Rail for hanging electronic devices and system having such rail and one or more electronic devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rail for suspending electronic devices. The rail includes a magnetic attachment means configured to suspend an electronic device and a plurality of coils positioned along the length of the rail, each coil configured for one or more of the following: inductive transfer of power to an electronic device suspended by the rail; wireless communication with an electronic device suspended by the rail. A system including such a rail and one or more suspended electronic devices, as well as a method for mounting such a rail to a structure, such as a wall or ceiling, are presented.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of power rails, and more particularly to rails configured to suspend one or more electronic devices, such as light emitting devices, speakers, temperature sensors, CO2 sensors, humidity sensors, light sensors, cameras and / or mesh network nodes, etc. The present invention also relates to systems having such rails and methods for mounting such rails.

[0002] Background of the Invention Rails for suspending electronic devices are commonly used in both residential and commercial buildings, such as offices and stores. Existing rails often provide cumbersome fastening methods. For example, two-handed operation is often required to install or move rail-suspended devices. Therefore, a need exists for rails that are easier to use. Furthermore, today's rails are bulky and can even create an unaesthetic appearance. Therefore, a more compact and aesthetically pleasing solution for suspending electronic devices is highly desirable.

[0003] Summary of the Invention The object is to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art singly or in any combination and to provide a possibility for solving one or more of the problems mentioned above.

[0004] According to a first aspect, there is provided a rail for suspending electronic devices, the rail having magnetic attachment means configured to suspend the electronic devices and a plurality of coils positioned along the length of the rail, each coil configured for inductive transfer of power to an electronic device suspended by the rail and for wireless communication with the electronic device suspended by the rail.

[0005] Thus, a rail for suspending electronic devices is provided. The electronic devices can be powered and controlled from the rail. The magnetic attachment means allows flexibility in the device's position on the rail, while simultaneously providing alignment between the suspended electronic devices and the coils. The magnetic attachment means also simplifies the fastening of electronic devices suspended by the rail, even allowing one-handed operation by using the magnetic attachment means provided for easy installation of the electronic devices. Thus, users can add or remove electronic devices from the rail at any time as needed. Energy is inductively transferred from the rail to the suspended electronic devices. Therefore, the energy transfer is wireless, allowing the rail to be hidden behind a thin, non-conductive screen, such as wallpaper or any other thin foil screen. Furthermore, multiple coils can be used for power-hungry electronic devices, i.e., one electronic device can be powered via multiple coils with multiple pickup coils on the electronic device. Different electronic devices can be suspended by the rail without a specific order or number and can be freely mixed on the rail. Depending on the device characteristics, different power and communication uses are possible, independent of other electronic devices suspended by the rail. Furthermore, the rail offers the possibility of being hidden behind a thin layer, such as wallpaper or any other thin foil screen. Such a layer can therefore hide unused parts of the rail. Such a rail blends better into the surrounding design.

[0006] The magnetic attachment means may have a plurality of magnetic attachment points, a subset of which is configurable to suspend one of one or more electronic devices.

[0007] The rail may further include a plurality of light indicators, each of which may be associated with a respective one of the plurality of coils, to facilitate locating the rail when installing electronic devices, especially when the rail is hidden behind a thin layer.

[0008] The rail may further include a light controller configured to set the plurality of light indicators to an on mode or an off mode. The light controller is configurable to set the plurality of light indicators individually to an on mode or an off mode.

[0009] The rail may have a flat outer surface onto which electronic devices can be suspended via magnetic attachment means. By forming the rail with a flat outer surface, the rail can be placed in a recess in a structure, such as a ceiling or wall, and can be concealed by a layer, such as wallpaper or any other thin foil screen, which is preferably a thin, non-conductive layer.

[0010] The rail may further include a rail controller configured to individually control electronic devices suspended by the rail. The rail controller may further be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more devices not suspended by the rail. Thus, the rail may function as a single device to a client or server. The rail controller may be configured to present an interface to devices external to the rail, such as a client or server. The rail controller may be configured to relay communications to electronic devices suspended by the rail. For example, if the rail suspends multiple light emitting devices, each light emitting device may be individually controlled via the rail controller.

[0011] The rail may further include a coil controller configured to individually control the multiple coils.

[0012] The rail may further include a connection interface configured to connect the rail to a mains power source and / or another rail.

[0013] According to a second aspect, there is provided a system comprising a rail according to the first aspect and one or more electronic devices suspended by the rail.

[0014] The electronic device may be selected from the group consisting of a light emitting device, a speaker, a temperature sensor, a CO2 sensor, a humidity sensor, a light sensor, a camera, and a mesh network node.

