Network forming method and system of network equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a network forming method and system for network devices, and the method comprises the steps: providing a plurality of network devices in a physical environment, each of the plurality of network devices being controllable by a mobile network module (6) which can be connected to a network device (60); providing a network configuration device (2) having a memory unit (3) for storing device configuration data; connecting the mobile network module (6) to the network configuration device (2); reading out the device configuration data stored in the memory unit (3) of the network configuration device (2) by means of the mobile network module (6); and connecting the mobile network module (6) to the network device (60) and configuring the network device (60) based on the device configuration data.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with application number 2020103739805, application date May 6, 2020, and invention name “Network formation method and system for network equipment”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention generally relates to device networks. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and system for forming a device network. Background Art

[0003] There are various methods and systems known for forming and managing a network of devices. It is also known that devices can be connected to a network that can be controlled by a computer.

[0004] Furthermore, during the network formation and operation process, devices may have to join the network and adopt the required application settings in order to operate properly within the network. However, for large networks with a large number of network devices, this is a time-consuming and difficult task. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present application is to provide an improved network forming method and system.

[0006] According to a first aspect, a method for forming a network of network devices, in particular lighting devices, is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of network devices in a physical environment, each of the plurality of network devices being controllable by a mobile network module that can be connected to the network device. In the case of lighting devices, the network devices may include lamps, lighting fixtures such as spotlights, panel lights, etc. The light engine may be configured to generate light having at least one adjustable light parameter, such as luminous flux, brightness, illuminance, and / or light correlated color temperature (CCT).

[0007] The method of the present invention also includes providing a network configuration device having a memory unit, the memory unit being used to store device configuration data. Specifically, a plurality of network configuration devices may be provided to form the network in a physical environment. In this specification, "plurality" may include two or any higher number. Specifically, network devices and network configuration devices may be provided and arranged in a physical environment according to specific needs. The physical environment may be any environment in which a network device may be arranged. Specifically, the physical environment may be an indoor or outdoor area, a building, a part of a building, a production hall, an office or a living space.

[0008] The method of the present invention further comprises connecting the mobile network module to the network configuration device and reading out the device configuration data stored in the memory unit of the network configuration device through the mobile network module.

[0009] The method of the present invention also includes connecting the mobile network module to the network device and configuring the network device based on the device configuration data. Specifically, before connecting the mobile network module to the network device, the method may include disconnecting the mobile network module from the network configuration device and bringing the mobile network module to the network device.

[0010] The network may be a centralized or decentralized security network, and the network configuration device may be a coordinator or a trust center of the network, configured to authorize network access of network devices based on an initial trust center connection key. The network configuration device may be a pre-configured gateway or network coordinator having a memory unit for storing device configuration data and an interface for connecting to a mobile network module.

[0011] By using the mobile network module, the network device can be easily configured to join the network based on the device configuration data without any time-consuming channel scanning for network association and establishment of a secure connection, in particular based on a security key exchange. In addition, if more than one network is open in the vicinity, the device may not be able to distinguish which network the user wants the device to join. Therefore, there is a risk of mistakenly joining a wrong network that may be present in the vicinity of the network device.

[0012] By repeating these method steps for multiple network devices, large networks with a large number of network devices can be easily and quickly deployed.

[0013] The configuration of the network device may include configuring the network device so that it automatically joins the network when the network device is turned on. Thus, by configuring the network device to automatically join the network, the network device becomes a "network-ready" device that can immediately join the network when powered on, without any additional action.

[0014] The method of the present invention may include reading the manufacturing information of the mobile network module through the network configuration device while the mobile network module and the network configuration device are connected to verify that the mobile network module is a valid mobile network module, especially a mobile network module that is qualified to join the network. By verifying that the mobile network module is valid based on the manufacturing information, it can be ensured that the correct mobile network module is used.

[0015] The device configuration data may include network data, especially network debugging data, required for the network device to access the network. Specifically, the network data may include data representing a PAN-ID (personal area network identifier), a network channel, a short address, a network security key, and a coordinator address. Based on the network data, the network device may be configured to securely join the network.

