Method and system for automated distributed pairing of wireless nodes of a communication network

• US 7,400,594 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Pereira, Luis R., Gutierrez, Jose A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US11/120,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 455/414.4, 707/104.1, 713/171
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

A system for pairing wireless nodes includes a plurality of device nodes, such as lamp nodes, a plurality of sensor nodes, such as light switch nodes, and a context manager node. Each of the device nodes, the sensor nodes and the context manager node includes a first communication channel having radio frequency signals and a diverse second communication channel including wireless non-radio frequency signals. Some of the device nodes and the sensor nodes are adapted to collect context information of a corresponding communication environment and to transfer the collected context information to the context manager node. The context manager node is adapted to employ the collected context information and enable automated distributed pairing of a first node of the device nodes and sensor nodes with another second node of the device nodes and sensor nodes.

Claims

1. A method for pairing wireless nodes of a communication network, said method comprising:

employing a plurality of network devices;

employing a context manager node;

for each of said network devices and said context manager node, employing a first communication channel including radio frequency signals and a diverse second communication channel including wireless non-radio frequency signals;

at some of said network devices, collecting context information of a corresponding communication environment and transferring said collected context information to said context manager node;

at said context manager node, employing said collected context information and enabling automated distributed pairing of a first node of said network devices with another second node of said network devices;

adding said first node as a new node of said network devices;

authenticating said new node by said context manager node before pairing said new node with said another second node;

activating said new node;

sending a parameter from said new node to said context manager node over said first communication channel in order to request a key;

detecting said new node at said some of said network devices and reporting the detected new node to said context manager node by said some of said network devices;

determining some of said some of said network devices at said context manager node;

instructing said some of said some of said network devices to send the key which is encrypted by said parameter to said new node over said diverse second communication channel;

receiving and decrypting the key at said new node; and

employing said decrypted key at said new node to join said communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing as said parameter a uniquely identified ticket to validate said receiving and decrypting the key at said new node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing one of a radio frequency broadcast or a series of multi-hop radio frequency unicasts to send said parameter from said new node.

4. A method for pairing wireless nodes of a communication network, said method comprising:

employing a plurality of network devices;

employing a context manager node;

for each of said network devices and said context manager node, employing a first communication channel including radio frequency signals and a diverse second communication channel including wireless non-radio frequency signals;

at some of said network devices, collecting context information of a corresponding communication environment and transferring said collected context information to said context manager node;

at said context manager node, employing said collected context information and enabling automated distributed pairing of a first node of said network devices with another second node of said network devices;

adding said first node as a new node of said network devices;

authenticating said new node by said context manager node before pairing said new node with said another second node;

sending a device type from said new node to said context manager node;

selecting a plurality of candidate nodes from said network devices at said context manager node;

instructing each of the candidate nodes to send location information to said new node over said diverse second communication channel;

receiving said location information at said new node from some of said candidate nodes;

determining context information of said some of said candidate nodes;

reporting said determined context information to said context manager node;

determining at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said new node at said context manager node; and

instructing said at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said new node.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising

determining signal strength at said new node of the wireless non-radio frequency signals of said diverse second communication channel for said received location information from said some of said candidate nodes;

and

determining said context information at said new node from said determined signal strength.

6. A method for pairing wireless nodes of a communication network, said method comprising:

employing a plurality of network devices;

employing a context manager node;

for each of said network devices and said context manager node, employing a first communication channel including radio frequency signals and a diverse second communication channel including wireless non-radio frequency signals;

at some of said network devices, collecting context information of a corresponding communication environment and transferring said collected context information to said context manager node;

at said context manager node, employing said collected context information and enabling automated distributed pairing of a first node of said network devices with another second node of said network devices;

replacing an old node of said network devices with a replacement node;

authenticating said replacement node before pairing said replacement node with another node of said network devices;

sending a device type from said replacement node to said context manager node;

selecting a plurality of candidate nodes from said network devices at said context manager node;

instructing each of the candidate nodes to send location information to said replacement node over said diverse second communication channel;

receiving said location information at said replacement node from some of said candidate nodes;

determining context information of said some of said candidate nodes;

reporting said determined context information to said context manager node;

determining at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said replacement node at said context manager node; and

instructing said at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said replacement node.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising

employing said old node at a first location;

and

placing the replacement node at a second location which is the same as or similar to the first location.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising

verifying if a replacement of said old node is taking place before instructing said at least one of said some of said candidate nodes to be paired with said replacement node.