Configuring a bridge with a group after adding the bridge to a lighting system

Abstract

A system (1) for configuring a bridge (13) in a wireless lighting system (31) that has been initialized for network access is configured to determine that a bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system. The wireless lighting system includes a plurality of lighting devices (14-19). The system is further configured to obtain information related to the plurality of lighting devices, analyze the information, and determine one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis. At least one of the one or more groups includes a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices. The system is further configured to configure the bridge with the determined one or more groups when it is determined that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network entry, wherein the wireless lighting system comprises a plurality of lighting devices.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a method for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network entry, the wireless lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices.

[0003] The invention also relates to a computer program product enabling a computer system to perform such a method. Background Art

[0004] WO 2018 / 206378 A1 discloses a system configured to receive device control information, which specifies how a device (e.g., a light) should be controlled; the system is also configured to form a group of identified devices by analyzing the device control information, so that the identified devices in the group can be similarly controlled according to the device control information.

[0005] Some wireless lighting systems allow mobile devices to control them directly (usually using a direct short-range connection, such as a Bluetooth connection). Such wireless lighting systems are referred to in this specification as standalone systems. One advantage of such a system is that it is not too expensive or considered too complicated by the user. One disadvantage of such a system is that the user is likely not to be able to control lights in rooms other than the one he is in. Another disadvantage of such a system is that there is no central device that can coordinate actions (locally at home or remotely in the cloud) when the mobile device is not in range.

[0006] Some other wireless lighting systems require a bridge to control lighting devices with a mobile device (bridge-based lighting system). Such a bridge typically uses Wi-Fi or Ethernet to connect to a Wi-Fi access point to enable a user to control the wireless lighting system via an app, and uses mesh network technology (e.g., Zigbee) to enable communication between two nodes of the wireless lighting system via one or more other nodes of the wireless lighting system, thereby increasing the coverage range. Both types of systems have their advantages. An advantage of using a bridge is that it allows lighting devices to be controlled in groups. Due to range limitations and the limited number of devices that can be controlled due to these range limitations and / or phone limitations, stand-alone systems typically do not support groups. In bridge-based lighting systems, these groups are typically created manually, but can also be automatically created during the network initialization phase, for example as disclosed in US 2019 / 116645 A1.

[0007] US 2019 / 116645 A1 discloses a method for automatically initializing a lighting system for network access. The method includes receiving a signal from a positioning system indicating that the positioning system detects a corresponding position of each of a plurality of physical entities, each entity being a person or a movable non-human object. The method also includes determining the spatial distribution of at least some of the entities based on the positions indicated by the signals from the positioning system, and determining an area corresponding to the spatial distribution. The method then includes identifying a set of lamps arranged to illuminate the determined area, and storing the identifiers of those lamps together as a group in a network access initialization database.

[0008] If a wireless lighting system would be able to work both with and without a bridge, a user could first purchase one or more lighting devices without a bridge and control them directly with the mobile device, thereby reducing the initial investment, and then add a bridge later to gain improved features such as out-of-home control, entertainment streaming, geofencing, an expanded number of lights, and sensor automation.

[0009] However, manually creating lighting device groups for a larger wireless lighting system that has already been initialized can require considerable effort from the user. The user will need to manually start creating and selecting, for example, a room and move each light to the correct location. This is time consuming and can even be error prone because lighting devices may not always have clearly identifiable information. This can also be frustrating for users because they may think that the lights are already grouped in a certain way (albeit via different conventions), so if they are asked to create these groups after adding a bridge, this may feel like double work.

[0010] The method for automatically creating groups described in US 2019 / 116645 A1 - which is applied during the network entry initialization phase - is only able to automatically create a limited set of groups. Summary of the invention

[0011] A first object of the present invention is to provide a system capable of automatically configuring a bridge having one or more groups of lighting devices in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network access.

[0012] A second object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of automatically configuring a bridge having one or more groups of lighting devices in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network access.

