Method and device for alerting a node device in a network of interconnected node devices

Abstract

A method (50) for alerting a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices by sending an alert message, a node device (100) arranged to alert a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices by sending an alert message, and a computer program product, wherein the alert message includes a geographic location address of an initiator node device (21) that sends the alert message and a moving direction (12) of an object (11) receiving a service from the initiator node device (21). When a receiving node device (24, 25) determines that the object (11) is approaching the receiving node device (24, 25) based on its geographic location address, the geographic location address of the initiator node device (21), and the moving direction (12), it sends an alert message including the geographic location address of the initiator node device (21) and the moving direction (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of communications in a network of interconnected node devices or terminal devices, and more particularly to a method and node device for alerting a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices. Background Art

[0002] Electrical or electronic devices - such as lighting devices and Internet of Things (IoT) devices and devices supporting, for example, enhanced machine type communications (eMTC), which all include data communication capabilities - are often deployed in a network consisting of multiple such interconnected devices. These devices, often referred to as node devices or terminal devices, may include movable or mobile devices that operate using wireless network connections, and / or fixed devices that have one or both of wired and / or wireless network connections.

[0003] A wireless network consisting of interconnected node devices is also referred to as a network in an unlicensed band, such as a wireless mesh network, a WMN, a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and a proprietary wireless network. The networked node devices can use a long-range communication interface to transmit data and messages to a remote backend server. In addition, the node devices can operate a short-range communication interface (such as a transceiver module) that is only used for communication between node devices (this is also referred to as inter-node device communication).

[0004] For example, the short-range communication interface may operate according to a network protocol for exchanging data through networked node devices, such as that used for wireless networks and wired bus networks such as DALI. TM (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface), DSI (Digital Serial Interface), DMX (Digital Multiplexing), KNX (and KNX-based systems) - specified by ZigBee TM , Bluetooth, and WiFi-based protocols, as well as proprietary communication technologies and protocols.

[0005] In the case of a networked lighting system that includes a large number of node devices operating as lighting fixtures, some or even all of the node devices may be equipped with sensors dedicated to or adapted to detect the presence of a target or object, such as a pedestrian or vehicle moving along a track, such as a street or path along which the lighting fixtures are installed. Inter-node device communications may then be used to alert nearby node devices of the presence of the object so that they may be ready to provide services (one of which is an on-demand lighting service) to the object.

[0006] EP 2845449 A1 relates to network entry initialization of a network node, i.e. determining the neighbors of a node based on associating received detection messages with sensed parameters. For example, the receipt of a brighten / dim RF message by a pole and the observation of a corresponding simultaneous light change by a sensor (camera) in the pole can be used to identify the pole address of the brighten / dim neighbor.

[0007] In currently available technologies, such on-demand lighting applications and mesh networks of lighting fixtures are designed separately. As a result, messages are routed based on the network addresses of the source and destination nodes without considering the behavior of the objects themselves. This can lead to inefficient and unreliable message transmission, as well as a waste of scarce transmission resources.

[0008] Figure 1a to Figure 1c An example of a simple on-demand lighting application is shown. Figure 1a , a pedestrian-like object 11 moves along an elongated track, street or path 18 in the direction indicated by arrow 12 (i.e., to the left in the figure). Along the track 18, node devices 10 on poles 17 are installed at regular intervals or distances 19 between poles 17. The node devices 10 include lighting fixtures or modules (i.e., street lamps) to provide street lighting services to the moving object 11. Based on the presence sensor equipped in the node device (not shown), the connected street lighting system (not shown) will brighten the lighting module (i.e., street lamp) of the node device 10 to provide a high-quality lighting environment. For example, as Figure 1a The illustrated light distribution indicates that the current light level is a percentage of the total amount of light provided by a particular node device 10. Typically, more lighting devices 10 are dimmed in the direction 12 of movement of the object 11, and at a higher level than in the opposite direction.

[0009] To enable on-demand lighting applications, a local area network (LAN) is used to let neighboring lighting devices know that a pedestrian 11 is approaching and that the relevant light distribution should be prepared by sending corresponding notification messages.

[0010] Figure 1b An example of a flooding-based mesh network for transmitting messages is provided. That is, each node device 10 is arranged to send and receive messages via a short-range communication interface (not shown) as disclosed above.

[0011] Assume that Figure 1b In the example of FIG. 1 , the presence sensor on node device D detects object 11. In order to create Figure 1aIn the illustrated lighting environment, node device D needs to notify node devices E, F, G, and H that an object requiring lighting service is detected. It is further assumed that the wireless communication range of one hop of the short-range communication interface of node device 10 is twice the pole interval 19. That is, the message 13 sent by node device D can be received by node devices B, C, E, and F.

