NETWORKING SYSTEMS, PROTOCOLS, AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING TARGET DEVICES

• US 20170366659A1
• Filed: 08/23/2017
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avi-on Labs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Avi-on Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Miller, Eric L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,237,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling electric and electronic devices. The devices may communicate with each other in a many-to-many, peer-to-peer network to provide control functionality without the need for a central controller. Device-to-device control messages may be implemented over short range, wireless broadcast messages.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

a plurality of network components, including at least one switch and at least one adaptor, each network component comprising;

a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via a short-range wireless communications protocol;

a memory storing a Device Id; and

a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory; and

at least one target device communicatively coupled to each adaptor of the at least one adaptor, wherein a control signal broadcast from a switch is received by each network component within range of the switch via the short-range wireless communications protocol and rebroadcast until the control signal has reached each network component of the network system.

2. The network system of claim 1, each adaptor further comprising a power/control module communicatively coupled between the transceiver and a corresponding target device configured:

receive a control signal from the transceiver; and

implement the control signal on the target device.

3. The network system of claim 2, the control signal comprising a target address corresponding to the Device Id of an adaptor.

4. The network system of claim 2, the control signal comprising a target address corresponding to a Group Id, wherein the Group Id corresponds to a plurality of adaptors.

5. The network system of claim 1, the plurality of network components further comprising an initialization/control (“

I/C”

) device, the initialization/control device comprising;

a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via the short-range wireless communications protocol;

a memory storing a Device Id; and

a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory.

6. The network system of claim 5, the I/C device configured to broadcast a control signal comprising one of a Device Id and a Group Id to each network component of the network system.

7. The network system of claim 1, the plurality of network components further comprising a bridge, the bridge comprising:

a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via the short-range wireless communications protocol;

a memory storing a Device Id; and

a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory; and

a network interface facilitating connectivity to a remote server via an outside network.

8. The network system of claim 7, wherein the bridge is configured to:

receive a control signal from the remote server via the outside network; and

broadcast, using the transceiver, the control signal to the other network components.

9. A method for configuring a network system comprising a plurality of network components, including at least one initialization/configuration (“

I/C”

) device, at least one switch, and at least one adaptor, each network component comprising a transceiver configured to send and receive control signals via a short-range wireless communications protocol, a memory, and a central processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, the method comprising, using an I/C device in a master/slave communications session over the short-range wireless communications protocol;

teaching each network component its address within the network system;

teaching each switch which network components to control.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein assigning each network component an address comprises:

associating each network component with a Location Id associated with the network system; and

assigning each network component a Device Id for addressing within the network system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein teaching each switch comprises:

writing an address corresponding to at least one adaptor into each switch'"'"'s memory.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the address corresponds to one of a Device Id of a particular adaptor and a Group Id assigned to a plurality adaptors.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

setting a type flag to resolve the proper address based upon whether the type flag indicates that the address is a Device Id or a Group Id.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

defining control behavior for each network component prior to teaching each network component its address within the network system.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising using an I/C device in a master/slave communications session over the short-range wireless communications protocol:

teaching at least one adaptor a Group Id.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising using an I/C device in a master/slave communications session over the short-range wireless communications protocol:

teaching each adaptor scheduled behavior.

17. A method for operating a network system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of network components, the network components comprising at least one switch and at least one adaptor, each adaptor communicatively coupled to a target device;

broadcasting, from a switch via a short-range wireless communications protocol, a control signal addressed to at least one adaptor; and

implementing the control signal with the at least one adaptor to which the control signal was addressed.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing at least one initialization/control (“

I/C”

) device;

broadcasting, from an I/C device, a control signal addressed to at least one adaptor; and

implementing the control signal with the at least one adaptor to which the control signal was addressed.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the control signal at network components within range of the switch; and

rebroadcasting the control signal until each network component of the network system has received the control signal.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a bridge device having a network interface to a remote server via an outside network; and

receiving at the bridge device, from the remote server, a control signal addressed to at least one adaptor.