Wireless system commissioning and optimization

• US 8,503,330 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daintree Networks Pty Ltd. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Daintree Networks Pty Ltd. (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Choong, Jason Yew Choo, Cobb, Peter Graeme
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold, Marsha D
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYLLIE, CHRISTOPHER T
• Application Number:
  US12/718,204
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for commissioning and optimizing a wireless network. In one aspect, a method includes a wireless network configuration and optimization engine receives configuration data for a wireless network and monitors performance of the wireless network. The engine processes the data to perform on or more automated commissioning operations, and one or more automated optimization operations, thus simplifying commissioning and maintenance of the wireless network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving commissioning data for a wireless network, the commissioning data including;

a device list specifying a plurality of wireless devices to join or that have joined the wireless network;

zone configuration data specifying a plurality of zones in the wireless network and further specifying, for each zone, one or more devices of the plurality of wireless devices that belong to the zone; and

receiving physical environment data defining a plurality of physical deployment areas in which the plurality of wireless devices are deployed;

receiving configuration preferences for the wireless network and the physical environment data;

automatically generating consolidated zone configuration data from the commissioning data, the physical environment data, and the configuration preferences, the consolidated zone configuration data specifying a plurality of consolidated zones in the wireless network, each of the consolidated zones;

corresponding to one of the physical deployment areas;

specifying respective one or more wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zone; and

commissioning the wireless network according to the consolidated zone configuration data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the physical environmental data define a physical deployment area hierarchy that includes physical deployment area parent nodes and physical deployment area child nodes, each of which represent one of the physical deployment areas; and

the plurality of consolidated zones define a zone hierarchy, the zone hierarchy including parent area zone nodes and child area zone nodes, each of which represent at least one of the consolidated zones, and wherein each parent area zone node and child area zone node corresponds to one of the physical deployment area parent nodes or physical deployment area child nodes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the parent zone nodes or child zone nodes further specify only respective one or more wireless devices that are each to be commissioned with a common application functionality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the consolidated zone configuration data defines, for each consolidated zone, a unique zone name, and further comprising:

automatically generating wireless device labeled data for each wireless device, the wireless device labeled data for each wireless device including the unique zone name of the optimize zone to which the wireless device belongs.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving signal strength indication data specifying the received signal strengths of the plurality of wireless devices in wireless network;

generating location data from the received signal strength indication data, the location data specifying the locations at which the wireless devices are deployed;

comparing the location data to the consolidated zone configuration data;

identifying, from the comparison, in-zone deployed wireless devices that are determined to be deployed at locations within the physical deployment areas of the respective consolidated zones to which they belong; and

identifying, from the comparison, out-of-zone deployed wireless devices that are determined to be deployed at locations not within the physical deployment areas of the respective consolidated zones to which they belong.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the commissioning data includes configuration data for each of the plurality wireless devices, the configuration data specifying, for each of the wireless devices, a current configuration of the wireless device, and further comprising:

determining if each of the wireless devices is properly configured; and

in response to determining a wireless device is not properly configured, identifying the wireless devices as an incompletely configured wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining if each of the wireless devices is properly configured comprises determining, for each wireless device, whether the wireless device belongs to a consolidated zone, and determining that the wireless device is not properly configured if the wireless device does not belong to a consolidated zone.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining if each of the wireless devices is properly configured comprises determining, for each wireless device, whether the wireless device has an associated binding for sending data, and determining that the wireless device is not properly configured if the wireless device does not have the associated binding for sending data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the commission data includes configuration data for each of the plurality wireless devices, the configuration data specifying, for each of the wireless devices, a current configuration of the wireless device, and further comprising:

for each consolidated zone, determining if each of the wireless devices belonging to the consolidated zone are properly configured; and

in response to determining that one or more of the wireless devices belonging to the consolidated zone is not properly configured, identifying the consolidated zone as an incompletely configured consolidated zone.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in a data store, for each wireless device, wireless device settings data, the wireless device settings data specifying the consolidated zone to which the wireless device belongs, and configuration data specifying a current configuration of the wireless device;

identifying a replacement wireless device for a first wireless device that currently belongs to a consolidated zone; and

automatically configuring the replacement wireless device with the wireless device settings data of the first wireless device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising segmenting the wireless network, the segmenting comprising:

identifying wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zones and that can establish at least a minimum quality data communication with a threshold number of router wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zones; and

segmenting the identified wireless devices into a wireless network segment.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a re-segmentation event in the wireless network has occurred; and

automatically re-segmenting the wireless network in response to the determination that the re-segmentation event occurred in the wireless network;

wherein determining that a re-segmentation event in the wireless network has occurred comprises determining that one or more of the following conditions have occurred;

a traffic level for a router wireless device exceeds a maximum traffic level threshold;

a number of hops between two wireless devices in the wireless network segment exceeds a maximum hop threshold; and

a wireless device cannot establish at least a minimum quality data communication with the threshold number of router wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zones in the wireless segment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each consolidated zone further represents a logical grouping of wireless devices that facilitates control the devices as a single entity.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless devices belonging to an consolidated zone are associated with a unicast address that is unique for the consolidated zone.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless devices belonging to an consolidated zone are associated with a unicast address that is not unique for the consolidated zone.

