Method for networking in a power distribution system and gateway for performing the method

Abstract

Provided is a method for networking performed by a gateway in a power distribution system, comprising: in a networking phase, communicating with one or more devices on a public networking channel based on a white list configured in the gateway; and in a data transmission phase, switching to a gateway-specific data transmission channel and performing data transmission with the devices on the gateway-specific data transmission channel. According to an embodiment of the present application, the channel configurations of the networking phase and the data transmission phase are separated, so that each phase can achieve optimal communication quality. Thus, high-quality communication can be achieved in each phase, and users can enjoy the rate and communication quality when working with a single cabinet, greatly improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for networking devices, and more specifically, to a method for networking devices in a power distribution system and a gateway for implementing the method. Background Technology

[0002] Zigbee Green Power is a low-speed, fixed-frequency wireless communication protocol. Once the gateway selects a channel, the subsequent data stream will be transmitted within that channel. Communication is relatively smooth when there is only a single cabinet and a small number of devices. However, when multiple cabinets exist, each containing its own Green Power device, the communication quality drops sharply. During the networking phase, when multiple cabinets are simultaneously activated, they interfere with each other, leading to longer networking times. After networking is complete, two cabinets on the same channel will share channel resources, causing air congestion and frequent data collisions. This results in a slow, laggy user experience, significantly reducing the user's satisfaction.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide a networking method that can ensure both speed and communication quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a method for networking performed by a gateway in a power distribution system is provided, comprising: in a networking phase, communicating with one or more devices on a common networking channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway; and in a data transmission phase, switching to a gateway-specific data transmission channel and transmitting data with the devices on the gateway-specific data transmission channel.

[0005] In one example, communicating with one or more devices on a public network channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway includes: receiving a channel request from one or more devices on the public network channel; sending a channel reply to the one or more devices on the public network channel; receiving a network access request from the one or more devices on the public network channel; and sending a network access reply to the one or more devices on the public network channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway.

[0006] In one example, a gateway-specific data transmission channel is configured individually for each gateway and used for data transmission between that gateway and the device.

[0007] In one example, the public networking channel is shared by all gateways in different cabinets.

[0008] In one example, the public networking channel and the gateway-specific data transmission channel are pre-configured in the gateway.

[0009] In one example, communicating with one or more devices on a public network channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway also includes sending an acknowledgment frame to the one or more devices, the acknowledgment frame including an identifier of the gateway-specific data transmission channel.

[0010] In one example, sending a network access response to one or more devices in a public network channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway includes: identifying the device's identifier (ID); comparing the device's ID with the whitelist configured in the gateway; and sending a network access response to one or more devices whose IDs are in the whitelist.

[0011] In one example, the method further includes receiving a network access confirmation from the one or more devices in a public networking channel.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, a gateway in a power distribution system is provided, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to perform any of the aforementioned methods.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a power distribution system includes a control panel with a gateway, the gateway comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to perform any of the aforementioned methods.

[0014] According to embodiments of the present invention, the channel configuration for the networking phase and the data transmission phase are separated, enabling optimal communication quality in each phase. This ensures high-quality communication in every phase, allowing users to enjoy the speed and communication quality of a single cabinet even when multiple cabinets are operating simultaneously, greatly enhancing the user experience.

[0015] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, all gateways are fixed on the same channel during the networking phase, and a whitelist is used to prevent devices from mistakenly entering the network of adjacent gateways on the same channel, so that the networking process can be completed in a short time when multiple gateways are networking at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate units of the same structure, and wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a management method for the network access process based on existing technology;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart illustrating a networking method performed by a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 3This diagram illustrates the signal flow between the gateway and the device during the networking phase according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating a management method for the network access process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic block diagram illustrating a gateway performing a method for networking according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a control panel including a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] Furthermore, it should be noted that in this specification, A connected to B can mean "A is directly connected to B" or "A is connected to B via other middleware". A connected between B and C can mean "A is directly connected to both A and B" or "A is connected to both B and C via other middleware".

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a management method for the network access process based on existing technology.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown in the diagram, among cabinets 1, 2, 3, and 4, cabinet 1 and cabinet 2 are on different channels, while cabinets 3 and 4 are randomly assigned to the same channel. When the network is started, the devices take turns sending channel request data frames on each channel, i.e., polling on each channel. However, all gateways will reply to the channel request frame, which can easily lead to a situation where a device in cabinet A mistakenly switches to the channel of device B in cabinet A to request network access.

[0027] from Figure 1 It can also be seen that devices in each cabinet may mistakenly switch to adjacent cabinets and remain on the wrong cabinet's channel for an extended period, requesting network access. After a period of continuous failures, the devices finally fall back to the channel request state and re-send channel request data frames on each channel in turn. At this point, due to the large number of adjacent cabinets, there is still a high probability that the devices will mistakenly switch to the channels of other cabinets.

