US-12621373-B2 - Partially connected devices

US12621373B2US 12621373 B2US12621373 B2US 12621373B2US-12621373-B2

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein, which provide an improved way of providing operating instructions to devices such as IoT devices. The disclosure allows for an essentially unlimited number of devices to be controlled via a wireless network. The disclosure does not require pre-planning of the network architecture, nor does it require the number of control devices and end devices to be manually managed or maintained.

Inventors

JEAN-PHILIPPE ROLAND GAL

Assignees

SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230323
Priority Date: 20220329

Claims (15)

1 . A lighting device for use as one of a set of devices, the lighting device comprising: an application component configured to be operable by a remote operator via one or more operating instructions, the application component for use on-premises in lighting application; a controller comprising a processor; and a wireless interface for connecting to a wireless network using a first wireless communication protocol, and for receiving and transmitting broadcast messages using a second wireless communication protocol, the first wireless communication protocol comprises an IEEE 802.11 protocol; the lighting device being configured such that, in use, it is able to function interchangeably in either a proxy mode or a client mode in order to receive operating instructions; wherein in the proxy mode, the lighting device is configured to connect to a wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol such that, in use, operating instructions are received via the connected wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol; wherein when switching to the client mode, the lighting device is configured to disassociate from the wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol; wherein when operating in the proxy mode and when operating in the client mode, the lighting device is configured such that, in use, operating instructions are received via one or more incoming broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; wherein the lighting device is configured such that, in use, in response to receiving an operating instruction using the first wireless communication protocol, the operating instruction is transmitted onwards by the lighting device in one or more outgoing broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; and wherein the lighting device is configured such that, in use, in response to receiving an operating instruction using the second wireless communication protocol, the operating instruction is transmitted onwards by the lighting device in one or more outgoing broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; and wherein when the lighting device is operating in the proxy mode, the controller is configured to switch the lighting device to operate in the client mode in response to a determination that a threshold number of other devices are connected to the wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol.
2 . A lighting device for use as one of a set of devices, the lighting device comprising: an application component configured to be operable by a remote operator via one or more operating instructions, the application component for use on-premises in lighting application; a controller comprising a processor; and a wireless interface for connecting to a wireless network using a first wireless communication protocol, and for receiving and transmitting broadcast messages using a second wireless communication protocol, the first wireless communication protocol comprises an IEEE 802.11 protocol; the lighting device being configured such that, in use, it is able to function interchangeably in either a proxy mode or a client mode in order to receive operating instructions; wherein in the proxy mode, the lighting device is configured to connect to a wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol such that, in use, operating instructions are received via the connected wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol; wherein when switching to the client mode, the lighting device is configured to disassociate from the wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol; wherein when operating in the proxy mode and when operating in the client mode, the lighting device is configured such that, in use, operating instructions are received via one or more incoming broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; wherein the lighting device is configured such that, in use, in response to receiving an operating instruction using the first wireless communication protocol, the operating instruction is transmitted onwards by the lighting device in one or more outgoing broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; wherein the lighting device is configured such that, in use, in response to receiving an operating instruction using the second wireless communication protocol, the operating instruction is transmitted onwards by the first device in one or more outgoing broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; and wherein when the lighting device is operating in the proxy mode, the controller is configured to switch the lighting device to operate in the client mode in response to the lighting device having received, using the first wireless communication protocol, an operating instruction addressed to the lighting device to switch to client mode.
3 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein each operating instruction comprises a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier is unique to the operating instruction.
4 . The lighting device according to claim 3 , further comprising a memory configured to store the unique identifier of each operating instruction received by the device or the unique identifiers of up to the last N received operating instructions, where N is a predetermined integer.
5 . The lighting device according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured such that: upon receipt of an operating instruction received in one or more broadcast messages via the second wireless communication protocol, the controller compares the unique identifier of the operating instruction to any unique identifiers previously stored in the memory; and transmit the operating instruction in one or more broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol only if the unique identifier of the operating instruction does not match another unique identifier previously stored in the memory.
6 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that when the lighting device is operating in the client mode, in response to at least one of: receiving an update instruction via one or more incoming broadcast messages received using the second wireless communication protocol; and a pre-set time period elapsing since the lighting device disassociated from the wireless network; the controller causes the lighting device to connect to the wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol in order to retrieve a firmware update.
7 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the application component configured to be operable by a remote operator is selected from a group consisting of: an illumination device, a light sensor.
8 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises a wireless peer-to-peer protocol and/or a Bluetooth protocol.
9 . The lighting device according to claim 8 , wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises Wi-Fi Direct P2P Public Action Frames.
10 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that when the lighting device is operating in the proxy mode, the lighting device transmits a first heartbeat signal via one or more broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol at a first interval.
11 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that when the lighting device is operating in the client mode, if a first heartbeat signal is not received via one or more broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol during a first time period, the controller switches the lighting device to operate in the proxy mode.