[0012] Upon receiving a message sent 13 by node device D, node devices B, C, E, F will relay 14, 15 the message to other node devices along the way. For clarity, Figure 1c Only node devices C and E are shown relaying the message. In practice, node devices B and F will relay the message in the same manner as node devices C and E, and so on.

[0013] In this on-demand lighting application, for example, it does not make sense for a message to be relayed 14 by node device C downstream in the direction of movement 12 (i.e., to the left in the figure). For example, node device F receives 13 a message directly from node device D, but also receives a message from node device E by relaying 14. Thus, multiple messages are unnecessarily relayed 14, 15 in both the downstream and upstream (i.e., to the right in the figure) directions of the mobile object 11, thereby wasting scarce transmission resources (such as bandwidth and energy), which may also introduce interference in the network.

[0014] Therefore, there is a real need for a more efficient method of sending or relaying messages to a node device in a network of interconnected node devices that provide services to mobile objects. Summary of the invention

[0015] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided for alerting a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices by sending an alert message, the alert message being related to a service to be provided by the node device to a mobile object, each node device including a geographical location address of the node device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0016] - receiving, by a node device, an alarm message, the alarm message including a geographical location address of an initiator node device that sends the alarm message and a moving direction of an object receiving a service from the initiator node device;

[0017] - determining by the receiving node device whether the object is approaching the receiving node device based on its geographic location address, the geographic location address of the initiator node device, and the moving direction, and

[0018] - If it is determined that the object is approaching the receiving node device, the receiving node device sends a warning message including the geographical location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction.

[0019] The present disclosure proposes a method that enhances a message relay strategy of a node device in a network of interconnected node devices that provide services to objects or targets in a network (such as a mesh network) by considering a moving direction of the objects or targets moving along the node devices.

[0020] An alarm or notification message is sent by an initiator node device in the network to alert other node devices of the existence of an object so that these node devices can prepare or make ready services to be provided to the object before the object actually arrives at the geographic location of these node devices. Including the moving direction of the object in the alarm message enables the node device receiving the alarm message to determine whether the object is approaching the same node device. The receiving node device only sends an alarm message when the object moves toward or approaches the node device, and other node devices receiving the alarm message will not relay the received alarm message.

[0021] Therefore, the method of the present disclosure reduces meaningless message transmissions in the network, which in turn avoids wasting bandwidth and interference between messages. As a result, the network as a whole operates more efficiently and reliably (this is especially important in unlicensed mesh networks). Fewer transmissions also reduce communication costs and power consumption associated with message transmission.

[0022] As an example, when the network is an on-demand lighting system comprising interconnected lighting devices arranged along a track or road, for example, as described above with reference to Figure 1a-Figure 1c Compared to the on-demand lighting systems discussed, in a system according to the present disclosure, the total number of messages sent in the system - used to prepare and create lighting patterns by lighting devices in response to detecting objects (such as cars or pedestrians along the road) - can be reduced by up to 50% because those lighting devices that move away from the object will not send alert messages.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present disclosure (wherein the node devices are arranged along at least one track), the method further includes the following steps: when the receiving node device determines that the object is moving in a direction different from the direction indicated in the received alarm message, the receiving node device updates the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object in the alarm message.

[0024] Especially for street lighting networks, lighting devices can be arranged along various roads or tracks extending in various directions. When an object moves from a first track (along which there are lighting devices) to a different second track extending in a different direction, the moving direction of the object changes.

[0025] In this context, the receiving node device must update the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object in the alarm message. In particular, the geographic location address of the receiving node device that detects the presence of the object and the moving direction of the object along the second track will be included in the alarm message.

[0026] This ensures that objects moving along (multiple) tracks (along which node devices are arranged) receive required services (such as street lighting) and can obtain the required services from the node devices when moving along the tracks, because the warning messages always include the latest information about the object's direction of movement, while preventing the transmission of unnecessary messages.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in response to a sensor of the initiator node device or the receiving node device detecting an object, an alarm message is generated by the initiator node device and / or updated by the receiving node device.

[0028] The node device may include a presence detection device, such as a presence detection sensor (including a passive infrared sensor (PIR) or a microwave motion sensor with a radar device) that can detect the location or presence of an object. The direction of movement of the object may be detected by the presence sensor by relying on its own output (such as an output from a radar) or by estimating based on the presence detection output of an adjacent node device. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other sensor devices (such as sound detection sensors, temperature measurement sensors, cameras operating in the visible and / or infrared spectrum, etc.) may be used to detect the presence of an object.

[0029] It is conceivable that several node devices may share the same presence detection device, which may detect the presence of an object in an area covering the node devices, for example. This helps to reduce the overall cost of the network.

[0030] In practice, the receiving node device equipped with a sensor may also be operated to generate a new alarm message upon detecting the presence of an object that moves from the detection range of the sensor equipped by the initiator node device to the detection range of the sensor equipped by the receiving node device.

