COMMISSIONING DEVICES FOR AUTOMATION SYSTEMS

• US 20130191755A1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The ADT Security Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zonoff Incorporated
• Inventors: Buchert, Ryan, Balog, Michael, Harris, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/735
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Abstract

Remote commissioning for an automation system enables a retailer to sell a new device to a customer pre-configured to work together with devices that are already a part of the user'"'"'s automation system. Knowledge of how the devices are likely to be used at the automation system'"'"'s location, a list of existing devices already installed and how they are configured, possible input from the customer, and the end user'"'"'s current usage patterns are optionally used to configure the devices before they leave the store. Assisted local commissioning for an automation device enables an end user to commission devices themselves by simplifying the installation and commissioning process. The system uses a reference database of devices that includes information on how to commission the devices along with user-manual information and pictures for physical installation, and setup instructions so the system can walk a user through the process step by step.

Claims

1. A method for commissioning a new device for an end-user'"'"'s automation system, the method comprising:

(a) using a commissioning tool to access information about the end-user'"'"'s automation system stored in a centralized database remote from the end-user'"'"'s automation system;

(b) using the commissioning tool to instruct a commissioning server to commission the new device for the end-user'"'"'s automation system, wherein the commissioning server is remotely located from the end-user'"'"'s automation system; and

(c) installing the commissioned new device into the end-user'"'"'s automation system.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the commissioning tool is used remotely from the end-user'"'"'s automation system to perform steps (a) and (b) prior to the new device arriving at the end-user'"'"'s automation system location such that the new device is already pre-commissioned upon arrival at the end-user'"'"'s automation system location.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein the commissioning tool is used locally at the end-user'"'"'s automation system location to perform steps (a) and (b) after the new device has arrived at the end-user'"'"'s automation system location.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein the commissioning tool is a consumer device of the end-user.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the commissioning tool is a smart-phone, tablet, or laptop computer of the end-user.

6. The invention of claim 3, wherein step (c) comprises using the commissioning tool to access step-by-step instructions from the commissioning server for installing the new device into the end-user'"'"'s automation system.

7. A commissioning tool for commissioning an automation device for use with a user'"'"'s automation system, the commissioning tool comprising an automation-device interface for communicating with the automation device and an interface for communicating with an application, wherein the commissioning tool is configured to allow the application to:

retrieve information from the automation device via the automation-device interface,

set parameters within the automation device,

communicate to a cloud-based database of automation-device information, and

present the user with a graphical menu of options for commissioning the automation device via the setting of parameters within the automation device, wherein the options presented on the graphical menu are a function of information retrieved from the cloud-based database.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein the graphical menu includes a visual representation of the automation device.

9. The invention of claim 7, wherein the cloud-based database contains user statistics for the automation device and the options presented on the graphical menu are a function of the user statistics for the device.

10. The invention of claim 7, wherein the automation-device interface is a Z-Wave radio.

11. The invention of claim 7, wherein the automation-device interface is part of a smart phone.

12. The invention of claim 7, wherein the automation-device interface is an IEEE 802.11x compliant radio.

13. The invention of claim 7, wherein the automation-device interface includes general purpose hardware that is configurable to provide support for one or more automation-device interface standards.

14. The invention of claim 7, wherein the automation-device interface is configured to support two or more automation-device communication standards concurrently.

15. The invention of claim 7, wherein a communication standard supported by the automation-device interface is configured as a function of information retrieved from the cloud-based database of automation-device information.

16. A method for commissioning a new automation device in an automation system for a user, the method comprising:

(a) loading a newly purchased device into a user'"'"'s device list in a memory;

(b) retrieving data from the memory comprising the user'"'"'s device list and the user'"'"'s usage information;

(c) generating user-usage scenarios involving at least the newly purchased device and an other device in the user'"'"'s device list as a function of the retrieved data;

(d) generating device configuration scripts as a function of the user-usage scenarios; and

(e) loading the configuration scripts into at least the newly purchased device and the other device in the user'"'"'s device list.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the device configuration scripts comprises prompting the user for selection of one of at least two different user-usage scenarios and accepting a selection of one of the user-usage scenarios from the user.