Method for matching bidirectional objects

• US 7,639,115 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somfy Activites SA (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Valoteau, Francis, Autret, Capucine, Maistre, Valerie
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III; Edwin C
• Application Number:
  US10/503,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,517 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825, 340/3.1, 340/3.7, 340/3.71, 340/10.1, 340/825.22, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 341/176, 348/107, 348/734, 398/107, 398/108
• US Class Current: 340/3.71
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 25/02 by signalling back receiving station to transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

A method for pairing a bidirectional object acting as a command receiver with a bidirectional object acting as a command transmitter, includes the stages of: (a) temporary allocation of at least one bidirectional object acting as a command receiver to a bidirectional object acting as a command transmitter; (b) selection of a bidirectional object acting as a command receiver from among the temporarily assigned objects; and (c) pairing of the selected object.

Claims

1. A method for pairing a bidirectional object acting as a command receiver with a bidirectional object acting as a command transmitter, the command receiver having three distinct states:

a first state in which the command receiver is not paired, a second state in which the command receiver is allocated temporarily to a command transmitter, and a third state in which the command receiver is paired to a command transmitter, the method comprising the following stages;

(a) temporarily allocating a plurality of command receivers to a command transmitter, the temporary allocation moving the command receivers from the first state to the second state and rendering the command receiver responsive to only commands from the command transmitter to which it is allocated;

then

(b) selecting a command receiver from among the plurality of temporarily allocated objects by;

(b1) the command transmitter sending a response request command to one of the temporarily allocated objects;

(b2) the response request command recipient responding by sending a signal that allows a user to visually or audibly identify the response request command recipient;

(b3) if the user determines that the response request command recipient is not a desired object for pairing, repeating the stage of sending a response request command, but to another of the temporarily allocated objects; and

(b4) if the user determines that the response request command recipient is the desired object for pairing, proceeding to step (c);

(c) sending a pairing command from the command transmitter to the command receiver,

(c1) the command receiver moving from the second state to the third state upon receipt of the pairing command; and

(c2) the command receiver being non-responsive to initiator events while in the third state, and then

(d) releasing the temporarily allocated objects distinct from the paired object, the non-selected command receivers going from the second state to the first state.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including an iteration of the selection (b) and pairing stages (c).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temporary allocation stage comprises:

(a1) in response to an initiator event, sending by at least one bidirectional object acting as a command receiver of its identifier;

(a2) sending by a bidirectional object acting as a command transmitter of its identifier;

(a3) storage by a bidirectional object acting as a command receiver of the identifier of the bidirectional object acting as a command transmitter; and

(a4) storage by the bidirectional object acting as the command transmitter of the identifier of each bidirectional object acting as a command receiver.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the stage (a1) comprises sending with the identifier a time reference dependent at the instant of the initiator event.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the stage (a4) comprises storage of the identifiers of the bidirectional objects acting as command receivers having identical or similar time references.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the release stage (d) comprises releasing the temporarily allocated objects distinct from the paired object, in the absence of receiving a command during a set period.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the release stage (d) comprises the release of a temporarily allocated object on receiving a pairing command addressed to another temporarily allocated object.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the release stage(d) comprises the sending by the object acting as command transmitter of a release command.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pairing stage comprises the pairing to the selected object of the bidirectional object to which the selected object was allocated.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pairing stage comprises the pairing to the selected object of a different bidirectional object to the bidirectional object to which the selected object was allocated.

11. A method of operating a bidirectional object acting as a command receiver having three distinct states:

a first state in which the command receiver is not paired, a second state in which the command receiver is allocated temporarily to a bidirectional object acting as a command transmitter, and a third state in which the command receiver is paired to a command transmitter, the method comprising;

(a) temporarily allocating the command receiver to the command transmitter, the temporary allocation causing the command receiver to move from the first state to the second state, the command receiver obeying any command received from the command transmitter to which it is allocated and only responding to the command transmitter to which it is allocated while it is in the second state;

(b) transmitting a response request command from the command transmitter;

(c) responding to the response request command sent by the command transmitter with a visual or audible signal that allows a user to identify the command receiver that received the response request command; and

(d) receiving an instruction from the user after the sending of the visual or audible signal;

(e) sending a pairing command from the command transmitter to be paired, to the command receiver that responded to the response request command;

(f) changing the command receiver from the second state to the third state, the command receiver being non-responsive to an initiator event while it is in the third state.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the temporary allocation stage comprises:

(a1) in response to an initiator event, sending an identifier;

(a2) receipt of an identifier; and

(a3) storage of a received identifier.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sending stage comprises sending with the identifier a time reference dependent on the instant of the initiator event.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the release stage comprises release on receipt of a pairing command addressed to another object.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the release stage comprises release on receipt of a release command.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pairing stage comprises pairing to the said bidirectional object acting as the command transmitter.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pairing stage comprises pairing to a bidirectional object other than said object acting as the command transmitter.

18. The method of claim 11, including a bidirectional object, the object having:

a reception stage;

a transmission stage; and

a logic unit controlling the reception stage and the transmission stage.

19. A method for operating a bidirectional object acting as a command transmitter comprises the following stages:

(a) receipt and storage of the identifier of at least one bidirectional object acting as a command receiver having three distinct states, wherein in the first state the command receiver is not paired, in the second state the command receiver is allocated temporarily to the command transmitter and in the third state the command receiver is paired to a command transmitter;

(b) sending a temporary allocation command to one of the objects whose identifier has been stored, said temporary allocation command prohibiting the command receiver from responding to other command transmitters and ensuring that the command receiver obeys any command received from the command transmitter to which it is allocated;

(c) sending a response request command to one of the objects whose identifier has been stored, said object responding to the response request command with a visual or audible signal that allows the user to identify the command receiver; and

(d) depending on an instruction from the user based on the visual or audible signal, sending a pairing command to said object by sending a pairing command using the command transmitter to be paired, said pairing command prohibiting said object from responding to an initiator event.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein stages (c) and (d) are repeated.

21. The method according to claim 19, further including a sending stage (e) of a command releasing objects whose identifiers have been stored and separate from a paired object to which the pairing request command has been sent.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the sending stage (e) comprises sending a release command.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the reception stage comprises the comparison of received time references with said identifiers and storage of identifiers having the same or similar time references.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the sending stage (c) comprises:

(c1) sending a response request command to one of the objects whose identifier has been stored;

(c2) sending a response request command to another of the objects whose identifier has been stored;

and in that stage (d) comprises sending a pairing command to the object to which the previous response request command was addressed.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein in the stage (d), the pairing command includes the identifier of another object.

26. The method of claim 19, including a bidirectional object, the object having:

a reception stage;

a transmission stage; and

a logic unit controlling the reception stage and the transmission stage.