[0031] In the case where an object changes its moving direction, those skilled in the art can conceive that both methods - namely, updating the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object in the alarm message received from the initiator node device, and generating a new alarm message including the geographic location address of the receiving node device and the new moving direction - can be used for the purpose of alerting the node device in the moving direction of the object that is about to approach.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the geographic location address of the node device is obtained from one of a geographic location detection module of the node device and pre-configuration data available to the node device.

[0033] The geographic location address can be obtained from the geographic location detection module of the node device itself (such as a global positioning system (GPS) device or an equivalent equipped by the node device). On the other hand, for example, the node device can also obtain the geographic location address from a remote backend server or from a cloud device, which stores data related to the geographic location addresses of all node devices and can provide the same data to the node device via a network connection upon request. When the node device itself has limited storage capacity, remote storage of the geographic location address is advantageous, and obtaining the geographic location address locally from the location detection module of the node device is an effective alternative.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, each node device operates according to a media access control (MAC) data processing protocol sublayer, wherein the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object are included in at least one of the MAC header and application data of the alarm message for processing by the MAC data processing protocol sublayer of the receiving node device.

[0035] The MAC sublayer is part of the data link layer defined by the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, which conceptualizes how communication data should be handled between systems.

[0036] Compared to processing the warning message as a higher layer message (such as an application layer message according to the OSI model), the reduced traffic in the wireless channel according to the method of the present disclosure provides for transmitting the warning message as a lower layer message (particularly a MAC sublayer message) between node devices in the network.

[0037] The transmission of messages from a source node device to a destination node device in a network usually involves the MAC sublayer and / or the network layer. In particular, for unicast messages in many wireless mesh networks (such as Wi-SUN), both the MAC sublayer and the network layer are involved in the routing of messages. For broadcasts, the network layer usually relies on MAC sublayer broadcasts to transmit messages from source node devices to destination node devices. That is, if the message is propagated in the same network, the message usually does not reach the network layer for data processing.

[0038] Therefore, in the present disclosure, implementing the processing of alert messages in the MAC layer to decide whether to send a received alert message is more efficient in terms of usage of computing resources.In general, the best performance is achieved by processing alert messages at the lower MAC sublayer.

[0039] In addition, broadcast packets according to some standards (such as IEEE 802.15.4) are usually processed in the MAC sublayer. At the same time, more and more protocol stacks divide the routing function into multiple layers (such as route-over and mesh-under in 6LoWPAN). The processing of alarm messages in the MAC sublayer makes it possible to implement methods based on these protocols.

[0040] Specifically, the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object may be included in the MAC header of the data frame (including the alarm message). The MAC protocol processor of the receiving node device will process the data frame according to the method of the present disclosure.

[0041] As an alternative, the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object can also be placed in the application data of the alarm message. In this case, the reserved field in the current MAC header is used to indicate that additional information is provided in the application data. When such an indication is detected in the MAC header, the MAC protocol processor obtains the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object from the application protocol processor of the node device and processes it accordingly.

[0042] In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining step is performed in a MAC data processing protocol sublayer of the node device.

[0043] Those skilled in the art can imagine that the MAC protocol processor of the node device can process the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object, as well as the geographic location address of the node device receiving the alarm message, to determine that the object is approaching the receiving node device. Compared with higher layer processing, processing in the MAC sublayer is safer.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining step includes the following steps:

[0045] - calculating the propagation direction of the warning message based on the geographical location address of the initiator node and the moving direction of the object, and - determining that the receiving node device is downstream of the initiator node device along the propagation direction.

[0046] Determining that an object is approaching a receiving node device according to this principle is simple and easy to implement, does not involve heavy calculations or complex algorithms, and therefore does not impose a heavy burden on the available resources from the receiving node device.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the network is a mesh network, wherein the sending step includes one of flooding and routing of the alert message.

[0048] Mesh network topology is well suited for the present disclosure, and both flooding and routing based on mesh networks can be easily applied to send alert messages. There is no additional cost for special hardware or firmware.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the alarm message is sent to a node device within a preset number of hops of the receiving node device.

[0050] The transmission range of the node device can be limited to ensure the communication quality. It can be designed that the warning message will be sent to a limited number of hops, such as two or three hops. For example, in the case of lighting devices, this may mean that there are at most 6 or 9 lighting devices in one direction along the road.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the warning message further includes a moving speed of the object, wherein the preset number of hops is based on the moving speed of the object.

[0052] The moving speed of the object helps to decide how far ahead of the moving object the warning message should be sent. It will be appreciated that for fast moving objects, the warning message should be sent more in advance so that the node device can be prepared before the object arrives.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the node device includes at least one of a smart pole device and a lighting device, and the service provided from the node device to the object includes at least one of a lighting service, a network access service, and a geographic routing service.

