CONNECTED DEVICE SYSTEM

• US 20180124902A1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: THIJSSEN, PAULUS THOMAS ARNOLDUS
• Granted Patent: US 10,517,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1301 Optical transmission, optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

The present invention provides a connected device system, comprising a master network device (2) and a device (5) to be integrated into the connected device system (1). The connected device system is adapted to connect the master network device and the device via a wireless network (4). When being added to the wireless network, the device announces itself in the wireless network and provides an upgrade server in the wireless net- work. The upgrade server makes available for retrieval a digital asset indicative of a characteristic of the device. The master network device detects the device in the wireless network based on the announcement, searches for the upgrade server of the device in the wireless network in response to the detection of the device, and retrieves the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device. This leads to an improved way of integrating the device into the connected device system.

Claims

1. A connected device system, comprising:

a master network device and a device to be integrated into the connected device system, wherein the connected device system is adapted to connect the master network device and the device via a wireless network,

wherein the device is adapted, when being added to the wireless network, to announce itself in the wireless network and to provide an upgrade server in the wireless network, wherein the upgrade server makes available for retrieval a digital asset indicative of a characteristic of the device, and

wherein the master network device is adapted to detect the device in the wireless network based on the announcement, to search for the upgrade server of the device in the wireless network in response to the detection of the device, and to retrieve the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device.

2. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the master network device is adapted to provide an upgrade server in the wireless network and to stop providing the upgrade server in the wireless network in response to the detection of the device.

3. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to stop providing the upgrade server in the wireless network after the retrieval of the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device has been completed and/or after a predetermined delay time.

4. The connected device system as defined in claim 2, wherein the master network device is adapted to transmit a completion information indicative of the completion of the retrieval of the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device, wherein the device is adapted to perform the stopping in response to the reception of the completion information.

5. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the master network device is adapted, if a further device to be integrated into the connected device system has been detected, to search for the upgrade server of the further device to be integrated into the connected device system after the retrieval of the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device has been completed.

6. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the master network device is adapted, if no further device to be integrated into the connected device system has been detected, to provide an upgrade server in the wireless network after the retrieval of the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device has been completed.

7. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the master network device is adapted to provide an upgrade server in the wireless network, wherein the device is adapted to search for the upgrade server of the master network device in the wireless network, wherein the search is only started after a predetermined delay time.

8. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the digital asset comprises one or more of an information indicative of a type and/or variant of the device and an information indicative of the identity and/or configuration of the device.

9. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the master network device is adapted to locally store the contents of the digital asset and to associate them with the device.

10. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a mobile device that is adapted to connect to the master network device and to execute a program for wirelessly controlling the device via the master network device,

wherein the master network device is adapted to make the contents of the digital asset available to the mobile device.

11. The connected device system as defined in claim 1, wherein the connected device system is a connected lighting system.

12. A master network device for being used in a connected device system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the master network device is adapted to detect the device in the wireless network based on the announcement, to search for the upgrade server of the device in the wireless network in response to the detection of the device, and to retrieve the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device.

13. A device for being used in a connected device system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the device is adapted, when being added to the wireless network, to announce itself in the wireless network and to provide the upgrade server in the wireless network, wherein the upgrade server makes available for retrieval a digital asset indicative of a characteristic of the device.

14. An integration method for integrating a device into a connected device system comprising a master network device and the device to be integrated into the connected device system, wherein the connected device system is adapted to connect the master network device and the device via a wireless network, wherein the method comprises:

the device, when being added to the wireless network, announcing itself in the wireless network and providing an upgrade server in the wireless network, wherein the upgrade server makes available for retrieval a digital asset indicative of a characteristic of the device, and

the master network device detecting the device in the wireless network based on the announcement, searching for the upgrade server of the device in the wireless network in response to the detection of the device, and retrieving the digital asset from the upgrade server of the device.

15. A computer program for controlling a connected device system, wherein the computer program comprises program code means for causing the connected device system to carry out the integration method as defined in claim 14, when the computer program is run on the connected device system.