JP2009543482A - Metadata communication via mesh network - Google Patents

Abstract

A network system including an ability to select a high-speed communication path from a plurality of communication paths in the mesh network prior to data transmission via the mesh network, and to transmit data via the selected high-speed communication path. Selecting a high-speed communication path from a plurality of communication paths in the mesh network, transmitting entertainment information from the entertainment device via the selected high-speed path, and identifying a high-speed communication path in the mesh network; and An improved ability to send file transfer information over a high speed communication path is disclosed.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates generally to wireless networks, and more particularly to communication of metadata within a mesh network.
This application claims priority to the following applicants' US patent applications: US Patent Application No. 11 / 456,029, filed July 6, 2006, October 2006 U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 552,418 filed 24 days, U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 681,401 filed March 2, 2007, U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 681,417 filed March 2, 2007, March 2007 US Patent Application No. 11 / 684,430 filed on May 9, US Patent Application No. 11 / 684,442 filed on March 9, 2007, and US Patent Application No. 11 / 737,717 filed on April 19, 2007.

  Wireless communication networks have limitations when used for building automation. Structural barriers that deflect or generate radio frequency signals in a wireless network can prevent timely transmission over the network. The introduction of a noise source from a radio frequency source contributes to a reduction in quality and reliability. However, wired building automation devices are very costly and cumbersome and significantly limit flexibility and scalability.

  Thus, there is a need for a robust communication network for building automation that overcomes the problems associated with wireless networks without the high cost and inconvenience of wired networks.

  In the embodiment, the present invention selects a high-speed communication path from a plurality of communication paths in the mesh network before starting data communication via the mesh network, and transmits data via the selected high-speed communication path. Methods and systems are provided.

  In an embodiment, the data may include entertainment data. Entertainment data may include streaming data, progressive download format data, metadata, data transmitted to mobile communication facilities, and the like.

  In an embodiment, streaming data may include synchronized data, asynchronous data, video image data, audio data, image data, data including image and audio data, and the like.

  In an embodiment, the metadata is an image, a photo, an audio, a music track, an audio broadcast, an audio book, a video, a movie, a video broadcast, a recorded video, a live video, a digital video recorder file, a music video, an audio / visual device, an electrification It can be associated with products, content directories, and other metadata types.

  In the embodiment, the metadata includes a description of content to be distributed, a rating, a title, a music title, a movie title, an issuer, one right, a plurality of rights, a genre, a language, a relationship, a region, a radio call signal, and a radio broadcast. Station, radio band, channel number, image name, artist name, music track, playlist, storage medium, contributor, date, producer, director, DVD region code, channel name, scheduled start time, scheduled end time , And icons.

  In an embodiment, the mobile communication facility may be a PDA, laptop computer, phone, cellular phone, mobile phone, GSM phone, or some other type of mobile communication facility.

  In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for identifying a high speed communication path from a plurality of communication paths in a mesh network and transmitting entertainment information from an entertainment device via the identified high speed communication path. .

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a home mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the entertainment device includes a television, a signal conversion device, a DVR, a network device, a UPnP network device, a satellite broadcast receiver, a cable converter, a VCR, a digital video disc player, a video accessory, an audio amplifier, an audio tuner, one Body Audio Amplifier / Tuner, CD Player, DVD Player, High Definition DVD Player, Audio Cassette Player, Digital Audio Tape Player, Audio Equipment, Equalizer, Gramophone, Video Component, Streaming Media Player, MP3 Player, Audio File Player, Audio Component, It can be an audio-visual component, or some other entertainment device.

  In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for identifying a high speed communication path in a mesh network and communicating file transfer information via the high speed communication path.

  In the embodiment, the file transfer information includes an email, a communication message, an instant messenger message, a message attachment, video data, image data, audio data, music data, intercom data, remote communication data, firmware update information, It can be security information or some other type of file transfer information.

  In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for instructing a static update controller using a primary controller in a mesh network to enable a node information server function to form a static update controller information server. To do. The static update controller information server distributes the installation process to a plurality of controllers in the mesh network by instructing other nodes in the mesh network instead of the static update controller information server. Can be used to perform, and perform other functions and commands, etc.

  In an embodiment, the method and system are used to associate a static update controller in a mesh network with an inclusion controller, to associate an inclusion controller in the mesh network with a node slave, between a static update controller and an inclusion controller. Transmitting first data (at least partially related to the node slave) and a second (at least partially related to the transmitted first data) between the inclusion controller and the node slave It is possible to send data.

  In the embodiment, the information server may be a server that communicates identification information, installation information, and the like. The information server can be associated with a network protocol, in which case the network protocol can be associated with security, communications, network topology, installation strategy, and the like.

  Inclusion controllers can be associated with network topology data, or other types of data. The network topology data can be data from when the node was last included in the update from the static update controller information server. In an embodiment, the static update controller may include a static controller. The static controller can include an inclusion controller. The inclusion controller can be associated with network topology data, or other types of data. The network topology data can be data from when the node was last included in the update from the static update controller information server.

  In the embodiment, node inclusion processing in the mesh network, node exclusion processing in the mesh network, security function enable processing, communication speed, communication channel, communication channel availability, network security level, network topology, network A command can be associated with a routing strategy, communication of data from an information server to the mesh network node for the purpose of assigning an identifier to the new node, or some other function, purpose, or transmission within the mesh network. is there. The communication rate can be a rate mandated by the network (including but not limited to 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps, 100 kbps, or other rates). The availability of a communication channel can be associated with a single channel or multiple channels. The network security level can be high, medium, low, or some other security level. Commands relating to the network topology can be associated with changes in the network topology. Changes in the network topology can be distributed to other nodes in the network by a static update controller.

  In an embodiment, the plurality of controllers may include a portable controller. The portable controller can include an inclusion controller. The inclusion controller can be associated with network topology data or other types of data. The network topology data can be data from when the node was last included in the update from the static update controller information server. In an embodiment, the plurality of controllers may include a static controller. The static controller can include an inclusion controller. The inclusion controller can be associated with network topology data or other types of data. The network topology data can be data from when the node was last included in the update from the static update controller information server.

  In embodiments, the installation assignment can be an installation strategy, can be distributed to all controllers in the mesh network, can be distributed to one controller in the mesh network, It can be transferred from one node to another during the lifetime of the network, or some other installation assignment. The installation strategy can relate to a local installation, a central installation, or some other strategy.

  In an embodiment, the first data transmitted between the static update controller and the inclusion controller can be a request update, a topology update, and a request for a node identifier, which is related to the reserved node identifier. Can be related to the addition of new nodes to the mesh network, can be related to new range information, or can be related to some other data type . In an embodiment, the second data transmitted between the inclusion controller and the node slave can be node information, can be related to node identifier assignment, and is related to range information. Or can be related to some other data type.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention uses one node in a mesh network to recognize a plurality of channels in the mesh network, and the node of the plurality of channels in the mesh network. The first channel having the node is selected, stays in the first channel having the node for a predetermined period, and exceeds the predetermined period to receive a message if a signal is detected during the predetermined period. The second channel having the node is selected when the predetermined period elapses without remaining in the first channel and detecting the signal.

  In an embodiment, the method and system further includes the step of selecting the second channel when a message is received on the first channel.

  In an embodiment, the message may be a plurality of messages.

  In an embodiment, the message may be a command. Commands include or exclude nodes in the mesh network, enable security features, communication speed, communication channel, communication channel availability, network security level, network topology, network routing strategy, or some other command type It is possible to be involved.

  In embodiments, the speed required by the network can be 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps, 100 kbps, or other communication speeds.

  In embodiments, the availability of a communication channel can be associated with a single channel or multiple channels.

  In an embodiment, the network security level may be high, medium, low, or some other network security level.

  In an embodiment, the signal may be a predetermined signal type.

  In the embodiment, the signal may be a preamble signal unique to the embodiment. The preamble signal unique to the embodiment can be predefined. The preamble signal specific to the embodiment can be dynamically defined. In an embodiment, the preamble signal unique to the embodiment may be equal to a certain number of preamble signals. When the number of preambles is smaller than the specific number of preamble signals, it is possible to generate a command for a node for changing to another channel. If the preamble is equal to a certain number of the preamble signals, it is possible to generate a command for the node to stay on the current channel. If there are more preambles than the specified number of preamble signals, it is possible to generate a command for the node to stay on the current channel.

  In embodiments, the selection of the second channel may be a combination of signal reception and round-robin algorithm, signal reception and predetermined algorithm, signal reception and local-based heuristic, or some other It can be based at least in part on a signal-rule combination.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network is a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention uses a first node to select a first channel in a mesh network, and a second channel in the mesh network via the first channel. Transmitting a frame to a node and using the first node to detect a second channel when a failure to transmit to the second node via the first channel is detected by the first node And the frame is transmitted to the second node via the second channel.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention sends a single cast frame from a first node in a mesh network to a second node and sends the single cast frame from the second node in the mesh network. 3 to detect the singlecast frame sent from the second node to the third node using the first node, and the detection at the first node is detected by the first node. Interpret as a successful acknowledgment of transmission of the singlecast frame from a node to the second node.

  In an embodiment, a second singlecast frame is sent from the second node to a third node in the mesh network, and the detection by the first node of the second singlecast frame is detected by the first node. Can be interpreted as an acknowledgment of the successful transmission of the first singlecast frame from the first node to the second node.

  In an embodiment, the single cast frame may be a routed single cast frame, which may be routed based at least in part on a routing table.

  In an embodiment, a single cast frame may relate to metadata, commands, or some other form of data. The commands can include and / or exclude nodes in the mesh network, enable security features, communication speed, communication channel, communication channel availability, network security level, network topology, network routing strategy, or some other command It is possible to relate to a type.

  In embodiments, the speed required by the network can be 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps, 100 kbps, or other communication speeds.

  In embodiments, the availability of a communication channel can be associated with a single channel or multiple channels.

  In an embodiment, the network security level may be high, medium, low, or some other network security level.

  In an embodiment, single cast frames can be routed on a mesh network topology, which is an automation system network for controlling devices. The device can be a plurality of devices. In an embodiment, the mesh network topology can be implemented in the home. In-home mesh network topologies can relate to audio-visual systems (eg, audio-visual systems including entertainment devices). Entertainment equipment: TV, signal converter, DVR, network equipment, UPnP network equipment, satellite receiver, cable converter, VCR, digital video disc player, video accessory, audio amplifier, audio tuner, integrated audio amplifier / tuner CD player, DVD player, high-definition DVD player, audio cassette player, digital audio tape player, audio equipment, equalizer, phonograph, video component, streaming media player, MP3 player, audio file player, audio component, audio / visual component, Or some other entertainment device.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network topology may relate to a security system. The security system can include alarms, locks, sensors, detectors (such as motion detectors), or some other security system element.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the nodes in the mesh network may be multi-speed nodes.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention uses a discovery node in a mesh network to detect a change in the network topology and based on the detected change at least in part from the discovery node. Transmitting a search frame to the node using an intermediate node, receiving a response from the destination node to the search frame, and including at least route information (including a node route) received along with the response to the search frame At least one functioning network path from the discovery node to the destination node is determined based in part on and an instruction is transmitted from the discovery node to the destination node based on the reverse node path.

  In an embodiment, the present invention may further comprise updating a network topology in a source route table based at least in part on the route information. .

  In an embodiment, the present invention may further comprise initiating a rediscovery protocol that establishes and stores a plurality of functional network paths from the discovery node to the destination node in association with the discovery node. . A rediscovery protocol can be established by a discovery node. The rediscovery protocol can include determining a plurality of functioning network paths through a majority of the entire mesh network. The rediscovery protocol may include determining a plurality of functioning network paths through a subset of nodes for the entire mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the intermediate node may be a plurality of intermediate nodes.

  In embodiments, a change in network topology may be a node failure, a device whose physical location has changed, a change in environment, a user request to determine the current network topology of the mesh network, a network failure, or some other change Can be associated.

  In an embodiment, the change in network topology may be based at least in part on network topology data received from a central network topology server.

  In an embodiment, the environmental change may be a door movement, a window movement, or some other environmental change.

  In an embodiment, the network path failure may be a plurality of network path failures. In an embodiment, a network path failure may be associated with an electrical output failure in a mesh network power supply system.

  In an embodiment, the discovery node can be any node in the mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the search frame may include information that identifies it as a source routing frame.

  In an embodiment, the intermediate node may be able to receive source routing frames.

  In an embodiment, the destination node may be able to receive a source routing frame. The discovery node can receive a plurality of search frames. The discovery node can operate as an operation node in the mesh network. The discovery node can perform at least one of a data retrieval function and a device control function. The discovery node can execute at least one of a data registration function and a data transmission function. The data transmission function can include data transmission to a remote server. The transmission data can include environmental data received by the node.

  In an embodiment, the search frame can be transmitted over a mesh network using a flooding algorithm. The flooding algorithm can include instructions for the discovery node to send a search frame to all communicable mesh network nodes. The flooding algorithm can include instructions for a discovery node to transmit a search frame in a promiscuous broadcast.

  In an embodiment, a response to a search frame can be received at a node.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may include a node identifier for each node in the mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the route information may include all possible routes from the discovery node to the destination node. In an embodiment, the route information may include a subset of all possible routes from the discovery node to the destination node. In the embodiment, the route information may include a node identifier for each node included in the route. The node path can be the order and identification of the nodes that pass through during transmission from the destination node to the discovery node. The reverse node path can be an ordering of the nodes in the path that allows transmission between the discovery node and the destination node. The reverse node path that can be a suitable path for transmission from the discovery node to the destination node is selected from the path information. A suitable route may be based at least in part on the amount of data transmitted over the route. A suitable path may be based at least in part on the transmission rate of the path. A preferred route may be based at least in part on the number of intermediate nodes in the route.

  In the embodiment, the transmission speed of a route can be predicted by arrival of route information at a discovery node.

  In an embodiment, the updated network topology is stored at the discovery node, intermediate node, destination node, transmitted by the discovery node to the central network topology server, or stored and / or transmitted at some other location. Is possible.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network can be associated with a residence. The residence can be a home, a company, or some other residence type used by a person.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be associated with an audiovisual system, alarm system, environmental control system, outdoor device, multiple indoor and outdoor devices, or some other device or component.

  In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for configuring a constantly powered mesh network node to control the configuration of the intermittently powered mesh network node, wherein Powered mesh network nodes are periodically powered off to save energy, and when the intermittently powered mesh network nodes are powered on, the mesh network nodes that are constantly powered The configuration network is requested to be transmitted to the intermittently supplied mesh network node.

  In an embodiment, the node may be powered by a battery, fuel cell, solar cell, alternative energy source, AC power source, DC power source, or some other power source.

  In an embodiment, the wake-up destination may maintain multiple configurations for multiple intermittently powered mesh network nodes.

