COMMISSIONING A NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20150341222A1
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: MCCORMACK, James Joseph Anthony, SCHEPERS, Hendrik Jan Jozef Hubertus
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

A wireless network system (30, 60) and a method for commissioning a wireless network system (30, 60) is described. The network system (30, 60) comprises at least a network device (1, 1′, 1″) and a joining device (21, 81, 91, 101, 111). In a commissioning mode, the network device (1, 1′, 1″) broadcasts network identification information. The joining device (21, 81, 91, 101, 111) sends, upon reception of the network identification information, a request to said network device (1, 1′, 1″) to join the network, comprising a predefined address of said joining device (21, 81, 91, 101, 111). The network device (1, 1′, 1″) assigns said joining device (21, 81, 91, 101, 111) a network address and stores corresponding data. The network device (1, 1′, 1″) sends joining information comprising at least said network address to said joining device (21, 81, 91, 101, 111) using said predefined address and said joining device (21, 81, 91, 101, 111) receives the network address, so that the joining device (21, 81, 91, 101, 111) is addressable in the network system (30, 60) using said network address.

Claims

1. A wireless network system, comprising:

a network device, comprising a first communication interface for transmitting and receiving data over a wireless medium and a network configuration memory element, and

a joining device comprising a second communication interface for transmitting and receiving data over a wireless medium and a device configuration memory element, said network device and said joining device being configured for communicating in a commissioning mode, wherein;

said network device is configured to broadcast network identification information,

said joining device is configured, upon receipt of said network identification information, to send a request to join the network to said network device, said request comprising a predefined address,

said network device is configured to respond to said request by assigning a network address to said joining device to store data corresponding to said network address in said network configuration memory element and to send joining information comprising at least said network address to said joining device using said predefined address,

said joining device is configured to receive said joining information and to store said joining information in said device configuration memory element, so that said joining device is addressable in the network system using said network address, said network device is associated with a predetermined proximity value, said joining device is configured to provide proximity information, corresponding to the distance between said joining device and said network device and to send said proximity information to said network device, and

said network device is configured to determine whether said predetermined proximity value corresponds to said proximity information and to send joining information to the joining device only if the proximity information corresponds to said predetermined proximity value.

2. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein said network device is a first control device comprising a user control interface for sending an application control command to and/or receiving an application data value from another device in the network.

3. The wireless network system according to claim 2, wherein said joining device is a second control device comprising a user control interface for sending an application control command to and/or receiving an application data value from another device in the network.

4. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein said joining device is a function device comprising an application interface, connectable to an application device and configured to receive an application control command from and/or to send an application data value to another device in the network.

5. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein said communication interface is configured for use in a Zigbee network system.

6. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein said communication in said commissioning mode corresponds to Zigbee Inter-PAN Transmissions.

7. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein

said network device is associated with predetermined code data and comprises a secondary signal transmitter configured for sending a signal corresponding to said predetermined code data to said joining device,

said joining device comprises a secondary signal receiver, configured to receive said signal and to send corresponding verification information over said wireless medium to said network device, and

said network device is configured to determine whether said verification information corresponds to said code data and to send joining information to the joining device only if the verification information corresponds to said code data.

8. A wireless network system, comprising

a network device configured for operation in a first network system and comprising at least a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data over a wireless medium and

a joining device comprising at least a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data over a wireless medium and having a predetermined proximity value associated therewith, said joining device being configured with a network address for operation in a second network system, said network device and said joining device being configured for operation in a discovery mode, wherein

said network device broadcasts a discovery message for providing proximity information, corresponding to the distance between said network device and said joining device and

said joining device is configured, upon receipt of said discovery message, to determine, whether said proximity information corresponds to said predetermined proximity value and, if so, to enter a commissioning mode, so that said joining device is addressable in said first network system.

9. A wireless network system according to claim 8, wherein said joining device comprises a device configuration memory element for storing at least said network address and wherein, if said proximity information corresponds to said proximity value, said joining device is configured to reset said device configuration memory element.

10. A method of commissioning a wireless network system including a network device configured for operation in a first network system and a joining device configured for operation in a second network system and having a network address associated therewith, the method comprising

broadcasting a discovery message by said network device for providing proximity information, corresponding to the distance between said network device and said joining device and

determining, by said joining device upon receipt of said discovery message, whether said proximity information corresponds to a predetermined proximity value and, if so, entering a commissioning mode, so that said joining device is addressable in said first network system.