[0054] Based on the idea of ​​"smart city", lamp poles can be "smart" poles that include various devices, including not only traditional lighting equipment, but also other devices (such as access points, routers for data communication, or devices for providing geographic routing information to objects moving through smart poles), which is a convenient and effective application or use of such smart poles.

[0055] On the other hand, in addition to lamps for providing lighting services, the lighting device itself may be integrated with other devices that provide other services (such as a network access function provided to passing objects by a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card or a Zigbee interface).

[0056] In a particular embodiment of the network of interconnected lighting devices, the lighting service includes providing a brightness level by a node device receiving the alert message depending on a geographical distance between the receiving node device and the node device sending the alert message.

[0057] Based on the present disclosure, it is necessary to prepare the lighting service in advance, which is achieved by having the initiator node device send an alarm message to all node devices within a preset number of hops and before the moving direction of the object. In addition, for the purpose of providing comfortable lighting for the human eye, the brightness level provided from multiple node devices can be adjusted, that is, gradually increased or decreased, rather than suddenly changed from off to full level.

[0058] For a specific node device, as a result of receiving multiple alarm messages (sent or forwarded by each node device between the initiator node device and the specific node device), and when the object moves closer to the specific node device, its brightness level can be adjusted, for example, from a lower level to a higher level.

[0059] In this embodiment, the warning message includes lighting control commands or instructions for each lighting device (receiving the warning message). The control commands will set the optimized lighting distribution to serve the object (which is, for example, a pedestrian or a car).

[0060] As an example, the lighting profile can be designed to allow lighting devices closer to an object to be dimmed to a higher brightness level than lighting devices further away. This helps ensure an optimal user experience while operating the lighting devices in an energy-efficient manner.

[0061] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a node device is provided for alerting or notifying a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices by sending an alert message according to the method of the first aspect of the present disclosure. In particular, the node device includes at least one of a smart pole device and a lighting device, the lighting device including at least one lamp.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object are included in at least one of the MAC header and application data of the alarm message to be processed by the MAC data processing protocol sublayer of the node device. In view of the reduced channel usage according to the present disclosure, processing at a lower MAC sublayer is possible and allows the node device to operate more efficiently, for example, in terms of data processing capacity.

[0063] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, and when the instructions are executed on at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0064] The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be best understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals represent the same components or components that perform the same or similar functions or operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] Figure 1a to Figure 1c An embodiment of a simple on-demand lighting application is illustrated.

[0066] Figure 2 Another network of lighting devices to be alerted by the method according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0067] Figure 3a and Figure 3b An embodiment of a data frame including a warning message according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0068] Figure 4 An embodiment of a method of alerting a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in a flowchart-type diagram.

[0069] Figure 5 An embodiment of a node device arranged for operation in a network of operably interconnected node devices according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] Embodiments contemplated by the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the illustrated embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to a network of operably interconnected lighting devices acting as node devices of the network. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure is not limited to networks of lighting devices, but is applicable to networks of a wide variety of node devices (enabled with network communication connectivity) as indicated in the Background section.

[0071] The terms "node device", "lighting device", and "lighting fixture" are used interchangeably in the following description.

[0072] Figure 2 A network 20 of lighting devices according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated. Figure 2 1 shows lighting devices mounted on smart light poles and arranged along two tracks 18, 19, which for example comprise streets, roads or paths. Lighting devices may also be arranged along winding roads or more complex road layouts. In addition to lighting devices, there may be other electronic devices mounted to the light poles to provide services to objects or targets 11, such as pedestrians or vehicles passing by the light poles.

[0073] In this example, track 18 includes spaced apart lighting devices 22, 23, 21, 24 and 25 from left to right in the figure. Track 19 intersects track 18 and includes spaced apart lighting devices 29, 26, 24, 27 and 28 from bottom to top of the figure. Note that lighting device 24 is common to both tracks 18, 19.

[0074] One of the lighting devices 21 (herein referred to as an initiator node device or initiator lighting device 21) can detect the presence of an object or target 11 (such as a pedestrian or vehicle adjacent to or close to it) by using a presence detection sensor (not shown) equipped with the lighting device 21. After detecting the object, in an on-demand lighting application, the initiator lighting device 21 sends an alert message including a lighting control command to other lighting devices 23, 24, 25 in its vicinity to notify these other lighting devices 23, 24, 25 of the presence of the object or target 11 so that the other lighting devices 23, 24, 25 can adjust their lighting levels accordingly. The alert message may include other commands or instructions for controlling one or more other electronic devices mounted to the light pole to provide services to the object 11.

[0075] Those skilled in the art may envision that several lighting devices may share the same presence detection sensor to detect the presence of a moving object, as disclosed above.