  In an embodiment, it is possible to configure a mesh network node that is constantly powered using configuration equipment. The configuration equipment can be a portable node, a handheld node, a PDA node, a fixed mounting equipment, or some other node or equipment type.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention scans a plurality of nodes in a mesh network to identify a currently active wake-up destination for a battery-powered mesh network node, Requests an active wakeup destination to send a wakeup redirection signal, and if the mesh network node powered by the battery does not have a wakeup destination in its memory, from a node in the mesh network Request a new route. In an embodiment, the method may further include the step of the battery-powered mesh network node confirming the change from the first wakeup destination to the second wakeup destination.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention associates a first node in a mesh network with a communication type, activates the first node at predetermined intervals, and sets a second node in the mesh node. The presence of a message of the communication type in a transmission from a node of the second node and the transmission from the second node is not compliant with the communication type associated with the first node Continue activation of the first node and activate the first node beyond the predetermined interval if the associated communication type is detected in the transmission from the second node and the associated Following the detection of the communication type, a message from the second node is received by the first node.

  In embodiments, nodes, including but not limited to nodes powered by batteries, can be associated with a device. The device can be a home appliance or other device. The home appliance can be connected to a network. The home appliance can be of a UPnP network connection type. Home appliances are televisions, satellite receivers, cable converters, VCRs, digital video disc players, laser disc players, video accessories, audio amplifiers, audio tuners, integrated audio amplifiers / tuners, CD players, DVD players, high quality DVD player, audio cassette player, digital audio tape player, audio equipment, equalizer, phonograph, video component, streaming media player, MP3 player, lighting, lamp, refrigerator, freezer, microwave oven, oven, stove, computer, printer, FAX, Scanner, copier, gateway, modem, ISDN, garage door, door lock, curtain, shutter, window opener, door opener, sprinkler, or indoor or outdoor use Because of some other device, component, it is possible to implement, the electrical device.

  In an embodiment, a node powered by a battery can be associated with a capacitor. It is possible to associate the capacitor further with one device. In an embodiment, a node powered by a battery can be associated with a rechargeable battery. A rechargeable battery can be associated with one device.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may include a plurality of nodes that are powered by a battery.

  In an embodiment, a node can be associated with one node ID. The node ID can be unique to one node. Node IDs can be randomly assigned. One node ID can be associated with a plurality of nodes.

  In an embodiment, one node in the mesh network can be associated with data indicating which node in the mesh network is powered by the battery. This data can be stored locally on the node, stored on a central network topology server, or stored in some other location.

  In an embodiment, the communication type may be identified based at least in part on message preamble pattern data. The message preamble pattern can be associated with a sensor network. The sensor network can be a group of network nodes. A group of network nodes can be created by a user, an algorithm, or some other method or system. In an embodiment, the sensor network can be associated with a network identifier. The message preamble pattern can include a network identifier.

  In an embodiment, the sensor network may be associated with an edge node that is further associated with the network.

  In an embodiment, the message may be sent over a mesh network using a flooding algorithm. The flooding algorithm can include instructions for the first node to send a message to all communicable mesh network nodes. The flooding algorithm may include instructions for further transmitting the message to all mesh network nodes with which the node receiving the transmitted message of the first node can communicate with the node.

  In an embodiment, the message can be associated with route information.

  In an embodiment, the message preamble pattern can be associated with route information.

  In an embodiment, the route information may include an identifier of a node in the route. The route information can include an indication of whether or not nodes in the route are powered by the battery. Path information including nodes powered by a battery can be further associated with an algorithm to associate a message preamble pattern to activate the nodes for a period of time sufficient to receive the message.

  In an embodiment, activation of a first node over a predetermined period allows multiple messages to be received before the first node is deactivated.

  In an embodiment, a message sent from a first node to a second node can be further sent to a third node in the mesh network. The third node can be a plurality of nodes. It is possible to activate the third node at predetermined intervals to detect the presence of a communication type as in the case of transmission of the first node to the second node.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, a message identifier can be associated with a message. The message can include a list of all nodes to which the message was previously forwarded.

  In an embodiment, the first node may store a list of neighboring nodes. In an embodiment, the node compares the list of neighboring nodes with a list of all nodes to which the message was previously forwarded and relays the message only to neighboring nodes that have not previously received the message. It is possible.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network signal may be a radio signal.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network signal may be an infrared signal.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention associates a first node in a mesh network with an electrical device and configures the electrical device from a home controller, whereby the mesh network performs channel adjustment. And allows data to be transmitted (using channel adjustment) between the first node and the second node in the mesh network via the mesh network and the transmitted Perform an action based at least in part on the collected data.

  In an embodiment, the channel adjustment may be secondary channel enablement, rate control, or some other type of channel adjustment.

  In an embodiment, the electrical device may be a home control device, audiovisual device, security device, temperature control device, environmental device, lighting device, healthcare device, user interface device, or some other electrical device type. Is possible.

  In the embodiment, the home control device is an electric lamp, stand-alone lighting, fixed lighting, refrigerator, stove, microwave oven, freezer, coffee maker, oven, window covering, lock, HVAC device, garage door, alarm system, camera , Video camera, sprinkler, wine cooler, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, water softener, humidifier, dehumidifier, awning, window opener, rice cooker, iron, door opener, gas detector, FAX, shredder, Keyboard, mouse, trackball, pen, pool circulator, pump, valve, hot water heater, boiler, motor for appliances, communication link, machinery, garden light, garden fence, invisible pet fence, gate, hot spring, personal computer Peripheral devices, household utility devices, audiovisual elements, or any other It can be a home control device type. In the embodiment, each home control device type can be associated with a plurality of repeater nodes 3734, user interface nodes 3740, external device equipment 3744, and the like. The home control device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The home control device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In an embodiment, the home control device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with one function, multiple functions, combined functions, or multiple combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, battery function 3710 (including battery powered node, battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc.), node initiated repair 3712, May include secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described herein Is possible.

  In an embodiment, an operation may be performed based at least in part on data transmitted in association with an electrical device. The action can be a general control action (e.g. locking or unlocking the door) or some other control action in which the device is operated in a predetermined manner. The action may be a monitoring action, an action to determine the state of a node or device (eg, “open window”), or some other general action.

  These and other systems, methods, objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings.

A mesh network including a plurality of network nodes is shown. An overview of a mesh network and node control software is shown. An example of a kind of retransmission handshaking is shown. An example of a kind of retransmission handshaking is shown. It shows how simultaneous communication with a small number of nodes affects communication on a mesh network. It shows the inclusion controller used to include a new slave instead of the network SIS. Fig. 2 shows the software components of a mesh network divided into slave applications and basic software. It shows the software function of the controller node. 1 shows a block diagram of a mesh network node. 1 shows a block diagram of a transceiver and an RF modem. It is a waveform of asymmetrical modulation. It is a waveform of asymmetrical modulation. It is a block diagram of the phase lock loop function of this invention. It is a timing chart of a frequency calibration sequence. It is a waveform of VCO automatic self-calibration. A timing chart of pulse width modulation output (PWM) is shown. The I / O of a typical application circuit is shown. The external crystal connection is shown. Fig. 4 shows a simplified block diagram of an internal reset circuit. Fig. 2 shows an RF connection in a typical application. A typical RS232 UART application circuit is shown. The waveform of the serial byte is shown. Indicates an external interrupt. A simplified Triac application circuit is shown. A typical Triac waveform is shown. Fig. 5 illustrates zero crossing detection hindered by noise. Fig. 5 illustrates masking for zero crossing detection. The timing of the zero crossing detection output is shown. It shows the Triac fire delay from the zero crossing detection. The triac fire delay of FIG. 23 is shown together with the correction period. An overview of the internal ADC block is shown. Two registers connected as one distributed shift register are shown. A typical interface application of EEPROM is shown. FIG. 2 shows a simplified block diagram of a typical interface to a programming device. A multi-speed demodulator is shown. Fig. 4 illustrates possible relationships between media servers, media renderers, and control points. Fig. 4 illustrates a simplified embodiment of a combination of media server, media renderer, and control points in a home audiovisual system. FIG. 6 illustrates a simplified embodiment of an implicit acknowledgment of a single cast frame routed through a mesh network. Fig. 4 illustrates a simplified embodiment of dynamic enabling of secondary channel selection. Fig. 4 illustrates a simplified embodiment of the use of a preamble in the dynamic enabling of secondary channel selection. Fig. 2 illustrates a simplified embodiment of a source routing method and system. Fig. 5 illustrates message transmission using a node beam in a simplified network. A preamble pattern in the node beam is shown. 1 illustrates a simplified wireless network that includes electrical devices.

  The present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

  The present invention enables built-in intelligence and wireless communication for various residential and lighting commercial applications such as lighting and equipment control, automatic measurement, automatic temperature control and ventilation control, security, and residential gateway connectivity. Reliable and low cost control and monitoring technology. In an embodiment, the mesh network node can convert any stand-alone device into an intelligent network device that can be controlled and monitored wirelessly. Mesh networks focus on low-bandwidth applications and replace expensive hardware with innovative software solutions such as frame acknowledgment, retransmission, collision avoidance, frame checksum, and state-of-the-art routing algorithms And, by ensuring full home coverage, it provides highly reliable networking at a fraction of the cost of other technologies.

  One important feature of the mesh network technology is the routing capability of all nodes in the network. The mesh network automatically routes signals from one node to the next, thereby expanding its range. Rather than relying solely on line-of-sight communication like other technologies, mesh networks can route commands through other devices-nodes in the network as needed, Obstacles can be avoided. Mesh network technology also minimizes the problems of noise and distortion due to architectural disturbances and out-of-radio locations using innovative transmission techniques such as bidirectional acknowledgments and alternate path searches.

  For example, FIG. 1 shows a mesh network 100 that includes a plurality of network nodes. The user can instruct the lights associated with node 1 100A in the garage to turn off from node 4100F in the main bedroom. If direct transmission to node 1 100A is interrupted by some radio frequency (RF) obstruction 102 (eg, a stainless steel refrigerator in the kitchen), node 4100F may be, for example, node 3100C (eg, corridor temperature controller) ) Are automatically selected and rerouted as many times as necessary to complete the delivery of the command. An acknowledgment is then sent back to node 4 100F confirming that the instruction has been executed by node 1100A.

  The mesh network infrastructure is decentralized, with nodes spreading as both clients and repeaters, avoiding failure and control central points. As new components are added to the network, path redundancy and reliability increase, and the degree of redundancy and signal strength increases with node density. As the distance between nodes decreases by a factor of two, the resulting signal is at least four times stronger at the receiver.

  Mesh networks are also self-organizing and do not require manual configuration. Therefore, the addition of a new device or the movement of an existing device can be as simple as inserting a plug and turning on the power. The network can discover new nodes and automatically incorporate them into existing systems. Mesh network technology can provide a substantially improved coverage and reliability in a virtually unlimited range.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the mesh network software 200 can be designed for function polling, command completion callback function invocation, and delay function invocation. The software 200 can be divided into two groups of program modules: basic software and application software. The basic software may include system activation code, low level polling function 222, main polling loop 202, protocol layer 204, and memory and timer 224 service functions. The application software may include application hardware initialization 210 and software initialization 212 functions, an application state machine 214, a command completion callback function 218, and a receive command handler 220 function. The application software can also include a hardware driver.

  The main loop 202 can call up a list of protocol functions. The function can be designed to return to the caller as quickly as possible so that the central processing unit can perform other tasks. It is possible to simultaneously receive data, transmit data via UART (Universal Asynchronous Receive Transmit), and check the button activated by the user.

  When the application layer 208 requests other nodes in the network 100 to transmit data, the protocol layer can add a frame header and a checksum to the data before transmission. The protocol layer can also handle frame retransmissions and routing of frames through repeater nodes to nodes that are not within direct RF reach. When the frame transmission is completed, it is possible to call the transmission completion callback function 218 specified by the application. The transmission completion callback function 218 can include a parameter indicating a transmission result.

  The application layer 208 can provide an interface to the communication environment used by the application process. The application software can consist of the following functions: hardware initialization function 210, software initialization function 212, application state machine 214, command completion callback function 218, and receive command handler function 220. The application performs communication with other nodes in the network 100 at the application level. At the application level, it is possible to define a framework from device and command classes so as to obtain interoperability between mesh network compatible products from different vendors. The basic structure of these commands can provide the ability to set parameters on a node and request parameters from a node that responds with a report containing the requested parameters.

  Wireless communication is inherently unreliable. The reason is that the propagation characteristics are dynamic and cannot be predicted, so there is simply no clearly defined scope. Mesh network protocols can minimize noise and distortion problems by using a transmission mechanism that can include two retransmissions to ensure reliable communication. In addition, a single cast is acknowledged by the receiving node, thus notifying the application how the transmission has proceeded.

  3 and 4 show an example of this type of retransmission handshaking. Mesh network protocols can be designed to obtain low latency at the expense of simultaneous communication processing for multiple nodes in the network. To obtain this, the number of random backoff values is limited to four (0,1,2,3).

  FIG. 5 shows a mode in which simultaneous communication that handles a small number of nodes 100 completely blocks communication. Simultaneous communication to multiple nodes in the network requires a response from the node in question and should therefore be avoided in the application.

  From a protocol perspective, there can be many different types of nodes, such as control nodes, static controller nodes, installer controller nodes, controller bridge nodes, slave nodes, routing slave nodes, and extended slave nodes. The controller node can store information about other nodes in the network. The node information includes nodes (routing information) with which each node can communicate. The installation node can itself exist as a controller node, which can include additional features that contribute to expert installer setup, configuration, and network troubleshooting. The controller bridge node can store information about the nodes in the network and in addition can create virtual slave nodes. A virtual slave node is a node that exists on another network that can be accessed via a bridge.

  The network can be composed of a slave, a primary controller, and a secondary controller. By using the primary controller, it is possible to add and delete new nodes from the network. For example, when a suitable repeater node is deleted, the secondary controller and the routing slave can malfunction. A new replica must be made from the primary controller to all secondary controllers without automatic network update, and the routing slave should also be updated manually with the changes. In a network with several controller nodes and routing slave nodes, this can cause the problem that the process is not automated. To automate the process, an automatic network update scheme can be included in the network protocol. To use this scheme, a static controller can be made available in the network. This static controller can only be used to keep a copy of the network topology and recent changes that have occurred in the network. A static controller used in the automatic update method is called a static update controller (SUC).

  Each time a node is added, deleted, or a routing change occurs, the primary controller can send node information to the SUC. The secondary controller can then ask the SUC if there are any pending updates. The SUC can then respond to any changes since the controller last requested an update. On the controller, an update request can be invoked to notify the application that a new node has been added or removed from the network. SUC can hold many changes in the network. If the secondary controller requests an update after more than the maximum number of changes have occurred, it is possible to terminate the request unsuccessfully without performing the update. In this case, in order to update the information on the secondary controller, manual replication from the primary controller is required. A routing slave may have the ability to request an update of its known destination node. If any change occurs on the network, the SUC can send updated route information about the destination node to the routing slave that requested the update. The routing slave application can be notified when the process is complete, but cannot obtain information about changes to the path. A routing slave may have the ability to request an update of its known destination node. If any change occurs in the network, the SUC can send updated route information about the destination node to the routing slave that requested the update. The routing slave application can be notified when the process is complete.

  The network can optionally have a SUC with the node ID server function (SIS) enabled. The SIS enables other controllers to include / exclude nodes in the network on behalf of the SIS. This makes it easy to install complex networks. This is because multiple controllers support node inclusion instead of one dedicated primary controller.

