Wireless System Commissioning

• US 20110172844A1
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daintree Networks Pty Ltd. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Daintree Networks Pty Ltd. (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Cobb, Peter Graeme, Choong, Jason Yew Choo
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for commissioning a wireless network. In one aspect, a method includes instructing the switch devices of the controlled circuits to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuits to enable joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network; monitoring the joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network; monitoring for the occurrence of a joining expiration event; and in response to the occurrence of the joining expiration event, determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during a joining time period ending at the occurrence of the joining expiration event belongs to the controlled circuits.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of controlled circuits in a wireless network, each controlled circuit comprising;

a switch device connected to a power circuit and connected to controlled circuit wiring, the switch device configured to control power provided by the power circuit to the controlled circuit wiring, to receive data wirelessly, to transmit data wirelessly and to take one or more control actions in response to the received data and the transmitted data;

at least one wireless adapter connected to the controlled circuit wiring and connected to a controlled device, the wireless adapter powered by the controlled circuit wiring and configured to control power at the controlled device; and

a commissioning device configured to receive data wirelessly and to transmit data wirelessly, and further configured to commission each controlled circuit, the commissioning comprising the operations of;

instructing the switch devices of the controlled circuits to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuits to enable joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network;

monitoring the joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network;

monitoring for the occurrence of a joining expiration event; and

in response to the occurrence of the joining expiration event, determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during a joining time period ending at the occurrence of the joining expiration event belongs to the controlled circuits.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during the joining time period belongs to the controlled circuits comprises:

instructing each switch device of each controlled circuit to remove power to the controlled circuit wiring of its respective controlled circuit;

sending a first message that requires an acknowledgement from each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period;

receiving responses from first wireless adapters that responds to the first message;

sequentially selecting each controlled circuit, and for each sequential selection of each selected controlled circuit;

instructing the switch device of the selected controlled circuit to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the selected controlled circuit;

sending a subsequent message that requires an acknowledgement from each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period;

receiving responses from second wireless adapters that respond to the subsequent message;

instructing the switch device of the selected controlled circuit to remove power from the controlled circuit wiring of the selected controlled circuit;

determining that only the wireless adapters that responded to the subsequent message and that did not respond to the first message belong to the selected controlled circuit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising:

instructing each wireless adapter that does not belong to any selected controlled circuit to revert to an uncommissioned state.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising:

identifying wireless adapters that are attempting to join the wireless network prior to instructing the switch devices of the controlled circuits to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuits to enable joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network; and

determining that the identified wireless adapters that were attempting to join the wireless network prior to the instructing do not belong to any of the controlled circuits.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising precluding the wireless adapters that were identified as attempting to join the wireless network from joining the wireless network.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising, for each sequentially selected controlled circuit, generating a corresponding zone in the wireless network, the corresponding zone identified by a unique zone identifier that is unique to the sequentially selected controlled circuit, and the corresponding zone specifying the switch device and the wireless adapters that belong to the zone.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising:

determining that two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit; and

in response to the determination that the two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit, assigning the two or more switch devices to a consolidated zone that includes the two or more switch devices and the one or more wireless adapters determined to belong to the two or more switch devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein determining that the two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit comprises:

determining that the wireless adapters that belong to the controlled circuit for each of the two or more switch devices define a common set of wireless adapters.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising:

determining that at least one wireless adapter that belongs to one of the controlled circuits of the two or more switch devices does not belong to the common set of wireless adapters; and

assigning the at least one wireless adapter in the consolidated zone based on the wireless adapter belonging to at least one of the controlled circuits for the two or more switch devices.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising:

determining that at least one wireless adapter that belongs to one of the controlled circuits of the two or more switch devices does not belong to the common set of wireless adapters; and

generating an error message identifying the at least one wireless adapter as an erroneous wireless adapter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of the joining expiration event is the expiration of a predefined time period measured from the instructing the switch devices of the controlled circuits to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuits.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing switch devices to allow the wireless adapters to join the wireless network; and

wherein the occurrence of the joining expiration event is the expiration of a predefined time period measured from the instructing the switch device to allow wireless adapters to join the wireless network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the controlled circuits have an associated predefined number that defines a number of wireless adapters included in the controlled circuits; and

the occurrence of the joining expiration event is the monitoring of a number of wireless adapters joining the wireless network that is equal to the predefined number associated with the controlled circuits.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during the joining time period belongs to the controlled circuit comprises:

verifying communications with each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period;

instructing the switch devices of the controlled circuits to remove power to the controlled circuit wiring of their respective controlled circuits;

sending a message that requires an acknowledgement from each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period; and

