RU2779303C2 - Method for configuration and/or control of terminal devices of home automation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: home automation.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a method for configuration and/or control of terminal devices of home automation. According to the claimed method, a wireless connection is established from point to point between a control device and at least one terminal device of home automation. For configuration of the terminal device and/or its control, data is transmitted between the control device and the terminal device by means of the connection from point to point. The terminal device is switched for cancellation of the connection from point to point and for establishment of a wireless connection with a mesh topology network, data is transmitted between the terminal device and a concentrator of the mesh topology network by means of the mesh topology network for configuration of the terminal device and/or its control.

EFFECT: provision of a possibility of flexible use of terminal devices of home automation.

13 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a method for configuring and/or controlling home automation terminals.

Home automation terminals are understood to mean, for example, radio-controlled switches, dimmers or other actuating elements. Also, this concept should be understood as sensors that are used in home automation / building automation. Examples of this are light, humidity or wind sensors.

Home automation can be actuated by a combination of different terminal devices, for example, by means of automatic switches, lights can be turned on at certain times and / or blinds can be lowered. It is also possible, for example, to automatically extend the sunscreen in case of too strong sunlight. The end devices are usually configured via a control device (eg via a smartphone) in order to set, for example, when the blinds are to be lowered.

Home automation terminals are also used in various usage scenarios, so it is necessary to be able to use the terminals in a flexible manner. In these different usage scenarios, simple and fail-safe end device configurations must be accordingly guaranteed. In addition, the terminal devices should be as economical as possible.

Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a method for configuring home automation terminals that allows flexible use of low-cost terminals.

This problem in accordance with the invention is solved by the method with the characteristics of paragraph 1 of the claims.

In accordance with the invention, a method for configuring and/or controlling home automation terminals is provided, the method comprising the steps of:

- establishing a point-to-point wireless connection between the control device and at least one home automation terminal,

- performing a data transfer between the control device and the terminal device by means of a point-to-point connection in order to configure and/or control the terminal device,

- switching the end device to cancel the connection from point to point and to establish a wireless connection with a network with a mesh topology,

- performing data communication between the terminal device and the hub of the mesh network via the mesh network in order to configure and/or control the terminal device.

In accordance with the invention, the terminal device can also first provide a point-to-point connection (PTP connection - for example, via Bluetooth) for its configuration and/or control, and then cancel the point-to-point connection and instead establish a connection to the mesh network. topology (eg, a ZigBee network) to then allow configuration and/or control over a mesh network.

In accordance with the invention, in this way it is possible to cover various use cases. Thus, for example, a point-to-point connection can be used if only one or a few terminal devices are to be configured and/or controlled, whereby the controller then establishes a correspondingly separate connection to the corresponding terminal device (via the corresponding point-to-point connection), by means of whereby each individual terminal device is then configured and/or controlled via a point-to-point connection. If there are a plurality of terminals, it is possible to switch to the mesh network mode, whereby all terminals contained in the network can be configured and/or controlled via the mesh network (via the mesh network).

Configuration and/or control via point-to-point connection is particularly suitable for so-called "Device Kits" or "Room Kits", which in particular enable the automation of a single function or a single premises. Configuration and/or control via a mesh network, on the other hand, is provided for so-called "House Kits", in which the terminals are distributed throughout the building. Then, by means of a network with a mesh topology, it is possible, for example, to consider a plurality of terminal devices as a complex, where, for example, movements are determined by means of a motion sensor, and air quality is determined by means of an air quality sensor, and the control mode or control command can then be derived from the received information of the complex ( for example, airing and/or turning on the fan).

The method according to the invention provides, by changing from a point-to-point connection to a mesh network, the possibility that, for example, previously purchased terminal devices that have hitherto been configured only by a point-to-point connection can be positioned in a mesh network. topology, to thereby enable the cost-effective expansion of a mesh network.

According to the invention it is furthermore advantageous that, by canceling the point-to-point connection before establishing a connection to the mesh network, the terminal device only has to have, for example, a single radio module, whereby the radio module can then be configured with both point-to-point connectivity and mesh network connectivity. In this way, the integration of different hardware for point-to-point connection and therefore for a mesh network is avoided, whereby the terminal devices used can be produced at a lower cost and thus in an economical manner.

Thus, the invention provides a flexible solution that imposes low hardware requirements on terminal devices.