[0015] At least a subset of the electronic devices may have an internal battery configured to power the electronic devices at least intermittently. Positioning the electronic devices with their own internal batteries allows peak current operation above the coil current transfer limit. Furthermore, repositioning of the electronic devices on the rails is possible without loss of functionality or communication. The electronic devices can also use the rails as a charger for their internal batteries, allowing them to function without the application of power from the rails.

[0016] At least a subset of the electronic devices have an internal near field communication module configured to communicate with devices external to the system.

[0017] The system may further comprise a plurality of rails according to the first aspect connected to one another.

[0018] The above-mentioned features of the rail also apply to this second aspect, where applicable; to avoid undue repetition, please see above.

[0019] According to a third aspect, there is provided a method for mounting a rail according to the first aspect, the method comprising the steps of positioning the rail in a recess in a structure, such as a wall or ceiling, and covering the rail with a layer, such as wallpaper or any other thin foil screen, which layer is preferably a thin non-conductive layer.

[0020] The above-mentioned features of the rail and / or system, where applicable, also apply to this third aspect; to avoid undue repetition, please see above.

[0021] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples are given by way of illustration only.

[0022] It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more elements, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a unit" or "the unit" may include a plurality of devices, etc. Furthermore, the use of "comprising," "including," "containing," and similar terms does not exclude other elements or steps.

[0023] The above and other aspects will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, which should not be considered limiting but are used for explanation and understanding.

[0024] As shown in the figures, the dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes and, therefore, are shown to illustrate the general structure. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a system having a rail for suspending electronic devices and a plurality of electronic devices suspended by the rail. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows the rail of FIG. 1 in more detail. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a method for mounting a rail to a structure as shown in relation to FIG. 1.

[0026] Detailed Description The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0027] 1 illustrates a system 100 having a rail 110 for suspending electronic devices 120 and a plurality of electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110. The electronic devices 120 may be a variety of electronic devices 120. The electronic devices 120 are generally selected from the group consisting of light emitting devices, speakers, temperature sensors, CO2 sensors, humidity sensors, light sensors, cameras, mesh network nodes, and the like. Among many other functions, the rail 110 is generally configured to provide power to one or more electronic devices 120 suspended thereby.

[0028] At least one of the electronic devices 120 may have an internal battery 122 configured to at least intermittently power the electronic device 120. Having such an internal battery 122 allows the device to handle peak current limits that exceed the inductive power transfer that the rails 110 can provide. Additionally, the device can be moved relative to the rails 110 without loss of functionality and / or communication.

[0029] At least one of the electronic devices may have an internal short-range wireless communication module 124. The short-range wireless communication module 124 is configured to communicate with devices external to the system 100. The short-range wireless communication module 124 can be configured to communicate using any suitable communication protocol. Some non-limiting examples of such communication protocols are Wi-Fi, BLE, and Zigbee. However, it is understood that any short-range communication protocol having a range within 1 to 100 meters may be used.

[0030] The rail 110 may have an external power source 118. The external power source 118 may be connected to a connection interface 119 of the rail 110. More specifically, the external power source 118 may be connected to an input AC or DC power connection of the connection interface 119 of the rail 110. The external power source 118 is configured to provide power to the rail 110. For example, the external power source 118 may be a regular electrical plug that can be connected to a power socket. Thus, the connection interface 119 of the rail 110 may be configured to connect the rail 110 to a utility power source.

[0031] The connection interface 119 may function as a connection interface to another rail 110. By using the connection interface 119 as a connection interface to another rail 110, both power and communication can be provided between the rails 110 via the connection interface 119. Communication between the rails 110 can be performed using, for example, single pair Ethernet. The connection interfaces 119 of two different rails 110 can be connected to each other by an adapter or a cable. Multiple rails 110 can be connected in series, parallel, or in a star configuration.

[0032] The rail 110 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 2. The rail 110 has a plurality of magnetic attachment means 112 and a plurality of coils 114.

[0033] The rail 110 preferably has a flat outer surface 113. Having the rail 110 have a flat outer surface 113 allows the rail 110 to be hidden behind a thin layer of non-conductive material, such as wallpaper or any other thin foil screen.

[0034] A plurality of magnetic mounting means 112 are positioned along the entire length of the rail 110. The magnetic mounting means 112 are configured to suspend one or more electronic devices 120. The magnetic mounting means 112 may have magnetic mounting points. A subset of the plurality of magnetic mounting points can be configured to suspend one of the one or more electronic devices 120. Defined connection points, for example in the form of point magnets, can be used to align the suspended electronic device with the coil 114. Typically, two or more magnetic mounting points are used to suspend one electronic device 120. For example, three magnetic mounting points can be used, two on one side of the rail 110 and one on the opposite side of the rail 110, thereby providing an asymmetric magnetic mounting means 112 that indicates a preferred orientation for suspending the electronic device 120.

