Network self-healing method and system using lighting devices

• US 9,955,369 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Shenghui Lighting Company Limited (Tongxiang Shenghui Lighting Electrical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Zhejiang Shenghui Lighting Company Limited (Tongxiang Shenghui Lighting Electrical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Chen, Chuang, Wu, Hui, Deng, Xingming, Shen, Jinxiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reddivalam, Srinivasa
• Application Number:
  US15/025,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

The present invention provides a network self-healing method and system using lighting devices each including a WI-FI module with a wireless access point (AP) function. The lighting devices are wirelessly connected to a wireless router. The lighting devices scan a service set identifier (SSID) of the wireless router to confirm that the wireless router is not able to be connected to and to switch to a self-healing networking mode. The wireless AP function of each lighting device is activated according to a self-healing networking rule. One lighting device is selected from the lighting devices and is used as a first lighting device router. The wireless AP function of each of other non-selected lighting devices remaining in the plurality of lighting devices is deactivated, and wirelessly connected to the first lighting device router respectively.

Claims

1. A network self-healing method using lighting devices, comprising:

providing a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device including a WI-FI module with a wireless access point (AP) function, wherein the plurality of lighting devices is wirelessly connected to a wireless router;

scanning, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, a service set identifier (SSID) of the wireless router to confirm that the wireless router is not able to be connected to and to switch to a self-healing networking mode;

activating the wireless AP function of each of the plurality of lighting devices, selecting one lighting device from the plurality of lighting devices according to a self-healing networking rule associated with the plurality of lighting devices, and using the selected lighting device as a first lighting device router;

indicating that the selected lighting device is the first lighting device router by changing a lighting setting of the selected lighting device; and

deactivating the wireless AP function of each of other non-selected lighting devices remaining in the plurality of lighting devices, and wirelessly connecting the other non-selected lighting devices to the first lighting device router respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, after the step of wirelessly connecting the other non-selected lighting devices to the first lighting device router, further comprising:

scanning the wireless router by the first lighting device router and attempting to reconnect to the wireless router;

if the first lighting device router is successfully connected to the wireless router, informing the other non-selected lighting devices remaining in the plurality of lighting devices;

turning off the wireless AP function of the first lighting device router; and

re-connecting the first lighting device router together with the other non-selected lighting devices to the wireless router.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the first lighting device router scans the wireless router at a preset time interval; and

if the SSID of the wireless router is successfully scanned, the first lighting device router attempts to connect to the wireless router.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

if the first lighting device router is not able to be connected to, repeating the method to re-select another one lighting device from the plurality of lighting devices as a second lighting device router for self-healing networking.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

in the step of scanning, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the SSID of the wireless router, if the SSID of the wireless router is not successfully scanned after a continuous scanning for a first preset time duration by the plurality of lighting devices, the wireless router is confirmed that cannot be connected, and the self-healing networking mode is switched.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

in the step of scanning, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the SSID of the wireless router, if the SSID of the wireless router is successfully scanned but the wireless router is not able to be connected after continuous attempts for a second preset time duration, the wireless router is confirmed that cannot be connected, and the self-healing networking mode is switched.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein:

the first preset time duration is from about 5 seconds to 10 seconds.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the self-healing networking rule includes;

selecting the one lighting device sequentially from the plurality of lighting devices as the first lighting device router according to a routing table.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

each lighting device corresponds to a Media Access Control (MAC) address; and

the self-healing networking rule includes selecting the one lighting device having the values of a largest or a smallest MAC address from the plurality of the lighting devices as the first lighting device router.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

an SSID of each lighting device contains an MAC address name; and

the largest or the smallest MAC address is determined by comparing values of the SSIDs of the plurality of lighting devices.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the self-healing networking rule includes adopting a self-routing protocol for self-networking and modifying a commonly-used routing protocol to allow the plurality of lighting devices to accommodate the self-networking.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the self-healing networking rule includes a self-networking routing protocol based on quality of service (QoS); and

according to collected network resource information from each lighting device, the one lighting device that satisfies most of user'"'"'s QoS requirements is selected as the first lighting device router.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the self-healing networking rule includes an on-demand routing rule; and

instead of maintaining a routing table by periodically broadcasting routing information, a routing request for establishing a routing is sent only when needed to effectively reduce network consumption.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

a smart terminal is wirelessly connected to the wireless router and controls the plurality of lighting devices; and

if the wireless router cannot be connected, the smart terminal together with the other non-selected lighting devices are connected to the first lighting device router.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of re-connecting the first lighting device router together with the other non-selected lighting devices to the wireless router comprises:

wirelessly re-connecting the smart terminal to the wireless router.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein:

the preset time interval is from 20 seconds to 40 seconds.

17. A network self-healing system, comprising:

a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device including a WI-FI module with a wireless AP function; and

a wireless router wirelessly connected to the plurality of lighting devices, wherein;

if each of the plurality of lighting devices scan a service set identifier (SSID) of the wireless router and confirms that the wireless router is not able to be connected to, each of the plurality of lighting devices switches to a self-healing networking mode to activate the wireless AP function of each of the plurality of lighting devices,

one lighting device is selected from the plurality of lighting devices according to a self-healing networking rule associated with the plurality of lighting devices, and the selected lighting device is used as a lighting device router,

the selected lighting device is configured to indicate that the selected lighting device is the lighting device router by changing a lighting setting of the selected lighting device, and

each of other non-selected lighting devices is configured to deactivate the wireless AP function to wirelessly connect to the lighting device router respectively.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a smart terminal having wireless communication capabilities;

wherein;

the smart terminal is configured to wirelessly connect to the wireless router and control the plurality of lighting devices; and

if the wireless router cannot be connected, the smart terminal is configured to wirelessly connect to the lighting device router.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

the lighting devices are LED lighting devices.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein:

the smart terminal is a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a smart watch.