[0076] The alarm message is used to warn other node devices near the initiator node device of the existence of the mobile object so that other node devices can prepare services required by the mobile object and / or services according to the set application. It is conceivable that the alarm message may include various commands or instructions for controlling the node device receiving the alarm message.

[0077] For lighting devices receiving the warning message, the warning message may include instructions for turning on the lighting device or dimming the light. For node devices arranged to provide geographic routing information to mobile objects, the warning message may be used to instruct the receiving node device to send geographic location information to devices passing through it.

[0078] The warning message includes the geographic location address of the initiator lighting device 21, which can be obtained from a location detection device equipped by the initiator lighting device 21, such as a global positioning system (GPS) device or other global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (such as GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou), or a regional navigation system (such as QZSS, IRNSS or NavIC).

[0079] Alternatively, for example, the lighting device may also obtain the geographic location address from a remote backend server or from a cloud device (not shown), which stores data related to the geographic location addresses of all lighting devices stored in its storage device and can provide the same data to the lighting device via a network connection upon request.

[0080] The geographic location address of the node device may include the geographic coordinates of the node device obtained by the GNSS device equipped by the node device. The geographic location address may also constitute, for example, a node serial number address related to the geographic location of the node device or any other identifier for uniquely identifying the node device. As an example, lighting devices 22, 23, 21, and 24 may be sequentially numbered as lighting devices No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 along the road, respectively.

[0081] The warning message also includes the moving direction 12 of the object 11 (in Figure 2 For example, the movement direction 12 may be detected by a presence detection sensor of the initiator lighting device 21 by directly relying on the output or subsequent output of the sensor, or by an estimation based on the presence detection output of neighboring lighting devices.

[0082] When the geographical location address of the node device is represented by geographical coordinates, the moving direction can be indicated by an increase or decrease in one or both of the geographical coordinates of the node device of the detection object. On the other hand, for example, the moving direction can be indicated as a change in the node serial number of the node device for the detection object, which is addressed in the remote system by the node serial number. The moving direction can also be indicated using a compass bearing.

[0083] exist Figure 2 In the specific example of FIG. 1 , it is assumed that the initiator node device 21 includes the moving direction 12 of the object 11 (indicated by an increase in the first coordinate along the direction of the track 18 ) in the warning message.

[0084] Optionally, the alarm message may further include a moving speed of the object and a detection time of the object (such as a timestamp indicating when the node device detected the object).

[0085] The node device may include an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) based protocol stack arranged to provide physical (PHY) layer functionality, medium access control (MAC) sublayer functionality, radio link control (RLC) layer functionality, etc. The warning message may be included in the MAC sublayer functionality of the node device.

[0086] Figure 3a and Figure 3bA data frame 31 and two modified data frames 32 , 38 , each data frame including a warning message, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are schematically illustrated.

[0087] The information included in the alert message according to the present disclosure may be inserted into the MAC header field 33 of the modified data frame 32 (which is in Figure 3a The MAC header field 33 of the modified data frame 32 includes an initiator location 34 indicating the geographic location address of the initiator lighting device 21, a moving direction 35 and moving speed 36 of the object 11, and a timestamp 37 indicating the clock time when the node device detected the object 11.

[0088] Alternatively, the above information may also be placed in the application data field 40 of the modified data frame 38 (which is in Figure 3b ). The hash area 39 of the application data field 40 of the modified data frame 38 includes the above information, while the reserved bits 7-9 indicated by reference numeral 41 of the MAC header field 42 are used to indicate that such information is included in the application data 40.

[0089] Figure 4 An embodiment of a method 50 of alerting a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices to provide a service to a mobile object according to the present disclosure is schematically illustrated in a flowchart type diagram.

[0090] The method 50 starts from step 51, "receiving, by a node device, an alarm message including a geographic location address of an initiator node device and a moving direction of an object". In this step, Figure 2 The node device of the lighting device 24 receives the alarm message sent by the initiator lighting device 21. The alarm message can be sent through the short-range communication interface equipped by the lighting devices 21 and 24.

[0091] Next, in step 52, "determine whether the object is approaching the receiving node device based on the object's geographic location address and moving direction", the receiving lighting device 24 uses its own geographic location address, the geographic location address of the initiator lighting device 21 received together with the alarm message, and the moving direction 12 of the object 11 to determine whether the object 11 is approaching the receiving node device 24.

[0092] This determination may be performed as follows: First, the receiving node device 24 calculates the propagation direction of the alarm message by using the geographical location address of the initiator lighting device 21 and the moving direction 12 of the object 11. Then, the receiving node device determines 24 that it is downstream of the initiator node device 21 along the propagation direction of the alarm message.

