ZIGBEE LIGHT LINK NETWORK COMMISSIONING

• US 20170005860A1
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: TAN, CHEN MIN, ZHANG, FRANK, ZHANG, SHENGLI
• Granted Patent: US 10,797,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/084 Configuration by using pre-existing information, e.g. using templates or copying from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

This invention generally relates to commissioning in Zigbee Light Link (ZLL) networks. The proposed solution takes advantage of the existing Touchlink procedure in order to enable a controller device joining a ZLL network without having to Touchlink with every single lighting devices comprised in the ZLL network. This way, the one or more lighting devices of the ZLL network may be directly controlled by the newly joined controller device after a single Touchlink thanks to the introduction of a commissioning device. The commissioning device may be configured to provide specific joining information and binding information to the controller device. Further, a timer in the commissioning device may be triggered to lapse after a given period of time where the controller may be disconnected from the ZLL network.

Claims

1. A commissioning device for joining at least one controller device to a first Zigbee Light Link, ZLL, network having at least one lighting device connected thereto,

wherein the commissioning device is part of the ZLL network, the commissioning device comprising

a target module operable to cause the commissioning device to operate in a target mode during a single Touchlink procedure established between at least the controller device and the commissioning device in which the commissioning device is capable of joining the controller device to the first ZLL network in response to the Touchlink procedure being initiated by the controller device;

wherein the commissioning device is arranged for providing the controller device with at least one joining information associated with the first ZLL network wherein, the commissioning device is further arranged for providing the controller device with binding information associated with at least one lighting device and/or with at least one group of lighting devices of the network.

2. The commissioning device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory unit operable to store the at least one joining information associated with the first ZLL network;

a provider module coupled to the memory unit and operable to cause the commissioning device to operate in a provider mode during the Touchlink procedure.

3. The commissioning device of claim 2 wherein, while the commissioning device is in the provider mode:

the memory unit is further adapted to store the binding information associated with at least one lighting device and/or with at least one group of lighting devices of the network; and

,

the commissioning device is further adapted to provide the binding information to the controller device once the controller device has joined the network.

4. The commissioning device of claim 3 wherein the binding information comprises network identification information, physical location information and/or service information.

5. The commissioning device of claim 1 wherein, the commissioning device further comprises a timer module operable to, when the controller device has joined the network and the Touchlink procedure has been completed, set a predetermined time, calculate a time during which the controller has been connected to the network, and determine whether the calculated time is more than the predetermined time.

7. A system for joining at least one controller device to a first Zigbee Light Link, ZLL, network having at least one lighting device connected thereto, the system comprising:

a commissioning device as claimed in claim 1,

a controller device of claim 6;

wherein;

the first control message comprises a first information representative of the initiation of ZLL joining and binding mechanisms;

the second control message comprises a second information including the at least one joining information; and

the third control message comprises binding information associated with at least one lighting device and/or with at least one group of lighting devices of the network.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the first control message further comprises a third information defining a predetermined time; and

,

the second ZLL message further comprises a fourth information adapted to launch a disconnection procedure from the first ZLL network.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller device is part of a remote control unit, said remote control also including a communication apparatus operable in combination with the controller device and, wherein the communication apparatus comprises a second processing unit-adapted to generate at least one control command and/or at least one information command;

and wherein;

the first control message is generated in response to the generation of the control command;

the information command is generated in response to reception of the/a second control message.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing one or more processing units to execute the method according to claim 9.

6. A controller device for being joined by a commissioning device to a first Zigbee Light Link, ZLL, network having at least one lighting device connected thereto, the controller device comprising

a first processing unit operable to generate at least a first control message for initiating a single Touchlink procedure established between the commissioning device operating in a target mode and the controller device in which the commissioning device is capable of joining the controller device to the first ZLL network;

a transceiver coupled to the first processing unit and operable to transmit the first control message and to receive from the commissioning device a second control message including at least one joining information associated with the first ZLL network, the transceiver device being arranged to receive from the commissioning device a third control message including binding information associated with at least one lighting device and/or with at least one group of lighting devices of the network wherein

no further ZLL network is created by the controller device during the Touchlink procedure, if the controller device was not associated to a second ZLL network prior to the initiation of the Touchlink procedure, and,

the controller device leaves a second ZLL network during the Touchlink procedure, if the controller device was associated to the second ZLL network prior to the initiation of the Touchlink procedure.

10. A method of joining at least one controller device to a first Zigbee Light Link, ZLL, network having at least one lighting device connected thereto, the method comprising:

providing a commissioning device part of the network

causing the commissioning device to operate in a target mode during a single Touchlink procedure established between at least the controller device and the commissioning device, to join the controller device to the network in response to the Touchlink procedure being initiated by the controller device;

wherein the controller device receives from the commissioning device at least one joining information associated with the first ZLL network wherein, the controller device further receives from the commissioning device binding information associated with at least one lighting device and/or with at least one group of lighting devices of the network, and wherein;

if the controller device was not associated to a second ZLL network prior to the initiation of the Touchlink procedure, not creating a further ZLL network during the Touchlink procedure; and

,

if the controller device was associated to a second ZLL network prior to the initiation of the Touchlink procedure, causing the controller device to leave the second ZLL network during the Touchlink procedure.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

storing the binding information associated with at least one lighting device and/or with at least one group of lighting devices of the network;

causing the commissioning device to operate in a provider mode during the Touchlink procedure, to provide the binding information to the controller device in response to the controller device joining the network.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the binding information comprises network identification information, physical location information and/or service information.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein when the controller device has joined the network and the Touchlink procedure has been completed, the method further comprising:

setting a predetermined time,

calculating a time during which the controller being connected to the network, and

determining whether the calculated time is more than the predetermined time.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the calculated time is more than the predetermined time, causing the controller device to be disconnected from the ZLL network.