signal is imperceptible to the human ear.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the room-limited communication is an optical signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical signal is imperceptible to the human eye.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one node of the ad hoc network is associated with a lighting product.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving an identifier of a node in the ad hoc network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier is one of a stock keeping unit (SKU) number, a network address, a bar code, and a presumed identity.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

determining a function of the node based on the identifier.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a room list of the structure based on the physical obstacles.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

determining a function of a room in the room list.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the function is based on an identifier of a node segmented into the room.

15. A method of generating a virtual representation of a structure, the structure associated with an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein each node comprises a communication module configured to communicate with the ad hoc network, the method comprising:

for each pair of nodes in the ad hoc network, collecting time of flight data for a communication signal sent from one node of the pair to the other node of the pair;

based on the time of flight data collect, determining a relative spatial relationship between each of the plurality of nodes in the ad hoc network;

sequentially transmitting by each of the plurality of nodes a room-limited communication;

for each sequentially transmitted room-limited communication, determining at each of the non-transmitting nodes whether the sequentially transmitted room-limited communication was received;

when a room-limited signal is not received at a node, determining the existence of a physical obstruction within the structure; and

determining a segmentation of nodes in the structure, wherein a first grouping of nodes is physically located in a first segment and a second grouping is located in a second segment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first segment is associated with a first room of the structure and the second segment is associated with a second room of the structure, the method comprising:

determining a function of the first room; and

determining a function of the second room.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the function of the first room is based on an identifier received from a node segmented into the first segment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identifier is one of a stock keeping unit (SKU) number, a network address, a bar code, and a presumed identity.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

upon the detection of a new node in the ad hoc network, determining a physical proximity of the new node to one of the first and second grouping of nodes.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

adding the new node to one of the first and second grouping of nodes.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one node of the ad hoc network is coupled to a wall of the structure.

22. A method of generating a virtual representation of a structure, the structure associated with an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node comprises a communication module configured to communicate with the ad hoc network. A database comprising a room list:

for each pair of nodes in the ad hoc network, collecting time of flight data for a communication signal sent from one node of the pair to the other node of the pair;

based on the time of flight data collect, determining a relative spatial relationship between each of the plurality of nodes in the ad hoc network; and

based on the relative spatial relationship, associate each node with a room list;

23. A method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a transmitting node and a non-transmitting node, the method comprising

transmitting a room-limited communication from the transmitting node,

determining at the non-transmitting node whether the transmitted room-limited communication was received;

and

when a room-limited communication is not received at a node, determining the existence of a physical obstruction within the structure positioned between the transmitting node and a non-transmitting node.

24. A method of claim 23, comprising

sequentially transmitting a room-limited communication from each of the plurality of nodes.