[0093] for Figure 2In the example of FIG. 1 , based on the geographic location address of the initiator node device 21, and because the first coordinate increases when the object 11 moves, the node device 24 determines that the propagation direction of the alarm message is to the right along the track 18. Since the first coordinate of the geographic location address of the node device 24 is higher than the first coordinate of the geographic location address of the initiator node device 21, it is obvious that the receiving node device 24 is downstream of the initiator node device 21 along the propagation direction of the alarm message.

[0094] It will be appreciated that node device 22 will also receive the alert message sent by node device 21. However, when the direction of propagation of the alert message is determined in the same manner as disclosed above for node device 24 (i.e., to the right along track 18), it will be found that the receiving node device 22 is upstream of the initiator node device 21 along the direction of propagation of the alert message.

[0095] Since the lighting device 24 is now aware that the object 11 is approaching, in step 53, "an alarm message including the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object is sent", the receiving lighting device 24 relays the alarm message to other lighting devices 25, 26, 27 in its vicinity, so that the other lighting devices 25, 26, 27 can prepare the required lighting services before the object 11 arrives.

[0096] However, according to the present disclosure, the lighting device 22 will not send the received alarm message because the object 11 is not moving toward the node device.

[0097] In particular, the node device 24 is a node device with a normal relay function. The node device 24 relays the message to other node devices only under the condition that it normally relays the received message and it is in the moving direction of the object 11 (that is, the object 11 is moving toward the node device 24). For any other scenarios, including node devices that normally relay received messages to other devices (but the node device is not in the moving direction of the object 11), and node devices that normally do not relay messages, the received message will not be relayed by such node devices. This will significantly reduce the number of messages relayed in the network.

[0098] For example, when each node device includes a sensor for detecting the presence of a moving object, it may also be determined that the object is approaching the receiving node device by using the detection time of the object as an indication of the moving direction of the object.

[0099] As an example, assume that the node device 23 detects the existence of the object 11 at the first time point t1 and sends a first alarm message including the geographic location of the node device 23 and the time point t1. In addition, assume that the first alarm message will be received by the node device 24.

[0100] Next, the node device 21 detects the existence of the object 11 at time t2 after t1, and sends a second alarm message including the geographic location of the node device 21 and time t2. The second alarm message will also be received by the node device 24.

[0101] By comparing the two alarm messages, based on the geographical location addresses of the corresponding node devices and the time points t1 and t2, the node device 24 can easily calculate that the second alarm message was sent later in time than the first alarm message and was sent at a shorter geographical distance d2 than the first alarm message, which was sent at a greater distance d1. Therefore, the receiving node device 24 determines that the object 11 is moving toward it or approaching it. That is, the distance between the alarm messages received subsequently decreases.

[0102] The first warning message sent by node device 23 will also be received by node device 22, as will the second warning message sent by node device 21. Based on the received warning messages, node device 22 will calculate that the second warning message was sent later in time than the first warning message, but was sent at a greater geographical distance d4 than the first warning message, which was sent at a shorter distance d3. Therefore, receiving node device 22 determines that object 11 is moving away from it. That is, the distance between subsequently received warning messages increases.

[0103] Assuming that the lighting or node device 24 has no object detection sensor, the lighting or node device 24 will send an alarm message according to step 53 disclosed above. However, according to the present disclosure, the lighting device 22 will not send the received alarm message because the object 11 is not moving towards the node device.

[0104] The above determination steps and calculations are performed in the MAC sublayer of the receiving node devices 24 and 22, where the MAC protocol processor extracts the information included in the MAC header and processes the information accordingly. Alternatively, when the information is included in the application layer and indicated by a reserved bit in the MAC header, the MAC protocol processor extracts the information from the application layer based on the indication of the reserved bit and processes the information in the same manner.

[0105] Other node devices may follow the above steps to decide whether to relay the received alarm message.

[0106] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in this way, scarce transmission resources are not wasted on sending warning messages to node devices (that will not participate in providing services to mobile objects). Therefore, the method as described above prevents the warning message from being meaninglessly relayed to other node devices in the network. Therefore, interference with meaningful or useful messages can be reduced, and the duty cycle restrictions of relevant agencies (authorities) can be met.

[0107] The transmission of the alert message may be performed in a manner known to those skilled in the art. As an example, with a mesh network, the transmission may be performed via flooding or routing.

[0108] When sending an alarm message, the receiving node device may decide to send the message to lighting devices within a few hops of communication range. This is for the purpose of ensuring reliable communication quality.

[0109] The transmission range or distance and beam width of the sending node device can also be adjusted based on the movement of the mobile object. As an example, for an object moving at a faster speed, the warning message should be relayed to the farther node devices so that those node devices can prepare for service in time.