[0013] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network access, the wireless lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, the system comprising at least one input interface, at least one configuration interface and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: use the at least one input interface to determine that a bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system; use the at least one input interface to obtain information related to the plurality of lighting devices; analyze the information; determine one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis, at least one of the one or more groups including a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices; and use the at least one configuration interface to configure the bridge with the determined one or more groups when it is determined that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system.

[0014] At a time before the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system, the plurality of lighting devices are not connected to the bridge, but are controllable in the network-initialized wireless lighting system without the bridge. For example, a group may correspond to a room, a collection of rooms, or an area within a room. If it is not possible to include a certain lighting device in a group of a plurality of lighting devices, the lighting device may be included in a group alone.

[0015] By obtaining and analyzing information related to lighting devices in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized, groups that are similar (if not identical) to groups that a user would manually create can be automatically created. Automatically created groups can be similar, but not identical, to manually created groups because the system may not be able to obtain all of the information that the user has or use the same logic. By configuring the bridge with these automatically created groups, a simple migration path from no-bridge mode to bridge mode can be provided. By looking at parameters from which groupings can be inferred, the number of steps required in this migration path is reduced. As a result, once the bridge has been configured, lighting devices in a plurality of lighting devices that were controlled simultaneously in the wireless lighting system that was initialized before the bridge had been configured can continue to be controlled simultaneously, but now more easily (i.e., as a group).

[0016] The migration from the non-bridge mode to the bridge mode can be implemented by simply extending the current network initialization, thereby keeping the lighting system substantially unchanged, but is preferably implemented by re-initializing the lighting system while reusing at least some information related to the lighting devices (e.g., to automatically create one or more groups). For example, the lighting system can be re-initialized into the bridge.

[0017] The at least one processor may be configured to determine that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system upon receiving a user input indicating that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system and / or upon receiving a wireless communication from the bridge. If the system comprising the at least one processor is a bridge, the at least one processor may be configured to determine that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system upon receiving a wireless communication from a device in the wireless lighting system.

[0018] The wireless lighting system may include one or more sensors and / or control devices, and the at least one group may include at least one of the one or more sensors and / or control devices. This allows a user to see which sensor and / or control device belongs to which group (e.g., room). For example, this may make it easier for a user to associate a sensor and / or control device with a lighting device.

[0019] A device can be part of multiple groups. This allows the user to control one group of multiple devices at a first moment and another group of multiple devices at another moment, depending on his activities and / or preferences.

[0020] The one or more groups of lighting devices may include a first group of lighting devices and a second group of lighting devices, the second group being a subgroup of the first group and including a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices. Such a hierarchical ordering is particularly advantageous if the lighting devices each participate in a plurality of light scenes and the grouping is performed based on scene information.

[0021] The at least one processor may be configured to analyze the information by determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are configured to participate in the same scene or routine. The plurality of lighting devices in the at least one group may then be lighting devices configured to participate in the same scene or routine. Scenes are often used and are good indicators of which lighting devices a user may want to control simultaneously.

[0022] The at least one processor may be configured to analyze the information by determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are excluded from the same scene or routine. The plurality of lighting devices in the at least one group may then be lighting devices excluded from the same scene or routine. Scenes are often used, and if the number of lighting devices in the lighting system is not too large, exclusion from a scene or routine may be a good grouping indicator.

[0023] The at least one processor may be configured to analyze the information by determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are of the same or similar type and / or have the same or similar light capabilities (e.g. capabilities such as color, brightness and / or beam angle). The plurality of lighting devices in the at least one group may then be lighting devices of the same or similar type and / or have the same or similar light capabilities. Lighting devices of the same or similar type and / or having the same or similar capabilities (e.g. RGB LED spotlights) are more likely to be controlled simultaneously by a user.

[0024] The at least one processor may be configured to analyze the information by determining which of the plurality of lighting devices have similar names. The plurality of lighting devices in the at least one group may then be lighting devices with similar names. If the user has given lighting devices similar names, this is generally an indication that he may want to control them simultaneously.