[0035] A plurality of coils 114 are positioned along the entire length of the rail 110. The coils 114 may overlap to allow for a higher density of potential attachment points for the suspended electronic devices 120. Each coil 114 is configured for one or more of inductive power transfer to the electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110 and wireless communication with the suspended electronic devices 120. The wireless communication via the coils 114 may be either proprietary or standardized, such as QI. The inductive communication via the coils 114 allows for individual control of the suspended electronic devices 120. Furthermore, the inductive communication via the coils 114 allows for identification of the suspended electronic devices 120 using inductive communication. For example, the type of suspended electronic device 120 may be identified. Furthermore, the position of the suspended electronic device 120 on the rail 110 may be identified. Inductive communication via the coil 114 may further be used to configure and / or control each suspended electronic device 120 .

[0036] The rail 110 preferably includes a coil controller 115. The coil controller 115 is configured to control the coils 114. The coil controller 115 is preferably configured to individually control the coils 114. The coil controller 115 can be configured to power the coils 114 for inductive power transfer to the electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110. The coil controller 115 can be configured to protect against powering a coil 114 that is not currently configured to power a suspended electronic device 120. The coil controller 115 can be configured to monitor / measure power consumption of the electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110. The coil controller 115 can be configured to control wireless communication with the electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110.

[0037] The rail 110 may further include a plurality of light indicators 116. Each light indicator 116 is disposed in association with a respective one of the plurality of coils 114. The light indicators 116 provide guidance for locating the magnetic attachment means 112 for the electronic devices suspended by the rail 110. This is particularly true when the rail 110 is hidden behind a thin non-conductive layer, such as wallpaper or any other thin foil screen. Typically, the rail 110 also includes a light controller 117 configured to control the light indicators 116. The light controller 117 can set the light indicators 116 to an on mode or an off mode. The light controller 117 is typically configured to individually control the light indicators 116, thereby providing guidance as to where to hang a particular one of the one or more electronic devices 120. The light indicators 116 may also be used for status indication.

[0038] The rail 110 may further include a rail controller 111. Each electronic device 120 may be configured to identify itself, thereby allowing the rail controller 111 to identify the electronic device 120 and its location on the rail 110. The rail controller 111 may be configured to keep a record of each electronic device suspended by the rail. That is, the rail controller 111 may keep a record of which electronic devices 120 are suspended by the rail 110 and what functions different electronic devices 120 can provide. The rail controller 111 may also monitor the status of each electronic device 120 suspended by the rail 110. The rail controller 111 may also be configured to individually control the electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110. Such control of the electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110 is preferably performed via inductive communication, i.e., via communication controlled by the coil controller 115. Thus, each electronic device 120 may be identified and positioned on the rail 110. The rail controller 111 keeps track of each electronic device 120 suspended by the rail 110. The rail controller 111 can also communicate with devices external to the rail 110 which electronic devices 120 are available and how they can be controlled.

[0039] The rail controller 111 can also be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more devices not suspended by the rail 120. The one or more devices not suspended by the rail 110 can be, for example, a client (e.g., a mobile device configured to control one or more electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110), a server (e.g., a home automation server configured to control one or more electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110), or another rail 110 in a system of rails. Thus, the rail 110 in this case can function as "one" device connected to a controller, e.g., a client or server. This allows for simplified communication / connection between the controller and the electronic devices 120. Furthermore, congestion in communication between the controller and the electronic devices 120 can be avoided.

[0040] The rail controller 111 can be further configured to monitor the energy consumption of each electronic device 120 suspended by the rail 110. The rail controller 111 can also monitor the total energy consumption of the rail 110 and all electronic devices 120 suspended thereby.

[0041] One or more of the rail controller 111, the coil controller 115, and the light controller 117 can be implemented as a hardware module, a software module, or a combination thereof. The rail controller 111, the coil controller 115, and / or the light controller 117 of the rail 110 can be integrated as a common controller.

[0042] Thus, the system 100 provided for each electronic device 120 suspended by the rail 110 can operate in an individual mode or by communication via the rail 110. Depending on the type of electronic device 120 and its capabilities, the electronic device 120 can provide communication via Wi-Fi, BLE, Zigbee, or other wireless networks. If the suspended electronic device 120 is a device that requires a lot of network bandwidth, such as a camera or a speaker, the primary communication is set to be via Wi-Fi, BLE, Zigbee, or other wireless network. However, such electronic device 120 can also utilize communication via the rail 110 for other purposes, such as controlling its volume, identifying nearby electronic devices, etc.