[0016] The device configuration data may include device application data for bringing in the settings of the mobile network module according to the planned application or operating mechanism of the network device. The device application data may include device number, device name, location, especially indoor location, coordinates, grouping, scene, on / off, level, CCT, etc. Thus, after the network device is connected, the network device can not only automatically join the network, but also start to operate according to the planned operating mechanism without manual adjustment of the device settings.

[0017] The method of the invention may comprise providing the debugging data to the network configuration device by inputting the debugging data into a UI (User Interface), in particular a debugging UI. Thus, the user may define or modify the debugging data to prevent unauthorized access to the network.

[0018] The method of the present invention may include generating device configuration data based on the layout of the physical environment, such as the floor layout, which is stored in the memory unit of the network configuration device. Thus, the network device can be configured according to the layout or floor plan of the physical environment.

[0019] The mobile network module may include a wireless communication interface, and the method of the present invention may include receiving a control signal for controlling the network device via the wireless communication interface. The wireless communication interface may be a wireless communication interface based on a standard communication protocol, in particular a Zigbee interface or a WiFi standard. Zigbee and WiFi interfaces are easily available interfaces and provide a reliable communication interface for the network device.

[0020] The method of the present invention may further comprise calculating the device application data for storage in a memory unit of the network configuration device. In particular, the method of the present invention may comprise providing physical environment data and providing a model of the physical environment based on the physical environment data. In the case of a lighting device, the method of the present invention may further comprise providing a lamp design layout, in particular based on the arrangement of the lighting device in the physical environment and the model of the physical environment. The method of the present invention may further comprise providing light setting information and calculating the device configuration data based on the lamp design layout and the light setting information. Thus, the settings of the lighting device may be made to conform to a specific physical environment and a specific lamp design layout.

[0021] The method of the present invention may also include visualizing the current lighting status of the physical environment on a UI that presents the lighting devices, such as a clickable icon or symbol displayed on a touch screen of the UI, and visualizing the status of each lighting device, which may appear as a pop-up list when the corresponding lighting device is clicked, with settings and operating parameters, and the background is the physical environment or room floor plan.

[0022] According to a second aspect, a mobile network module is provided. The mobile network module comprises a processor, a memory unit configured to store device configuration data and instructions executable by the processor. The mobile network module further comprises a connection interface configured to connect the mobile network module to a network configuration device so as to receive the device configuration data stored in the memory unit of the network configuration device, the connection interface further configured to connect the mobile network module to a network module of a network device, in particular a lighting module of a lighting device, wherein the instructions executable by the processor comprise instructions for configuring the network device based on the device configuration data received from the network configuration device. By configuring the network device to automatically join the network, the network device becomes a "network-ready" device that can immediately join the network without any additional actions when the power is turned on.

[0023] Specifically, the connection interface may include one or more standardized plug connection interfaces, such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) or UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter). USB and UART interfaces are standard serial interfaces that are easily available and suitable for reliable transmission of device configuration data.

[0024] The mobile network module may include a wireless communication interface configured to establish network communication and receive signals for controlling the lighting device. The wireless communication interface may be a wireless communication interface based on a standard communication protocol. In some embodiments, the mobile network module is configured as a mobile Zigbee module having a configuration Interface for wireless communication.

[0025] The mobile network module may include a light control interface for controlling the lighting device, especially an interface with multiple independent control channels. In some embodiments, the mobile network module includes four control channels for controlling the lighting device, especially its controllable light engine. In some embodiments, the control channels include three color channels R, G and B, representing the basic colors, namely red, green and blue, and a channel W for controlling the intensity level of white light generated by the light engine. Specifically, the control channels R, G, B and W can be configured as PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal channels for PWM-based control of the light engine with controllable color and brightness of the lighting device. Full color and intensity control of the light engine can be achieved through the R, G, B and W channels.