[0025] The at least one processor may be configured to analyze the information by determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are controlled by the same control device and / or are controlled based on sensor data from the same sensor device. The plurality of lighting devices may then be lighting devices controlled by the same control device and / or controlled based on sensor data from the same sensor device. If a user configures the lighting system to control a plurality of lighting devices simultaneously based on interaction with a control device or based on sensor data from a sensor device, this is often a good indicator that the user may also want to manually control these lighting devices simultaneously.

[0026] The at least one processor is configured to analyze the information by determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are controlled at similar times. The plurality of lighting devices may then be lighting devices that are controlled at similar times. If lighting devices are controlled at similar times, it may be beneficial to group these lighting devices.

[0027] The information related to the plurality of lighting devices may include characteristics of wireless signals received by the plurality of lighting devices. The at least one processor may be configured to analyze the information by analyzing the characteristics. For example, this may make it possible to determine which lighting devices are likely to be located in the same room. For example, a group may be formed based on the information, or a lighting device may be removed from a candidate group based on the information.

[0028] In a second aspect of the present invention, a method for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network access, the wireless lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, the method comprising: determining that a bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system; obtaining information related to the plurality of lighting devices; analyzing the information; determining one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis, at least one of the one or more groups including a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices; and configuring the bridge with the determined one or more groups when determining that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system. The method may be performed by software running on a programmable device. The software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0029] Furthermore, a computer program for carrying out the methods described herein and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program are provided.The computer program can be downloaded or uploaded to an existing device, for example, or stored when manufacturing these systems.

[0030] A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores at least one software code portion that, when executed or processed by a computer, is configured to perform executable operations for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network entry, the wireless lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices.

[0031] Executable operations include: determining that a bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system; obtaining information related to the multiple lighting devices; analyzing the information; determining one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis, at least one of the one or more groups including multiple of the multiple lighting devices; and configuring the bridge with the determined one or more groups when it is determined that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system.

[0032] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as devices, methods or computer program products. Therefore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment of a combination of software and hardware aspects, which may all be generally referred to herein as a "circuit", "module" or "system". The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as an algorithm executed by a processor / microprocessor of a computer. In addition, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having a computer-readable program code embodied (e.g., stored) thereon.

[0033] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that may contain or store a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0034] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal having a computer readable program code embodied therein (e.g., in baseband or as part of a carrier wave). Such propagated signals may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that may communicate, propagate, or transmit a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0035] The program code embodied on the computer-readable medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer program code for implementing the operation of aspects of the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Java (TM), Smalltalk, or C++, etc.) and conventional procedural programming languages ​​(such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network (including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, by using the Internet of an Internet service provider).

[0036] Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that each frame of the flowchart and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, particularly a microprocessor or a central processing unit (CPU), to produce a machine so that instructions executed via a processor of a computer, other programmable data processing devices, or other devices create a device for implementing the function / action specified in a flowchart and / or one or more block diagram frames.

[0037] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which may direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to operate in a particular manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce a product that includes instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks.

[0038] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operating steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks.

[0039] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functions and operations of possible implementations of the devices, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment or portion of a code, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified (multiple) logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions described in the box may not appear in the order described in the figure. For example, two boxes shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially simultaneously, or sometimes these boxes can be executed in reverse order depending on the functions involved. It will also be noted that each box of the block diagram and / or flowchart and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart can be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware that performs a specified function or action, or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be further elucidated, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0041] Figure 1A first embodiment of the system is shown, and a bridge is shown added to a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network entry;

[0042] Figure 2 A second embodiment of the system is shown;

[0043] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of the method;

[0044] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of the method;

[0045] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of the method; and

[0046] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for executing the method of the present invention.

[0047] Corresponding elements in the drawings are represented by the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a system for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network entry is shown. The wireless lighting system 31 initially includes lighting devices 14-19 (e.g. Philips Hue lights) and sensor devices 39 (e.g. presence sensors). The wireless lighting system 31 initially operates in a bridge-free mode, and the lighting devices 14-19 can therefore be controlled directly with the mobile device 1, e.g. via Bluetooth. The sensor device 39 has been configured with the mobile device 1 to trigger activation of the light source of the lighting device 19, e.g. via Bluetooth.