[0043] All electronic devices 120 on the rail 110 can utilize communication via the rail 110 and the induction coil 114. General communication via the rail 110 is used to identify the location of the electronic device 120, to communicate small amounts of data, such as revealed functions and control data to turn on / off the light of the electronic device 120, to set the volume, etc.

[0044] The rail controller 111 is configured to convert the inductive communication to an internal multi-drop bus, e.g., single-pair Ethernet, referred to herein as the rail bus, where one or more nodes can forward the communication to any standard communication, e.g., Wi-Fi, Ethernet, BLE, etc. In this way, the rail 110 can act as a single node in a communication network, thereby allowing access to all electronic devices 120 suspended by the rail 110. This facilitates setup and communication with external control devices, e.g., in the form of a control client (e.g., a smartphone) or a control server (e.g., a smart home central).

[0045] Information recorded by the rail controller 111, such as device ID, location, etc., allows the setup of the rail 110 to be apparent to the outside of the rail 110, thereby facilitating, for example, control, setup and maintenance.

[0046] 3, a method for mounting a rail 110 as described above in a structure, such as a wall or ceiling, is described. The method comprises step S302 of placing the rail 110 in a recess in the structure, and step S304 of covering the rail 110 with a layer, such as wallpaper or any other thin foil screen. The layer is preferably a thin, non-conductive layer.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is by no means limited to that expressly set forth above, but on the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

[0048] For example, the system 100 may have multiple rails 110. The rails 110 may be connected to each other in various layouts. The rails 110 may be interconnected via the connection interfaces 119 of each rail 110. Thus, a specific rail 110 can be connected to another rail 110. By way of non-limiting example, the rails 110 may be connected in series, parallel, or in a star topology. In a system having multiple rails 110, at least one of the rails 110 may have an external power source 118, for example, via a standard electrical plug connectable to a power socket, to connect the system 100 of the rails 110 to the external power source. Furthermore, when the system 100 has multiple rails 110, the rail controller 111 of one of the rails 110 may be used as a main controller to communicate with devices external to the system 100. In such a case, the rail bus can be seamlessly extended.

[0049] Additionally, if electronic device 120 has its own communication means with low bandwidth requirements, it may choose to turn off electronic device 120 when connected via rail 110 to make setup and communication easier and to avoid clogging up wireless space.

[0050] Additionally, those skilled in the art can understand and effect modifications in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rail for hanging an electronic device (120), said rail comprising: a magnetic attachment means (112) configured to suspend said electronic device (120); a plurality of coils (114) positioned along the entire length of the rail, each of the coils (114) comprising: inductive transfer of power to the electronic device (120) suspended by the rail; and A rail configured for wireless communication with the electronic device (120) suspended by the rail.

2. 2. The rail of claim 1, wherein the magnetic attachment means (112) comprises a plurality of magnetic attachment points, a subset of the plurality of magnetic attachment points configured to suspend one of the one or more electronic devices (120).

3. The rail of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a plurality of light indicators (116), each of said light indicators (116) positioned in association with a respective one of said plurality of coils (114).

4. The rail of claim 3 , further comprising a light controller (117) configured to set the plurality of light indicators (116) to an on mode or an off mode.

5. 5. The rail of claim 1, further comprising a flat outer surface (113) on which the electronic device (120) can be hung via the magnetic attachment means (112).

6. The rail according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a rail controller (111) configured to individually control the electronic devices suspended by the rail.

7. The rail of claim 6, wherein the rail controller (111) is further configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more devices not suspended by the rail.

8. The rail of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a coil controller (115) configured to individually control a plurality of said coils.

9. The rail according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a connection interface (119) configured to connect the rail to a mains power source and / or another rail.

10. A system comprising a rail (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and one or more electronic devices (120) suspended by said rail (110).

11. The electronic device (120) includes a light emitting device, a speaker, a temperature sensor, a CO ２ 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a sensor, a humidity sensor, a light sensor, a camera, and a mesh network node.

12. The system of claim 10 or 11, wherein at least a subset of the electronic devices (120) have an internal battery (122) configured to at least intermittently power the electronic devices (120).

13. 13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least a subset of the electronic devices (120) have an internal short-range wireless communication module (124) configured to communicate with devices external to the system.

14. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, comprising a plurality of rails (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which are connected to one another.

15. 10. A method for mounting a rail (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, said method comprising: placing the rail (110) in a recess in a structure such as a wall or ceiling; and covering said rail (110) with a layer such as wallpaper or a screen.

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