It will be understood that more often this refers to a single terminal device, which, for example, is configured and/or managed via a point-to-point connection or a mesh network. However, the method according to the invention can also be used for several terminals simultaneously or sequentially.

A mesh network hub may serve to coordinate and/or initiate communication within the mesh network. In particular, the control device may communicate with the hub of the mesh network in order to configure and/or control the terminal device, wherein the data necessary to configure and/or control the terminal device is transmitted from the control device to the hub and from the hub then to the terminal device. device. The hub may additionally have a network/internet connection that also allows the data necessary for configuring and/or managing the terminal device to be transmitted to (or received from) remote terminal devices or other hubs.

By configuring a terminal device, in particular, is meant the transmission of a desired course of action, for example, the terminal device is informed of the switch-on times, the switch-on intervals, the data to be transmitted, the data to be received, and the like. The control of the terminal device involves, in particular, the transmission of control commands to be executed in the near future, for example, turning on a switch.

After switching from a point-to-point connection to a connection to a mesh network, it is naturally also possible to cancel or terminate the connection to the mesh network and re-establish a point-to-point connection to the control device. The control device may then configure and/or control the terminal device via a point-to-point connection such that data transmission is performed.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are given in the description, in the drawings, as well as in dependent claims.

According to a first preferred embodiment, the terminal supports and/or uses at one time, respectively, either only a point-to-point connection or only a wireless connection to a mesh network. The radio hardware of the terminal device can thus be used both for point-to-point connection and for a network with a mesh topology. Accordingly, a terminal may have exactly one transmitter and exactly one receiver, or exactly one transceiver.

According to another preferred embodiment, the hub receives the configuration and/or control of the target device installed on the control device from the control device and transmits the configuration and/or control commands to the terminal device. For example, a control device can be used to set for a circuit breaker at what times the closing process is to be initiated. The configuration/control of the terminal device undertaken in this way is then transferred from the control device, for example via WLAN, to the hub. In the hub, the received configuration and/or received control commands are then preferably converted, namely in such a way that the configuration/control via a mesh network (eg via ZigBee) can be transmitted to the terminal device. The tag eventually applies the received configuration and/or the received control commands so that the tag can perform the configured/prescribed turn-on processes at the appropriate desired times.

According to another preferred embodiment, the terminal uses software-defined radio (SDR) to establish a point-to-point wireless connection and a wireless connection to a mesh network. In particular, the same software-defined radio (respectively, with different software configuration) is used to establish a point-to-point wireless connection and a wireless connection to a mesh network. Software-defined radio means in particular a transceiver in which part and preferably the main part of the signal processing is carried out by software or is affected by at least one program.

Preferably, the terminal uses a PTP software image (mapping) to establish a point-to-point wireless connection and a mesh network image to establish a wireless connection to the mesh network. The software images preferably contain the appropriate data that is required by the software-defined radio in order to be able to communicate via a point-to-point connection or a mesh network. By using a software-defined radio in the terminal device, switching from a point-to-point connection and establishing a connection to the mesh network is particularly easy, since the PTP software image only needs to be replaced in the terminal device with the mesh network image. Once the mesh network software image is applied in the defined radio software, no point-to-point wireless connection can then be established, and instead a connection to the mesh network can then be established.

A point-to-point connection should be understood as a data transfer in which only exactly two participants communicate with each other. In a mesh network, on the other hand, many participants can also communicate with many other participants, respectively. In a mesh network, it is also possible that at least some of the participants are adapted to relay the data packets of a particular data transmission. In this way, those network participants with a mesh topology and which are located outside the direct range of radio communication can also communicate with each other. In short, an appropriate participant (eg, endpoint or hub) can connect to one or more other participants, with the information being transmitted preferably being redirected from participant to participant until it reaches the destination.

According to another preferred embodiment, both the PTP software image and the mesh network software image are stored in the terminal device. Alternatively or in addition, the mesh network software image (and/or also the PTP software image) is transmitted via a point-to-point connection to the terminal device. In addition, alternatively or in addition, the PTP software image (and/or the mesh network software image) is transmitted via the mesh network to the terminal device.

If both images are stored in the target device, then the corresponding currently required software image can be executed, for example, via a software-defined radio. For example, the terminal device may include a data memory (eg, flash memory) in which the PTP software image and the mesh network software image are stored. As an addition to these two software images, a factory-configured software image can also be saved, which allows you to return the end device to its delivered state.