[0049] When the wireless lighting system 31 is initialized to operate in the bridgeless mode, the user can be informed of the benefits of upgrading to a bridge. If interested, the user needs to purchase only a bridge and complete a migration process in which the lighting device is initialized to the bridge and, from there, controlled via the bridge.

[0050] The wireless lighting system 31 is then extended with a bridge 13 (e.g. a Philips Hue bridge). The bridge 13 is connected to the wireless LAN access point 12, for example via Ethernet. The mobile device 1 is also connected to the wireless LAN access point 12, for example via Wi-Fi. After the bridge 13 has been added to the wireless lighting system 31, the lighting devices 14-19 can be controlled via the bridge 13. The bridge 13 communicates with the lighting devices 14-19, for example using Zigbee technology.

[0051] exist Figure 1In the embodiment of the present invention, the system is a mobile device 1. The mobile device 1 includes a receiver 3, a transmitter 4, a processor 5, a memory 7 and a display 9. The processor 5 is configured to use the receiver 3 to determine that the bridge 13 has been added to the wireless lighting system 31, and to use the receiver 3 to obtain information related to the lighting devices 14-19.

[0052] The processor 5 is also configured to analyze the information and determine one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis, so that at least one of the one or more groups includes multiple lighting devices 14-19. The processor 5 is also configured to use the transmitter 4 to configure the bridge 13 with the determined one or more groups when it is determined that the bridge 13 has been added to the wireless lighting system 31.

[0053] Therefore, at a moment before the bridge 13 has been added to the wireless lighting system 31, the plurality of lighting devices 14-19 are not connected to the bridge 13, but are controllable in the wireless lighting system 31 initialized without the bridge 13. In this specification, this is also referred to as the bridgeless mode. When the bridge 13 is added, one or more of the lighting devices 14-19 are migrated to the bridge mode. One or more groups may correspond to one or more rooms in a home or office.

[0054] In an embodiment, the system determines that scenes are the key parameter that indicates grouping. In this case, the system can assume that all lighting devices participating in a scene must be physically in the same area when in no-bridge mode (this usually excludes scenes that only turn off light sources). In migration mode, the system looks at which scenes exist in all migrated lighting devices and determines groups (e.g. room associations) based on them.

[0055] If the user already has a "basic" setup of the lighting system, it is most likely that all lighting devices are part of all scenes. For example, if the user has lighting devices 14-17, and they are all part of two available scenes: Aurora and Rainbow. Then, in migration mode, the system determines that lighting devices 14-17 should be assigned to a single group / room (to be customized later by the user).

[0056] However, the user may not use the "basic" setup of the lighting system, but may instead have segmented the scene as follows:

[0057] Aurora for lighting equipment 14 and 15

[0058] Rainbow is used for lighting devices 16 and 17.

[0059] The system may then determine that luminaires 14 and 15 should be assigned to a different group / room than luminaires 16 and 17, as the difference in the scene may be an indication that they are not being used at the same time, which is more likely to happen if they are placed in different rooms.

[0060] Not only one or more of the lighting devices 14-19 can be assigned to one or more groups, but also the sensor device 39 can be assigned to one or more groups. In addition, one or more control devices (not shown) can also be assigned to one or more groups. One device can be assigned to multiple groups. For example, one or more groups of lighting devices can include a first group of lighting devices and a second group of lighting devices, and the second group can be a subgroup of the first group.

[0061] For example, the user may have defined the following scenario in no-bridge mode:

[0062] Aurora for lighting equipment 14, 15, 18 and 19

[0063] Rainbow for lighting fixtures 16 and 17

[0064] · Spring for lighting equipment 18 and 19.

[0065] The system may notice that there is a partial overlap. The system may then decide to create an overall group for lighting devices 14, 15, 18, and 19, and a smaller group for lighting devices 18 and 19 that is hierarchically dependent on the overall group. For example, lighting devices 14, 15, 18, and 19 may be assigned to the living room group, while lighting devices 18 and 19 may be assigned to the sub-group. In the no-bridge mode, this partial overlap is expected to be relatively large, because in this mode there will typically be no limit or a large limit to the number of scenes that a user can define.