[0028] After all devices have successfully joined the network, the data transmission phase begins, continuing on the same channel. Because cabinets 3 and 4 are randomly assigned to the same channel, they share the channel's limited bandwidth, leading to increased data density and frequent data collisions.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In such cases, not only is the network access time very long, but the communication stability is also poor after all the cabinets are connected to the network, which will cause great trouble for users who work with multiple cabinets coexisting.

[0030] When multiple control panels randomly select the same channel, the networking speed will be faster. However, after networking, multiple control panels share the same channel bandwidth, which will cause them to compete for bandwidth resources, resulting in frequent data collisions. When the gateways of multiple control panels randomly select different channels, the device may mistakenly switch to the channel of an adjacent control panel during the networking process, and the time to find the correct channel again will be very long, making the entire networking process very lengthy.

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of a networking method 200 performed by a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] Method 200 can be performed by a gateway. According to embodiments of the invention, the gateway can be included in a control panel, and a control panel can include one or more gateways. Method 200 can be used in a power distribution system, for example, it can be applied to a Greenpower system.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, in method 200 at 201, during the networking phase, communication is conducted with one or more devices on a public networking channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway. At 202, during the data transmission phase, the system switches to a gateway-specific data transmission channel and transmits data with the devices on that channel.

[0034] According to embodiments of the present invention, the channel configuration for the networking phase and the data transmission phase are separated, enabling optimal communication quality in each phase. This ensures high-quality communication in every phase, allowing users to enjoy the speed and communication quality of a single cabinet even when multiple cabinets are operating simultaneously, greatly enhancing the user experience.

[0035] During the networking phase, all gateways are fixed on a single channel to prevent devices from accidentally switching to other channels and requiring a long recovery time. During data transmission, adjacent gateways switch to different channels for transmission, maximizing bandwidth for each gateway and / or control panel.

[0036] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, all gateways are fixed on the same channel during the networking phase, and a whitelist is used to prevent devices from mistakenly entering the network of adjacent gateways on the same channel, so that the networking process can be completed in a short time when multiple gateways are networking at the same time.

[0037] In one example, the one or more devices may be Greenpower devices.

[0038] In the networking method 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the conventional method of using only one fixed channel in the networking phase and the output transmission phase is changed to using two different channels in stages. In the networking phase, a common networking channel is used, and in the data transmission phase, a gateway-specific data transmission channel is used.

[0039] Public networking channels and gateway-specific data transmission channels can be pre-configured in the gateway. For example, the channel information for public networking channels and gateway-specific data transmission channels is pre-configured in the gateway. Assume the two channels are labeled C1 (networking channel) and C2 (data transmission channel), respectively. If multiple gateways are operating simultaneously, they are configured with the same C1 and different C2 channels.

[0040] All gateways in the control panel can share a common networking channel, and each gateway can have a dedicated data transmission channel. The gateway-specific data transmission channel is configured individually for each gateway and is used for data transmission between that gateway and the device.

[0041] In one example, during the networking phase, the gateway communicating with one or more devices on a public networking channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway may include: receiving channel requests from one or more devices on the public networking channel; sending channel replies to one or more devices on the public networking channel; receiving network access requests from one or more devices on the public networking channel; and sending network access replies to one or more devices on the public networking channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway.

[0042] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the signal flow 300 between the gateway and the device during the networking phase according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown in Figure 301, on a common network channel, one or more devices send a channel request to the gateway.

[0044] In 302, the gateway sends a channel response to one or more devices on the public networking channel.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gateways of multiple control panels can simultaneously start networking, and the devices take turns sending channel requests on each channel. Since all gateways share the same networking channel C1, the devices can switch to the correct channel (C1) in the shortest possible time and receive a channel response from the corresponding gateway.

[0046] Then, in 303, one or more devices send a commissioning request to the gateway.

[0047] In a 304 error, the gateway sends a "commissioningreply" to one or more devices on a public networking channel.

[0048] Specifically, when a gateway sends a network access response to one or more devices in a public networking channel, it may include: identifying the device's identifier (ID); comparing the device's ID with a whitelist configured in the gateway; and sending a network access response to one or more devices whose IDs are in the whitelist.

[0049] Configure a whitelist for each gateway, and the gateway will not reply to network access requests for devices that are not on its whitelist.

[0050] The device sends a network access request on network channel C1, which includes the device's identifier (ID). Upon receiving the request, the gateway compares the device's ID with a whitelist configured within the gateway. If the ID exists in the whitelist, the gateway sends a network access reply to the device; otherwise, the gateway exits without replying.

[0051] Because the target gateway of the device has been pre-configured for networking within the C1 channel, the gateway will quickly receive the device's network access request and respond by allowing network access.

[0052] Afterwards, one or more devices that have received a network access response from the gateway they wish to join can send a "commissioned" confirmation to the gateway, thus successfully joining the network.

[0053] After the networking phase is completed or all devices have successfully joined the network, the gateway switches its channel to the data transmission channel (C2) for data transmission.

[0054] After networking, all devices switch to the C2 channel of their respective gateways for communication. At this time, the devices in each cabinet / gateway communicate on different channels, and from the perspective of the entire network, they exclusively occupy the bandwidth resources of that channel and do not affect each other.

[0055] In one example, before switching to a data transmission channel, the gateway can also send an acknowledgment (Ack) frame to one or more devices. This acknowledgment frame includes an identifier of the gateway-specific data transmission channel, such as the new channel number. Figure 3 The value 305 is shown by the dashed line in the middle.

[0056] By sending an acknowledgment frame containing the new channel number to one or more devices through the gateway, synchronous switching between the two parties can be achieved, eliminating the timeout waiting time for the devices.

[0057] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating a management method for the network access process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown in the figure, according to an embodiment of the present invention, all gateways are fixed on the same channel during the networking phase. A whitelist is used to prevent devices from mistakenly entering the network of adjacent gateways on the same channel, so that the networking process can be completed in a short time when multiple gateways are networking at the same time.

[0059] After the network is set up, the gateways automatically switch to different channels, allowing each gateway to exclusively use the entire channel for data transmission, thus achieving high communication quality.

[0060] Furthermore, all the mechanisms of the networking process according to the embodiments of the present invention are implemented at the gateway end, without requiring any changes to the equipment, making it relatively easy to implement.

[0061] As those skilled in the art will understand, each enclosure may include one or more gateways. Although Figure 4 Four gateways are shown, but obviously the number of gateways can be more or less, and in fact, these gateways can be located in the same cabinet or different cabinets.

[0062] Table 1 below shows the comparison results between the networking method according to the embodiments of the present invention and the conventional method.

[0063] Table 1

[0064]

[0065] As shown in Table 1, in five tests, the networking method according to the embodiment of the present invention significantly shortened the time and no equipment was lost.

[0066] This invention proposes a method for multiple Green Power cabinets to coexist, optimizing the process from the initial networking to the later data transmission in stages. This ensures high-quality communication at each stage, allowing users to enjoy the speed and communication quality of a single cabinet even when multiple cabinets are working simultaneously, greatly improving the user experience.

[0067] Figure 5 A schematic block diagram of a gateway 500 performing a method for networking according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0068] like Figure 5 As shown, gateway 500 may include memory 501 and processor 502. According to an embodiment of the present invention, processor 502 may be coupled to memory 501 and execute reference... Figures 1 to 4 The method described is for networking.

[0069] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a control panel 600 including a gateway is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] like Figure 6 As shown, the enclosure 600 may include a gateway, which may include a memory 601 and a processor 602. The processor 602 may be coupled to the memory 601 and execute reference... Figures 1 to 4 The method described is for networking.

[0071] The networking method, gateway, and control panel disclosed in this invention can be applied to systems with ZigBee GreenPower communication capabilities. Furthermore, the commercial applications of the technical solutions disclosed in this invention include, but are not limited to, the digital and wireless intelligent management of electrical control panels.

[0072] Although Figure 2 The diagram shows steps 201 to 202 performed sequentially, but those skilled in the art will understand that they can be performed in a different manner. Figure 2 Method 200 may be performed in an order other than that shown in the diagram, without departing from the teachings of the embodiments of the invention.

[0073] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various embodiments described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this invention can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the composition and steps of each embodiment have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0075] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0076] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0077] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0078] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0079] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for networking executed by a gateway in a power distribution system, comprising: During the networking phase, communication with one or more devices is based on a whitelist configured in the gateway on the public networking channel; as well as During the data transmission phase, the system switches to a gateway-specific data transmission channel and transmits data with the device on that channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Communicating with one or more devices on a public network channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway includes: Receive channel requests from one or more devices on a public network channel; Send channel replies to the one or more devices on a public network channel; Receive network access requests from one or more devices on a public networking channel; and On the public networking channel, a network access response is sent to one or more devices based on a whitelist configured in the gateway.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, A gateway-specific data transmission channel is configured individually for each gateway and is used for data transmission between that gateway and the device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The common networking channel is shared by all gateways in different cabinets.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The public networking channel and the gateway-specific data transmission channel are pre-configured in the gateway.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Communicating with one or more devices on a public network channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway also includes sending an acknowledgment frame to the one or more devices, the acknowledgment frame including an identifier of the gateway-specific data transmission channel.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Sending network access responses to one or more devices in a public network channel based on a whitelist configured in the gateway includes: Identify the device's identification (ID) number; Compare the device ID with the whitelist configured in the gateway; and Send a network access response to one or more devices whose ID numbers are in the whitelist.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Receive network access confirmation from one or more devices in a public network channel.

9. A gateway in a power distribution system, comprising: Memory; as well as A processor, coupled to the memory and configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-8.

10. A switchboard cabinet including a gateway in a power distribution system, the gateway comprising: Memory; as well as A processor, coupled to the memory and configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-8.

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