Method for associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building

Abstract

TITLE. Method for associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building. This method associates a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building, the shutter being driven by a motor controllable by means of an individual remote control, the remote control being connected to a shutter movement control unit via a first secure proprietary communication protocol, the motor being capable of being controlled by means of a second open communication protocol of the Zigbee type. The first secure proprietary communication protocol is used to grant access to the shutter via the second secure protocol or to revoke this access, by means of signal exchanges carried out via the first communication protocol. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Method for associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for associating a communication protocol, in particular with a system comprising a motorized building shutter and its remote control, in order to make it compatible with a communication protocol other than the one for which it is initially programmed. The technical objective is to enable the implementation, by a system originally operating (as it leaves the factory) with a proprietary communication protocol, of another protocol, for example, a standard protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for personal networks, such as the Zigbee protocol. In practice, the aim is to make the initial system, which is initially closed because it relies on a proprietary information transmission method, open so that it can be integrated into another home automation environment offered and used by other operators in the same market.

[0002] In the context of the present invention, namely primarily that of motorized roller shutters, the shutter is conventionally driven by an electric motor controllable by means of an individual remote control, said remote control being connected to an electronic unit that controls the shutter's movements. The product available for sale in practice consists of a shutter and its remote control, the communication between which is governed in this case by the manufacturer's proprietary communication protocol. There is therefore a strong operational link between the two system components, which a priori precludes any operation in another environment due to the lack of possibility of controlling the shutter via another communication protocol.

[0003] However, in today's constantly evolving home automation market, there is a growing number of automated control solutions for connected devices designed to simplify daily life and improve home comfort. In their desire to offer the widest possible range of connectivity options, manufacturers generally provide a kit that essentially includes at least one connectable device (plug, light fixture, heating thermostat, etc.). This kit typically includes a signal processing unit for the device(s) to be connected, and finally, a control interface such as a mobile application managed by the end user. The end user may, in an effort to centralize the control of several different types of devices in their home, want to integrate an automated shutter and its remote control with all the elements they manage via their application.

[0004] Integrating an object requires recognizing the object, then integrating it into the pool of elements actually managed in the connected network. So that For this recognition to occur, all components must be able to communicate, and they must therefore share a common communication language. Home automation system configurations available on the market operate for this purpose using standard communication protocols, widely distributed and shared by the majority of users. The best known of these are Bluetooth, Zigbee, and even Wi-Fi, each with specific characteristics that make it more or less suitable for certain operations and therefore for different types of networks.

[0005] If an object is initially configured to operate with a specific language, the question arises as to how easily it can be integrated into a connected environment operating with a different language. Secondly, it may be advantageous or necessary to do so without having to modify the object itself. For shutters, in particular, whose motors and electronic control systems are not always easily accessible, making the object connectable to a new home automation environment without direct intervention at the shutter level is a prerequisite.

[0006] The invention proposes an innovative solution to address these problems of both associating a standard communication protocol and ensuring operability without complex intervention, initially in the form of a method. This method involves associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building, said shutter being conventionally driven by a motor controllable by means of an individual remote control, said remote control being connected to a shutter movement control unit via a first secure proprietary communication protocol, said motor finally being capable of being controlled by means of a second open communication protocol of the Zigbee type.The method of the invention is such that the first secure proprietary communication protocol is used to grant access to the shutter via the second secure protocol or to revoke this granting, by means of signal exchanges carried out via the first communication protocol.

[0007] In other words, to obtain compatibility with a transmission environment operating for example according to the Zigbee communication protocol, which amounts to allowing the inclusion or recognition of the shutter, a particular connected object, in such an environment, action is taken, within the framework of the process of the invention, based on the proprietary communication protocol, originally implemented on the system.

[0008] In fact, more precisely, an association request for said second protocol is sent to the motor control unit of the shutter, said request being generated from the remote control and consisting of an association code resulting from at least one manipulation of at least one button of said remote control. The remote control sends to the shutter, more precisely to its control unit which includes means of transmission and reception, a message which causes the opening of a period during which a connection can be made between on the one hand said shutter and its control unit and on the other hand means of management of external connected objects operating according to the second protocol, and accessible by exchanges of signals via said control unit.

[0009] In practice, in response to the message generated by the remote control, a signal is re-emitted by the control unit, a signal which is intelligible to the management means of the connected network using this second protocol, namely, for example, a control box and an application-type interface installed on a terminal such as a mobile phone or home computer. Pairing of these means with the shutter is then possible.

[0010] To close this pairing period, primarily for security purposes, an end-of-pairing message for the second protocol is sent to the shutter motor control unit. This message is generated from the remote control and consists of an end-of-pairing code, also resulting from at least one press of at least one button on the remote control. The code generated in this case is obviously different from the previous one. Once this time window, closed by the sending of this last message, has expired, no further pairing can be established with an environment external to the communication protocol initially programmed for the shutter and its remote control.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the invention, a request to delete the association of said second protocol can finally be sent to the motor control unit of the shutter, said request being generated from the remote control and consisting of an association deletion code resulting from at least one manipulation of at least one button on said remote control. The possibility of connection with the connected world operating on the basis of the second communication protocol is eliminated. The system then reverts to the initial operation according to a single communication protocol, the resident one, implemented during the manufacturing of the shutter, which is not open to standard protocols of the connected objects market. It should be noted that the second communication protocol plays no role in the deletion operations, which are based solely on the initial resident protocol.

[0012] In fact, the invention also relates to a motorized shutter of a building that can be associated with a second communication protocol according to the steps of the process mentioned above, said shutter being conventionally driven by a motor controllable by means of an individual remote control, said remote control being connected to a shutter movement control unit via a first secure proprietary communication protocol, said motor also being capable of being controlled by means of a second open communication protocol of the Zigbee type. As mentioned previously, and according to the present category of the invention, the control element for pairing the shutter with a home automation control module operating according to a second open communication protocol of the Zigbee type is the remote control.

[0013] In most cases, pairing connected objects is done by pressing a button located directly on the object. The object then becomes detectable on a network management interface, and the user can add it to the objects to be controlled, via said network, which comply with the corresponding protocol. In the case of the invention, the actuation mechanism is, in a way, relocated outside the object, the shutter, and dependent on the resident communication protocol. It would not be technically easy to press a pairing button directly on the shutter, as this would require disassembly, which would also be time-consuming.

[0014] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, which relates to an embodiment given by way of example only. Understanding this description will be particularly facilitated by reference to the single figure attached hereto, in which:

[0015] [Fig-1] shows a schematic diagram of the overall operation of the system allowing for a better understanding of the process of associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building that can be controlled by a remote control.

[0016] With reference to the figure, the remote control 1 is in radio communication with the shutter control unit 2, located near the shutter. This unit primarily comprises a microcontroller and manages the movements of the shutter, which is driven by an electric motor. It controls the motor and manages the signals from sensors such as mechanical stops. This control unit 2 is, for example, located in the roller tube 3 of the shutter curtain (not shown). The control unit 2 manages this hardware system via a remote control specific to the shutter, supplied with it and programmed to communicate with it. To this end, and as mentioned above, a first communication protocol (Protocol 1) is resident, that is, implemented by default during manufacturing, enabling the intelligibility of the message exchanges between the remote control 1 and the shutter, and consequently, the control of the movements of one by the other.

[0017] The invention aims to enable the system, despite the constraint related to the single information transmission protocol in place, to incorporate a second, more general-purpose communication protocol. In practice, conventional IoT networks are generally managed via a control unit 4, for example, a router, operating according to this second protocol (Protocol 2). Many IoT networks thus operate according to the standard Zigbee signal exchanges. The control unit 2 therefore includes means of managing frames of signals transmitted and received according to two different frequency spectra assigned respectively to Protocol 1 and Protocol 2 (for example Zigbee), by means of separate antennas 5, 6.

[0018] In practice, the encoding of various messages can be carried out by manipulating at least one button on the remote control. More specifically, as shown in the figure, if the remote control has three buttons, it is possible to perform multiple combinations resulting in distinct encodings, in order to implement different functions, by selecting various button combinations and / or pressing them for varying durations. The generated codes are sent from the remote control 1 to the control unit 2 according to Resident Protocol 1. They are received via antenna 5 and processed by the microcontroller of the shutter's control unit 2.

[0019] When the received message corresponds to an opening code for the possibility of accepting association with another network of connected objects, in this case that of box 4, a corresponding signal frame is transmitted by the microcontroller via antenna 6. This message is sent to the address of control devices operating according to Protocol 2, namely, primarily, box 4, and also secondarily to a management interface in the form of a mobile phone terminal equipped with a suitable application. The shutter then becomes a connected object operating according to Protocol 2. It is recognized as such by the corresponding network and can be added to the other connected objects that comprise it.

[0020] When the shutter is associated with the network operating under Protocol 2, another key combination closes the time window that allowed the association of this second communication protocol with a network connected external to the base system, the addition of the shutter being effective. A new signal frame resulting from this combination is sent by the remote control 1 to the control unit 2, still according to the first communication protocol (Protocol 1) via the antenna 5. The microcontroller processes this frame in order to close the said window to prevent further modifications to the networks of connected objects operating under Protocol 1 and Protocol 2, which remain unchanged.

[0021] Finally, it is possible, by yet another key combination, and therefore still according to a management system operated purely by the resident communication protocol (Protocol 1), to remove the association with the second communication protocol (Protocol 2). Upon receiving the message sent by the remote control, the microcontroller of the shutter control unit 2 ceases to be open to communications according to said second protocol.

[0022] The example configuration shown in the figure represents only one possible implementation of the invention, and should not be considered exhaustive thereof, which on the contrary encompasses all possibilities of functional messages obtained by various combinations of keys and durations of key presses for the encoding of frames broadcast by the remote control, as well as other remote control configurations, varying for example by the number of keys to be manipulated etc.

Claims

Demands

1. Method of associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building, said shutter being driven by a motor controllable by means of an individual remote control, said remote control being connected to a shutter movement control unit via a first secure proprietary communication protocol, said motor being capable of being controlled by means of a second open communication protocol of the zigbee type, characterized in that the first secure proprietary communication protocol is used to grant access to the shutter via the second secure protocol or to cease this granting, by means of signal exchanges carried out via the first communication protocol.

2. Method of associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a request for association of said second protocol is sent to the control unit of the shutter motor, said request being generated from the remote control and consisting of an association code resulting from at least one manipulation of at least one button of said remote control.

3. Method of associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an end-of-operation-association message of said second protocol is sent to the motor control unit of the shutter, said message being generated from the remote control and consisting of an end-of-operation-association code resulting from at least one manipulation of at least one button of said remote control.

4. Method of associating a communication protocol with a motorized shutter of a building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a request to delete the association of said second protocol is sent to the control unit of the shutter motor, said request being generated from the remote control and consisting of a code to delete the association resulting from at least one manipulation of at least one button of said remote control.

5. Motorized shutter of a building, said shutter being driven by a motor controllable by means of an individual remote control, said remote control being connected to a shutter movement control unit via a first secure proprietary communication protocol, said motor being capable of being controlled by means of a second open communication protocol of the zigbee type according to the method of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control element for pairing the shutter with a home automation control module operating according to a second open communication protocol of the zigbee type is the remote control.

Images