[0066] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment of the mobile device 1 shown in , the mobile device 1 includes a processor 5. In an alternative embodiment, the mobile device 1 includes multiple processors. The processor 5 of the mobile device 1 can be a general-purpose processor (e.g., from ARM or Qualcomm) or can be a dedicated processor. The processor 5 of the mobile device 1 can run, for example, an Android or iOS operating system. The display 9 can include, for example, an LCD or OLED display panel. For example, the display 9 can be a touch screen. For example, the processor 5 can use the touch screen to provide a user interface. The memory 7 can include one or more memory units. For example, the memory 7 can include a solid-state memory.

[0067] For example, the receiver 3 and the transmitter 4 may use one or more wireless communication technologies, such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), to communicate with the wireless LAN access point 12. In alternative embodiments, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown in , a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver 3 and the transmitter 4 are combined into a transceiver. The mobile device 1 may also include a camera (not shown). For example, the camera may include a CMOS or CCD sensor. The mobile device 1 may include other components typical for mobile devices, such as a battery and a power connector. The present invention may be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0068] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the system is a mobile device. In alternative embodiments, the system of the present invention is a different device (eg, a bridge), or includes multiple devices.

[0069] Figure 2 A second embodiment of the system of the present invention is shown: a bridge 21, such as a Philips Hue bridge. The bridge 21 is added to a wireless lighting system 33, which has been initialized and includes lighting devices 14-19 and sensor devices 39. The lighting devices 14-19 can be controlled with a mobile device 11, first directly (in bridgeless mode) and then via the bridge 21 (in bridge mode). The bridge 21 includes a receiver 23, a transmitter 24, a processor 25 and a memory 27. The processor 25 is configured to use the receiver 23 to determine that the bridge 21 has been added to the wireless lighting system 33, and to use the receiver 23 to obtain information related to the lighting devices.

[0070] The processor 25 is further configured to analyze the information, determine one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis, such that at least one of the one or more groups includes a plurality of lighting devices 14-19. The processor 25 is further configured to configure the bridge 21 with the determined one or more groups using the internal interface when determining that the bridge 21 has been added to the wireless lighting system 33. The processor 25 may be configured to determine that the bridge 21 has been added to the wireless lighting system 33 when it receives wireless communication from at least one of the lighting devices 14-19 and / or from the mobile device 11 (e.g., in response to user input on the mobile device 11).

[0071] exist Figure 2In the embodiment of the bridge 21 shown in , the bridge 21 includes a processor 25. In an alternative embodiment, the bridge 21 includes multiple processors. The processor 25 of the bridge 21 can be a general-purpose processor (e.g., ARM-based) or can be a dedicated processor. For example, the processor 25 of the bridge 21 can run a Unix-based operating system. The memory 27 can include one or more memory units. For example, the memory 27 can include one or more hard disks and / or solid-state memories. For example, the memory 27 can be used to store a table of connected lights.

[0072] For example, the receiver 23 and the transmitter 24 may communicate with the wireless LAN access point 12 using one or more wired or wireless communication technologies, such as Ethernet. In alternative embodiments, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in , a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver 23 and the transmitter 24 are combined into a transceiver. The bridge 21 may include other components typical for network devices, such as a power connector. The present invention may be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0073] Figure 3 A first embodiment of a method for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network access is shown in FIG. The wireless lighting system includes a plurality of lighting devices. Step 111 includes receiving a user input indicating that a bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system. Step 101 includes determining that a bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system when the user input is received in step 111.

[0074] Step 103 includes obtaining information related to a plurality of lighting devices. Step 105 includes analyzing the information. Step 107 includes determining one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis. At least one of the one or more groups includes a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices. Step 109 includes configuring the bridge with the determined one or more groups when it is determined that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system.

[0075] Figure 4 A second embodiment of a method for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system is shown in FIG. Figure 4 In the embodiment, Figure 3 Step 111 of has been replaced by step 121. Step 121 includes receiving wireless communication from the bridge. Step 101 includes determining that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system when wireless communication is received from the bridge in step 121. Next, perform Figure 3 Steps 103 to 109.

