System and method for wireless control of signs

• US 9,852,670 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luminator Holding LP (LTG Acquisition, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Luminator Holding LP (LTG Acquisition, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swanson, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US13/035,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,496 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36, 701 49, 713200, 40591, 455345, 4555521, 340472, 340540, 370350
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/40 Bus coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/048 Advertisement panels on sides, front or back of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes

Abstract

A system includes a master controller disposed on a transit vehicle, a peripheral device disposed on the transit vehicle, a first wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the master controller, and a second wireless subsystem communicably coupled to the peripheral device. The master controller is operable to send a signal to the peripheral device via the first wireless subsystem, the signal comprising a command related to operation of the peripheral device. The peripheral device is operable to receive the signal via the second wireless subsystem and execute the command. The system utilizes a wireless protocol that specifies a unique identification for the system. The master controller and the peripheral device are each configured via the wireless protocol. The configuration includes storage of the unique identification and operability to restrict wireless communication to wireless communication with other devices so configured.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices, wherein the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices comprises an electronic sign and at least one device selected from the group consisting of a light component, a climate-control component, an audio component and a video component;

for each transit-vehicle peripheral device of the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices;

on power up, checking, by the transit-vehicle peripheral device, a transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier stored in non-volatile memory thereof;

wherein the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier is stored as a single value such that;

a specific initial value indicates that no particular transit-vehicle master controller has been assigned to the transit-vehicle peripheral device; and

any value other than the specific initial value identifies a particular transit-vehicle master controller of a particular wireless transit-vehicle network that has been assigned to the transit-vehicle peripheral device;

responsive to the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier having the specific initial value;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device listening on a predetermined channel for a message that includes a new value for the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

responsive to the listening, the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly receiving, from a transit-vehicle master controller of a wireless transit-vehicle network, a wireless transit-vehicle network common code that is common to all transit-vehicle peripheral devices within the wireless transit-vehicle network; and

the transit-vehicle peripheral device storing the wireless transit-vehicle network common code in the non-volatile memory thereof as the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network common code replaces the specific initial value and is indicative of the transit-vehicle peripheral device having the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network assigned thereto;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device synchronizing to a time slot and hopping sequence of the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly receiving a command packet;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device determining whether the command packet includes the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

responsive to a determination that the command packet includes the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly acknowledging the command packet; and

the transit-vehicle peripheral device adjusting operation of the transit-vehicle peripheral device as indicated in the command packet; and

responsive to a determination that the command packet does not include the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier, the transit-vehicle peripheral device not accepting the command packet, thereby disallowing communication with transit-vehicle master controllers of other wireless transit-vehicle networks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some devices within the wireless transit-vehicle network transmit data at a rate between 60 and 200 kbps so as to minimize delay spread multi-path effects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some devices within the wireless transit-vehicle network transmit signals at between 1and 100 milliwatts of radio frequency power.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network uses a combination of frequency hopping and at least one of fixed frequency and direct sequence spread spectrum.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific initial value is zero.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each command, from the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network, to the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices, is contained in a packet that includes the wireless transit-vehicle network common code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network common code is factory-established.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices comprises the light component, and the climate-control component; and

the command packet instructs the electronic sign to adjust what is displayed thereby.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transit-vehicle peripheral devices each comprise an internal serial connection so as to receive the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier.

10. A system comprising:

a transit-vehicle master controller of a wireless transit-vehicle network, wherein the transit-vehicle master controller comprises a processor and non-volatile memory, wherein the transit-vehicle master controller is disposed on a transit vehicle; and

a plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices disposed on the transit vehicle, the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices each comprising an electronic sign, a processor and non-volatile memory, wherein each transit-vehicle peripheral device of the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices is operable to implement a method comprising;

on power up, checking, by the transit-vehicle peripheral device, a transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier stored in the non-volatile memory thereof;

wherein the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier is stored as a single value such that;

a specific initial value indicates that no particular transit-vehicle master controller has been assigned to the transit-vehicle peripheral device; and

any value other than the specific initial value identifies a particular transit-vehicle master controller of a particular wireless transit-vehicle network that has been assigned to the transit-vehicle peripheral device;

responsive to the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier having the specific initial value;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device listening on a predetermined channel for a message that includes a new value for the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

responsive to the listening, the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly receiving, from the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless-transit-vehicle network, a wireless transit-vehicle network common code that is common to all transit-vehicle peripheral devices within the wireless transit-vehicle network; and

the transit-vehicle peripheral device storing the wireless transit-vehicle network common code in the non-volatile memory thereof as the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network common code replaces the specific initial value and is indicative of the transit-vehicle peripheral device having the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network assigned thereto;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device synchronizing to a time slot and hopping sequence of the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly receiving a command packet;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device determining whether the command packet includes the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

responsive to a determination that the command packet includes the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly acknowledging the command packet; and

the transit-vehicle peripheral device adjusting operation of the transit-vehicle peripheral device as indicated in the command packet; and

responsive to a determination that the command packet does not include the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier, the transit-vehicle peripheral device not accepting the command packet, thereby disallowing communication with transit-vehicle master controllers of other wireless transit-vehicle network systems.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the specific initial value is zero.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each command, from the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network, to the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices, is contained in a packet that includes the wireless transit-vehicle network common code.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the transit-vehicle network common code is factory-established.

14. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising, for each transit-vehicle peripheral device of a plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices wherein the transit-vehicle peripheral device includes an electronic sign:

on power up, checking, by a transit-vehicle peripheral device, a transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier stored in non-volatile memory thereof;

wherein the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier is stored as a single value such that;

a specific initial value indicates that no particular transit-vehicle master controller has been assigned to the transit-vehicle peripheral device; and

any value other than the specific initial value identifies a particular transit-vehicle master controller of a particular wireless transit-vehicle network that has been assigned to the transit-vehicle peripheral device;

responsive to the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier having the specific initial value;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device listening on a predetermined channel for a message that includes a new value for the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

responsive to the listening, the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly receiving, from a transit-vehicle master controller of a wireless transit-vehicle network, a wireless transit-vehicle network common code that is common to all transit-vehicle peripheral devices within the wireless transit-vehicle network; and

the transit-vehicle peripheral device storing the wireless transit-vehicle network common code in the non-volatile memory thereof as the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network common code replaces the specific initial value and is indicative of the transit-vehicle peripheral device having the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network assigned thereto;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device synchronizing to a time slot and hopping sequence of the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly receiving a command packet;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device determining whether the command packet includes the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

responsive to a determination that the command packet includes the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier;

the transit-vehicle peripheral device wirelessly acknowledging the command packet; and

the transit-vehicle peripheral device adjusting operation of the transit-vehicle peripheral device as indicated in the command packet; and

responsive to a determination that the command packet does not include the transit-vehicle peripheral device programmable identifier, the transit-vehicle peripheral device not accepting the command packet, thereby disallowing communication with transit-vehicle master controllers of other wireless transit-vehicle network systems.

15. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network transmits signals via at least one of fixed frequency, frequency hopping and direct sequence spread spectrum.

16. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network transmits data between 60 and 200 kbps so as to minimize delay spread multi-path effects.

17. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the specific initial value is zero.

18. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein each command, from the transit-vehicle master controller of the wireless transit-vehicle network, to the plurality of transit-vehicle peripheral devices, is contained in a packet that includes the wireless transit-vehicle network common code.

19. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network common code is factory-established.

20. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the wireless transit-vehicle network transmits signals between 1 and 100 milliwatts of radio frequency power.