[0026] According to another aspect, a system for forming a network, in particular a lighting network, with a plurality of network devices, in particular lighting devices, is provided. The system comprises a network configuration device having a memory unit for storing device configuration data and a connection interface configured to connect the network configuration device to a mobile network module of the network device so as to configure the network device based on the device configuration data stored in the memory unit of the network configuration device. The system enables configuration of the network device based on the device configuration data without any time-consuming channel scanning for network association and establishment of a secure connection.

[0027] The system of the present invention may include a computing unit having a processor and a memory unit configured to store physical environment data, lamp design layout data, and light setting data. The memory unit may also be configured to store instructions readable by the processor to calculate device configuration data for configuring the lighting device based on the physical environment data, the lamp design layout data, and the light setting data.

[0028] The system of the present invention may also include a user interface (UI) configured to receive user input for inputting and / or modifying physical environment data, lamp design layout data, and / or light setting data. By inputting and / or modifying physical environment data, lamp design layout data, and / or light setting data, the lighting system can be programmed so that the lighting device can be configured to achieve a desired light scenario in any physical environment.

[0029] The system of the present invention may also include a UI that displays the actual lamp status on the background of the lamp design layout. The UI may include an interactive user interface configured to control the network device by selecting the corresponding icon on the UI. Specifically, in some embodiments, the icon can be activated to manually control the corresponding network device, thereby providing a particularly user-friendly control interface. Thus, the user can check the status of each lighting device, intervene, take action, and can fully control the lighting device.

[0030] The UI may be further configured to display diagnostic parameters that indicate the operating status of the network device. Specifically, the UI may be configured to display a dashboard that presents diagnostic parameters and / or status information of the network. The network status information may include status information of each network device and / or global status information related to the entire network. Specifically, the status information may include health status information of the network. The health status may include the ratio of the number of operating or offline network devices to the total number of network devices. In the case of lamps, the status information of the network device may include "on / off" status, brightness, color temperature, etc. The UI may be configured to display a dashboard that presents the energy consumption of the network device, and an energy consumption summary of a room or area. The UI may be configured to display a dashboard that presents the remaining life of the network device. The UI may be configured to display a dashboard that presents predictive maintenance data.

[0031] In some embodiments, the system of the present invention further comprises one or more positioning bases deployable in a physical environment, which are configured to wirelessly communicate with the positioning tags of the positioning devices to provide positioning data. The positioning bases located at known locations in the physical environment can provide a reference system for determining the actual locations of the lighting devices and the gateway.

[0032] The collection of location data using a positioning device can be based on ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning technology. UWB technology allows high energy efficiency and enables accurate determination of device location. Using UWB technology, it is possible to determine the location of network devices with high accuracy. In some embodiments, the spatial resolution or deviation in the location determination is less than 50 cm. This accuracy is high enough for many applications. To collect location data, other technologies such as Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi can also be used. These technologies have been standardized for positioning purposes and are easily available. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In the following description, details describing the embodiments of the present application will be provided. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these embodiments can be implemented without the foregoing details.

[0034] Some parts of these embodiments have similar elements. Similar elements may have the same name or similar element numbers. Whenever appropriate, the description of an element is applied to another similar element by reference, thereby reducing the repetition of text, rather than limiting the present invention.

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a system for forming a lighting device network according to an embodiment is shown.

[0036] Figure 2 A pin diagram of a mobile network module according to an embodiment is shown.

[0037] Figure 3 An example of a physical environment with installed lighting devices according to an embodiment is schematically shown.