[0076] Figure 5A third embodiment of a method for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized for network access is shown in FIG. The third embodiment of the method includes Figure 3 and Figure 4 Steps 101-109 of the method, and step 105 includes one or more of sub-steps 141-153.

[0077] Step 141 includes determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are configured to participate in the same scene or routine. If the plurality of lighting devices are configured to participate in the same scene or routine, they may be included in the same group, as also described with respect to Figure 1 as described.

[0078] Dynamic light settings stored / used in lighting devices may be taken into account when determining the grouping. Dynamic light settings may specify how light effects are determined based on the music content so that the color of the lighting device changes with the rhythm of the music content. Different rooms may have different applications selected, like a smooth effect for a dining room and an active and fast transition for a living room. Dynamic light settings may be specified in a scene or a routine, but they may also be independent of a scene or a routine.

[0079] Step 143 includes determining which of the multiple lighting devices are excluded from the same scene or routine. If multiple lighting devices are excluded from the same scene or routine, they may be included in the same group because the lack of action may also be an indirect indication of grouping. For example, a user may want to have a bedtime schedule that automatically turns off all lights except for two nightstand lights in the bedroom. Therefore, the fact that these two lights were not affected despite the action occurring on the remaining lights may indicate that they should be together.

[0080] Step 145 includes determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are of the same or similar type and / or have the same or similar light capabilities. If the plurality of lighting devices are of the same or similar type and / or have the same or similar light capabilities, they may be included in the same group. As an example of the former, spotlights and downlighters are most often used in large quantities in applications (at least relative to hanging fixtures, A19 bulbs, and light strips). In addition to type, color capabilities may also be an indication of grouping, since it is more likely that lamps with similar capabilities are used in the same space. For example, it is possible that all five spotlights in a lighting system are co-located. However, if it turns out that three are colored spotlights and the other two are just white spotlights, then these five spotlights may not be included in the same group if other groupings seem like a better fit.

[0081] Step 147 includes determining which of the plurality of lighting devices have similar names. If the plurality of lighting devices have similar names, they may be included in the same group. For example, lighting devices named "Dining Table 1" and "Dining Table 2" may be assigned to a first group, and a lighting device named "Bathroom Ceiling" may be assigned to a different group.

[0082] Step 149 comprises determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are controlled by the same control device and / or are controlled based on sensor data from the same sensor device. If a plurality of lighting devices are controlled by the same control device and / or are controlled based on sensor data from the same sensor device, they may be included in the same group. Sensor devices and control devices are also referred to as accessories. For example, a control device may be a (wireless) light switch.

[0083] It may be possible to request lighting devices to provide information about devices with which they have recently interacted in some way. Information about which accessories triggered specific light settings via the commands they issued may not be stored in the lighting device as a scene, but can still be a valuable grouping indicator. For example, Figure 1 The lighting devices 14, 15, 18 and 19 may have been Figure 1 The sensor device 39 is periodically triggered, the lighting devices 18 and 19 can already (additionally) be activated by a light switch ( Figure 1 ) control, and Figure 1 The lighting devices 16 and 17 may have been only Figure 1 The information can be controlled by an app on a mobile device 1. Alternatively, the information can be obtained from (multiple) sensor devices and / or (multiple) user control devices with which the lighting device interacts.

[0084] Step 151 includes determining which of the plurality of lighting devices are controlled at similar times. If the plurality of lighting devices are controlled at similar times, they may be included in the same group. For example, the granularity / frequency of control may help further confirm the hierarchical grouping determined based on other information.

[0085] Step 153 includes analyzing the characteristics of the wireless signals received by the plurality of lighting devices (obtained in step 103). For example, the lighting device may track messages received from neighboring lighting devices and use, for example, RSSI and / or command frequency as further indication of grouping. This may help distinguish lighting devices in adjacent rooms, as walls may attenuate signals in a potentially more noticeable manner than distances within the same room.

[0086] If more than one of sub-steps 141-153 is performed, each portion of the information obtained can be used to score whether a device should be included in a candidate group. After all information has been processed, a final group can be determined by determining which candidate groups have at least two devices that score the group above an inclusion threshold.

