Wireless networked device installation

• US 7,085,292 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Grayson, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/124,426
• Time in Patent Office: 2,925 Days
• Field of Search: 370/255, 370/310, 370/312, 370/328, 370/329, 370/340, 370/341, 370/475, 340/825.52, 455/414, 455/415
• US Class Current: 370/475
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update

Abstract

A wireless communications system, together with devices to be clustered to make up such a system. The system operates a one-button initiated installation procedure whereby a device not previously installed will determine whether it is within transmission range of a device cluster in installation mode. If so, the device adopts the cluster address and goes through a routine of selecting a device address unique within the cluster. If there is no existing cluster in installation mode, the device selects a network address different to any other within transmission range, as well as a device address. The same one-button procedure places an installed device in a mode to initiate a new device to a cluster. Through a periodic enrolment procedure, performed by each device in a cluster, all devices are enabled to maintain their own list of required functionalities in other devices and to address them directly, thereby removing any requirement for one of the devices to act as a base station.

Claims

1. A device for use as a station in a wireless communications system comprised of a cluster of such devices operating according to a predetermined communications protocol, the device comprising control means coupled with an address data store and a transceiver, the control means being operable to transmit and receive data and control messages via said transceiver and to effect an installation procedure whereby each device of a cluster obtains a different device address;

wherein the control means is arranged, on receipt of a command to effect an installation procedure;

a) to generate and broadcast a first message requesting a network address, to store a network address if received in reply, else to generate a network address;

b) if a network address is received at step a) to generate a device address and broadcast said device address in combination with said network address, to repeat the step of device address generation and transmission if a response is received, else to store said device address;

c) if a network address is generated at step a), to broadcast the generated network address, to repeat the step of network address generation and transmission if a response is received, else to store said network address then to generate and store a device address.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means is arranged to store an indication that the device has been installed and, if a further command to effect the installation procedure is received, to transmit the network address in response to a received message requesting a network address.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a random number generator coupled with the control means, wherein the generated device address comprises a generated random number.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network address, if generated, comprises a generated random number.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, said device having a user operable push button control, operation of which generates said command to effect the installation procedure.

6. A wireless communications system comprising a cluster of devices according to claim 2, installed as a network, wherein all inter-device messages contain the originating device and network addresses.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the devices installed in a networked cluster maintains an at least partial list of the installed device addresses of the cluster.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein each installed device of a networked cluster is configured to periodically broadcast its network and device addresses and those devices of the networked cluster maintaining an at least partial list are configured to delete those device addresses from the list for which a broadcast device address has not been received for a predetermined period.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each device of a networked cluster is configured to periodically broadcast, with its device address, data defining functional capabilities of that device.

10. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one device of the networked cluster is configured to detect when two further devices of that cluster have a common device address and to transmit a signal to each such device, the receipt of which causes each receiving device to re-execute step b) of the installation procedure.

11. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the wireless communication between devices of a networked cluster is by radio frequency link.