[0110] On the other hand, for example, for an object with a large physical size, the warning message may be sent to a wider area so that street lights on both sides of the road may be brightened to provide a better lighting environment for the object.

[0111] In practice, the object 11 may turn from the first moving direction to the second moving direction. Figure 2 In the example of, for example, object 11 may turn from track 18 to track 19 at the intersection where lighting device 24 is installed. In this case, in step 54, "update the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object in the alarm message and send the alarm message", the receiving node device may update the geographic location address of the initiator lighting device and the moving direction of the object. The update information may be provided by the node device that currently detects the presence of the moving object.

[0112] In practice, the updating of the message may include or be replaced by a different node device having a sensor detecting the presence of the mobile object 11 generating a new alarm message.

[0113] Note that propagation of an alert message will terminate when the alert message reaches its destination, or when no node device chooses to relay the message, one reason being that the receiving node device determines that no object is approaching.

[0114] Figure 5 A diagram schematically illustrates an embodiment of a node device or terminal device 100 according to the present disclosure, which is arranged for operating in a network of operatively interconnected node devices.

[0115] The node device 100 includes a control component or control device 110 and a load 120 such as a lighting fixture or lighting device, the load 120 includes a lighting module 121 (preferably a light emitting diode (LED) lighting module or multiple LED lighting modules), and the operation of the load 120 can be controlled by the control device 110 from a remote control device or through a remote control device, the remote control device is such as a remote or back-end server (not shown).

[0116] The control device 110 operates a short-range communication interface 151 (such as a second network adapter or a transceiver Tx / Rx 2 module), which is arranged for short-range wireless 152 or wired 153 exchange of messages or data packets with another node device in the network, i.e., so-called inter-node device communication. The network protocols used to exchange data by networked devices or nodes may include wireless networks and wired bus networks such as DALI TM (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface), DSI (Digital Serial Interface), DMX (Digital Multiplexing), and KNX (or KNX-based systems) - ZigBee TM , Bluetooth, and WiFi-based protocols, as well as other proprietary protocols.

[0117] The control device 110 optionally further operates a remote communication interface 141 (such as a first network adapter or a transceiver Tx / Rx 1 module), which is arranged for direct wireless message exchange or data packet 142 with a remote control device or a backend server. For example, the remote communication interface 141 is typically operated according to mobile communication system technology in a licensed band, such as 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G cellular communication, and other long-range wireless communication technologies, such as the well-known Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) communication. However, the remote communication interface 141 may also operate according to a proprietary wireless communication protocol or technology.

[0118] The remote communication interface 141 may also be arranged for wired message exchange 143, such as for data exchange via an Ethernet connection, the Internet, or the like.

[0119] The control device 110 further includes at least one microprocessor (μP) or controller 145, and at least one data repository or storage device or memory 146 - among other things - for storing address information 147 of the node device itself and other node devices, such as an identifier ID, a media access control (MAC) address, geographic location data of the node device, and user information of the node device. The repository 146 can also store alarm messages received by the node device 100 from other node devices. Instead of the repository 146, a separate memory or storage device accessible to at least one processor or controller 145 can be provided.

[0120] Optionally, the node device 100 may include one or more sensors 148, which are dedicated to or suitable for detecting the presence of a target or object (such as a pedestrian or vehicle passing by the node device 100 or moving near the node device 100), and the sensor 148 may be a presence detection sensor (including a passive infrared sensor (PIR) or a microwave motion sensor with a radar device) that can detect the position or presence of an object, a sound detection sensor, a temperature measurement sensor, a camera operating in the visible and / or infrared spectrum, etc.

[0121] For example, the one or more sensors 148 may also be arranged to obtain the direction of movement and possible speed of movement of the object, for example by relying on its own output, such as a continuous output from continuous radar measurements.

[0122] At least one microprocessor or controller 145 communicatively interacts with and controls the long-range communication interface 141, the short-range communication interface 151, and the at least one repository or storage device 146 via the internal data communication and control bus 149 of the control device 110. The at least one microprocessor or controller 145 can operate one or more load control algorithms or applications - such as the on-demand lighting application and / or other intelligent or optimized lighting service distribution discussed above, and the protocol stack of the node device 100 including the MAC sublayer functionality - to perform the above-mentioned method of alerting the node devices in the network.

[0123] The lighting fixtures or luminaires 120 are connected 144 to a data communications and control bus 149 and are controlled therefrom by at least one microprocessor or controller 145 .

[0124] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the node device 100 includes a receiving unit, a determining unit and a sending unit. The receiving unit is configured to receive an alarm message including the moving direction of the object and the geographical location address of the initiator node device 21, and the initiator node device 21 sends the alarm message. The determining unit is configured to determine whether the object 11 is approaching the receiving node devices 22, 23, 24, 25 based on its geographical location address, the geographical location address of the initiator node device 21, and the moving direction 12. The sending unit is configured to send the alarm message if it is determined that the object 11 is approaching the receiving node devices 24, 25, and the alarm message includes the geographical location address of the initiator node device 21 and the moving direction 12.

