Using position for node grouping

• US 8,300,577 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Simons, Paul Richard, Pitchers, Stephen Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Rose, Kerri
• Application Number:
  US12/281,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/310, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370/463, 455/446, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A computer algorithm for grouping a derived spatial arrangement of wireless communication nodes. The wireless communication nodes form a wireless communication network and are configured to control the operation of luminaires in a lighting array. The position of each node in the communication network corresponds to the position of a particular luminaire in the lighting array. The algorithm divides the arrangement of nodes into a plurality of spatial groups, each of which is defined by a line which joins the group'"'"'s member nodes together. The groups are ranked according to their statistical attributes and a number of groups are selected as control groups, such that the member nodes, and hence luminaires, of each control group may be controlled by a single switch or sensor.

Claims

1. A method of grouping a derived spatial arrangement of wireless nodes comprising:

dividing said arrangement into a plurality of spatial groups by defining a center of a particular group based on the spatial arrangement of the wireless nodes and assigning a particular wireless node to the particular group if a distance between the particular wireless node'"'"'s spatial position in said arrangement and the defined center of said particular group is equal to or less than a defined threshold distance.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the center of each spatial group is defined by a line which passes through two or more nodes and said distance between a particular node and a particular group'"'"'s center is measured as the shortest distance between the node'"'"'s position in said arrangement and the closest point on the particular group'"'"'s center-defining line.

3. The method according to claim 2 including ranking the spatial groups according to the number of assigned nodes therein.

4. The method according to claim 2 including ranking the spatial groups according to the statistical dispersion in the distances between the positions of assigned nodes and their center-defining lines.

5. The method according to claim 2 including ranking the spatial groups according to the statistical dispersion in the distances between adjacent assigned nodes.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein said statistical dispersion is the standard deviation or variance.

7. The method according to claim 2 including ranking the spatial groups according to the length of their center-defining lines.

8. The method according to claim 1 including sorting said spatial groups into rank order based upon their attributes.

9. The method according to claim 8 including selecting a number of said spatial groups to define independent control groups.

10. The method according to claim 9 including not allowing said nodes to be members of more than one of said control groups.

11. The method according to claim 9 including selecting said spatial groups as said control groups in said rank order.

12. The method according to claim 9 including disregarding the top ranked spatial group and restarting the selection of said control groups if the selection of said control groups is unsuccessful.

13. The method according to claim 9 including binding said control groups to appropriate control means if the selection of said control groups is successful.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein said threshold distance is pre-determined by user selectable means.

15. An apparatus configured to group a derived arrangement of wireless nodes comprising:

a network card operable to interface to wireless nodes, and

a processor operable to divide said arrangement into a plurality of spatial groups by defining a center of a particular group based on the spatial arrangement of the wireless nodes and assigning a particular wireless node to the particular group if a distance between the particular wireless node'"'"'s spatial position in said arrangement and the defined center of said particular group is equal to or less than a defined threshold distance.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said wireless nodes are electrically powered communication nodes in a wireless communication network.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said wireless communication network is configured to control the operation of a wireless lighting array.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein each of said wireless nodes is associated with a luminaire or a switch box comprising part of the wireless lighting array.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said switch box is configured to control the operation of the luminaire.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform

grouping a derived spatial arrangement of wireless nodes by dividing the arrangement into a plurality of spatial groups by defining a center of a particular group based on the spatial arrangement of the wireless nodes and assigning a particular wireless node to the particular group if a distance between the particular wireless node'"'"'s spatial position in said arrangement and the defined center of the group is equal to or less than a defined threshold distance.