[0087] For example, if three lighting devices participate in the same scene, a candidate group may be created and the three lighting devices that exceed the inclusion threshold may be given an initial score. If one of the three devices then appears to be located in an adjacent room, its score may be lowered, e.g., below the inclusion threshold. If two other lighting devices have similar names, a further candidate group may be created and the two lighting devices that exceed the inclusion threshold may be given an initial score.

[0088] exist Figure 5 In the embodiments of Figure 3 and Figure 4 In an alternative embodiment, step 111 and / or step 121 are performed at Figure 5 is executed before step 101.

[0089] Figure 6 Describes instructions that can be executed as reference Figures 3 to 5 A block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for the described methods.

[0090] like Figure 6 As shown in , data processing system 300 may include at least one processor 302 coupled to memory element 304 via system bus 306. In this way, the data processing system may store program codes in memory element 304. Further, processor 302 may execute program codes accessed from memory element 304 via system bus 306. In one aspect, the data processing system may be implemented as a computer suitable for storing and / or executing program codes. However, it should be appreciated that data processing system 300 may be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and a memory capable of performing the functions described in this specification.

[0091] Memory element 304 may include one or more physical memory devices, such as, for example, local memory 308 and one or more mass storage devices 310. Local memory may refer to random access memory or (multiple) other non-persistent storage devices that are generally used during the actual execution of program code. Mass storage devices may be implemented as hard drives or other persistent data storage devices. Processing system 300 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times program code must be retrieved from mass storage device 310 during execution. For example, if processing system 300 is part of a cloud computing platform, processing system 300 may also be able to use memory elements of another processing system.

[0092] Optionally, input / output (I / O) devices, depicted as input device 312 and output device 314, may be coupled to the data processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a microphone (e.g., for voice and / or speech recognition), etc. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, a monitor or display, or speakers, etc. Input and / or output devices may be coupled to the data processing system directly or through intervening I / O controllers.

[0093] In an embodiment, the input and output devices may be implemented as a combined input / output device (in Figure 6 312 and output device 314). An example of such a combined device is a touch-sensitive display, sometimes also referred to as a "touch screen display" or simply a "touch screen." In such an embodiment, input to the device may be provided by movement of a physical object (such as, for example, a user's finger or a stylus) on or near the touch screen display.

[0094] Network adapter 316 may also be coupled to data processing system 300 to enable it to couple to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and / or remote storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Network adapters may include data receivers for receiving data transmitted to data processing system 300 by the systems, devices, and / or networks, and data transmitters for transmitting data from data processing system 300 to the systems, devices, and / or networks. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of different types of network adapters that may be used with data processing system 300.

[0095] like Figure 6As shown in FIG. 3 , memory element 304 may store application 318. In various embodiments, application 318 may be stored in local memory 308, one or more mass storage devices 310, or separate from local memory and mass storage devices. It should be appreciated that data processing system 300 may further execute an operating system (OS) that may facilitate the execution of application 318. Figure 6 318 implemented in the form of executable program code may be executed by data processing system 300 (eg, by processor 302). In response to executing the application, data processing system 300 may be configured to perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

[0096] Various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a program product for use with a computer system, wherein the program(s) of the program product define the functionality of the embodiments (including the methods described herein). In one embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various non-transitory computer-readable storage media, wherein as used herein, the expression "non-transitory computer-readable storage media" includes all computer-readable media, with the sole exception of transient propagation signals. In another embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various transient computer-readable storage media. Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., a read-only memory device within a computer, such as a CD-ROM disk readable by a CD-ROM drive, a ROM chip, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory); and (ii) writable storage media on which information that can be modified is stored (e.g., a flash memory, a floppy disk within a floppy disk drive or hard drive, or any type of solid-state random access semiconductor memory). The computer program may be run on the processor 302 described herein.

[0097] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a" or "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used in this specification, the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0098] The corresponding structures, materials, actions, and equivalents of all means or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material, or action for performing a function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the embodiments of the present invention has been presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments in the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The embodiments are selected and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and some practical applications, and to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present invention for various embodiments with various modifications suitable for the particular use under consideration.