  The SIS is the primary controller in the network, has recent updates of the network topology, and has the ability to include / exclude nodes in the network. Furthermore, it is safer to keep the latest network topology on the SIS (static controller) rather than the portable primary controller widely used during network installation. In an embodiment, the network may include only one SIS. The primary controller can instruct the SUC to enable the node ID server function (SIS). If the SUC is primary, the application of the SUC can enable the node ID server function locally.

  If you include an additional controller in the network that contains the SIS, it can be an inclusion controller, so that it has the ability to include / exclude nodes in the network on behalf of the SIS. It is possible to obtain. Both portable controllers and static controllers can be inclusion controllers. Inclusion controller network topology data can be from when the node was last included or the last time a network update from SIS was requested, so the inclusion controller is classified as a primary controller. It is possible not to.

  FIG. 5A shows an inclusion controller 510 used to include a new slave node 520 on behalf of the SIS 530. The inclusion controller 510 that performs the inclusion can initially request the latest network topology change 540 and free node ID 550 from the SIS 530. The inclusion controller 510 can receive node information and range information 560 from the newly included slave 520 and transfer such information 570 to the SIS 530. In an embodiment, the inclusion controller 510 may be within the immediate scope of the node to be included.

  The failed node can be replaced with a node that inherits the node ID of the failed node. Thereby, the user avoids updating the node having the association with the failed node. The association within the failed code can be reconstructed at the new node.

  The software component of the system according to the invention allows routing slaves to be extended to a certain number of destinations (eg 5) with a return path in very low latency applications. In some embodiments, a routing slave may need to support more destinations than the specific number of destinations, which includes a preferred return path for destinations outside the direct range of the routing slave. Need to support. In an embodiment, the software component may allow the controller to determine whether two nodes are directly in range. The routing slave can request a new return path destination from the SUC / SIS node if an available return path fails. Furthermore, the routing slave can check whether the node ID is within any direct range of the existing return path.

  A software component can be used to cancel an ongoing routing attempt. This software component can be used to stop transmission to a malfunctioning node, thereby eliminating a large number of routing attempts in a large network.

  The software component of the mesh network controller can be divided into a controller application and controller basic software, and can include control of various data stored in the mesh network protocol layer and memory. The controller node can include an external memory in which an application data area is arranged. A unique home ID number can be assigned to the controller node, and the home ID number can be stored in a basic area of the memory. When a new slave node is registered in the mesh network, the controller node can assign a home ID and a unique node ID to the slave node. The slave node can store a home ID and a node ID. If the controller is primary, it can send any network changes from the SUC node. By using macros during application software development, it is possible to adjust the interface without changing the application source files.

  The software component of the mesh network static controller node can be divided into a static controller application and static controller basic software, and can include control of various data stored in the mesh network protocol layer and memory. is there. The difference between a static controller node and a controller node is that the static controller is not powered down, i.e. is not used for battery-powered devices. A static controller can have the ability to look for neighbors when requested by the controller. This capability allows the primary controller to assign a static path from the routing slave to the static controller. A static controller can be configured as a SUC node, so that network topology updates can be sent to any requesting secondary controller. It is also possible for a secondary static controller that does not function as a SUC to request a network topology update.

  The software component of the mesh network installer controller can be divided into an installer controller application and a static controller base software and includes a mesh network protocol layer. The installer controller can be a mesh network controller node, which can be used to implement a controller specifically for professional installers that support and set up multiple networks. Includes additional features.

  The software component of the controller bridge node of the mesh network can be divided into a controller bridge application and basic software, and can include a mesh network protocol layer. The controller bridge node can be a static controller node of the mesh network and includes an additional function for the purpose of bridging the mesh network with other networks.

  The software components of the slave nodes of the mesh network can be divided into slave applications and basic software and can include a mesh network protocol layer. A slave node can have a block of memory reserved for data storage, and can have limited direct access to the block. The home ID and node ID of the new node can be zero. When a slave node is registered in the mesh network, the slave node can receive a home ID and a node ID from the network primary controller node. These IDs can be stored in a basic data area in the memory. Slaves can send unsolicited broadcasts and unrouted singlecasts. Furthermore, the slave can respond with a routed single cast (response route) by sending a routed single cast to another node when another node requests a response. A received multicast or broadcast becomes a response path without routing.

  FIG. 6 illustrates how the software component of the routing slave node of the mesh network is divided into slave application and basic software, which may include a mesh network protocol layer. A routing slave node has a block of memory reserved for data storage and may have limited direct access to the block. The basic software of the mesh network can reserve the first part of this area, and can reserve the last part of the area for application data. The home ID and node ID of the new node can be zero. When registering a slave node in the mesh network, the slave node can receive a home ID and a node ID from the primary controller node of the network. These IDs can be stored in the mesh network basic data area in the memory. Routing slaves can send unsolicited broadcasts and single casts (routed or not routed). Furthermore, the slave can respond with a routed single cast (response route) by sending a routed single cast to another node when another node requests a response. A received multicast or broadcast becomes a response path without routing.

  FIG. 7 shows an aspect in which an extended slave node has the same basic functions as a routing slave node, but it may have more functions on the hardware, so more software components It can be made available. The extended slave node can have an external memory and a real time clock (RTC) 700 and a wakeup timer (WUT) 824. The basic software can reserve the first area of the external memory and can reserve the last area of the external memory for application data.

  An internal ring oscillator is used as the basis for the wake-up timer. The oscillator has very low power consumption but is very sensitive to temperature, supply voltage, and process variations. Calibration circuitry is built into the chip to compensate for altitude variations. The calibration circuit derives a calibration constant by measuring the oscillation frequency relative to the system clock. Since the ring oscillator operates at a few kHz, the calibration is fast compared to the wake-up period. The calibration is automatically performed before entering the WUT (Wake Up Timer) mode.

  Nodes in mesh network 100 can be implemented with a single integrated circuit (eg, IC, ASIC, FPGA, etc.). FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of a mesh network node that includes an integrated RF transceiver 802, 8051 microcontroller unit (MCU) 830 with random access memory (RAM) 832, mesh network software application. It can consist of a number of subcomponents such as a programming interface (API) 828 and a storage device 828 (such as flash memory) for user application software. In addition to these main functional blocks, the single-chip embodiment includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 822, general purpose input / output (I / O) pin 808, power-on reset (POR) circuitry / brown voltage -out) Detector 812, Triac controller 820, SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) 824, interrupt controller, and UART814 serial interface for connection to peripheral devices. Such devices can be designed for very low power, low voltage applications, can be highly optimized for battery powered applications, and are easily incorporated into size-constrained products It is possible.

  The power conditioner 834 adjusts the external power supply to lower it to a low internal power supply. The power regulator 834 can greatly improve the power noise tolerance of the chip.

  The single-chip embodiment of the embodiment of FIG. 8 can operate with a system clock derived from XTAL. For example, the clock controller 810 divides an external crystal (not shown) into two internal clocks. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, a 16 MHz or 32 MHz external crystal allows the clock controller 810 to generate an 8 MHz clock for the RF circuitry and a 16 MHz clock for the MCU 830 and peripherals. Alternatively, the clock controller 810 can be connected to an external crystal controlled oscillator.

  The POR circuit 812 eliminates the need for an external reset circuit, and can hold the reset state when the power is turned on and the voltage is lowered. The POR812 can be designed to have glitch tolerance, noise hysteresis, and transient stability. The POR circuit 812 has very low power consumption and is active even in sleep mode.

  Further referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the transceiver 802 can transmit and receive Manchester encoded data 9.6 kbit. FIG. 9 shows the present invention for communicating NRZ encoded data at about 40 kb / s. The RF transceiver 802 can handle all RF related functions such as Manchester encoding / decoding 900, preamble detection, and serialization / deserialization. The output of the transmitter output amplifier 902 can be adjusted in 2 dB steps. Various parts of the RF transceiver 802 can be turned on and off, so that only the necessary circuits can be powered at a time. The RF transceiver 802 may only require external components for input and output matching. A block diagram of a transceiver 802 including an RF modem 842 is shown in FIG.

  The transceiver 802 includes a plurality of parallel receive demodulators, each of which detects a different received communication signal frequency, and a network of devices of current technology, devices of legacy technology and / or different types of devices. Allows a single-chip embodiment to operate in an environment with multiple communication signal frequencies that may occur in The plurality of demodulators are configured to receive an output signal from an interface of the RF transceiver 802, and a first demodulator that has detected a valid signal gains control, thereby preliminarily communicating with an external device. It is possible to transparently receive signals at any of a plurality of supported data rates without negotiation. As a result of supporting multiple received data frequencies, there is no communication overhead, which allows high-speed reception of unsolicited transmissions from unknown sources.

  The automatic speed receiver can include supplying the output of one wireless front end to multiple demodulators for each different data rate, and then the first demodulator that detects a valid signal controls Thus allowing signals at any supported data rate to be received transparently without prior negotiation. As a result, there are no overheads due to the use of multiple data rates, and benefits including unsolicited transmissions from unknown sources are received at high speed without the overhead of data rate negotiation. Is obtained.

  This solution provides a seamless installation of nodes that only support multi-speed nodes (eg 9.6 kbps and 9.6 / 40 kbps). The transceiver 802 is used to detect the speed of the received frame (eg, 9.6 / 40 kbps) to create a speed independent receiver. In an embodiment, the optimal speed (eg, the fastest speed) for the destination node is known (eg, via test and information storage associated with the routing table), and the sending node can transmit at the optimal speed. .

  The transmitter side can use a method that will use the highest known speed that can be used to reach the final destination. In an embodiment, the controller can send multicast frames using an optimal rate. For example, if the transmitter knows that all destination nodes of the multicast frame support 40 kbps, the transmitter will send the multicast at 40 kbps. As a further example, in order to ensure that all nodes within the direct range of the transmitter receive the broadcast frame, the transmitter will transmit the broadcast frame at 9.6 kbps.

  The transmitter controller can select a particular route node for a singlecast or routed singlecast frame based on a route consisting only of nodes that support the preferred transmission rate. For example, if the transmitter controller can find a path where all nodes support 40 kbps, the controller can select the path for a routed singlecast frame. Alternatively, if such a route cannot be found, the controller will transmit at the optimum rate for every route. In this case, on such a path, the controller will transmit a single cast or routed single cast frame at 9.6 kbps.

  Similarly, the controller attempts to achieve the highest possible speed when assigning a return path to a routing slave. Since a routing slave can store a speed for each path to a destination, a routing slave can have a set of stored speeds (eg, 40 kbps and mixed) for multiple paths to each destination. 9.6 kbps).

  Node information frames or forwarded presentation frames can be sent out at low speed (eg 9.6kbps) to allow the controller to include / exclude nodes that support only low speed or nodes that support multiple speeds is there.

  In an embodiment, channel selection can be performed dynamically locally at each node without the need for network information distribution or user intervention. Dynamic channel selection does not require additional installation steps. This dynamic nature also allows the network to maximize the utilization of free communication slots on available channels. Nodes in the network can listen on available channels based at least in part on a predetermined algorithm (eg, limited to round robin). The node can select the next communication channel and can remain in each selected channel for a predetermined period of time. The node can remain on the selected channel and receive messages. When the node is ready to receive a new frame, it can select the next communication channel again and repeat the above process.

  In an embodiment, the communication channel may have multi-speed capability within a single carrier frequency and / or may have multi-speed capability across multiple carrier frequencies.

  In an embodiment, a node in the mesh network can be used to recognize multiple channels in the mesh network. The node can select a first channel from a plurality of channels in the mesh network and remain on the first channel for a predetermined period of time. If no signal is detected during the predetermined period, the node can select a second channel and remain in the second channel for a predetermined period to detect the signal. If a signal is detected during a predetermined period of time remaining on the first channel, the node can remain on the channel beyond the predetermined period of time to receive a message. The node can then select the second channel when a message is received on the first channel. This channel selection process may include multiple nodes and / or multiple channels in the mesh network.

  One aspect of the invention relates to a portable node (eg, a portable mesh node), where the portable node can be associated with a user interface or other device. The portable node can be similar to other nodes described herein and communicates with the network either directly with the master controller or through other nodes in the mesh network. Is possible. The portable node is discoverable like other nodes are discoverable. For example, a portable node can be located by other nodes that send “discover” requests to the portable node. When a portable node receives a discovery request, it can respond to it and then complete a communication link and handoff to other nodes in the network. In other embodiments, the portable node can be programmed to send a “discovery” identifier periodically. For example, a portable node can send a data packet to all nodes within its region (ie, within its range) so that nodes in its vicinity can communicate with the portable node Can be identified. In other embodiments, surrounding nodes can be used to physically locate portable nodes, such as through triangulation techniques.

  The software component of the system according to the present invention may involve coordination with or control of streaming data in the network. For example, associating a user interface with a portable node, browsing through a set of entertainment titles (eg, music titles, video titles, movie titles), selecting one title and controlling it by other nodes in the network (eg, The user interface can be configured to play on an audio / video device). The entertainment system can provide functions similar to, for example, known high-end MP3 players. In the embodiment, the entertainment device is a television, a signal conversion device, a DVR, a network device, a UPnP network device, a satellite broadcast receiver, a cable converter, a VCR, a digital video disc player, a video accessory, an audio amplifier, an audio tuner, and an integrated type. Audio amplifier / tuner, CD player, DVD player, high-quality DVD player, audio cassette player, digital audio tape player, audio equipment, equalizer, phonograph, video component, streaming media player, MP3 player, audio file player, and audio component, It can be an audio-visual component, or some other entertainment device.

  In an embodiment, information regarding entertainment devices and / or entertainment media may be distributed over a mesh network in a predetermined data structure. The data structure can include metadata. In an embodiment, the metadata is an image, a photo, an audio, a music track, an audio broadcast, an audio book, a video, a movie, a video broadcast, a recorded video, a live video, a digital video recorder file, a music video, an audio / visual device, an electrification It can be associated with products, content directories, and other metadata types. Metadata includes description of content to be distributed, rating, title, music title, movie title, publisher, one right, multiple rights, genre, language, relationship, region, radio call signal, radio broadcasting station, radio band , Channel number, image name, artist name, music track, playlist, storage media, contributor, date, producer, director, DVD region code, channel name, scheduled start time, scheduled end time, icon, etc. Is possible.

  In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 30, media server 3000 can provide entertainment content (eg, videos, songs, images, etc.) and can provide the content to media renderer 3002. It is. The media renderer 3002 can render entertainment content provided by the media server 3000. The media renderer 3002 can be identified using a unique endpoint identifier for the media renderer 3002. The control point 3004 can adjust the operation of the media server and media renderer 3002. For example, via a control point, an end user can select what the user wants to see and / or listen to and where he wants to hear and / or sees it. Content that can be used on the media server 3000 can be accessed via the content directory function of the control point 3004. This directory consists of hierarchically organized content categories, in which the top hierarchy is “music”, the subcategory within “music” is “artist”, the subcategory within “artist” is “album 1”, and so on. is there.

  Embodiments use a combination of media server 3000, media renderer 3002, and control point 3004 to provide a compact disc player 3100, DVD player 3102, and projector screen 3104, to name an example among many possible embodiments. It is possible to control a home audio / visual system including the above. In this home audio-visual system example, a remote controller 3108 can be used to communicate with multiple control points 3004, each of which is associated with a device in the audio-visual system. It is what was done. For example, the remote controller 3108 can communicate with a control point 3004 associated with the compact disc player 3100. The compact disc player 3100 relays data to the media server 3000, which then relays the data to the media renderer 3002, and then to the control point 3004. Similarly, DVD player 3102 and screen 3104 can be controlled by a remote controller using a combination of media server 3000, media renderer 3002, and control point 3004.

  In an embodiment, the portable node can control other aspects of the entertainment system in association with the user interface. For example, the user can control the output channel, input channel, volume, pitch, balance, treble, bus, brightness, sharpness, HDTV function, and the like. A portable node with a user interface can be configured as a controller / receiver for other devices, sensors, etc. in the network.

  A subscriber identity / information module (SIM) can uniquely identify the connected mobile device and allows the mobile communication device to connect to the mesh network. The SIM card can also provide a configurable storage for further information about the subscriber. As an example, a SIM card stores memory for subscriber personal information such as address books, preferences, phone numbers, network passwords, and other information that is useful or useful for mobile users to access the wireless network. An apparatus can be provided.

  Furthermore, SIM can facilitate access to mobile networks. For example, the SIM may contain unique information that the GSM mobile device network can detect when the SIM is installed on a GSM compatible phone and functions within the service area of the GSM network. For this reason, when a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone operates using a SIM within the range of a wireless network such as a wireless mesh network, the mobile device can be detected by the network. In this way, SIM can facilitate making mobile or portable devices discoverable via a mesh network. Furthermore, the subscriber and / or network node identification information on the SIM can be used in the authentication process before allowing the mobile phone to join the wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, a mobile communication device equipped with a SIM card facilitates a user of the mobile device to gain authorized access to a mesh network and further access facilities on the mesh network. For example, an authenticated user of a mobile device on a mesh network can download a list of movies stored on a digital video recorder connected to the network to a SIM configurable storage device. . The mobile device can then use the downloaded list along with the display format information stored in the SIM to cause the list to be displayed in the user interface on the mobile device display. In another example, a user uploads digital content, such as photos or videos on a mobile device (eg, a camera phone with video capabilities) to a home entertainment system, to a user watching the system's display. It is possible to present. One such example could be used by a person traveling abroad to show an image from a destination, or a medical technician providing an emergency patient image to a doctor in an emergency room.

  Since SIM can provide access to wireless networks and can provide authentication for access to mesh networks, it uses SIM-based mobile devices such as mobile phones. By accessing the mesh network via the portal from the mesh network to the mobile phone network, it is possible to access the mesh network equipment from a location far outside the range of the nodes on the wireless mesh network.

  Portable or mobile nodes can be discovered via information contained within the SIM, just as other nodes can discover. For example, a portable node can be located by other nodes that send “discover” requests to the portable node. When a portable node configured with a SIM card receives a discovery request, the portable node can respond to it and then complete a communication link to handoff to other nodes in the network. In another embodiment, the SIM card may include configured storage device information that instructs a mobile device or portable node to periodically transmit a “discovery” identifier. For example, the mobile device may send a broadcast type data packet to allow neighboring nodes that received the data to identify that the node can communicate with the SIM-based mobile device.

  One aspect of the invention relates to streaming data (eg, entertainment data) over a mesh network. The streaming data can be configured such that control frames can be transmitted over the mesh network while the streaming data is transmitted. In an embodiment, a software component that supports streaming data may include a minimum delay of 35 ms after each frame carrying streaming data, for example.

  In the embodiment, the streaming data is preferably performed at a high transmission rate (for example, a transmission rate of 40 kbps). The controller that streams the data can determine and select the optimum rate for the stream transmission, preferably a high rate (eg 40 kbps or the highest available rate). Depending on the network topology, the slave may not check the communication speed of the routed streaming data, so the controller is preferably slow (eg 9.6 for the routed data stream). kbps) can be selected. In an embodiment, a master controller and / or node in a mesh network that manipulates streaming information can select the highest speed path that can be utilized for transmission of streaming data. For example, streaming data can reach a given node, which can have the ability to send information to any of a plurality of nodes (the plurality of nodes Because it is within range). The node may determine that one of the plurality of nodes is a high speed node and select the node to receive the next data transmission. Once the high-speed path from the source to the final receiver is determined, routing information regarding the high-speed path can be stored and used for subsequent transmissions that require high-speed transmission.

  In embodiments, multiple methods and systems can be used for transmission of large data files. For example, large data files such as text files, audio files, and video files can be transmitted in a single data block so that the end processing elements can be utilized when the transmission is complete. Large files can also be transmitted such that the end processing element buffers the incoming data and starts using the data after a short delay before its transmission is complete. Large data files can also be transmitted so that the data is sent to the user in real time or near real time.

  Transmission of large data files cannot be used immediately by the end processing element, but can be transmitted as a single data block. An example is a television guide that is delivered to the end processing element only once a day for later use. The lack of immediacy of this task allows the sending device to schedule transmissions when bandwidth is available and send data with or without data compression, which stores the data And this reduces the processing requirements. Although this large data file transmission method is the least burdensome in terms of processing requirements, it is not the best choice for large data files (such as real-time audio and video files) that require immediate action.

  In embodiments, large data files can be transmitted for immediate use based at least in part on buffering of data at the receiving end. This method is often referred to as progressive download or pseudo-streaming and is not essentially different from other methods for transmitting data for later use. As a result, it is possible to use the same data transmission protocol for progressive download that the processing element on the sending side uses for the transmission of small data. The data file can also be held on the end processing element after its transmission. Added to the end processing element to help immediate use by the user is an additional data buffering layer between the input from the source and the output to the user. As long as the available bandwidth during data transmission between processing elements is not narrower than the data rate required for the user, the user is still in data transmission while the initial data is being used I do not realize that. If the available bandwidth during transmission is expected to be less than the user's bandwidth, data compression can be used to reduce the overall requirements. The data compression rate can vary from low (for lossless data compression) to high (for lossy data compression). In general, it is possible to extend the receiving data buffer as an alternative to the need for lossy data compression. This method generally maintains a high quality file transmission and allows the user to begin using the data before the file download is complete.

  Another way of transmitting large data files for immediate use can involve real-time data transmission between the source and the user. This method is often called streaming data. This real-time data transmission process requires a unique data transmission protocol different from that used in non-real-time file transmission. Data transmitted in real time must follow a predetermined data transmission rate. Audio and video are both examples where the real-time data rate is a predetermined value. Furthermore, if the source cannot meet these predetermined data rates, the data must be sacrificed to maintain the real-time data stream rate. For example, the lossy data compression rate must be changed when the bandwidth of the transmission medium becomes narrow. Increasing the data compression rate decreases the quality of real-time data, for example, decreases the audio quality and / or increases the granularity of the video file output. Another example is the loss of a short portion of the audio stream, a reduction in the size of the video output, or a momentary stop of the web broadcast. These streaming problems are offset by the advantage of being able to skip within the video file without waiting for the download to complete, or the ability to monitor the scene in real time. Furthermore, because the data rate is known, i.e. a predetermined value, or communication that takes place between the sending processing element and the receiving processing element, the sending processing element has an available bandwidth. Can be used more effectively. The end processing element also does not need to store the data it receives, thus allowing the storage device to be scaled down. This method is commonly used when real-time data has a higher priority than the quality of the transmitted data.

  The RF transceiver 802 benefits from improved sensitivity by using the correction function of the demodulator. The demodulator detects the frequency of the FSK input signal by counting clock pulses between zero crossings. An averaging filter is performed on the input signal to split the two input frequencies. DC is subtracted from the input signal and the result is sampled into a time delay chain of registers. The demodulator then correlates this signal history with a known pattern of NRZ / Manchester symbols. In the case of NRZ, the correlation value is calculated as the sum of the input signals sampled over one NRZ bit period. In the case of Manchester, the correlation value is calculated by subtracting the sum of the latter half of the bit period from the sum of the former Manchester bit periods. Bit slicing is performed by checking the sign of the correlation function at the rising edge of the recovered clock. As a result, the sensitivity is improved.

  In the embodiment, the demodulator as shown in FIG. 29 is designed to detect Manchester (MCH) code at 9.6 kbit / s 2902 and NRZ code at 40 kbit / s 2904 and 100 kbps 2908. It is possible. The demodulator (i) detects and receives only MCH data (9.6 kbit / s) 2902, (ii) detects and receives only NRZ data (40 kbit / s) 2904, or detects only NRZ data It is possible to set three different modes such as 2908 and 1002 (100 kbit / s).

  In an embodiment, it is possible to detect both MCH and NRZ data when the demodulator is in automatic mode. When one frame is detected as MCH or NRZ, the demodulator can switch this mode and start receiving data in automatic mode. In automatic mode, the demodulator must listen for Manchester (MCH) code at 9.6 kbit / s 2902 and NRZ code at 40 kbit / s 2904 and 100 kbps 2908. To do this, the demodulator can include three detectors (one for MCH and two for NRZ). However, some parts of the demodulator (eg, IF detection 2900, filtering 2900, and demodulator control 2910) can be common to both detectors.

  RF communication error detection can be improved by using CRC16 or other similar robust error detection techniques on elements of communication signals including Z-Wave (R) frames.

  Referring to FIG. 9, the transceiver 802 can transmit using a reference carrier / local oscillator frequency and an asymmetric modulation frequency, resulting in a transmission frequency not supported by the reference frequency synthesizer. Is obtained. By supporting asymmetric radio frequency signal modulation, the transceiver 802 has the ability to transmit on frequencies not supported by the frequency synthesizer.

  Referring to FIG. 9A, a waveform diagram representing selection of asynchronous modulation, if the offset control 910 is set to its center frequency 920 during PLL 930 stabilization, the modulation 940 will be on either side of the PLL 930 frequency. As an example, this corresponds to a binary FSK with a carrier frequency that is an integer multiple of 200 kHz.

  Referring to FIG. 9B, if the offset control 910 is set to the zero symbol setting 950 during PLL 930 stabilization, the modulation 940 will only be above the PLL 930 frequency. As an example, this corresponds to a binary FSK having a carrier frequency (ie, N × 200 kHz + 20 kHz to N × 200 kHz + 25 kHz) that is 1/2 the modulation separation higher than an integer multiple of 200 kHz. The advantage of asymmetric modulation is that it can transmit at frequencies not supported by the frequency synthesizer.

  The RF transceiver 802 can include a phase locked loop (PLL) that can be synchronized while the system is running. Such synchronization can reduce the locking time and provide faster RF turn-on and lower power consumption.

  Synchronization of the PLL divider at start-up reduces the locking time. The VCO frequency is divided by a circuit shown as a PLL divider into a signal that matches the clear reference signal. The reference signal is generated from the system clock and can optionally be 100 kHz or 200 kHz. During calibration, the center frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is adjusted so that the frequency divided after the calibration is very close to the reference signal. After calibration, the PLL fine tunes the divided VCO signal so that it is completely locked to the reference signal.

  In order to minimize the VCO lock stabilization time, the PLL and reference signals are disabled and then simultaneously disabled after calibration. As a result of the simultaneous release, a synchronous operation is obtained, in which case both signals start at the beginning of their high period. Synchronization between the signals minimizes the PLL stabilization time, resulting in fast wireless turn-on and low power consumption.

  The RF transceiver 802 includes an RF transmitter that includes a transmitter digital-to-analog converter that provides the benefit of cost savings. The transmitter chain includes a D / A converter having two functions. The first function is to convert digitally encoded bit symbols into analog signals, and the second function is to set the transmission output of the transmitted RF signal (next to the D / A converter). Followed by a fixed gain PA amplifier). The D / A converter is a digital symbol-sine voltage converter. Each output voltage of the D / A converter is a discrete step on a sinusoid selected by the input digital value. The signal encoded by the thermometer is added and each value of the input signal selects one step on the sine wave. Thus, counting from 0 to 31 and back to 0 produces a complete sine cycle. An advantage of using a sinusoidal D / A step is that a small number of control bits can generate a high resolution sine wave. Furthermore, the amplitude of the sine wave can be controlled, which means that the transmission strength of the RF signal is set by D / A.

  Referring to FIG. 9C, the VCO frequency calibration ensures that the analog control voltage 9110 input to the VCO 9120 is preferably within a narrow range and compensates for on-chip capacitance variations that affect the VCO 9120. . During calibration, the PLL loop filter 9130 is opened and the calibration block 9140 sets the VCO control voltage 9110 to a predetermined value. The calibration control block 9150 can adjust the frequency of the VCO 9120 by changing the capacitance value inside the VCO 9120.

  Further, referring to FIG. 9D for various calibration control 9150 settings of the VCO 9120 capacitance, the output frequency of the VCO 9120 can be measured by using a lock detector 9160. After a different divider reset to synchronize all the blocks, the lock detector 9160 can compare the output frequency of the sub-divided version 9122 of the VCO 9120 with the reference clock 9180. By using the successive approximation method, the correct calibration settings can be determined with very few reference clocks 9180 cycles. The FREQ High and FREQ Low bits generated by the lock detector 9160 can be used in the calibration control circuit 9150 to indicate whether the frequency of the VCO 9120 is too high or too low.

  The reference clock 9180 and the subdivided VCO output 9122 are preferably released synchronously to ensure that the PLL 930 lock is accurately locked to a predetermined frequency. In an embodiment, the reset circuit 9190 can automatically issue a synchronous reset signal 9192 upon receipt of a signal from the calibration control 9150. Alternatively, the reset circuit 9990 can be notified to issue a synchronous reset signal 9192 using a control register that can be accessed by software.

  FIG. 9D shows the calibration sequence, where 4 bits of calibration control information 9210 are sent from the calibration control circuit 9150 to the VCO 9120 (as shown in FIG. 9C). For each calibration information 9210 setting, the FREQ High signal 9220 further allows the calibration information 9210 setting to be changed in response to the rising edge of the reference clock 9180. This sequence is repeated until the PLL frequency 9230 is fairly close to the predetermined value.

  Referring to FIGS. 9C and 9E, during the period when no preamble or SOF has been detected and no data is currently being received in the receive mode, the calibration control circuit 9150 may cause the VCO control voltage 9110 to change significantly. Can always adjust the calibration settings. This function is performed by comparing the VCO control voltage 9110 with the upper limit 9310 and the lower limit 9320 by the detection block 9105. As shown in the graph of FIG. 9E, the VCO control voltage 9110 can be continuously monitored and the calibration control circuit 9150 can adjust the calibration information setting 9210 when the voltage goes outside the limits of the detection block 9105. It is. In an embodiment, the PLL 9230 loses lock as a result of a sudden change in the calibration control circuit 9150 output, which disables the calibration control circuit 9150 until the lock detector 9160 indicates that the PLL 930 is stable again. Is possible.

  Furthermore, voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) calibration can use a portion of the PLL, which reduces hardware resources and costs. In addition, IF calibration reduces costs. In order to eliminate the effects of natural resistance and capacitor changes, the ZW0201 IF filter has a programmable resistance, which is set during the calibration process. This calibration process can reduce variations in the center frequency of the IF filter, which helps ease requirements on the system clock. The calibration is performed using the components of the IF filter. The procedure is as follows: one capacitor is discharged and another capacitor is charged. The voltages across the capacitors are compared and when they cross each other, the charge / discharge time is recorded (as the time from the start of the process until the voltages cross each other). The two capacitors are reset, the programmable resistance of the IF filter is changed, and another charge / discharge sequence is performed. Four charge / discharge periods are performed, and the resistance is changed during each period, resulting in a resistance setting with an optimal charge / discharge period.

  The single chip embodiment of FIG. 8 includes an embedded MCU 830. An example of a suitable MCU is an embedded 8051 MCU core (Inventra M8501 Warp) that includes two standard 8051 timer / counters 804. The MCU 830 can be compatible with the industry standard 803x / 805x MCU. The single-chip solution enables the MCU 830 to be optimized. The MCU 830 of the present invention of FIG. 8 can complete one instruction cycle in two clock cycles, whereas the standard 8051 requires 12 clock cycles per instruction cycle. For this reason, the MCU 830 is 6 times faster than the standard 8051.

  Referring to FIG. 10, which is a pulse width modulation output (PWM) timing chart, the general purpose timer 804 is a timer that can be polled or programmed to generate an interrupt. The timer 804 can be an automatic reload counter having a fixed clock division ratio. The single-chip solution timer of FIG. 8 uses a 16-bit timer which can be an automatic reload counter with a fixed clock division ratio of 4 or 512. The timer 804 can also be set to a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode. The PWM can be controlled by setting a total period and a total high period. In this embodiment, an 8-bit register is used to set the total period, and an 8-bit register is used to set the high period. Count.

  Wake-up timer 838 may be an ultra-low power timer that allows MCU 830 to wake up in a sleep mode or power-down mode after a programmable period. The sleep period can be set in seconds (for example, within a range of 1 to 256 seconds). The wake-up timer 838 is based on an internal oscillator that can be automatically calibrated to the system clock. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 10, the wake-up timer 838 can be automatically calibrated during power-down mode, resulting in the use of a system that automatically calibrates under the same conditions as in operation. It will be easier to do.

  The special function register 840 can include a register used to control the operation mode of the MCU 830 and the operation mode of the built-in peripheral device.

  Various storage techniques can be used for storing MCU programs, storing applications, and storing internal / external data. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 8, two types of memory are used.

  The 32 kbyte flash memory 828 is a program memory of the MCU 830 including the mesh network 100 API and customer application software. The MCU 830 also has the ability to read, write, and erase the flash memory 828. Flash memory 828 has built-in readback protection to prevent reverse engineering or design theft. By clearing a dedicated lock bit in the flash memory 828, readback protection is activated. As long as the lock bit is cleared, it is impossible to read the flash memory 828 from the outside. Other lock bits can protect a portion of the flash memory from being written. The lock bit can only be unlocked by erasing the entire flash memory. A 256 byte internal random access memory (IRAM) 832 can be used by the MCU 830 for 8051 internal data memory and can be accessed via direct instructions from the MCU 830.

  The MCU 830 can use a 2 kbyte external random access memory (XRAM) 832 as the external data memory 8051. The single-chip embodiment of FIG. 8 can include an interrupt controller 818 that supports 10 interrupt sources, including two external interrupt sources via general purpose I / O. Some of the interrupt sources can be reserved by the mesh network API. The interrupt controller controls the allocation of interrupt priorities. The priority order can be fixed by a mesh network protocol. An external interrupt can wake up the chip from sleep mode. The single chip embodiment of FIG. 8 may further include a Triac controller 820 for power conditioning applications. The Triac controller 820 is compatible with an external AC power source of 50-60 Hz. It is possible to design a complete phase control circuit using one external Triac and a few external additional passive elements. The Triac controller 820 can be implemented in a separate circuit within a single chip to make the timing and operation independent of software and to minimize the MCU 830 workload.

  In an embodiment, a Triac controller in an integrated circuit mesh network node can be used to power a load, where the timing of power supply is based at least in part on the zero crossing point of the AC power signal. It will be a thing. The load can be a resistive load or a non-resistive load (eg, an inductive load). The power supply can be based at least in part on the firing angle. Power supply can be initiated in conjunction with the firing angle. The power supply can be terminated in conjunction with the zero crossing. In an embodiment, the Triac controller may be accompanied by a noise mask configured to reduce false indications of zero crossings.

  The mesh network node 100 may include an analog to digital converter (ADC) 822 having a resolution that can be set to 8 bits or 12 bits. 8-bit conversion takes less than half of the 12-bit conversion. The ADC 822 can be rail-to-rail and can be programmed to reference various internal or external voltage references. The ADC block can include a battery monitoring mode. The ADC 822 can support both single conversion mode and continuous multiple conversion mode. The ADC 822 may have a built-in comparator for generating an interrupt when a threshold set by software is exceeded. The threshold can be a low threshold or a high threshold. The ADC 822 can be shut down to reduce power consumption. The ADC 822 may also include a self-test capability that reduces test-related costs.

The 8-bit portion of the ADC is tested for missing codes, mismatches, and missing connections in a simple and fast manner. The accuracy of the test is better than 1 / 2LSB. The 8-bit portion of the LSB is created from nine capacitors, of which eight capacitors each have a binary size ratio, and one capacitor has a unit size. The eight largest capacitor of the capacitor has two ⁷ unit magnitude, called C0, following called C1 by 2 ^6, eventually lead to C7, the 2 ⁰ unit magnitude. The ninth capacitor has a unit size of 1 and is called Cs (for fixing). By testing C0 against C1 + C2 + ... C7 + Cs and adding another test capacitor having a size of 1/2 unit, the presence and size ratio of these capacitors is tested. Since C0 is equal to C1 + C2 + ... C7 + Cs, adding an additional 1 / 2LSB capacitor (called Cc) ensures that C1 + C2 + ... C7 + Cs + Cc is greater than C0. If any of the nine capacitors (C0... C7 + Cs) lacks a capacitor unit, the test will end in failure. Next, C1 is tested against C2 +... C7 + Cs (and so on). The test is extremely fast to perform and does not require any high precision external stimuli or conventional ADC conversion cycles. If this test is performed in the normal manner, 256 ADC conversions must be performed with an input voltage in the range of 0V to Vdd. With this new method, this test time is reduced to the time required to perform one ADC conversion.

  A software programmable interface (SPI) 824 can be included in the embodiment. Two examples of SPI824 usage are 1) providing external access to the flash memory 828, and 2) allowing the mesh network node 100 to communicate with external memory. The SPI can act as a master or slave when connected to memory. For example, the network node 100 functions as a master when accessing an external EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Read Only Memory), and functions as a slave when accessing the flash memory 828. The external flash memory can also be accessed by the MCU 830.

  The mesh network node embodiment of FIG. 8 can include a UART 814 and can operate independently of the MCU 830. The UART 814 can support full duplex and can operate at three baud rates: 9.6 kbaud, 38.4 kbaud, or 115.2 kbaud.

  The power control block 838 controls different power saving modes of the node 100. For example, the two power saving modes are a normal mode and a sleep mode / power down mode. In the normal mode, the MCU 830 operates, and the RF circuit and the ADC 822 are turned on or off. The sleep mode / power down mode is the lowest power mode, and shuts down all except the RAM voltage drop detection and the low power timer. Further, the ADC 822 can be turned on or off. In sleep mode, the MCU 830 can be woken up using an external interrupt source. The source can be active low or active high. The MCU 830 can also be woken up by a wakeup timer 838, reset, or power cycling (power on / off).

  By automatically stopping the MCU 830 before turning on the power of the RF transceiver 802, the power of the MCU 830 can be turned off while the RF transceiver 802 is operating. Furthermore, the MCU 830 can be restarted when the transmission is completed and the RF transceiver 802 is powered off. The power on / off sequence of these elements reduces power consumption and reduces peak current requirements.

  Two examples of ways to do this are to automatically stop the MCU before powering on the radio and transmission and restart it when the transmission is complete and the radio is powered off; Therefore, the MCU is automatically stopped before the wireless power is turned on, and the MCU is automatically turned on when a signal is received.

  It is possible to automatically power on the MCU 830 according to the information frame included in the signal received by the RF transceiver 802. A frame handler connected to the RF transceiver 802 can automatically detect a Z-Wave (R) frame and automatically generate a signal to power on the MCU 830, or the MCU 830 Can generate an interrupt to the MCU 830 when it is already powered on. The advantages of the frame handler function are a reduction in the operating load of the MCU 830, a reduction in memory requirements, and a reduction in power consumption.

  This embodiment also has a general purpose I / O interface 808. For example, ZW0201 has 10 configurable general purpose I / O (GPIO) pins with optional weak internal pull-ups. The GPIO pins can be organized in two parts. The GPIO pins can have dual or triple functions and can be programmed by the user from the MCU and some special hardware functions (eg, SPI824, ADC822, UART814, TRIAC controller 820, etc.). In this embodiment, four of the GPIO pins can be configured for analog (for ADC) or for digital interface as input or output. It is also possible to use reset I / O. Two examples of reset I / O are 1) external reset and 2) enable programming mode. For example, if the reset pin is pulled low, a master reset is generated. If reset is held low for an extended period, the chip accepts programming commands at SPI824. The chip may not enter the actual programming mode until an SPI824 programming enable command is received. As an example, five dedicated analog pins are used for the RF interface 802 and the crystal connection 810. GPIO pins can be configured as inputs during reset. This pin setting is maintained after the reset is released until the setting is changed by software.

  By using one or more of the interface circuits of the present invention, the RC oscillator can be used as a temperature sensor, and the existing interface circuit can be reused for further temperature sensing functions. Lowers costs. The internal ring oscillator of the wakeup timer is designed so that the calibration value has a substantially linear temperature dependence. The calibration depends on temperature, power supply voltage, and process variations. Fortunately, power supply voltage fluctuations can be taken into account by using an embedded battery monitoring circuit. The effect of process variation is mostly on the offset value. Consequently, if the calibration value is known at a given temperature, that temperature can be predicted at another temperature. As a result, the benefits of low cost can be obtained by reusing existing circuits as temperature sensors.

  The single chip 100 embodiment includes multiple external interfaces including general purpose I / O 808, clock signal 810, reset 812, transceiver I / O 802, UART 814, interrupt 818, TRIAC controller 820, ADC 822, SPI 824, and external memory It is possible. FIG. 11 shows the I / O for a typical application circuit.

  The clock signal 810 may require an external interface. For example, FIG. 12 shows an external crystal 1200 connection. Node 100 includes an on-chip crystal oscillator that allows the crystal to be driven directly and can operate with a 32 MHz or 16 MHz crystal. An external load capacitor 1202 may be required for each crystal terminal. The load capacitor value is determined by the total load capacitance specified for the crystal.

  FIG. 13 shows a simplified block diagram of the internal reset circuit 812. For example, all parts of node 100 are reset when one or more of the following conditions are true: 1) Reset 1300 is low, 2) POR / voltage drop detection circuit is low power supply voltage 3) When the monitoring circuit 1302 times out. The reset can be an input that is asynchronous to the internal pull-up, Schmitt trigger, and glitch protection. It is possible to synchronize the signals internally so that reset is asserted and deasserted asynchronously. The POR circuit may also include a low pass filter 1304 for glitch protection and hysteresis 1308 for noise and transient stability. In sleep mode, the POR can transition to a low power mode that protects the circuit from voltage drops and maintains power consumption at an absolute minimum. During the master reset, all GPIO808 pins are set as inputs and the RF transceiver 802 is set to the power down state.

FIG. 14 shows the RF connection in a typical application. The RF transceiver 802 may require very few external passive elements 1400, 1402 for input and output matching. In this embodiment, the internal T / R switch circuit 1404 is capable of matching reception (RX) and transmission (TX) independently. L1 / C1 1400 is used to match the transmitter output to 50Ω. The L2 1402 can be used to match the receiver input to 50Ω. The value of the matching element is determined by the actual PCB layout. Furthermore, the matching elements should be efficiently grounded and placed as close as possible to achieve maximum performance. Additional external filter elements can be added (if needed) to filter out RF harmonics and improve blocking performance,
The UART 814 performs an interface with an external element. For example, the UART 814 can interface with an 8-bit word, 1 start bit, 1 stop bit, and a data rate of 9.6 kbaud, 38.4 kbaud, or 115.2 kbaud without parity. FIG. 15 shows a typical RS232 UART application. FIG. 16 shows a serial byte waveform. The UART 814 shifts data in and out in the following order: start bit 1600, data bit 1602 (LSB first), and stop bit 1604. To eliminate noise, the serial port can establish the contents of each received bit by majority vote on the sampled input. This is especially true for start bits. If the falling edge of RxD is not confirmed by a majority decision on the start bit, the serial port stops receiving and waits for another falling edge of RxD. After 2/3 of the stop bit time, the serial port waits for another high-to-low transition (start bit) on the RxD pin.

  The single-chip embodiment of the network node 100 supports an external interrupt 818 for the MCU 830, as shown in FIG. For example, interrupt 1700 can be programmed as level triggered (high / low) or edge triggered (rising / falling). Also, one or more interrupts to the power management 838 enable wakeup from sleep mode. The interrupt can be used to wake up the chip from sleep mode. Interrupts to power management 838 can be level triggered (high / low). When the chip wakes up from sleep mode, it is possible to start the clock oscillator before starting to execute the program.

  This embodiment may have a TRIAC controller 820 that uses phase control for power regulation of a resistive load 1800 (and some non-resistive load). FIG. 18 shows a simplified application circuit. This phase control method can deliver power during a specified period in half of each AC power cycle. FIG. 19 shows a typical TRIAC controller 820 waveform. Triac is commonly used to switch on / off power to a load in an AC power system application. A gate voltage of 1900 is required to turn on the Triac (ignition pulse). When “on”, Triac remains “on” until the AC sine wave reaches zero 1902 current regardless of the gate voltage. The power adjustment is performed by controlling the firing angle (turn-on start time). The Triac can supply power to the load after the firing angle and can be turned off at the zero crossing. The firing pulse 1) to provide enough charge to turn on the Triac, and 2) to ensure that it cannot be switched off due to possible noise thereafter. It can be of a specific period. The duration of the firing pulse can be programmed with SW. Zero crossing detection may be hampered by noise 2000 on the AC line. If this noise is strong, in the worst case, an additional trigger 2002 is generated in ZEROX as shown in FIG. A noise mask 2100 is implemented in the Triac controller to avoid these extra zero crossing triggers. The mask removes the zero crossing from a true zero crossing to a predetermined period before the next true zero crossing, as shown in FIG. Zero crossing detection can be programmed to use both rising and falling edges of the zero crossing signal 1900 (as in the ZEROX signal in FIG. 19), or zero (as in the ZEROX signal in FIG. 22). It is possible to program to use only the rising edge of the crossing signal 2200. The Triac controller can be programmed to generate an interrupt request to the MCU whenever a zero crossing is detected. When detecting zero crossings on both rising and falling edges, the moment of detection can be offset 2300 due to the threshold level of the ZEROX input as shown in FIG. Because of this offset, the Triac firing pulse may not be fired at the same distance from the beginning of the positive period and from the beginning of the negative period. This means that the AC load (triac control target) can have a DC voltage different from 0V. To make this DC voltage negligible, the Triac controller can be programmed to have a variable correction 2400 period to correct the offset, as shown in FIG.

  Two signals are important for controlling Triac. A ZEROX signal that reflects the zero crossing of the power signal, and a TRIAC signal that is used to call Triac. The ZEROX signal is used to generate an ignition pulse (TRIAC signal) every half cycle, ie, both rising and falling edges are used as time references to generate an ignition pulse. Zero-crossing detection logic is not toggling exactly at zero-crossing. This is due to the threshold level of the ZEROX pin input buffer. Therefore, the firing pulse in the “negative” half cycle is slightly faster than the firing pulse in the “positive” half cycle. This difference creates an undesirable DC current in the connected equipment. To compensate for this difference, the programming register TRICOR is used to shift the time of generation of the firing pulse in the negative half cycle, thereby eliminating the difference and avoiding DC in the controlled load. Is possible. The advantage of this Triac control function is that it avoids the DC of the load to be controlled (especially a problem with inductive loads).

  The ADC822 requires an external interface. The ADC 822 can be a general purpose rail-to-rail converter and can operate in a high resolution 12-bit mode or a high-speed 8-bit mode. The ADC can be connected to external circuitry using GPIO808 pins. The ADC can sample an analog signal at any of the pins. The ADC can perform single conversion or continuous multiple conversion. The ADC block can be programmed to generate an interrupt for 8051W when a certain high or low threshold is exceeded. FIG. 25 shows an outline of the internal ADC block. The ADC can also be used to monitor power levels. In this configuration, the internal reference 2502 is measured in relation to the power level. The ADC input signal can be loaded by an internal sampling capacitor. In the 8-bit mode, the sampling time is set to match the source impedance and frequency component of the input signal. Alternatively, the input capacitive load can be reduced by switching the internal buffer between the external source and the ADC.

  The SPI 824 can be used for synchronous data transfer between a single chip 100 device and external memory (used by a particular node type) or between a programming unit and the device. The SPI cannot be used for external purposes. Master mode 2600 is activated when interfacing with external EEPROM and slave 2602 during programming mode. The programming mode can be enabled by setting a reset low for an extended period. SCK is a clock output in the master mode and a clock input in the slave mode. During data transmission, the SCK can clock data from the slave register to the master register. At the same time, it is possible to clock data in the reverse direction from the master to the slave connection. As a result, the two registers 2604 can be regarded as one distributed cyclic shift register as shown in FIG. After 8 clock cycles, the two registers will have the contents exchanged. FIG. 27 shows a typical interface application to EEPROM.

  One embodiment may include the ability to program an external memory, such as an external flash memory. In the flash programming mode, the external master controls the SPI to make the node 100 work as a slave. In the programming mode, the flash memory can be erased, read and / or written. In addition, it is possible to read a signature byte identifying the chip, enable / disable read / write protection, and / or read / write the home ID. It is possible to enter flash programming mode by setting and holding the reset pin low. When reset is held low for two XTAL periods, the SPI can accept a programming enable command. The chip may not enter the programming mode until two first bytes of programming enable are accepted. After the chip enters programming mode, the device can remain in programming mode as long as the reset pin is held. When the reset pin is set high, the chip can generate an internal master reset pulse to initiate normal program execution. The monitoring function can be disabled as long as the chip is in programming mode, and all other GPIOs 808 except the SPI824 interface can be tri-stated. FIG. 28 shows a simplified block diagram of a typical interface to a programming device.

  Referring to FIG. 32, the present invention may include a method and system for silently acknowledging successful transmission of a single case frame from a first node to a second node. For example, a single cast frame 3208 is transmitted from the first node 3200 to the third node 3204 by using the second node 3202 as an intermediate relay between the first node 3200 and the third node 3204. It is possible. When the second node 3202 transmits the single cast frame 3208 received from the first node 3200 to the third node 3204, the first node 3200 transmits from the second node 3202 to the third node 3204. Detected single cast frame 3208 and interpreting the single cast frame 3208 as an acknowledgment of the successful transmission of the single cast frame 3208 from the first node 3200 to the second node 3202 . The third node 3204 may send a routed acknowledgment frame 3210 to the second node 3202 indicating that the third node 3204 has received a singlecast frame 3208 from the second node 3202. is there. The third node 3204 detects the routed acknowledgment frame 3211 transmitted from the second node 3202 to the first node 3200, and determines the routed acknowledgment frame 3211 as the third node. It can be interpreted as an acknowledgment of the successful transmission of the routed acknowledgment frame 3210 from 3204 to the second node 3202. The first node 3200 may then send an acknowledgment 3212 to the second node 3202 that it has received the routed acknowledgment frame 3211 from the second node 3202. This process can be repeated throughout the singlecast frame transmission sequence for subsequent nodes (eg, the fourth or 60th node in the transmission sequence), in which case the transmitting node is 3 can be detected and interpreted as an acknowledgment that the receiving node has successfully received the transmission from the transmitting node.

  In an embodiment, this silent acknowledgment routing scheme may be implemented via an ASIC or any other integrated processor platform disclosed herein and / or shown in the accompanying drawings.

  In an embodiment, a second singlecast frame is sent from a second node in the mesh network to a third node, and detection of the second singlecast frame by the first node is sent from the first node to the third node. Can be interpreted as an acknowledgment of the successful transmission of the first singlecast frame to the two nodes. The single cast frame can be a routed single cast frame. Single cast frames can also be routed based at least in part on the routing table. A single cast frame may relate to metadata, commands, or other forms of data. The commands can include and / or exclude nodes in the mesh network, enable security features, communication speed, communication channel, communication channel availability, network security level, network topology, network routing strategy, or some other command It can be related to the type.

  In embodiments, the speed required by the network can be 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps, 100 kbps, or other communication speeds.

  In embodiments, the availability of a communication channel can be associated with a single channel or multiple channels.

  In an embodiment, the network security level may be high, medium, low, or some other network security level.

  Still referring to FIG. 32, single cast frames can be routed on a mesh network topology, which is an automated system network for controlling devices. The device can be a plurality of devices. In an embodiment, the mesh network topology can be implemented in the home. The home mesh network topology may be related to an audiovisual system that includes entertainment devices. Entertainment equipment: TV, signal converter, DVR, network device, UPnP network device, satellite receiver, cable converter, VCR, digital video disc player, video accessory, audio amplifier, audio tuner, integrated audio amplifier / tuner , CD player, DVD player, high-definition DVD player, audio cassette player, digital audio tape player, audio equipment, equalizer, phonograph, video component, streaming media player, MP3 player, audio file player, audio component, audio / visual component Or any other entertainment device.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network topology may be associated with a security system. The security system can include alarms, locks, sensors, detectors (such as motion detectors), or some other security system element.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the nodes in the mesh network may be multi-speed nodes.

  FIG. 33A shows a simplified embodiment for dynamically enabling channel selection in a mesh network including three channels. The node may initiate a first scan 3308 for channel 13300 and remain on that channel for a predetermined period of time. If the node does not detect a signal, it can switch to channel 23302 and start scan 23310. If no signal is detected during scan 3310, the node can switch to channel 33304 and start scan 33312. If no signal is detected during the scan 33312, the node can return to channel 13300 to start the scan 43314. If no signal is detected during the scan 43314, the node can switch to channel 23302 and start the scan 53318. In this simplified hypothetical example, the signal is detected during scan 53318 on channel 23302. As shown in FIG. 33B, the signal detected during scan 53318 may be a single preamble 3334, which is followed by a message, and the node is initially on scan 53318. It is possible to indicate to the node that it should remain on channel 23302 for a predetermined period set from Following receipt of the one or more preambles, the node may receive message 13330 on channel 23302. Following receipt of the message 13330, the node may switch to channel 3 and remain on the channel for a predetermined period of scan 63320. If no signal is received during scan 63320, the node can return to channel 13300 to start scan 73322. Scan 7 can include a signal, such as a preamble or multiple preambles, and can remain on channel 13300 for a predetermined period of time to receive message 23332. Following receipt of message 23332, the node switches channels and continues scan 83324, scan 93328 (and so on), stays on one channel for a predetermined period to detect the signal, and no signal is detected. It is possible to switch channels when the predetermined period expires.

  In an embodiment, the message received by the node may be a plurality of messages. The message can be a command. The commands can include and / or exclude nodes in the mesh network, enable security features, communication speed, communication channel, communication channel availability, network security level, network topology, network routing strategy, or some other command It can be related to the type.

  In an embodiment, the dynamic enablement of the second channel disclosed herein may be implemented via an ASIC or any other integrated processor platform disclosed herein and / or shown in the accompanying drawings.

  In embodiments, the speed required by the network can be 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps, 100 kbps, or other communication speeds.

  In embodiments, communication channel availability may be associated with a single channel or multiple channels.

  In an embodiment, the network security level may be high, medium, low, or some other network security level.

  In an embodiment, the signal may be a predetermined signal type.

  In the embodiment, the signal may be a preamble signal unique to the embodiment. The preamble signal unique to the embodiment can be a predetermined signal. In an embodiment, the preamble signal unique to the embodiment can be dynamically defined. In the embodiment, the preamble signal unique to the embodiment may be a specific number of preamble symbols (symbols consisting of one or more bits). A preamble smaller than the specific number of preamble signals can generate a command for a node to change to another channel. A preamble equal to the specific number of preamble signals can generate a command for the node to stay on the current channel. A preamble larger than the specific number of preamble signals can generate a command for the node to stay on the current channel. The selection of the second channel can be a combination of signal reception and round robin algorithm, signal reception and predetermined algorithm combination, signal reception and local-based heuristic combination, or some other signal-rule combination. It can be based at least in part.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network is a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention uses a first node to select a first channel in a mesh network, and a second channel in the mesh network via the first channel. A frame is transmitted to the node, and when a failure of transmission to the second node via the first channel is detected by the first node, the frame is transmitted to the second node. A second channel is selected using the first node.

  In an embodiment, node communication within a mesh network may be based at least in part on distributed routing methods and systems. In a distributed routing system, each node in the network can be stored in at least two types of routing tables: a forward routing table and a backward routing table. The routing table can be used to indicate the paths through which a given node in the network can send data. The routing table may be based on data obtained through the use of one search frame or multiple search frames.

  In one example, a mesh network user that includes node 1, node 2, node 3, node 4, and node 5 may wish to transmit data from node 1 to node 5. In this example, node 1 has never communicated directly with node 5 before. For this reason, node 1 does not know the route to node 5 (ie, it does not have a route stored in its routing table). As a result, node 1 broadcasts one search frame. Upon receipt of the search frame from node 1, node 2 updates its reverse routing table to include information about the source of the search frame (node 1) (ie, the next “hop” (node 1)). Is possible. Upon receipt of the search frame from node 1, node 3 determines that it contains information about the source of the search frame (node 1) (ie, the next “hop” (node 2) and destination node (node 5)). It is possible to update the reverse routing table. Upon receipt of the search frame from node 1, node 4 determines that it contains information about the source of the search frame (node 1) (ie, the next “hop” (node 3) and destination node (node 5)). It is possible to update the reverse routing table. Upon receipt of the search frame from node 1, node 5 determines that it contains information about the source of the search frame (node 1) (ie, the next “hop” (node 4) and destination node (node 5)). It is possible to update the reverse routing table. In this example, node 5 can then send a report frame to node 1 via node 4, which can send a report frame to node 1 via node 3. Yes, node 3 can send a report frame to node 1 via node 2, and node 2 can send a report frame to node 1. Following receipt of the report frame from node 2 through node 4, node 1 may update its routing table to include node 5 as the destination and node 2 as the next hop node.

  In an embodiment, a predetermined algorithm in a distributed routing system in which there is local prioritization that determines which of the next hops to store in a given routing table based at least in part on specific criteria Can be used. In one example, such an algorithm and associated criteria may be used to determine which of the plurality of nodes that received the report should be stored in the node's routing table. For example, the criteria used by the algorithm may require that a node that has received more than one report frame store only report frames that have a minimum reference value, thereby enabling the best available Data related to the route is stored.

  In an embodiment, initiating node transmissions within a distributed routing system may include user requests (eg, remote control human manipulation), device initiated requests (eg, smoke detection activated in the event of a fire) ), Or some other source.

  In an embodiment, a node may experience errors when transmitting within a distributed routing method and system. For example, node 3 can issue a search frame for node 5 when it cannot communicate with node 4 when transferring a frame to node 5 on behalf of node 1. This has the effect of repairing the remaining communication path for node 5.

  In embodiments of the present invention, node communication within a mesh network may be based at least in part on a source routing method and system. The source routing method is suitable for the distributed routing method and system in certain embodiments unless the source routing system requires distributed storage and storage of routing data at the node level. In an embodiment, a mesh network using a source routing technique can be coordinated with a central network topology server that can request any node in the network to update the network topology. is there. A node may request network topology updates at fixed time intervals upon receipt of certain types of transmissions or based on some other criteria. By receiving network topology update data, a node can always ensure that its network awareness is accurate.

  In embodiments, the network topology data stored in the central network topology server may not be accurate. As a result of the old network topology data, nodes in the mesh network will have to use alternative methods and systems to obtain the current network topology and routing data.

  In an embodiment, route resolution via a search frame can be used to obtain current routing information in the mesh network. Referring to FIG. 34, in one example, node 13400 receives network topology data obtained from a central network topology data server 3414, a source data master controller, or some other source of network topology data that resides separately from the node itself. Can be used to attempt to communicate with node 53410, which is the destination node in the mesh network. Node 13400 may have a suitable path from node 13400 to node 53400 consisting of "Node 1 to Node 2 to Node 5" as part of its algorithm. Upon failure of transmission to dead node 23402 (eg, failure of receipt by node 1 of an acknowledgment frame from node 23402 indicating successful transmission), node 13400 requests a network topology update from central network topology server 3414 Is possible. Node 13400 can then retry the transmission to destination node 53534, this time using the updated network topology data. In this example, the second attempt at node 13400 also fails due to inaccurate network topology data regarding the state of node 23402 received from network topology server 3414. As a result, node 13400 can broadcast a search frame using a flooding algorithm, in which case one search frame is all in the mesh network with which node 13400 can communicate. (In the embodiment of FIG. 34, it is assumed that node 13400 cannot communicate directly with node 53410 due to too much physical separation between nodes). Therefore, the search frame transmitted by the node 13400 is acquired by the node 33404 and the node 43408. Node 33404 then forwards a copy of the search frame from node 13400, which is obtained by nodes 43408 and 53410. Similarly, node 43408 forwards a copy of the search frame, which is obtained by nodes 33404 and 53408. Upon receipt of the search frame, node 53410 returns one frame via node 33404 and node 43408, which then connect to each contacted node, ie, node 4 / node 3 and node 3 / node 1, respectively. Send. At each transmission between nodes, a node ID indicating the origin is added to the message header. As a result, each report frame received by the node 13400 indicates a route traveled from the node 53410 to the node 13400. In one embodiment, this data can be used to confirm the existence of an available path that can be used when node 13400 transmits data from node 13400 to node 53410. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 34, the available routes are as follows.

