METHOD FOR SENDING AND RECEIVING MESSAGES IN AN ENERGY-AUTONOMOUS RADIO SYSTEM OR A RECEIVER SYSTEM, AND CORRESPONDING RADIO SYSTEM AND RECEIVER SYSTEM

• US 20160198468A1
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Original Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Inventors: Schmidt, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 10,028,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for sending messages in an energy self-sufficient radio system, wherein an electric power for the radio system is provided by an energy converter that converts nonelectrical primary energy from the environment into electric power. The method comprises the steps of storage of at least two transmission channels in the radio system, presetting of a transmission unit of the radio system to a preferred stored transmission channel, checking of a use of the preferred transmission channel by other radio systems and if necessary changing from the preferred transmission channel to another stored transmission channel if the preferred transmission channel is in use, and sending of a predetermined radio message by the transmission unit on the preferred or the other transmission channel. The energy converter is excited by a mechanical operation of an operating element of the radio system, as a result of which electric power for performing the method is provided, and wherein each operation of the operating element prompts the performance of at least one portion of the above method. In addition, a reception method and also a radio system and a receiver system for performing the corresponding methods are described. One conceivable application described is an initialization method.

Claims

1. A method for sending messages in an energy self-sufficient radio system, wherein electric power for the radio system is provided by an energy converter that converts nonelectrical primary energy from the environment into electric power, comprising the following steps:

a.) storage of at least two transmission channels in a predetermined frequency range in the radio system,

b.) presetting of a transmission unit of the radio system to a preferred stored transmission channel,

c.) checking of a use of the preferred transmission channel by other radio systems,

d.) changing from the preferred transmission channel to another stored transmission channel if the preferred transmission channel is in use, and

e.) sending of a predetermined radio message by the transmission unit on the preferred or the other transmission channel on the basis of step d.),

wherein the energy converter is excited by mechanical operation of an operating element of the radio system, as a result of which electric power for performing the method is provided, and wherein each operation of the operating element prompts the performance of at least steps c.) to e.).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of steps c.) to e.) are repeatedly performed for the preferred transmission channel and/or for at least one further stored transmission channel.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, for each stored transmission channel, repeated checking of the use according to step c.) is used to ascertain a statistical probability of use, and a stored transmission channel having the lowest probability of use is set as the preferred transmission channel according to step b.).

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein stored transmission channels are erased if the statistical probability of use thereof exceeds a predetermined limit value.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, for one or more nonstored transmission channels, repeated checking of the use is used to ascertain a statistical probability of use, and the transmission channels are stored according to step a.) if the statistical probability of use thereof is below the predetermined limit value.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a list of the stored transmission channels is stored in the radio system, and the list is processed in a predetermined order.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is terminated after a predetermined number of sending processes according to step e.).

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency range has transmission frequencies between 2.4 GHz and 2.4835 GHz and/or transmission frequencies between 5.725 GHz and 5.875 GHz.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy converter is excited electrodynamically by a mechanical operation of a rocker switch as an operating element of the radio system, and as a result the mechanical energy introduced via the rocker switch is converted into electric power for supplying power to the radio system.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a trip element of the energy converter is operated by means of the mechanical energy introduced via the rocker switch at an operating force of between 3 and 15 N over an operating path of between 0.5 mm and 10 mm at room temperature.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio system stores an identification number for identifying the radio system, which identification number is transmitted on each sending of a radio message by the transmission unit according to step e.).

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more instructions and/or user options for a receiver system are coded in the radio message.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a return channel from a receiver system to the radio system is used to transmit information about a channel use and/or channel selection (choice) in the receiver system to the radio system.

14. A radio system comprising:

an energy converter for converting nonelectrical primary energy from the environment into electric power, wherein the energy converter can be excited by a mechanical operation of an operating element of the radio system,

a switching unit that is set up to convert a mechanical operation of the operating element into a logic signal and to generate a predetermined radio message therefrom,

a transmission unit for sending the predetermined radio message on one or more transmission channels stored in the radio system, and

a processor configured to;

store a list of the one or more transmission channels,

determine whether a preferred transmission channel is in use by a second radio system,

transmit, responsive to the preferred transmission channel being in use, the predetermined radio message by the transmission unit on one of the at least two transmission channels.

17. The radio system of claim 14, further comprising a receiver system having a receiver and a logic unit, wherein the receiver is designed to receive on the one or more transmission channels simultaneously.

18. The radio system of claim 14, further comprising a receiver system having one or more receivers and a logic unit, wherein each of the one or more receivers is configured to receive on a respective one or more transmission channels.

15. A method for ascertaining a suitable reception channel of a receiver system, comprising the steps of:

a.) storage of at least two reception channels in a predetermined frequency range in a receiver system,

b.) presetting of a reception unit of the receiver system to a preferred stored reception channel,

c.) ascertainment of a statistical channel availability of the stored reception channels on the basis of repeated checking of a reception signal level of each stored reception channel,

d.) selection of a stored reception channel having the lowest interference sensitivity as the preferred reception channel.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein for each stored reception channel the channel availability is compared with a prescribed quality criterion and the method is immediately terminated on ascertainment of a reception channel having a channel availability that satisfies the prescribed quality criterion, and this reception channel is chosen as the preferred reception channel.