The data memory and the software-defined radio can respectively be implemented as integrated circuits that are connected via an SPI bus (Serial Peripheral Interface Bus). Accordingly, the required software image can then be transmitted via the SPI bus to a software-defined radio and used there to establish a point-to-point wireless connection or to establish a wireless connection to a mesh network. Of course, in addition to the SPI bus, other communication options are also possible, such as the use of an I ² C bus.

If only the PTP software image is initially stored in the terminal device to enable point-to-point wireless connectivity, then the mesh network software image can be transmitted, for example, from the control device via a point-to-point connection to the terminal device. The software image of the mesh network can then be downloaded in the terminal device to the data memory or directly to the radio defined by the software and executed. For example, the control device, before transmitting the mesh network software image to the terminal device, may search a database (eg, the supplier's server) for the latest version of the mesh network software image and download the latest version. This provides the advantage that the software image of the mesh network is correspondingly up-to-date. In addition, it is possible that the control device, if necessary, transmits to the terminal device an updated version of the PTP software image and/or an updated version of the software image of the mesh network. The transmission of the updated version can be carried out either through a point-to-point connection or through a network with a mesh topology.

Together with the transfer of the corresponding software image, the first configuration of the end device can also be carried out. To do this, for example, the desired parameters of the terminal device can be written directly to the corresponding software image. The parameters to be set or the configuration to be set can then, in particular, be changed or adapted accordingly in the control device.

In addition, the already mentioned fallback to a point-to-point connection is also possible, in which the PTP software image is again used instead of the mesh network software image.

Preferably, after switching to a different software image (ie from a PTP software image to a mesh network software image or vice versa), a new start (reboot) of the terminal or at least the software-defined radio is performed.

According to another preferred embodiment, the configuration of the end device with respect to the point-to-point connection and/or the connection to the mesh network is stored in the control device and/or in the hub.

Saving the settings of the terminal device can be carried out, for example, before executing the mesh network image and/or before executing the PTP software image, in order to ensure the configuration and respectively settings of the point-to-point connection and/or the connection to the mesh network. This can have the advantage that, when returning, for example, to a point-to-point connection, the settings from the control device can be transferred back to the target device, so that, for example, pairing with a Bluetooth device can be maintained. The control device can either store the stored settings locally and/or, for example, transfer to the supplier's server. It is also possible to store the settings in the hub and/or relay the settings through the hub to the supplier's server.

According to another preferred embodiment, the hub, after switching the terminal device to a connection to a mesh network, communicates with the control device via a wireless data connection, the wireless data connection using a communication protocol different from that of the mesh network. In addition to the communication protocol, the wireless data connection between the controller and the hub may also differ in the frequencies used, radio standards and/or transmission powers. For example, the hub may communicate with the control device via WLAN (WiFi), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the like. The hub can accordingly be used as a "bridge" (bridge/gateway), the hub preferably translating control commands and/or data for configuring and/or controlling the terminal in such a way that they can be transmitted via a mesh network to the terminal. device.

According to another preferred embodiment, the settings of the hub can be stored in the controller and/or in a separate memory, and the stored settings are loaded into the replaced hub when the hub is replaced. The hub settings can be transmitted, for example, via a wireless data connection to the control device. Alternatively or in addition, the hub may also be connected to the Internet and store its settings, for example, on the provider's server (i.e. in the "cloud"). Preferably, the replacement of the concentrator is then possible without interruption and in particular in an automated manner.

According to another preferred embodiment, the point-to-point connection is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection and/or the mesh network is a ZigBee network. The advantage of the BLE connection lies in particular in its very low power consumption on the one hand. On the other hand, BLE can also dynamically switch between power saving and data transfer modes, and the data rates provided by BLE are suitable for home automation. A ZigBee network may, for example, include a single hub and a single end device, or also one or more hubs together with several end devices. Terminal devices may be configured to relay data so that data can be transmitted to terminal devices that cannot be reached directly from the hub.

According to another preferred embodiment, the terminal device automatically switches between a point-to-point connection and a round-trip connection to a mesh network, in particular if the terminal device does not receive data for longer than a predetermined time interval. If the end device does not receive data, for example, longer than one hour, longer than one day, or longer than two days, then it can be assumed that a point-to-point or mesh connection is no longer required. In this case, the terminal can itself change to the appropriate other type of connection. Thus, for example, it is possible that after a long period of inactivity of the point-to-point connection, the end device is automatically connected to the mesh network.

