Remote commissioning of an array of networked devices
First Claim
1. A method for identifying a particular one network lighting device from a network including a plurality of network lighting devices, each network lighting device including a unique associated network ID used in addressing the network lighting device over the network, comprising:
- a) exchanging wirelessly a plurality of disambiguation data between a portable configurator and a set of network lighting devices from the plurality of network lighting devices in communication range of said portable configurator, said set of network lighting devices including the particular one network lighting device; and
b) determining automatically using said portable configurator a map of said set of network lighting devices, said map identifying, for each particular network lighting device of said set of network lighting devices, both (i) a distance between said particular network lighting device and said portable configurator and (ii) said unique associated network ID with said particular network lighting device;
wherein said exchanging step a) includes transmitting said plurality of disambiguation data using wireless radiofrequency communications.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for identification of a particular one device from an array of networked devices. Each of the devices are individually addressable by a controller on the network, and a technician preferably identifies a particular one device by use of a handheld remote control. Pointing one of transmitter/receiver pair at a device including the complementary component allows remote disambiguation based upon ranging and signal strength, particularly when using a pair of orthogonal antennas to discriminate and confirm which particular device is being pointed to by the remote. Optional confirmation helps improve identification robustness, and then the properly identified device may be configured/commissioned.
20 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for identifying a particular one network lighting device from a network including a plurality of network lighting devices, each network lighting device including a unique associated network ID used in addressing the network lighting device over the network, comprising:
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a) exchanging wirelessly a plurality of disambiguation data between a portable configurator and a set of network lighting devices from the plurality of network lighting devices in communication range of said portable configurator, said set of network lighting devices including the particular one network lighting device; and b) determining automatically using said portable configurator a map of said set of network lighting devices, said map identifying, for each particular network lighting device of said set of network lighting devices, both (i) a distance between said particular network lighting device and said portable configurator and (ii) said unique associated network ID with said particular network lighting device; wherein said exchanging step a) includes transmitting said plurality of disambiguation data using wireless radiofrequency communications. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus, comprising:
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a network having a plurality of network lighting devices, each particular network lighting device including a processor, a memory storing program instructions executable by said processor, a network interface coupled to one or more other network interfaces of other network lighting devices, and a network ID, said stored network ID associated with said particular network lighting device and configured to uniquely address said particular network lighting device over said network, and each particular network lighting device further including a wireless radiofrequency communicator coupled to said processor; a network controller communicated to said plurality of network lighting devices using said network, said network controller issuing a command to a particular one network lighting device using said network ID associated with said particular one network lighting device; and a portable configurator including a stored program processor, a memory storing non-transitory program instructions for said stored program processor, and a wireless radiofrequency configurator communication device in communication with said wireless radiofrequency communicators of a set of network lighting devices of said plurality of network lighting devices including said particular one network lighting device, each said network lighting device of said set of network lighting devices having a relative physical location with respect to said portable configurator, said portable configurator, responsive to execution of said non-transitory program instructions by said stored program processor, exchanges a first plurality of wireless radiofrequency disambiguation data with said set of network lighting devices and establishes a physical location map that associates each particular network lighting device of said set of network lighting devices with both (i) a relative physical location of said particular network lighting device and (ii) said associated network ID of said particular network lighting device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method for identifying a particular one network lighting device from a network including a plurality of network lighting devices, each network lighting device including a unique associated network ID used in addressing the network lighting device over the network, comprising:
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a) initiating a coarse identification process for the particular one network lighting device using a portable configurator that exchanges a first set of disambiguation data with a set of the plurality of network lighting devices, said set including the particular one network lighting device; and
thereafterb) processing automatically said first set of disambiguation data to create a map of said set of network lighting devices, said map identifying, for each particular network lighting device of said set of network lighting devices, both (i) a distance between said portable configurator and said particular network lighting device and (ii) said unique associated network ID of said particular network lighting device; wherein said first set of disambiguation data is exchanged using wireless radiofrequency communications. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for identifying a particular one addressable network device from a network including a plurality of addressable network devices, each addressable network device including a unique associated network ID used in addressing the addressable network device over the network, comprising:
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a) exchanging wirelessly a plurality of disambiguation data between a portable configurator and a set of addressable network devices from the plurality of addressable network devices in communication range of said portable configurator, said set of addressable network devices including the particular one addressable network device; and b) determining automatically using said portable configurator a map of said set of addressable network devices, said map identifying, for each particular addressable network device of said set of addressable network devices, both (i) a distance between said portable configurator and said particular addressable network device and (ii) said unique associated network ID of said particular addressable network device; wherein said exchanging step a) includes transmitting said plurality of disambiguation data using wireless radiofrequency communications. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus, comprising:
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a network having a plurality of addressable network devices, each particular addressable network device including a processor, a memory storing program instructions executable by said processor, a network interface coupled to one or more other network interfaces of other addressable network devices, and a network ID, said stored network ID associated with said particular addressable network device and configured to uniquely address said particular addressable network device over said network, and each particular addressable network device further including a wireless radiofrequency communicator coupled to said processor; a network controller communicated to said plurality of addressable network devices using said network, said network controller issuing a command to a particular one addressable network device using said network ID associated with said particular one addressable network device; and a portable configurator including a stored program processor, a memory storing non-transitory program instructions for said stored program processor, and a wireless radiofrequency configurator communication device in communication with said wireless radiofrequency communicators of a set of addressable network devices of said plurality of addressable network devices including said particular one addressable network device, each said addressable network device of said set of addressable network devices having a relative physical location with respect to said portable configurator, said portable configurator, responsive to execution of said non-transitory program instructions by said stored program processor, exchanges a first plurality of wireless radiofrequency disambiguation data with said set of addressable network devices and establishes a physical location map that associates each particular addressable network device of said set of addressable network devices with both (i) a relative physical location and (ii) said associated network ID of said particular addressable network device. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A portable configurator operable to provision a particular one network device from a network including a plurality of network devices, each network device including a unique associated network ID used in addressing the network device over the network, comprising:
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a housing supporting a main antenna, a secondary antenna, a controller, and an input/output (I/O) system, said controller including a microprocessor and a memory storing a set of microprocessor-executable instructions, said set of microprocessor-executable instructions controlling said antennae with an identification and commissioning method, said identification and commissioning method comprising the steps of; a) initiating a coarse identification process relative to the particular one network device by exchanging a first set of disambiguation data with a set of the plurality of network devices using a disambiguating radiofrequency transmission from each of said antennae, said set of the plurality of network devices including the particular one network lighting device; and
thereafterb) processing automatically said first set of disambiguation data to create a map of said set of network devices, said map identifying, for each particular network device of said set of network lighting devices, both (i) a distance from said antennae to said particular network device and (ii) said unique associated network ID of said particular network device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification