Methods for selecting and controlling devices

• US 9,578,722 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Yang, Daiqin, Feng, Lei, Chen, Zhigang
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/131,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices

Abstract

A method of selecting and controlling devices based on wireless communication technology. The wireless controller sends a probe message to one or more devices; each device receives the probe message, obtains information in respect of its relative position with respect to the wireless controller, determines a response time to respond according to a first predefined rule, based on its relative position information: detects response signals from other devices before expiration of the response time; decides whether to send or not to send its response signal according to a second predefined rule and the detecting procedure of response signals from other devices; the wireless controller receives response signals sent by the devices after the comparison of the relative position information of each device with respect to the wireless controller, and selects the target devices from the devices. Embodiments of the present invention reduce the complexity, delay and energy consumption of the selection for wireless devices, and are especially applicable for wireless lighting systems.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a given device and a wireless controller that performs a selection process, comprising the steps of:

i. receiving, at the given device, a probe message from the wireless controller, and obtaining, based on the probe message, relative position information of the given device with respect to the wireless controller;

ii. determining, at the given device, a response time to send a given device response signal to the message according to a first predefined rule based on the relative position information of the given device;

iii. receiving, at the wireless controller, a response signal from at least one other device, wherein the response signal from the at least one other device contains the relative position information of the at least one other device;

iv. detecting, at the given device, the response signal from the at least one other device before expiration of the response time; and

v. deciding, at the given device, whether to send or not to send the given device response signal by;

retrieving the relative position information contained in the at least one received response signal from the at least one other device;

comparing the relative position information of the at least one other device to the relative position information of the given device, wherein the given device response signal contains the relative position information of the given device; and

sending the given device response signal only if the at least one other device'"'"'s distance to the wireless controller is greater than the distance of the given device to the wireless controller.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first predefined rule comprises at least one of the following sub-rules:

the relative position information of the given device includes distance information, and the shorter or the longer the distance indicated by the distance information is, the smaller the response time is; and

the relative position information of the given device includes azimuth information describing the azimuth between the given device and the wireless controller, and the smaller or the bigger the azimuth indicated by the azimuth information is, the shorter the response time is.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (ii) further comprises the steps of:

a) selecting a corresponding relative position information segment according to the relative position information of the given device;

b) selecting a corresponding response time segment according to the relative position information segment; and

c) selecting the response time in the response time segment.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relative position information of the given device comprises at least one of RSSI of the probe message, time of flight of the probe message, and directional gain of RSSI of the probe message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the following step between step (i) and step (ii):

deciding whether the given device'"'"'s relative position information satisfies a third predefined rule, and, if so, carrying out step (i) and step (iv).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the third predefined rule is used for judging:

whether the distance between the given device and the wireless controller is shorter than a first threshold and/or longer than a second threshold;

or

whether the azimuth between the given device and the wireless controller is smaller than a third threshold and/or bigger than a fourth threshold.

7. A method for selecting a target device from among a plurality of devices, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

i. sending, by a wireless controller, a probe message to the plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of devices is configured to obtain, based on the probe message, relative position information of the respective device with respect to the wireless controller;

ii. receiving, by the wireless controller, a response signal sent by at least some of the plurality of devices, wherein each of the received response signals contains relative position information describing the corresponding devices'"'"' relative position with respect to the wireless controller, wherein a response signal is sent by a respective one of the plurality of devices only if said respective one of the plurality of devices determines that said respective one of the plurality of devices is closer to the wireless device than another of the plurality of devices;

iii. comparing, by the wireless controller, the relative position information contained in the received response signals, and, in direct response to said comparing, selecting the target device from among the plurality of devices according to a predefined rule;

iv. determining, by the wireless controller, from the relative position information contained in the response signal, a power level that both;

(a) guarantees reception of a signal from the wireless controller by the selected target device; and

(b) minimizes power consumption by the wireless controller; and

v. sending, by the wireless controller, a control signal containing a unique identifier for the selected target device at the power that is selected based on the relative position information for the selected target device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the probe message comprises a predefined relative position condition, wherein the predefined relative position condition is used for judging:

whether the distance between the target device and the wireless controller is shorter than a first threshold and/or longer than a second threshold;

or

whether the azimuth from the transmission angle of the wireless controller is smaller than a third threshold and/or bigger than a fourth threshold.