Alternatively, the controller may appropriately cause the terminal to transition between a point-to-point connection and a round-trip connection to the mesh network. It will be appreciated that automatic back and forth is particularly possible when both the PTP software image and the mesh network software image are stored in the terminal.

In addition, the subject of the invention is a hub for home automation, and the hub is configured to

- communicating with a home automation terminal via a wireless network with a mesh topology,

- communicating with the control device via a wireless data connection and

- reception of the settings set in the control device from the control device and transmission to the terminal device.

The hub may in particular have two separate radio modules (eg a transceiver), one of which communicates with a wireless mesh network and the other communicates via a wireless data connection with the control device. The wireless data connection may be, for example, a connection via WLAN (Wifi), Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

The invention further relates to a terminal device for home automation, wherein the terminal device includes a transceiver system (eg, a transceiver) that transmits data either via a wireless point-to-point connection or via a mesh topology network. The end device can be, for example, a switch, dimmer, sensor or KNX gateway.

The terminal may be configured to automatically enter the mesh network. In addition, the terminal is configured to establish a point-to-point wireless connection and a mesh network connection via the same transceiver hardware (ie, via the same transceiver). Accordingly, a terminal may include exactly one transceiver.

Finally, the invention relates to a home automation system that includes at least a home automation terminal, a control device, and a mesh network hub. The system is configured to

- establishing a point-to-point wireless connection between the control device and at least one terminal device,

- performing a data transfer between the control device and the terminal device by means of a point-to-point connection for configuring and/or controlling the terminal device,

- switching the end device to cancel the connection from point to point and establish a wireless connection to the network with a mesh topology,

- performing data communication between the terminal device and the hub via a mesh network to configure and/or control the terminal device.

The above conclusions for the method according to the invention are valid for the concentrator according to the invention, the terminal device according to the invention and the system according to the invention. This is true in particular with respect to advantages and preferred embodiments.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example with reference to the drawings, which show the following:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary home automation system; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the transition from communicating via a point-to-point connection to communicating via a mesh network.

Fig. 1 shows a system 10 for home automation. The system 10 includes several terminal devices, which are shown in the drawings as switches 12, for example. The system also includes a control device in the form of a smartphone 14 and a hub 16. An application 18 is running on the smartphone 14, which serves to configure and /or control of the switches 12 and thus the terminal devices.

The smartphone 14 includes a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) transceiver 20 and a WLAN transceiver 22.

The hub 16 also includes a WLAN transceiver 22 and a ZigBee transceiver 24.

In the switches 12, respectively, a software-defined radio (SDR) 26 is provided as a radio module. In addition, in the switches 12, respectively, there is a memory component 28 that stores the PTP software image 30 and the mesh network software image 32. If the PTP software image 30 is activated, then the switches 12 are able to communicate via low energy Bluetooth with the smartphone 14. However, if the mesh network image 32 is activated, then the switches 12, respectively, can communicate via ZigBee with the hub 16. When communicating via ZigBee, switches 12 are also configured to route data from hub 16 to remote switches 12.

Various forms of communication via low energy Bluetooth, ZigBee and WLAN are schematically depicted in FIG. 1 via BLE connections 34, ZigBee connections 36 and WLAN connections 38.

Fig. 2 shows a smartphone 14 that communicates via the respective BLE connections 34 with the switches 12. The smartphone 14 also communicates via the BLE connection 34 with the KNX gateway 40, i.e. with another terminal device which is the gateway for the field bus (Feldbus) to home automation /building automation. The KNX gateway 40 also includes an SDR 26. The left side of FIG. 2 relates to a use case with few terminals that are configured and/or managed via a point-to-point connection (eg, a "Room Kit").

If a transition to a larger number of terminal devices is now to be carried out (for example, within a "House Kit") - see the right side of Fig. 2), i.e. BLE connections 34 are to be replaced by ZigBee connections 36, then a command is issued to smartphone 14, switches 12 and KNX gateway 40 to cancel BLE connections 34 and to switch to ZigBee connections 36. The SDR 26 then appropriately uses the mesh network image 32 to be able to communicate via the ZigBee connections 36 .

After switching to ZigBee connections 36, the smartphone 14 is connected to the hub 16. For this connection, a WLAN connection 38 is used. The hub 16 then communicates with the switches 12 and the KNX gateway 40 via ZigBee connections 36 . The configuration and/or control of the switches 12 and the KNX gateway 40, which is undertaken on the smartphone 14, is then transmitted first via the WLAN connection 38 to the hub 16 and then from the hub 16 via the ZigBee connections 36 to the switches 12 and the KNX gateway 40.

