SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DEPLOYMENT AND CONFIGURATION OF WIRELESS DEVICE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20170111979A1
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAB Lighting Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RAB Lighting Incorporated
• Inventors: BARNA, Ross A., CASE-HAYES, Michael Theodore
• Granted Patent: US 9,883,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A wireless device control system includes a remote server connected to a wide area network and having control software for configuring, monitoring, and controlling devices at a site. The wireless device control system also includes a wireless gateway located at the site and configured to communicate with the remote server via cellular communication. Control devices are in wireless communication with the wireless gateway via a mesh network, with each of the control devices being wired to control one of the site devices. A computer device is connected to the wide area network and has an interface enabling a user to access the server control software. Control instructions entered on the remote server through the interface are communicated from the remote server to the wireless gateway and then from the wireless gateway to the control devices.

Claims

1. A wireless device control system, comprising:

a remote server connected to a wide area network and having control software for configuring, monitoring, and controlling devices at a site;

a wireless gateway located at the site and configured to communicate with the remote server via cellular communication;

control devices in wireless communication with the wireless gateway via a mesh network, each of the control devices wired to control one of the site devices; and

a computer device connected to the wide area network and having an interface enabling a user to access the server control software;

wherein control instructions entered on the remote server through the interface are communicated from the remote server to the wireless gateway and then from the wireless gateway to the control devices.

2. The wireless device control system of claim 1, wherein the site devices are lighting devices.

3. The wireless device control system of claim 1, wherein the remote server is a cloud-based server.

4. A deployment kit for planning an installation of a site system of a wireless device control system, comprising:

a set of deploy modules, including;

a gateway simulator including a radio communication component configured as a coordinator; and

a plurality of device simulators simulating devices having control modules, wherein each of the device simulators includes a radio communication component configured as a router and each of the device simulators is configured without a control module;

wherein each of the device simulators includes an indicator having at least a first and second state, the first state corresponding to a successful radio communication connection with the gateway simulator and the second state corresponding to an unsuccessful radio communication connection with the gateway simulator.

5. The deployment kit of claim 4, wherein each radio communication component is a radio transceiver.

6. The deployment kit of claim 4, wherein the gateway simulator is configured without an operations module.

7. The deployment kit of claim 4, wherein the set of deploy modules includes a plurality of repeaters, each of the repeaters including a radio communication component.

8. A method of configuring a wireless device control system, wherein the wireless device control system includes a server system, a site system, and a plurality of user devices, the method comprising steps of:

displaying representations of devices of the site system on a user interface of one of the user devices;

actuating a device identification feature on a selected device of the site system;

detecting actuation of a device identification feature by a gateway of the site system, wherein the selected device has a unique device identifier;

communicating an indication of the actuation and the unique device identifier from the gateway to the server system; and

changing a representation corresponding to the selected device on the user interface responsive to receipt of the indication of the actuation and the unique device identifier by the server system.

9. The method of claim 9, wherein the devices are control devices in wireless communication with the gateway via a mesh network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control devices are wired to control lighting devices at the site system.

11. A wireless device control system, wherein the wireless device control system includes a server system, a site system, and a plurality of user devices, the system comprising:

a user interface of one of the user devices configured to display representations of devices of the site system; and

a gateway of the site system configured to detect actuation of a device identification feature on a selected device of the site system, wherein the selected device has a unique device identifier;

wherein the gateway is further configured to communicate an indication of the actuation and the unique device identifier to the server system;

wherein the server system is configured to change a representation corresponding to the selected device on the user interface responsive to receipt of the indication of the actuation and the unique device identifier.

12. The wireless device control system of claim 11, wherein the devices are control devices in wireless communication with the gateway via a mesh network.

13. The wireless device control system of claim 11, wherein the control devices are wired to control lighting devices at the site system.