16. A system, comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by the data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving commissioning data for a wireless network, the commissioning data including;

a device list specifying a plurality of wireless devices to join or that have joined the wireless network;

zone configuration data specifying a plurality of zones in the wireless network and further specifying, for each zone, one or more devices of the plurality of wireless devices that belong to the zone; and

receiving physical environment data defining a plurality of physical deployment areas in which the plurality of wireless devices are deployed;

receiving configuration preferences for the wireless network and the physical environment data;

automatically generating consolidated zone configuration data from the commissioning data, the physical environment data, and the configuration preferences, the consolidated zone configuration data specifying a plurality of consolidated zones in the wireless network, each of the consolidated zones;

corresponding to one of the physical deployment areas;

specifying respective one or more wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zone; and

commissioning the wireless network according to the consolidated zone configuration data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the physical environmental data define a physical deployment area hierarchy that includes physical deployment area parent nodes and physical deployment area child nodes, each of which represent one of the physical deployment areas; and

the plurality of consolidated zones define a zone hierarchy, the zone hierarchy including parent area zone nodes and child area zone nodes, each of which represent one of the consolidated zones, and wherein each parent area zone node and child area zone node corresponds to one of the physical deployment area parent nodes or physical deployment area child nodes.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the parent zone nodes or child zone nodes further specify only respective one or more wireless devices that are each to be commissioned with a common application functionality.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the consolidated zone configuration data defines, for each consolidated zone, a unique zone name, and the program instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

automatically generating wireless device labeled data for each wireless device, the wireless device labeled data for each wireless device including the unique zone name of the optimize zone to which the wireless device belongs.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving signal strength indication data specifying the received signal strengths of the plurality of wireless devices in wireless network;

generating location data from the received signal strength indication data, the location data specifying the locations at which the wireless devices are deployed;

comparing the location data to the consolidated zone configuration data;

identifying, from the comparison, in-zone deployed wireless devices that are determined to be deployed at locations within the physical deployment areas of the respective consolidated zones to which they belong; and

identifying, from the comparison, out-of-zone deployed wireless devices that are determined to be deployed at locations not within the physical deployment areas of the respective consolidated zones to which they belong.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the commissioning data includes configuration data for each of the plurality wireless devices, the configuration data specifying, for each of the wireless devices, a current configuration of the wireless device, and the program instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining if each of the wireless devices is properly configured; and

in response to determining a wireless device is not properly configured, identifying the wireless devices as an incompletely configured wireless device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein determining if each of the wireless devices is properly configured comprises determining, for each wireless device, whether the wireless device belongs to a consolidated zone, and determining that the wireless device is not properly configured if the wireless device does not belong to a consolidated zone.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein determining if each of the wireless devices is properly configured comprises determining, for each wireless device, whether the wireless device has an associated binding for sending data, and determining that the wireless device is not properly configured if the wireless device does not have the associated binding for sending data.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the commission data includes configuration data for each of the plurality wireless devices, the configuration data specifying, for each of the wireless devices, a current configuration of the wireless device, and the program instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

for each consolidated zone, determining if each of the wireless devices belonging to the consolidated zone are properly configured; and

in response to determining that one or more of the wireless devices belonging to the consolidated zone is not properly configured, identifying the consolidated zone as an incompletely configured consolidated zone.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

storing in a data store, for each wireless device, wireless device settings data, the wireless device settings data specifying the consolidated zone to which the wireless device belongs, and configuration data specifying a current configuration of the wireless device;

identifying a replacement wireless device for a first wireless device that currently belongs to a consolidated zone; and

automatically configuring the replacement wireless device with the wireless device settings data of the first wireless device.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising segmenting the wireless network by:

identifying a set of candidate consolidated zones;

identifying wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zones in the set of candidate consolidated zones that can establish at least a minimum quality data communication with a threshold number of router wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zones in the set of candidate consolidated zones;

segmenting the identified wireless devices into a wireless network segment.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein segmenting the wireless network comprises:

determining that a re-segmentation event in the wireless network has occurred; and

automatically re-segmenting the wireless network in response to the determination that the re-segmentation event occurred in the wireless network;

wherein determining that a re-segmentation event in the wireless network has occurred comprises determining that one or more of the following conditions have occurred;

a traffic level for a router wireless device exceeds a maximum traffic level threshold;

a number of hops between two wireless devices in the wireless network segment exceeds a maximum hop threshold; and

a wireless device cannot establish at least a minimum quality data communication with the threshold number of router wireless devices that belong to the consolidated zones in the wireless segment.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein each consolidated zone further represents a logical grouping of wireless devices that facilitates control the devices as a single entity.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless devices belonging to an consolidated zone are associated with a unicast address that is unique for the consolidated zone.