Based on (depicted here as an example) the use of SDR 26, it becomes possible to easily and quickly switch between BLE connections 34 and ZigBee connections 36, so that system 10 can be used flexibly.

List of reference positions

10 System

12 Switch

14 Smartphone

16 Hub

18 Appendix

20 BLE transceiver

22 WLAN transceiver

24 ZigBee transceiver

26 SDRs

28 Memory component

30 PTP software image

32 Mesh network software image

34 BLE connection

36 ZigBee connection

38 WLAN connection

40 KNX gateway

Claims (34)

1. A method for controlling terminal devices (12, 40) of home automation, the method comprising: - establishing a point-to-point wireless connection (34) between the control device (14) and at least one terminal device (12, 40) of home automation, - performing a data transfer between the control device (14) and the terminal device (12, 40) by means of a point-to-point connection (34) to configure and/or control the terminal device (12, 40), - switching the terminal device (12, 40) to cancel the connection (34) from point to point and to establish a wireless connection with the hub (16) of the network (36) with a mesh topology, - performing data communication between the terminal device (12, 40) and the hub (16) of the mesh network via the mesh network (36) to configure and/or control the terminal device (12, 40). 2. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the terminal device (12, 40) at a certain point in time supports and/or uses, respectively, either only a wireless connection (34) from a point to a point, or only a wireless connection with a hub (16) of a network (36) with a mesh topology. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the terminal device (12, 40) uses software-defined radio (SDR) (26) to establish a wireless connection (34) from point to point and a wireless connection to a network (36) with a mesh topology. 4. The method according to at least one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the terminal device (12, 40) uses the PTP software image (30) to establish a point-to-point wireless connection (34) and the mesh network image (32) to establish a wireless connection to the mesh network (36). 5. The method according to p. 4, characterized in that both the PTP software image (30) and the mesh network software image (32) are stored in the terminal device (12, 40), and/or the software image (32) of the network with a mesh topology is transmitted from point to point via connection (34) to the terminal device (12, 40). 6. A method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the terminal device (12, 40) settings regarding the point-to-point connection (34) and/or the mesh network connection (36) are stored in the control device (14) and/or in the hub (16). 7. The method according to at least one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the hub (16) after switching the terminal device (12, 40) to the connection (36) with a network with a mesh topology, communicates with the control device (14) via a wireless data connection (38), and the wireless data connection (38) uses the protocol communication protocol that is different from the mesh network protocol. 8. The method according to at least one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the hub (16) settings are stored in the control device (14) and/or in a separate memory, and the saved settings are loaded into the replaced hub when the hub (16) is replaced. 9. The method according to at least one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the hub (16) receives the configuration and/or control of the terminal device (12, 40) installed on the control device (14) from the control device (14) and transmits it to the terminal device (12, 40). 10. The method according to at least one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the point-to-point connection is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection (34), and/or the mesh network is a ZigBee network (36). 11. The method according to at least one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the end device (12, 40) automatically switches between the point-to-point connection (34) and the round-trip connection (36) to the mesh network, in particular if the end device (12, 40) does not receive any data longer than the specified time interval. 12. Terminal device (12, 40) for home automation, and the terminal device (12, 40) includes a transceiver system (26) that transmits data either via a wireless connection (34) from a point to a point, or via a network (36) with a mesh topology, and the terminal device (12, 40) is made with the possibility of switching by canceling the wireless connection (34) from point to point and establishing a wireless connection with the hub (16) of the network (36) with mesh topology. 13. System (10) for controlling terminal devices (12, 40) of home automation, including at least a terminal device (12, 40) for home automation, a control device (14) and a network hub (16) with a mesh topology, moreover, the system (10) is made with the possibility - establishing a point-to-point wireless connection (34) between the control device and at least one terminal device (12, 40), - performing data transfer between the control device (14) and the terminal device (12, 40) by means of a point-to-point connection (30) for configuring and/or controlling the terminal device (12, 40), - switching the terminal device (12, 40) to cancel the connection (34) from point to point and establish a wireless connection (36) with the hub (16) of the network with a mesh topology, - performing a data transfer between the terminal device (12, 40) and the hub (16) via a mesh network (36) to configure and/or control the terminal device (12, 40).

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