[0038] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method for forming a lighting device network according to an embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a lighting system for forming a network according to an embodiment is shown. The lighting system 1 comprises a network configuration device 2 having a memory unit 3 for storing device configuration data and a connection interface 4 for connecting the network configuration device 2 to a mobile network module 6 of the lighting device, so that the mobile network module can be configured based on the device configuration data stored in the memory unit 3 of the network configuration device 2. Figure 1The system also includes a computing unit 5 or server having a processor (not shown) and a memory unit configured to store physical environment data, in particular data representing the layout or floor plan of the environment in which the lighting network is to be deployed. The memory unit may also be configured to store lamp design layout data and light setting data as well as instructions executable by the processor to calculate device configuration data for configuring the lighting device based on the physical environment data, the lamp design layout data and / or the light setting data. Figure 1 The mobile network module 6 is also shown to include a memory unit 7 for storing device configuration data, a processor 8, a connection interface 9, a light control interface 10 for controlling the lighting device, and a wireless communication interface 11 configured to establish network communication and receive signals for controlling the lighting device.

[0040] Figure 2 FIG. 4 shows a pin diagram of a mobile network module 6 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the mobile network module 6 is configured to control the color-controllable lighting device. Specifically, Figure 2 Four control pins or control channels R, B, G and W of the control interface 10 of the mobile network module 6 for controlling the lighting device are shown. Specifically, the four control channels are configured as PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal channels for PWM-based control of a color and brightness controllable light engine of the lighting device. Figure 2 Also shown are two data pins UART_TX and UART_RX for transmitting and receiving data when connected to the network configuration device 2 or lighting device. Figure 2 Also shown are two power pins Vcc and GND for powering the mobile network module 6 .

[0041] When the mobile network module 6 is connected to the network configuration device 2 or the gateway or the network coordinator, the pins VCC, GND, UART_TX and UART_RX can be used so that the mobile network module 6 can be powered via the pins Vcc and GND, and data can be exchanged with the network configuration device 2 via the pins UART_TX and UART_RX. Specifically, the device configuration data stored in the memory unit 3 of the network configuration device 2 can be received via the pin UART_RX, and the data that the network configuration device 2 may need, such as manufacturing information data, can be sent to the network configuration device 2.

[0042] When the mobile network module 6 is connected to the lighting device, pins VCC, GND, UART_TX, UART_RX, R_PWM, G_PWM, B_PWM, and W_PWM can be used, so that the mobile network module 6 can be powered via pins Vcc and GND, control signals can be sent to the lighting device via control pins R, G, B, and W, and data can be exchanged with the lighting device via pins UART_TX and UART_RX.

[0043] Figure 3 An example of a physical environment with installed lighting devices according to an embodiment is schematically shown. Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 5 , the physical environment 50 is a landscape office having an open office area 51 , a plurality of smaller rooms 52 , an elevator 53 , and stairs 54 . Figure 3 Different kinds of lighting devices 60 are also shown, including spotlights (small circles) and panel lights of different shapes (rectangles).It should be mentioned that the present principles are not limited to landscape offices, but can be applied to basically any type of physical environment. Figure 3 A more complex lighting network is illustrated in the landscape office of FIG. 5 , where many different lighting devices can be easily connected to a functional network by configuring the lighting devices using the methods and systems described above.

[0044] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method for forming a lighting device network according to an embodiment is shown. Specifically, the method 100 enables forming a network of controllable lighting devices. In step 110, a plurality of network devices, in particular controllable lighting devices 60, are provided in a physical environment 50. Each of the plurality of lighting devices 60 can be controlled by a mobile network module 6 according to one of the embodiments described above, which can be connected to the lighting device 60. In step 120, a network configuration device 2 having a memory unit 3 for storing device configuration data is provided. Further, in step 130, the mobile network module 6 is connected to the network configuration device 2. In step 140, the mobile network module 6 reads out the device configuration data from the memory unit 3 of the network configuration device 2.

[0045] At step 150 , the mobile network module 6 is connected to the lighting device, and the lighting device is configured based on the device configuration data stored in the memory unit 3 of the network configuration device 2 .

[0046] By using the mobile network module 6, based on the device configuration data, the lighting device can be easily configured to join the network without any time-consuming channel scanning, network association and establishment of a secure connection, in particular based on a secure key exchange. In particular, configuring the lighting device may include configuring the lighting device so that it automatically joins the network when the lighting device is switched on. Thus, by configuring the network device to automatically join the network, the network device becomes a "network-ready" device that can immediately join the network when powered on, without any additional actions.

