Building Automation Device Pairing via Acoustic Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building automation systems require additional hardware components like Bluetooth or NFC for device pairing, which incur costs and can fail, leading to pairing issues and device replacement.
Innovation Solution
A method using audio signals to pair devices within a building automation system, eliminating the need for dedicated hardware by utilizing existing speakers and microphones for communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional hardware components like Bluetooth or NFC are used for device pairing, then pairing functionality is enabled, but device cost increases and hardware failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pairing functionality from dedicated hardware components (Bluetooth, NFC) and relocates it to the acoustic communication path between existing speaker and microphone. This removes the need for additional pairing hardware while maintaining the pairing capability, directly resolving the contradiction between pairing functionality and device cost/complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the existing acoustic components (speaker and microphone) serve a dual function: their primary function for audio output/input and an additional function for device pairing. By modulating audio signals to embed pairing data, the same hardware components perform multiple roles, eliminating the need for dedicated pairing hardware and reducing device complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional hardware components like Bluetooth or NFC are used for device pairing, then pairing functionality is enabled, but hardware failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts pairing functionality from vulnerable dedicated hardware components and relocates it to the existing acoustic communication path. This removes single-point failure risks associated with specialized pairing hardware, as the pairing function now relies on the already-deployed speaker and microphone that are integral to the device's primary audio function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares the acoustic communication path in advance to handle pairing signals by implementing signal modulation and recognition protocols. This preliminary preparation ensures that when pairing is needed, the existing hardware can reliably perform the function without requiring additional components that could fail, thus cushioning against hardware failure risk before it occurs
3Ease of operation
If dedicated pairing hardware is used, then pairing process is simplified, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical pairing system (Bluetooth buttons, NFC taps) with an acoustic signal-based system. By modulating audio frequencies to encode pairing information and using the existing speaker-microphone path, the invention substitutes a complex hardware-based pairing mechanism with a software-controlled acoustic communication approach, simplifying the overall device architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the existing acoustic communication infrastructure as a copy of the pairing channel. Instead of creating a separate dedicated pairing hardware path, the invention replicates the pairing communication function through the already-established audio signal path, allowing pairing data to be transmitted through the same hardware used for audio output
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for coupling two devices (10, 20) of a building automation system (100), the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a string of characters from a first device (10) of the building automation system (10) to a registration authority (30) connected to the first device (10) for data exchange; registering the string of characters by the registration authority (30); emitting an audio signal (40) representing the string of characters by the first device (10); receiving the audio signal (40) by a second device (20) of the building automation system (100); capturing the string of characters represented by the received audio signal with the second device (20); transmitting the string of characters from the second device (20) to the registration authority (30), wherein the registration authority (30) is connected to the second device (20) for data exchange; assigning the first device (10) and the second device (20) by the registration authority (30).The invention also relates to a building automation system (100).