[0125] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any electrical load, such as an access point device or a geographic routing device, may be connected 144 to the control bus 149 in addition to or in addition to the lighting fixtures or lighting devices 120 .

[0126] The present disclosure is not limited to the examples disclosed above and may be modified and enhanced by those skilled in the art outside the scope of the present disclosure as disclosed in the appended claims without applying creative skills and for use in any data communication, data exchange and data processing environment, system or network.

Claims

1. A method (50) for alerting a node device in a network of operably interconnected node devices by sending an alert message, the alert message being a broadcast message and relating to a service to be provided by the node device to a mobile object (11), each node device including a geographical location address of the node device, the method (50) comprising the following steps: - receiving (51) a warning message including the moving direction of the object and the geographical location address of the initiator node device (21) by the receiving node device (22, 23, 24, 25), and the initiator node device (21) sends the warning message; - determining (52) by the receiving node device (22, 23, 24, 25) whether the object (11) is approaching the receiving node device (22, 23, 24, 25) based on its geographical location address, the geographical location address of the initiator node device (21), and the moving direction (12); as well as - If it is determined that the object (11) is approaching the receiving node device, the receiving node device sends (53) the warning message, wherein the warning message includes the geographical location address of the initiator node device (21) and the moving direction (12).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alarm message is generated by the initiator node device (21) in response to a sensor of the initiator node device (21) detecting the object (11).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the node devices are arranged along at least one track (18, 19), the method (50) further comprising the following steps: When this receiving node device determines that the object (11) moves in a direction different from the direction indicated in the received alarm message, the receiving node device updates (54) the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object (11) in the alarm message.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the node devices are arranged along at least one track (18, 19), the method (50) further comprising the following steps: When this receiving node device determines that the object (11) moves in a direction different from the direction indicated in the received alarm message, the receiving node device updates (54) the geographic location address of the initiator node device and the moving direction of the object (11) in the alarm message.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the warning message is updated by the receiving node device in response to a sensor of the receiving node device detecting the object (11).

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the warning message is updated by the receiving node device in response to a sensor of the receiving node device detecting the object (11).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the geographical location address of the node device is obtained from one of a geographical location detection module of the node device and pre-configuration data available to the node device.

8. According to the method described in any one of claims 1-6, each node device operates according to the media access control MAC data processing protocol sublayer, wherein the geographic location address (34) of the initiator node device and the moving direction (35) of the object are included in at least one of the MAC header (33) and application data (40) of the alarm message to be processed by the MAC data processing protocol sublayer of the receiving node device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining (52) whether said object (11) is approaching said receiving node device is performed by said MAC data processing protocol sublayer.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said determining (52) whether said object (11) is approaching said receiving node device comprises the following steps: - calculating the propagation direction of the warning message based on the geographical location address of the initiator node device (21) and the moving direction (12) of the object (11), and - Determining that the receiving node device is downstream of the initiator node device (21) along the propagation direction.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the network is a mesh network, and the warning message is sent by flooding or routing.

12. A method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the alarm message is sent to the node device within a preset number of hops of the receiving node device, wherein the alarm message includes the moving speed (36) of the object (11), and wherein the preset number of hops is based on the moving speed (36) of the object (11).

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the node device comprises at least one of a smart pole device and a lighting device, and the smart pole device and the lighting device provide at least one of a lighting service, a network access service, and a geographic routing service to the object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the node device receiving the warning message provides a brightness level depending on a geographical distance between the receiving node device and the node device sending the warning message.

15. A first node device (100) arranged to receive and send warning messages in a network of operably interconnected node devices, the warning messages being broadcast messages and relating to services to be provided by the node devices to mobile objects (11), each node device comprising its own geographical location address, the first node device comprising: - a receiving unit, configured to receive an alarm message including a moving direction of the object and a geographical location address of an initiator node device (21), the initiator node device (21) sending the alarm message; - a determination unit configured to determine whether the object (11) is approaching the first node device based on its geographical location address, the geographical location address of the initiator node device (21), and the moving direction (12); as well as - a sending unit, configured to send the warning message if it is determined that the object (11) is approaching the first node device, the warning message including the geographical location address of the initiator node device (21) and the moving direction (12); The first node device (100) comprises at least one of a smart pole device and a lighting device, wherein the lighting device comprises at least one lamp.

16. The first node device according to claim 15 comprises a MAC data processing protocol sublayer, wherein the geographic location address and the moving direction of the initiator node device are included in at least one of the MAC header and application data of the alarm message to be processed by the MAC data processing protocol sublayer of the first node device.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-14.

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