[0047] In step 130 , after the mobile network module 6 is connected to the network configuration device 2 , the network configuration device 2 may read the manufacturing information data of the mobile network module 6 to verify that the mobile network module 6 is a valid mobile network module and is eligible to read the device configuration data.

[0048] The method may further comprise providing for, in particular retrieving or calculating the device configuration data from a database for storage in the memory unit 3 of the network configuration device 2 .

[0049] In some embodiments, providing device configuration data includes providing physical environment data. Providing device configuration data may also include providing a model of the physical environment based on the physical environment data. The method may also include a lamp design layout and mapping the lighting device to the model of the physical environment based on the physical environment data and the lamp design layout. The model of the physical environment may be based on the environment data, from which a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) model of the physical environment may be generated. The model may be a 3D model further constructed based on the 2D model or a plan view of the physical environment.

[0050] The method 100 may also include visualizing the current lighting status of the physical environment on the UI showing the lighting devices 60 (e.g., icons), and visualizing the status of each lighting device on the background of the physical environment 50 or the room plan (e.g., pop-up). The model that maps network devices to the physical environment can facilitate identification and control of network devices by providing an overview of the device location in the physical environment. The method may include creating and / or updating a mapping table having device information data and location data of the lighting devices, such that the mapping table reflects the current location of each lighting device in the physical environment.

[0051] Visualizing the lighting devices against the backdrop of the physical environment can provide a clear overview of the location and status of the lighting devices in the physical environment. In some embodiments, one or more light parameters of the lighting devices, such as luminous flux, brightness, illuminance, and / or light correlated color temperature (CCT), can be adjusted or balanced in a manner to achieve a desired lighting of the physical environment.

[0052] The device configuration data may include network data, especially network debugging data, required for the network device to access the network. Specifically, the network data may include data representing a PAN-ID (personal area network identifier), a network channel, a short address, a network security key, and a coordinator address. Based on the network data, the network device may be configured to securely join the network.

[0053] The device configuration data may also include device application data, which is used to bring in the settings of the mobile network module 6 according to the planned application of the lighting device. The device application data may include the device number, device name, location, especially the coordinates relative to the physical environment as a reference system, grouping, scene, on / off state, level, CCT, etc. Therefore, after the network device is turned on, the network device can not only automatically join the network, but also start to operate according to the planned operation mechanism without manual adjustment of the device settings.

[0054] In some embodiments, especially in large physical environments such as landscape offices or production halls, the system 1 may also include one or more gateways or communication nodes. Specifically, the gateway may be configured to transmit control signals received from the computer server to each lighting device. In some embodiments, the gateway may be configured to wirelessly transmit control signals to each lighting device 60.

[0055] In some embodiments, the mobile network module 6 may include additional elements for implementing an intelligent expert system. In addition, the principles described above are not limited to lighting networks. It should be appreciated that the network device can be any type of networkable device that can be configured according to the principles described above. As an alternative or in addition to lighting devices or other types of network devices, the method described above can also be implemented for sensors, so that the sensors can become smart sensors. Specifically, after the mobile network module is configured and inserted into the sensor, the sensor can join the network and operate by following the rules of the system configured for the specific mobile network module.

[0056] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a large number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient roadmap for implementing the exemplary embodiments.

