Method for constituting a home automation network

• US 7,102,502 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somfy Activites SA (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Autret, Capucine
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/497,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A method of constituting a home automation network comprises bidirectional elements such as actuators (A1, A2, A3), at least unidirectional control elements (C1, C2, C3, S1) and bidirectional control elements (C60, C70, C800). It consists in lastingly functionally linking up at least two elements. The process is characterized in that the lasting functional linkup brings about at least one transfer from a bidirectional element to another bidirectional element of at least one information creating a hierarchical relationship between these two elements.

Claims

1. A method of constituting a home automation network, comprising bidirectional elements such as actuators, control elements which are at least unidirectional, bidirectional control elements, which include in lastingly functionally linking up at least two elements, wherein said lastingly functionally linking up of said at least two elements brings about at least one transfer from a bidirectional element to another bidirectional element of at least one information creating a hierarchical relationship between said two elements.

2. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information creating a hierarchical relationship between said two elements includes a group name.

3. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 2, wherein a transmission of the group name is coded according to an encryption algorithm.

4. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information creating a hierarchical relationship between said two elements comprises an identity of the links already established with the element sending the information.

5. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lasting functional linkup between two bidirectional elements is achieved under the supervision of a third element which is itself previously authenticated at one of the elements during a learning operation.

6. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional linking up of a bidirectional control element with a bidirectional element is performed under the supervision of an at least unidirectional control element.

7. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional linking up of an at least unidirectional control element with a bidirectional element is performed under the supervision of a bidirectional control element.

8. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional linking up of two bidirectional control elements of the same hierarchical level is ensured by the linking up of each of the bidirectional control elements with a control element of higher hierarchical level.

9. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional linking up of two bidirectional elements is ensured by the successive functional linking up of each of the bidirectional elements with one and the same bidirectional control element.

10. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during a functional linking up of a bidirectional control element with another element, said another element communicates to said bidirectional control element a set of identifiers relating to the elements with which it is already linked up.

11. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during a functional linking up between two control elements of different hierarchical level, the transmission of information regarding preestablished relationships takes place from an element of a lower level to an element of a higher level.

12. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed claim 2, wherein, during a functional linking up of a bidirectional control element with another element, there is exchanged a group name becoming common to all the elements of lower level linked up with said bidirectional control element.

13. The method of constituting a home automation network, as claimed in claim 12, wherein in that the transmission of a group name is coded according to an encryption algorithm.