12 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that when operating in the client mode, if a first heartbeat signal is received via one or more broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol, the lighting device transmits a second heartbeat signal via one or more broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol, wherein the second heartbeat signal comprises a lighting device identifier associated with the lighting device.
13 . The lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that when the lighting device is operating in the proxy mode, if a second heartbeat signal comprising a second device identifier is received via one or more broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol, the controller of the lighting device stores the second device identifier.
14 . A method of operating a lighting device, the method comprising: when operating in a proxy mode, a lighting device is connected to a wireless network using a first wireless communication protocol and operating instructions are received via a connected wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol, wherein the lighting device comprises: an application component configured to be operable by a remote operator via one or more operating instructions, the application component for use on-premises in a lighting application a controller; and a wireless interface for connecting to a wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol, and for receiving and transmitting broadcast messages using a second wireless communication protocol, the first wireless communication protocol comprises an IEEE 802.11 protocol; when switching to a client mode, the lighting device disassociates from the wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol; when operating in the proxy mode and when operating in the client mode, operating instructions are received via one or more incoming broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; in response to receiving an operating instruction using the first wireless communication protocol, the operating instruction is transmitted onwards by the lighting device in one or more outgoing broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; in response to receiving an operating instruction using the second wireless communication protocol, the operating instruction is transmitted onwards by the lighting device in one or more outgoing broadcast messages using the second wireless communication protocol; and when the lighting device is operating in the proxy mode, switching the lighting device to operate in the client mode in response to a determination that a threshold number of other devices are connected to the wireless network using the first wireless communication protocol.
15 . The method of operating a lighting device according to claim 14 comprising: when the first device is operating in the proxy mode, switching the first device to operate in the client mode in response to the first device having received, using the first wireless communication protocol, an operating instruction addressed to the first device to switch to the client mode.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS This application is the U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2023/057577, filed on Mar. 23, 2023, which claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 22164934.6, filed on Mar. 29, 2022. These applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to managing devices using a combination of wireless networks and direct device-to-device communication. BACKGROUND Smart devices are devices such as light bulbs, smart plugs, switches etc. that can be controlled remotely via a device such as a smart phone. Such devices may be referred to as Internet of Things (IoT) devices. IoT devices are devices that comprise at least one component (such as a light bulb or an actuator, for example) that is remotely operable via operating instructions. Operating instructions may be delivered, for example, wirelessly over a wireless network. United States patent application US2013/0083722 A1 discloses a method of extending the coverage area of a cellular network for enabling a user of a wireless device to control an electrical appliance such as a light. To this end it is proposed to have the wireless device (e.g. a cellular telephone) communicate with a base station in a cell of a cellular network over a noncellular interface via another wireless device in the cell through the use of multi-hopping. European patent application EP3955642 A1 discloses another method of extending the coverage area of a cellular network where a first user equipment has a relay role and relays communication between a base station and a second user equipment in the cell and when signal conditions change, the reversal of the roles of the user equipment. Also disclosed is the combined role reversal of the user equipment in combination with handover. A very wide range of IoT devices are available with differing functionality. Many such devices require a connection to the internet in order to be controlled remotely. For example, in use a smart https://www.mobileprocessing.org/device may be connected to a Wi-Fi network in order to access the internet and to thereby receive operating instructions. A problem can occur when a user wishes to install a large number of IoT devices in one location, such as, for example, a residential home or an office. Each of these devices generally require an internet connection in order to function. As noted above, this is usually in the form of a wireless connection to a Wi-Fi access point (AP). Consumer grade APs can only maintain connections to a relatively small number of devices simultaneously; a typical maximum number may be 30-50 devices simultaneously. In a small office situation, for example, if 10 employees each have a computer and a smart device each connected to the AP, the AP will be close to the maximum number of connections it can maintain. This could result in a maximum of 5-10 IoT devices being able to connect to the AP without risking a situation where employees can no longer connect their devices. In a larger office where a large number of lighting devices, switches and plugs need to be connected to the network, it is clear that even enterprise level APs could be unable to maintain a sufficient number of connections to allow all of the IoT devices to maintain an active connection. A technical problem therefore arises regarding how to manage a large number of IoT devices There is a need, therefore, to provide an alternative method for managing IoT devices. Existing solutions exist, such as the use of a Zigbee network. Zigbee networks use a Zigbee coordinator, which maintains an internet connection (usually via a wireless connection to a Wi-Fi AP) and broadcasts a Zigbee network. End devices are authenticated and connected to the Zigbee network and receive instructions via the network. A Zigbee network is similar to a Wi-Fi network but uses the IEEE 802.15.4 technical standard to define the operation of the low-rate wireless personal area network (LR-WPAN). SUMMARY While the existing solutions, such as the Zigbee system discussed above. reduce the number of devices directly connected to the Wi-Fi AP, Zigbee network controllers are themselves also limited in the number of end devices they can simultaneously connect to. Thus, the structure of such a system must be planned in advance to ensure a sufficient number of network controllers are used in order to manage the end devices. Furthermore, care must be taken when adding new devices to the system to make sure that the exiting controllers can maintain the connections. Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein, which provide an improved way of providing operating instructions to devices such as IoT devices. The disclosure allows for an essentially unlimited number of devices to be controlled via a wireless network. The disclosure does not require pre-planning of the network architecture, nor does it require t