Path 1: Node 1 → Node 3 → Node 5
Path 2: Node 1 → Node 3 → Node 4 → Node 5
Path 3: Node 1 → Node 4 → Node 3 → Node 5
Path 4: Node 1 → Node 4 → Node 5
In an embodiment, the algorithm can be associated with node 13400 and can be used to identify a path that can be utilized for transmission between node 13400 and node 53410. For example, the algorithm can include information about traffic density on each path and select the least busy transmission path. Alternatively, the order in which report frames are received can alternatively be used by the algorithm to determine which path is for the fastest communication. Alternatively, the algorithm may use some other network information as a basis for selecting an available path to use for transmission from node 13400 to node 53410.

  In an embodiment, as shown for node 13400 in FIG. 34, any node in the mesh network can send a search frame.

  In an embodiment, the frame delivered by node 13400 can be a special frame type (eg, search report frame).

  In one embodiment, the available route information received by node 13400 (partially indicating that node 23402 is dead) because central network topology server 3414 updates its inaccurate network topology (3412). Can be sent to the central network topology server 3414. In one embodiment, the central network topology server 3414 can then broadcast a network topology update to all nodes in the mesh network to signal that the node 23402 is dead.

  In an embodiment, initiating a node transmission within the source routing system may be requested by a user (eg, remote control human operation) 3418, a device initiated request (eg, smoke detection activated in the event of a fire) 3420, or some other source.

  As shown in FIG. 35, in an embodiment, a mesh network node (including but not limited to a node powered by a battery) has a “sleep” period during which the node cannot receive messages, It is possible to cycle through a “wake” period 3514 in which a message 3512 can be received after being turned on. The time interval between node wake periods 3514 can be different between each node in the network. For example, one node may operate at 0.25 second intervals, and another node in the same mesh network may have a wake period 3514 at 1.0 second intervals. The time interval between wake periods 3514 can be node-specific values, can be the same across the mesh network, or the same value only for a subset of nodes in the mesh network. Is possible.

  FIG. 35 shows a simplified mesh network, such as a wireless mesh network consisting of three nodes: a source node 3500, a repeater node 3502, and a destination node 3504. In the example, source node 3500 attempts to send message 3512 to destination node 3504 by using repeater node 3502 as an independent relay. Each of the nodes cycles through a plurality of wake periods 3514. The sleep period of a node allows it to save its electricity consumption compared to a node that is always supplied with full power. This allows a battery powered node to save its electricity consumption and further extend the battery life of the node in the network. This can minimize maintenance, user operator interaction, cost, or some other variable.

  In the example of FIG. 35, the source node 3500 first attempts to send a message 3512 to the repeater node 3502. Since the repeater node 3502 must be in the wake period 3514 (ie it must be powered) in order to receive the message 3512, the source node 3500 may “wake” over the length of the repeat period of the repeater node 3502. “Up Beam” 3510 is added before message 3512. This ensures that there is at least one wake period 3514 whenever the source node 3500 starts transmitting the beam, and the repeater node 3502 can receive the beam during the wake period 3514. If repeater node 3502 is in wake period 3514 and this wake period 3514 primarily overlaps the transmission of beam 3510, repeater node 3502 will (as opposed to the standard procedure cycle to return to sleep mode). Commanded to remain active and remain in a powered state, allowing received message 3512 to be received. In this wake state 3514, the repeater node 3502 can receive the message 3512 transmitted along with the beam 3510 transmitted from the source node 3500. The repeater node 3502 can then relay the message 3512 to the destination node 3504 using the same method and system used for transmission from the source node to the repeater node.

  Referring to FIG. 36, to inform repeater node 3502 that beam 3510 and its associated message 3512 are intended for repeater node 3502, beam 3510 includes a preamble pattern 3614 within fragment 3604 of the beam. It is possible to include. Preamble pattern 3614 consists of 20 bytes and can include information field 3608, node ID and information field control 3610, frame start pattern 3612, or some other information. This information can be used to indicate which nodes remain active upon reception of beam 3510 and to allow message 3512 to be received upon reception of beam 3510. In an embodiment, the information included in the preamble may be specific to a single node in the mesh network, all nodes, or a subset of nodes in the mesh network.

  In an embodiment, a mesh network according to the methods and systems described herein can include configuring a constantly powered mesh network node to control the configuration of the intermittently powered mesh network node. Yes, in this case, the intermittently powered mesh network node is periodically powered down to save energy, and when the intermittently powered mesh network node is powered on, the intermittent The mesh network node that is supplied with power is requested to request configuration information from the mesh network node that is constantly supplied with power.

  In an embodiment, the node may be powered by a battery, fuel cell, solar cell, alternative energy source, AC power source, DC power source, or some other power source.

  In an embodiment, the wake-up destination may maintain multiple configurations for multiple intermittently powered mesh network nodes.

  In an embodiment, it is possible to configure a mesh network node that is constantly powered using configuration equipment. The configuration equipment can be a portable node, a handheld node, a PDA node, a fixed mounting equipment, or some other node or equipment type.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention scans a plurality of nodes in a mesh network to identify a currently active wake-up destination for a battery-powered mesh network node, and Requests to send a wake-up redirection signal to the currently active wake-up destination, and from a node in the mesh network if the mesh-network node powered by the battery does not have a wake-up destination in its memory Request a new route. In an embodiment, the method may further include the step of the battery-powered mesh network node confirming the change from the first wakeup destination to the second wakeup destination.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, the method and system provided by the present invention associates a first node in a mesh network with a communication type, activates the first node at predetermined intervals, and sets a second node in the mesh node. The presence of a message of the communication type in a transmission from a node of the second node and the transmission from the second node is not compliant with the communication type associated with the first node Continue activation of the first node and activate the first node beyond the predetermined interval if the associated communication type is detected in the transmission from the second node and the associated Following the detection of the communication type, a message from the second node is received by the first node.

  In embodiments, nodes, including but not limited to nodes powered by batteries, can be associated with a device. The device can be a home appliance or other device. The home appliance can be connected to a network. The home appliance can be of a UPnP network connection type. Home appliances are televisions, satellite receivers, cable converters, VCRs, digital video disc players, laser disc players, video accessories, audio amplifiers, audio tuners, integrated audio amplifiers / tuners, CD players, DVD players, high quality DVD player, audio cassette player, digital audio tape player, audio equipment, equalizer, phonograph, video component, streaming media player, MP3 player, lighting, lamp, refrigerator, freezer, microwave oven, oven, stove, computer, printer, FAX, Scanner, copier, gateway, modem, ISDN, garage door, door lock, curtain, shutter, window opener, door opener, sprinkler, or indoor or outdoor use Because of some other device, component, it is possible to implement, the electrical device.

  In an embodiment, a node powered by a battery can be associated with a capacitor. The capacitor can be further associated with one device. In an embodiment, a node powered by a battery can be associated with a rechargeable battery. A rechargeable battery can be associated with one device.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may include multiple nodes that are powered by a battery.

  In an embodiment, a node can be associated with one node ID. The node ID can be unique to one node. Node IDs can be randomly assigned. One node ID can be associated with a plurality of nodes.

  In an embodiment, one node in the mesh network can be associated with data indicating which node in the mesh network is powered by the battery. This data can be stored locally on the node, stored on a central network topology server, or stored in some other location.

  In an embodiment, the communication type may be identified based at least in part on message preamble pattern data. The message preamble pattern can be associated with a sensor network. The sensor network can be a group of network nodes. A group of network nodes can be created by a user, an algorithm, or some other method or system. In an embodiment, the sensor network can be associated with a network identifier. The message preamble pattern can include a network identifier.

  In an embodiment, the sensor network may be associated with an edge node that is further associated with the network.

  In an embodiment, the message may be sent over a mesh network using a flooding algorithm. The flooding algorithm can include instructions for the first node to send a message to all communicable mesh network nodes. The flooding algorithm may include instructions for further transmitting the message to all mesh network nodes with which the node receiving the transmitted message of the first node can communicate with the node.

  In an embodiment, the message can be associated with route information.

  In an embodiment, the message preamble pattern can be associated with route information.

  In an embodiment, the route information may include an identifier of a node in the route. The route information can include an indication of whether or not nodes in the route are powered by the battery. Path information including nodes powered by a battery can be further associated with an algorithm to associate a message preamble pattern to activate the nodes for a period of time sufficient to receive the message.

  In an embodiment, activation of a first node over a predetermined period allows multiple messages to be received before the first node is deactivated.

  In an embodiment, a message sent from a first node to a second node can be further sent to a third node in the mesh network. The third node can be a plurality of nodes. It is possible to activate the third node at predetermined intervals to detect the presence of a communication type as in the case of transmission of the first node to the second node.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network may be a wireless mesh network.

  In an embodiment, a message identifier can be associated with a message. The message can include a list of all nodes to which the message was previously forwarded.

  In an embodiment, the first node may store a list of neighboring nodes. In an embodiment, the node compares the list of neighboring nodes with a list of all nodes to which the message was previously forwarded and relays the message only to neighboring nodes that have not previously received the message. It is possible.

  In an embodiment, the mesh network signal may be a radio signal. In an embodiment, the mesh network signal may be an infrared signal.

  With reference to FIG. 37, in an embodiment, the mesh network node (3700, 3708, 3742) may be associated with an electrical device 3732, a repeater 3734, a user interface 3740, or some other facility. In an embodiment, the node 3700 may be associated with a power source 3748. In the embodiment, the mesh network node (3700, 3708, 3742) performs speed control 3702, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. including multi-speed node operation, etc. Includes battery function 3710, including node initiated repair 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network) (But not limited to) functions, or some other function 3730 as described herein. The function associated with the mesh network node (3700, 3708, 3742) can be used in combination with each of other functions including a plurality of functions.

  In one example, the electrical device 3732 can be associated with a node 3700 operating in a wireless mesh network that includes a combination of devices powered by an AC power source and devices powered by a battery. A battery function 3710 can be associated with the node 3700 to extend the operating life of the device. This same node 3700 can be further associated with an acknowledgment function 3708. For example, the node may receive a wake-up beam alone or in combination with point-to-point flooding of nodes in the network. The wake-up beam can send a preamble alerting the node 3700 powered by the battery to receive the message. When the message is received, the node 3700 may acknowledge this receipt using an acknowledgment function 3708 associated with the node 3700. This acknowledgment may be a silent acknowledgment function as described herein, or may be some other form of acknowledgment function. In an embodiment, just as in this example, node 3700 is associated with a combination of battery function 3710 and acknowledge function 3708, which further includes speed control 3702, SIS 3704, affirmative including multi-speed node operation, etc. Response 3708, battery powered node 37, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, node initiated repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722 Associate with any other function or combination of functions as described herein, including, but not limited to, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg, application and network), or some other function 3730 It is possible.

  In an embodiment, electrical device 3732 may be associated with external device equipment 3744. In one example, an electrical device 3732, such as a door state device that allows to determine whether a door is “open” or “closed”, allows a sound to be emitted when the door is open. It can be further associated with an external device facility 3744 such as an alarm speaker.

  In an embodiment, electrical device 3732, repeater 3734, and / or user interface 3740, and their associated mesh network nodes (3700, 3708, 3742) and functions are server control panel 3752, path database 3750, user interface. 3754 and / or user 3758 can be associated. In one example, the user 3758 can use a numeric keypad and a user interface 3754 such as a panel with a mobile device, or some other user interface 3754 for communicating with a mesh network. The user 3758 can issue a command (eg, “turn on entrance light”) to the mesh network via the user interface 3754. The command can be communicated to the server control panel 3752. The server control panel 3752 can be associated with a route database 3750 that stores route information for transmitting commands to a node 3700 associated with an electrical device 3732 (eg, “entrance light node”). The server control panel 3752 can send the command directly to the node 3700, or can use one intermediate repeater 3734, or multiple repeaters.

  In an embodiment, the electrical device may be a home control device, audiovisual device, security device, temperature control device, environmental device, lighting device, healthcare device, user interface device, or some other electrical device type. Is possible.

  In the embodiment, the home control device is an electric lamp, stand-alone lighting, fixed lighting, refrigerator, stove, microwave oven, freezer, coffee maker, oven, window covering, lock, HVAC device, garage door, alarm system, camera , Video camera, sprinkler, wine cooler, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, water softener, humidifier, dehumidifier, awning, window opener, rice cooker, iron, door opener, gas detector, FAX, shredder, Keyboard, mouse, trackball, pen, pool circulator, pump, valve, hot water heater, boiler, appliance motor, communication link, machinery, garden light, garden fence, invisible pet fence, gate, hot spring, or others Can be of any household control device type. In the embodiment, each home control device type can be associated with a plurality of repeater nodes 3734, user interface nodes 3740, external device equipment 3744, and the like. The home control device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The home control device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In an embodiment, the home control device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with one function, multiple functions, combined functions, or multiple combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In one example, user 3758, a commuter in a public transportation in a storm, remembers that he left his window open when he went to work in the morning, preventing the wooden floor from being damaged by water. In some cases, it may be desirable to close the window. The user 3758 can send a command to close the window to his home mesh network using a user interface 3754, such as a cell phone, PDA, or some other user interface. The command can be sent to the server control panel 3752. The server control panel 3752 can access routing information regarding how to route the command to a node 3700 associated with an electrical device 3732 (eg, a motor) that controls the window. The server control panel 3752 associates the command with path information and transmits the command to one repeater 3734, to a plurality of repeaters, or a node associated with the electrical device 3732 that controls the window It is possible to send directly to 3700. The transmission of the command is initiated by the speed control 3702 including the multi-speed node operation, the SIS 3704, the acknowledgment 3708, the node powered by the battery, the battery function 3710 including the battery monitoring, the rechargeable battery operation, etc. Repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described in this document It can be associated with one or more functions including (but not limited to). For example, the command can be associated with a security function that authenticates the user or user interface that is the source. Upon receipt of the command, node 3700 may activate a motor that controls the window to close the window. One example of another function that can be associated with sending a command to an electrical device is that when a command is sent between nodes, an acknowledgment 3708 can be used to confirm the successful sending of the command. is there.

  In embodiments, the audiovisual device is a VCR, TV, personal computer, stereo, radio, phonograph, MP3, streaming media player, amplifier, camera, video camera, scanner, copier, surround sound device, lighting, cable, network, It can be a satellite dish, wireless router, CD player, iPod (R), communication link, HDMI bridge / converter, or some other audiovisual device type. In an embodiment, each audiovisual device type may be associated with multiple repeater nodes 3734, user interface nodes 3740, external device equipment 3744, and the like. The audiovisual device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The audiovisual device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, and a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In embodiments, an audiovisual device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with a function, a plurality of functions, a combined function, or a plurality of combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In one example, the user 3758 can have a personal computer connected to the Internet, which can access streaming media content from the Internet. The personal computer can be further associated with a network, a cable and the like including a monitor such as a TV. The user 3758 uses a user interface 3754, such as a TV monitor with remote control, a personal computer monitor, or some other user interface to send commands to the home mesh network to stream streaming media such as movies. You can download it to your personal computer, send the movie over your home network, and watch it on your TV monitor. Each electrical device (eg, personal computer, network, TV, etc.) can be associated with a node 3700 in the mesh network. A command for taking out streaming media can be transmitted to the server control panel 3752. The server control panel 3752 can access routing information regarding how to route the command to the node 3700 associated with the electrical device 3732 that controls the personal computer. The server control panel 3752 associates the command with path information and transmits the command to one repeater 3734, to multiple repeaters, or to present streaming media on a TV monitor. It is possible to transmit directly to the node 3700 associated with the electrical device 3732. The transmission of the command is initiated by the speed control 3702 including the multi-speed node operation, the SIS 3704, the acknowledgment 3708, the node powered by the battery, the battery function 3710 including the battery monitoring, the rechargeable battery operation, etc. Repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described in this document It can be associated with one or more functions including (but not limited to).