Claims

1. A system (1, 21) for configuring a bridge (13, 21) in a wireless lighting system (31, 33) that has been initialized in a bridgeless mode, wherein the wireless lighting system (31, 33) comprises a plurality of lighting devices (14-19), and the system (1, 21) comprises: at least one input interface (3, 23); at least one configuration interface (4); and At least one processor (5, 25) is configured to: - using the at least one input interface (3, 23) to determine that a bridge (13, 21) has been added to the wireless lighting system (31, 33), - using said at least one input interface (3, 23) to obtain information related to said plurality of lighting devices (14-19), - analyzing said information, - determining one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis, at least one of the one or more groups comprising a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices (14-19), and upon determining that the bridge (13, 21) has been added to the wireless lighting system, - By configuring the bridge (13, 21) having the determined one or more groups (31, 33) using the at least one configuration interface (4), the wireless lighting system is migrated from the bridgeless mode to the bridge mode, so that the lighting devices in the plurality of lighting devices (14-19) that are simultaneously controlled in the bridgeless mode continue to be simultaneously controlled in the bridge mode as one of the one or more groups.

2. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to determine that the bridge (13, 21) has been added to the wireless lighting system (31, 33) upon receiving user input indicating that the bridge (13, 21) has been added to the wireless lighting system (31, 33).

3. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor (5) is configured to determine that the bridge (13) has been added to the wireless lighting system (31) when receiving wireless communication from the bridge (13).

4. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wireless lighting system (31, 33) comprises one or more sensors and / or control devices (39), and the at least one group comprises at least one of the one or more sensors and / or control devices (39).

5. The system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more groups of lighting devices include a first group of lighting devices and a second group of lighting devices, the second group being a subset of the first group and including a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices (14-19).

6. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to analyze the information by determining which of the multiple lighting devices (14-19) are configured to participate in the same scene or routine, and the multiple lighting devices in the at least one group are configured to participate in the same scene or routine.

7. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to analyze the information by determining which of the multiple lighting devices (14-19) are excluded from the same scene or routine, and the multiple lighting devices in at least one group are excluded from the same scene or routine.

8. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to analyze the information by determining which of the multiple lighting devices (14-19) are of the same or similar type and / or have the same or similar light capabilities, and the multiple lighting devices in at least one group are of the same or similar type and / or have the same or similar light capabilities.

9. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to analyze the information by determining which of the multiple lighting devices (14-19) have similar names, and the multiple lighting devices in at least one group have similar names.

10. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to analyze the information by determining which of the multiple lighting devices (14-19) are controlled by the same control device and / or are controlled based on sensor data from the same sensor device (39), and the multiple lighting devices are controlled by the same control device and / or are controlled based on sensor data from the same sensor device (39).

11. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to analyze the information by determining which of the multiple lighting devices (14-19) are controlled at a similar time, and the multiple lighting devices are controlled at a similar time.

12. A system (1, 21) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information related to the multiple lighting devices (14-19) includes characteristics of wireless signals received by the multiple lighting devices (14-19), and the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to analyze the information by analyzing the characteristics.

13. A method for configuring a bridge in a wireless lighting system that has been initialized in a non-bridge mode, the wireless lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, the method comprising: - determining (101) that a bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system; - obtaining (103) information related to the plurality of lighting devices; - analyzing (105) said information, - determining (107) one or more groups of lighting devices based on the analysis, at least one of the one or more groups comprising a plurality of the plurality of lighting devices; and upon determining that the bridge has been added to the wireless lighting system, - By configuring (109) the bridge with the determined one or more groups, the wireless lighting system is migrated from the bridgeless mode to the bridge mode, so that the lighting devices in the multiple lighting devices (14-19) that are simultaneously controlled in the bridgeless mode continue to be simultaneously controlled in the bridge mode as one of the one or more groups.

14. A computer-readable storage medium comprising at least one software code portion or a computer program product storing at least one software code portion, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 13.

Images