determining that each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during the joining time period and that responds with an acknowledgment does not belong to the controlled circuits.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising, for each sequentially selected controlled circuit, generating a corresponding zone in the wireless network, the corresponding zone identified by a unique zone identifier that is unique to the sequentially selected controlled circuit, and the corresponding zone specifying the switch device and the wireless adapters that belong to the zone.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the commissioning device performs further operations comprising:

determining that two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit; and

in response to the determination that the two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit, assigning the two or more switch devices to a consolidated zone that includes the two or more switch devices and the one or more wireless adapters determined to belong to the two or more switch devices.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

selecting controlled circuits in a wireless network, each of the controlled circuits comprising;

a switch device connected to a power circuit and connected to controlled circuit wiring, the switch device configured to control power provided by the power circuit to the controlled circuit wiring, to receive data wirelessly, to transmit data wirelessly and to take one or more control actions in response to the received data and the transmitted data;

at least one wireless adapter connected to the controlled circuit wiring and connected to a controlled device, the wireless adapter powered by the controlled circuit wiring and configured to control power at the controlled device;

instructing the switch devices of the controlled circuits to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuits to enable joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network;

monitoring the joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network;

monitoring for the occurrence of a joining expiration event; and

in response to the occurrence of the joining expiration event, determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during a joining time period ending at the occurrence of the joining expiration event belongs to the controlled circuits.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during the joining time period belongs to the controlled circuits comprises:

instructing each switch device of each controlled circuit to remove power to the controlled circuit wiring of its respective controlled circuit;

sending a first message that requires an acknowledgement from each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period;

receiving responses from first wireless adapters that responds to the first message;

sequentially selecting each controlled circuit, and for each sequential selection of each selected controlled circuit;

instructing the switch device of the selected controlled circuit to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the selected controlled circuit;

sending a subsequent message that requires an acknowledgement from each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period;

receiving responses from second wireless adapters that respond to the subsequent message;

instructing the switch device of the selected controlled circuit to remove power from the controlled circuit wiring of the selected controlled circuit;

determining that only the wireless adapters that responded to the subsequent message and that did not respond to the first message belong to the selected controlled circuit.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying wireless adapters that are attempting to join the wireless network prior to instructing the switch devices of the controlled circuits to provide power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuits to enable joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network; and

determining that the identified wireless adapters that were attempting to join the wireless network prior to the instructing do not belong to any of the controlled circuits.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising, for each sequentially selected controlled circuit, generating a corresponding zone in the wireless network, the corresponding zone identified by a unique zone identifier that is unique to the sequentially selected controlled circuit, and the corresponding zone specifying the switch device and the wireless adapters that belong to the zone.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining that two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit; and

in response to the determination that the two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit, assigning the two or more switch devices to a consolidated zone that includes the two or more switch devices and the one or more wireless adapters determined to belong to the two or more switch devices.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining that the two or more switch devices control the same controlled circuit comprises determining that the wireless adaptors that belong to the controlled circuit for each of the two more switch devices define a common set of wireless adapters.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the occurrence of the joining expiration event is the expiration of a predefined time period measured from the switch device of the target controlled circuit providing power to the controlled circuit wiring.

24. A controlled circuit in a wireless network, comprising:

a switch device connected to a power circuit and connected to controlled circuit wiring, the switch device configured to control power provided by the power circuit to the controlled circuit wiring, to receive data wirelessly, to transmit data wirelessly and to take one or more control actions in response to the received data and the transmitted data; and

at least one wireless adapter connected to the controlled circuit wiring and connected to a controlled device, the wireless adapter powered by the controlled circuit wiring and configured to control power at the controlled device;

wherein the switch device is further configured to commission the wireless providing power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuits to enable joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network;

monitoring the joining of wireless adapters to the wireless network;

monitoring for the occurrence of a joining expiration event; and

in response the occurrence of the joining expiration event, determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during a joining time period ending at the joining expiration event belongs to the controlled circuit.

25. The controlled circuit of claim 24, wherein determining whether each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during the joining time period belongs to the target controlled circuit comprises:

verifying communications with each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period;

removing power from the controlled circuit wiring;

sending a message that requires an acknowledgement from each of the wireless adapters that joined the wireless network during the joining time period; and

determining that each wireless adapter that joined the wireless network during the joining time period and that responds with an acknowledgment does not belong to the controlled circuit.

26. The controlled circuit of claim 24, wherein the switch device is further configured to:

identifying wireless adapters that are attempting to join the wireless network prior to providing power to the controlled circuit wiring of the controlled circuit; and

determining that the identified wireless adapters that were attempting to join the wireless network prior to providing power to the controlled circuit wiring do not belong to the controlled circuit.