Binding wireless devices in a building automation system

• US 8,023,440 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Glaser, William, Nass, Geoffrey D
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US11/590,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20080125057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/343, 455/352, 455/132, 455/140, 455/73, 455/41.2, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/517, 340/3.5, 340/3.52
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/618 Details of network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

Wireless transceivers connect with or in building automation components. The components are bound. Since the transceivers control the access media, the transceivers are likewise bound. The transceiver associated with a component queries the component for the component address. When a request from a controller addressed to the component is received, the transceiver for the component may recognize the component address. In response, the transceiver records the controller transceiver address in the request and transmits a response with the component transceiver address. Other features may assist in binding. For example, the controller transceiver distinguishes between components connected by wire from wireless. Only communications for wireless connections are transmitted. For example, if a binding is not used for an amount of time, the binding is removed. For example, a random or set order is used to avoid or minimize overlapping traffic for the responses for a binding list.

Claims

1. A method for binding wireless devices in building automation control, the method comprising:

querying a building automation component for a first address with a wireless transceiver having a second address, the wireless transceiver being connected to the building automation component via a wired communication connection and wherein the wireless transceiver queries the building automation component for the first address via the wired communication connection;

transmitting at least the second address wirelessly to a controller having a third address as a function of the querying;

assigning the third address of the controller to the wireless transceiver as a function of the querying;

maintaining data differentiating wireless and wired communications between the controller and a plurality of building automation components including the building automation component; and

wirelessly transmitting communications associated with wireless communications and not wirelessly transmitting communications associated with wired communications.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning comprises assigning by the wireless transceiver;

and

further comprising;

assigning, by the controller, the second address to a communications path between the controller and the building automation component having the first address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein querying is performed in response to a wireless broadcast of the first address, and wherein transmitting and assigning are performed where the building automation component has an address matching the first address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein querying is performed in response to a wireless broadcast of the first address and a plurality of other building automation component addresses, and wherein transmitting and assigning are performed where the building automation component has an address matching the first address.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting as a function of an at least partially random delay, a received time assignment, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein querying comprises querying prior to receiving a binding request from the controller.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a response to the querying corresponding to no address for the building automation component; and

assigning the first address or a fourth address to the building automation component.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tracking usage of a binding associated with the second address; and

unbinding for lack of usage.

9. A building automation system for binding of components, the system comprising:

a first wireless transceiver having a first address;

a second wireless transceiver having a second address;

a building automation component having a third address, the first wireless transceiver connected with the building automation component for routing wireless communications to the building automation component, wherein the first wireless transceiver is operable to request the third address from the building automation component and wherein the first wireless transceiver is operable to bind to the second address as a function of the a query from the second wireless transceiver;

wherein the building automation component has a wired connection with the first wireless transceiver, and the second wireless transceiver has a wired connection with a controller having a fourth address, the fourth address bound to the third address;

wherein the second wireless transceiver is operable to maintain data differentiating wireless and wired communications between a controller and a plurality of building automation components including the building automation component, and is operable to wirelessly transmit communications associated with wireless communications and not wirelessly transmit communications associated with wired communications.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the second wireless transceiver is operable to wirelessly broadcast data including the third address, and wherein the first wireless transceiver is operable to bind as a function of the data where the third address matches the data.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the second wireless transceiver is operable to wirelessly broadcast a list of addresses including the third address, and wherein the first wireless transceiver is operable to bind where the list includes the third address.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first wireless transceiver is operable to transmit a response to the broadcast list, the response including the first address and being with an at least partially random delay, a received time assignment, or combinations thereof.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the first wireless transceiver, second wireless transceiver or both are operable to track usage of a binding associating the first and second addresses and unbind for lack of usage.

14. In a computer readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for binding in a wireless building automation system, the non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions for:

receiving a wireless broadcast message with a first address requesting a building automation component associated with a second address;

requesting a building automation component address from a connected building automation component;

transmitting a third address for wireless communications binding if the building automation component address is the same as the second address;

assigning the first address for wireless communications associated with the building automation component;

maintaining data differentiating wireless and wired communications between the controller and a plurality of building automation components including the building automation component; and

wirelessly transmitting communications associated with wireless communications and not wirelessly transmitting communications associated with wired communications.

15. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 14 wherein assigning the first address comprises assigning a wireless transceiver of a controller, the wireless transceiver of the controller having the first address;

further comprising instructions for;

assigning, at the wireless transceiver of the controller, the third address for wireless communications with the building automation component.

16. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 14 wherein receiving comprises receiving a list of addresses, wherein transmitting and assigning are performed where the list includes the second address, and wherein transmitting comprises transmitting a response to the list, the response including the third address and being with an at least partially random delay, a received time assignment, or combinations thereof.

17. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 14 further comprising tracking usage of a binding associating the first and third addresses and unbind for lack of usage.

18. A method for binding wireless devices in building automation control, the method comprising:

connecting a wireless transceiver with a controller;

communicating, by the controller, with at least a first building automation component using a wired connection;

communicating, by the controller, with at least a second building automation component using the wireless transceiver;

outputting, to the wireless transceiver, data for both the at least first and second building automation components from the controller;

avoiding wireless communications from the wireless transceiver of the output data for the at least first building automation component; and

allowing the communicating with the at least second building automation component;

maintaining data differentiating wireless and wired communications between the controller and a plurality of building automation components including the building automation component; and

wirelessly transmitting communications associated with wireless communications and not wirelessly transmitting communications associated with wired communications.