[0057] Reference numerals list

[0058] 1 System

[0059] 2 Network Configuration Devices

[0060] 3 Memory unit

[0061] 4 Connection interface

[0062] 5 Computational Unit

[0063] 6 Mobile network module

[0064] 7 Memory Unit

[0065] 8 Processors

[0066] 9 Connection interface

[0067] 10 Optical control interface

[0068] 11 Wireless communication interface

[0069] 50 Physical Environment

[0070] 51 Open Office Area

[0071] Room 52

[0072] 53 Elevator

[0073] 54 Stairs

[0074] 60 Lighting equipment

[0075] 100 Methods

[0076] 110 Methods and Steps

[0077] 120 Methods and Steps

[0078] 130 Methods and Steps

[0079] 140 Methods and Steps

[0080] 150 Methods and Steps

[0081] R,G,B,W control pins

[0082] Vcc, GND power pins

[0083] UART_TX data pin

[0084] UART_RX data pin

Claims

1. A network forming method of a network device, the method comprising: providing a plurality of network devices in a physical environment, each of the plurality of network devices being controllable by a mobile network module connectable to the network device; providing a network configuration device having a memory unit for storing device configuration data; Connect the mobile network module to the network configuration device; reading out, by the mobile network module, device configuration data stored in a memory unit of the network configuration device; and The mobile network module is connected to the network device and the network device is configured based on the device configuration data, wherein the device configuration data is calculated at least in part based on the light design layout data and the light setting data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the network device based on the device configuration data comprises: Configure a network device so that it automatically joins the network when it is turned on.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: When the mobile network module is connected to the network configuration device, the manufacturing information data of the mobile network module is read out by the network configuration device to verify that the mobile network module is a valid mobile network module. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device configuration data comprises network data used for the network device to access the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device configuration data comprises device application data for bridging settings of the mobile network module according to a planned application of the network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile network module comprises a wireless communication interface, and wherein the method further comprises: A control signal is received via the wireless communication interface to control the network device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: providing a model of a physical environment based on a set of physical environment data; Provide lamp design layout data; Provide lighting setting data; and Device configuration data is calculated based at least in part on the lamp design layout data and the light setting data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the lamp design layout data is based at least in part on: The placement of multiple network devices in a physical environment; and A model of the physical environment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of network devices is a lamp or a light fixture.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The current status of the plurality of network devices in the physical environment is displayed on a user interface (UI), wherein the current status is displayed on a background of a lamp design layout corresponding to the lamp design layout data.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The device configuration data includes at least one of a personal area network identifier (PANID), a network channel, a short address, a network security key, and a coordinator address.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The device application data includes at least one of a device number, a device name, a location, a group, a scene, an on / off state, a level, and a correlated color temperature (CCT).

13. A mobile network module for controlling a network device, the mobile network module comprising: processor; a memory unit for storing device configuration data and machine-readable instructions executable by a processor; a connection interface configured to connect the mobile network module to the network configuration device so as to receive the device configuration data stored in the memory unit of the network configuration device, and the connection interface is further configured to connect the mobile network module to the network module of the network device; wherein the device configuration data is calculated based at least in part on the lamp design layout data and the light setting data; and The instructions executable by the processor include instructions for configuring a network device based on device configuration data received from a network configuration device.

14. The mobile network module according to claim 13, wherein the mobile network module comprises a wireless communication interface for establishing a network connection and receiving a control instruction for controlling the network device.

15. The mobile network module according to claim 13, wherein the mobile network module has an optical control interface for controlling the network device.

16. A system for forming a network having a plurality of network devices in a physical environment, the system comprising: Network configuration equipment, including: a memory unit for storing device configuration data; a connection interface configured to connect the network configuration device to a mobile network module of the network device so as to configure the network device based on the device configuration data stored in the memory unit of the network configuration device; Wherein the device configuration data is calculated based at least in part on the lamp design layout data and the light setting data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system further comprises: Computing unit, including: processor; and A memory unit configured to store physical environment data, light design layout data, and light setting data, wherein the memory unit is further configured to store processor-executable instructions to calculate device configuration data for configuring network devices based on the physical environment data, light design layout data, and light setting data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is configured to form a lighting network, and the system further comprises a user interface configured to receive user input for inputting and modifying at least one of (at least one of) physical environment data, lamp design layout data, and lighting setting data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises a user interface (UI) that displays a real lamp status on a background of a lamp design layout corresponding to the lamp design layout data.

20. The system of claim 18, comprising a plurality of lighting devices in the physical environment, each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices being controllable by a mobile network module connectable to the lighting device and the network configuration device.

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