  In an embodiment, the security device is a residential alarm device, smoke detector, fire alarm, siren, bell, gas alarm device, motion detector, lighting, motion detector and lighting combination, interphone system, paging system, or It can be some other type of security device. In an embodiment, each security device type may be associated with a plurality of repeater nodes 3734, user interface nodes 3740, external device equipment 3744, and the like. The security device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The security device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, and a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In embodiments, a security device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with a function, a plurality of functions, a combined function, or a plurality of combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In one example, the smoke detector can be associated with a node 3700 in the mesh network. Upon detecting smoke, the smoke detector can send a command over the mesh network using the node associated with it. This command can be sent to an external device facility 3744, such as a siren installed outside the house, a local fire department, or some other external device facility. This mesh network can be further associated with a user 3758 and a user interface 3754. The command can be transmitted to the server control panel 3752. The server control panel 3752 can access routing information regarding how to route the command to an external device facility 3744, a user interface 3754, or some other facility associated with the mesh network. The server control panel 3752 associates the command with the path information and sends the command to a repeater 3734, sends it to multiple repeaters, or informs the user 3758 that smoke has been detected at home, for example. It can be sent directly to the user interface (3754, 3740) for alarming. The transmission of the command is initiated by the speed control 3702 including the multi-speed node operation, the SIS 3704, the acknowledgment 3708, the node powered by the battery, the battery function 3710 including the battery monitoring, the rechargeable battery operation, etc. Repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described in this document It can be associated with one or more functions including (but not limited to).

  In embodiments, the temperature control device may be an air conditioner, a fan, a heater, a furnace, a thermostat, a hot water heater, a forced air heater, floor heating, or some other type of temperature control device. In the embodiment, each temperature control device type can be associated with a plurality of repeater nodes 3734, a user interface 3740, an external device facility 3744, and the like. The temperature controller can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The temperature controller can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, and a server control panel 3752 and a path database 3750. In embodiments, the temperature controller can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with a function, a plurality of functions, a combined function, or a plurality of combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In one example, the air conditioner can be associated with a node 3700 in the mesh network. When a homeowner learns that he must work overtime late at night, he will turn on the air conditioner at 5pm so that the house is cold when he returns home. You may want to intervene in the thermostat daily schedule. He is likely to change the schedule to turn on the air conditioner at 10:00 pm because he is expected to arrive at 11:00 pm. Using a user interface 3754 such as a personal computer at work, the user 3758 can send commands to his home mesh network to instruct him to change the air conditioner schedule. The command can be transmitted to the server control panel 3752. The server control panel 3752 can access route information regarding how to route the command to an electrical device 3732 (eg, an air conditioner). The server control panel 3752 associates the command with the path information and transmits the command to one repeater 3734, to a plurality of repeaters, or directly to the node 3700 associated with the air conditioner. Is possible. The transmission of the command is initiated by the speed control 3702 including the multi-speed node operation, the SIS 3704, the acknowledgment 3708, the node powered by the battery, the battery function 3710 including the battery monitoring, the rechargeable battery operation, etc. Repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described in this document It can be associated with one or more functions including (but not limited to).

  In the embodiment, the environmental device includes a light sensor, a water sensor, a water leak sensor, a motion sensor, a humidity sensor, a soil moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, an animal detection sensor, a combination of a sensor and an alarm, a sprinkler, a gas detector, a poison detector, It can be a Geiger counter, meter, energy harvester, pump, valve, or some other type of environmental device. In the embodiment, each environmental device type can be associated with a plurality of repeater nodes 3734, a user interface 3740, an external device facility 3744, and the like. The environmental device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The environmental device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, and a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In an embodiment, an environmental device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with one function, multiple functions, combined functions, or multiple combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In one example, an environmental device such as a soil moisture sensor can be associated with a mesh network. The mesh network may also include other electrical devices, including other environmental devices (such as sprinklers, water leak sensors, or some other electrical device). A rule relating to the soil moisture threshold is further associated with the soil moisture sensor so that when the soil drops to a predetermined moisture level, the node 3700 associated with the soil moisture sensor sends a command over the mesh network. Is possible. The command element may be information that instructs the sprinkler to start watering the soil. The command can be transmitted to the server control panel 3752. Alternatively, the command may include data that causes the command to be sent directly to a node associated with the sprinkler device. The server control panel 3752 can access routing information regarding how to route the command to an electrical device 3732 (eg, a sprinkler). The server control panel 3752 may associate the command with path information and send the command to one repeater 3734, send to multiple repeaters, or send directly to the node 3700 associated with the sprinkler. Is possible. The transmission of the command is initiated by the speed control 3702 including the multi-speed node operation, the SIS 3704, the acknowledgment 3708, the node powered by the battery, the battery function 3710 including the battery monitoring, the rechargeable battery operation, etc. Repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described in this document It can be associated with one or more functions including (but not limited to).

  In embodiments, the lighting device is a dimmer, lighting control switch, electric lamp, illuminator, bulb, energy saving lamp, LED, external lighting, internal lighting, pool lighting, programmable lighting, or some other type of lighting It can be a device. In the embodiment, each lighting device can be associated with a plurality of repeater nodes 3734, a user interface 3740, an external device facility 3744, and the like. The lighting device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The lighting device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, and a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In embodiments, a lighting device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with one function, multiple functions, combined functions, or multiple combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In one example, the lighting device may be a lighting control switch associated with a node 3700 in the mesh network. User 3758, driving a car that is about to arrive at the user's home, needs to walk in the dark and turn on the light as a means to alert the intruder that someone will arrive soon For practical reasons of losing sex, you may want to lighten your house before arrival. To activate the lighting control switch, the user 3758 can send commands to the home mesh network using the user interface (3754, 3740). This user interface may be a car GPS navigation monitor, cell phone, PDS, or some other user interface (3754, 3740). The command can be transmitted to the server control panel 3752. Alternatively, the command may include data that causes the command to be sent directly to a node associated with the lighting control device. The server control panel 3752 can access routing information regarding how to route the command to an electrical device 3732 (eg, a light). The server control panel 3752 associates routing information with the command and sends the command to one repeater 3734, to multiple repeaters, or directly to the node 3700 associated with the lighting. Is possible. The transmission of the command is initiated by the speed control 3702 including the multi-speed node operation, the SIS 3704, the acknowledgment 3708, the node powered by the battery, the battery function 3710 including the battery monitoring, the rechargeable battery operation, etc. Repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described in this document It can be associated with one or more functions including (but not limited to).

  In embodiments, the health care device is an anesthesia device, cardiovascular device, clinical chemistry / toxicology device, dental device, ear / nose / throat device, digestive device, urology device, general surgical device, plastic surgery device Can be a hematology device, pathology device, immunology device, microbiology device, mammography device, neurology device, OB / GYN device, ophthalmic device, radiology device, or some other type of health care device It is. In an embodiment, each healthcare device can be associated with a plurality of repeater nodes 3734, a user interface 3740, an external device facility 3744, and the like. The health care device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. A health care device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, and a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In embodiments, a healthcare device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with a function, a plurality of functions, a combined function, or a plurality of combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In one example, the health care device can be a cardiovascular device such as an electronic blood pressure monitor associated with a mesh network operating in a clinic. The blood pressure monitor is further associated with a rule or threshold (eg, “diastolic blood pressure> 85 = hypertension”), above which a command is sent via a mesh network to the node 3700 associated with the blood pressure monitor. It is possible to transmit. The blood pressure of a patient who visits the clinic is acquired using the device, and a threshold, such as “high blood pressure” is triggered, a server that stores electronic medical records, a nurse station, a doctor's PDA, or others It is possible to send multiple commands to multiple locations including (but not limited to) any of these facilities. The command can be transmitted to the server control panel 3752. Alternatively, the command can include data that causes the command to be sent directly to a node associated with another electrical device (eg, a personal computer). The server control panel 3752 can access routing information regarding how to route the command. The server control panel 3752 can associate route information with the command and send the command to one repeater 3734, to multiple repeaters, or directly to another location. The transmission of the command is initiated by the speed control 3702 including the multi-speed node operation, the SIS 3704, the acknowledgment 3708, the node powered by the battery, the battery function 3710 including the battery monitoring, the rechargeable battery operation, etc. Repair 3712, secondary channel enable 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function 3730 as described in this document It can be associated with one or more functions including (but not limited to).

  In an embodiment, the user interface device may be a PDA, personal computer, mobile phone, BlackBerry®, GPS monitor, TV, touch screen, or some other type of user interface device. In an embodiment, each user interface device type can be associated with multiple repeater nodes 3734, user interface 3740, external device equipment 3744, and the like. The user interface device can be associated with an external power source 3748 as described herein. The user interface device can be associated with an external user 3758, a user interface 3754, and a server control panel 3752 and a route database 3750. In an embodiment, a user interface device can be associated with a node 3700, which can further be associated with a function, a plurality of functions, a combined function, or a plurality of combined functions. Functions associated with node 3700 include speed control 3702 including multi-speed node operation, SIS 3704, acknowledgment 3708, node powered by battery, battery function 3710 including battery monitoring, rechargeable battery operation, etc. Remediation 3712, secondary channel enablement 3714, remote association 3718, security 3720, source routing 3722, controller replication 3724, dual function 3728 (eg application and network), or some other function as described in this document 3730 can be included.

  In an embodiment, the action may be performed based at least in part on data transmitted in association with the electrical device. The action can be a general control action (e.g. locking or unlocking a door or some other control action) that operates the device in a certain manner. The action can be a monitoring action, an action to determine the state of a node or device (eg, “window is open”), or some other general action.

  In an embodiment, the action may be a lighting control action. Lighting control actions can include (but are not limited to) lighting on, lighting off, and / or lighting dimming. Lighting control actions include setting lighting, preset dimming level, dimming ramp rate, timing delay, grouping of lighting devices, setting specific lighting to a constant light intensity level, specific for one group of lighting Setting to a light intensity level can be associated with programming one or more lights to a specific light intensity level, or some other lighting control action.

  In an embodiment, the action may be a temperature control action. The temperature control action can be a heating level setting, a cooling level setting, a humidity level setting, a temperature level setting according to a time schedule, and / or a fan level setting. The temperature control action can be associated with the temperature controller turning on, the temperature controller turning off, or performing some other temperature control action.

  In an embodiment, the action may be an access control action. Access control actions include locking, unlocking, releasing device, closing device, moving device, alarm on, alarm off, low battery alert transmission, motion detection, usage detection, or some other access control action (But is not limited to them).

  In an embodiment, the action may be an audiovisual action. Audio visual actions are: play device, pause device, stop device, record using device, fast forward device, rewind device, transport media, browse media, search media, manage media, media Can include (but is not limited to) screen control, volume control, device channel change, parental control execution, electronic program guide browsing and / or search, or some other audiovisual action is there.

  In an embodiment, actions can be associated with consumer goods, for example, alerting consumers to maintenance issues.

  In an embodiment, the action may be related to energy generation control.

  Although the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, each of the techniques described herein includes applications for each of the scenarios described herein as well as the industry applications described herein. It can be incorporated, linked and combined into examples.

  Elements shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams throughout the drawings are indicative of logical boundaries between the elements. However, in accordance with software or hardware engineering conventions, such elements and their functions may be part of an integrated software structure, as a stand-alone software module, or as external routines, code, services, and the like, or any of them It can be implemented as a module that uses a combination, and all such implementations are within the scope of this disclosure. For this reason, the foregoing drawings and description show functional aspects of the system of the present disclosure, but specific configurations of software for implementing these functional aspects are not explicitly described. Should not be inferred from such an explanation unless it is apparent from its limitations or its contents.

  Similarly, it will be understood that the various steps described above can be varied and the order of each step can be tailored to the particular application of the technology disclosed herein. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. For this reason, the description of the various steps and / or the description of the order thereof requires a specific order of execution of the steps, unless explicitly required by a particular application, unless explicitly indicated or apparent from the context. It should not be understood to be.

  The above-described methods and processes, and steps thereof, can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination suitable for a particular application. The hardware can include a general purpose computer and / or a dedicated computing device. The process can be implemented in one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, embedded microcontrollers, programmable digital signal processors, or other programmable devices, and internal and / or external memory. . The process may additionally or alternatively be performed on an application specific integrated circuit, programmable gate array, programmable array logic, or any other device or combination of devices that can be configured to process electronic signals. Is possible. In addition, one or more of the processes can be converted into a structured programming language such as C, an object-oriented programming language such as C ++, or any other high or low level programming language (assembly language, hardware description language, and database). Computer executable code, including programming languages and techniques), such computer executable code comprising one of the above devices and a heterogeneous combination of processors and processor architectures, It will also be appreciated that it can be stored on a combination of different hardware and software, compiled or interpreted and executed.

  Thus, in one aspect, each of the above-described methods and combinations thereof can be implemented in computer-executable code that performs each step when executed on one or more computing devices. . In another aspect, the method can be implemented on a device that performs each of its steps, can be distributed across multiple devices in a number of ways, or all functions can be dedicated to one dedicated stand-alone. It can be integrated into a device or other hardware. In another aspect, the means for performing the steps associated with the processes described above may include any of the hardware and / or software described above. All such substitutions and combinations are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure.

  While the invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention should not be limited by the regulation embodiment, but should be understood in the broadest sense permitted by law.

Claims (62)

Identify high-speed communication from multiple communication paths in the mesh network,
Sending entertainment information from the entertainment device via the identified high-speed communication path;
A method including each step.   The method of claim 1, wherein the mesh network is a home mesh network.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a television.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a signal conversion device.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a DVR.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is connected to a network.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is connected to the network by UPnP.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a television.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a satellite receiver.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a cable converter.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a VCR.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a digital video disc player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a laser disc player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a video accessory.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an audio amplifier.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an audio tuner.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an integrated audio amplifier tuner.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a CD player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a DVD player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a high definition DVD player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an audio cassette player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a digital audio tape player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an audio device.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein the audio device is an equalizer.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a gramophone.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a video component.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is a streaming media player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an MP3 player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an audio file player.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an audio component.   The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment device is an audiovisual component. An identification facility configured to identify high-speed communication from a plurality of communication paths in the mesh network;
A transmission facility configured to transmit entertainment information from the entertainment device via the identified high-speed communication path.   The system of claim 32, wherein the mesh network is a home mesh network.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a television.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a signal conversion device.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a DVR.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is connected to a network.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is connected to the network by UPnP.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a television.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a satellite receiver.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a cable converter.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a VCR.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a digital video disc player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a laser disc player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a video accessory.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an audio amplifier.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an audio tuner.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an integrated audio amplifier tuner.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a CD player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a DVD player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a high definition DVD player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an audio cassette player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a digital audio tape player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an audio device.   55. The system of claim 54, wherein the audio device is an equalizer.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a gramophone.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a video component.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is a streaming media player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an MP3 player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an audio file player.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an audio component.   The system of claim 32, wherein the entertainment device is an audiovisual component.

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