METHOD FOR ADDING A DEVICE TO A WIRELESS NETWORK
Load control devices may form an energy control network for the purpose of controlling one or more electrical and/or mechanical loads related to energy control in residential and/or commercial environments. The various load control devices of the energy control network may communicate with one another via a wireless communication network. Access information for communicating with/on a wireless communication network often takes the form of character-based information, such as a service set identifier (SSID), a type of network security, and/or a security key. The load control devices may have user interfaces that may not be well suited via which to enter the access information for a wireless communication network. Techniques and devices are described to provide network access information wirelessly in the form of data packets of modulated lengths to load control devices that may decode the access information from the modulated lengths to join the wireless communication network.
1 . A system configured to communicate on a wireless communication network, comprising:
a first device configured to communicate on the wireless communication network, the first device comprising a wireless transmitter configured to communicate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode, the wireless transmitter being further configured to:
transmit data packets via a predetermined protocol in the first mode; and
transmit data packets of modulated lengths in the second mode via a wireless signal directed to a predetermined address of the wireless communication network, the modulated lengths conveying access information of the wireless communication network; and
a second device configured to communicate with a wireless communication network, the second device comprising:
a wireless receiver configured to receive the wireless signal directed to the predetermined address of the wireless communication network; and
a processor configured to determine the access information for the wireless communication network from the modulated lengths.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is a second processor and the first device further comprises a first processor configured to:
respectively modulate a length of data packets to generate the data packets of modulated lengths; and
initiate the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths via the wireless transmitter.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first device further comprises a character-based user interface, and the first processor is further configured to receive the access information of the wireless communication network via the character-based user interface.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the second device is a load control device.
5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a hard-key alpha-numeric keyboard or a virtual alpha-numeric keyboard.
6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a “QWERTY” hard-key keyboard or a virtual “QWERTY” keyboard.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless receiver is further configured to receive the access information of the wireless communication network from the wireless communication network.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the access information includes at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a network security protocol type, or a key value.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmitter is further configured to maintain the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths for a predetermined amount of time.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless receiver is further configured to:
receive an indication from the wireless communication network, the indication indicating that the second device accessed the wireless communication network, and wherein the processor is a second processor and the first device further comprises a first processor configured to:
determine if the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated; and
initiate a termination of the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths upon the determination that the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
initiate access to the wireless communication network using the access information for the wireless communication network determined from the modulated lengths.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to operate in one or more modes of operation, the one or more modes of operation including a third mode.
13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising a user interface, the user interface in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a command via the user interface to operate in at least one mode of operation of the one or more modes of operation.
14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the wireless receiver is further configured to receive the wireless signal directed to the predetermined address upon receiving an indication from the processor that the processor has been placed into the third mode.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the third mode is an associate mode.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the data packets of modulated lengths have respective lengths and the processor is further configured to determine the access information for the wireless communication network from the modulated lengths by decoding the respective lengths.
17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first device further comprises a character-based user interface configured such that at least one of a generation of the data packets of modulated lengths or a transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths can be initiated via the character-based user interface.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a touch-screen interface, a hard-key interface, or a combination touch-screen and hard-key interface.
19 . A device configured to communicate on a wireless communication network, the device comprising:
a processor configured to transmit data packets according to a predetermined protocol in the wireless communication network, the processor further configured to respectively modulate lengths of the data packets to generate data packets of modulated lengths, the modulated lengths conveying access information of the wireless communication network.
20 . The device of claim 19 , further comprising a wireless transmitter, wherein the processor is further configured to:
operate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode;
initiate a transmission of data packets via a predetermined protocol in the first mode via the wireless transmitter; and
initiate a transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths in the second mode via the wireless transmitter.
21 . The device of claim 19 , further comprising a character-based user interface, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the access information of the wireless communication network via the character-based interface.
22 . The device of claim 20 , wherein the transmission is directed to a predetermined address of the wireless communication network.
23 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a hard-key alpha-numeric keyboard or a virtual alpha-numeric keyboard.
24 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a “QWERTY” hard-key keyboard or a virtual “QWERTY” keyboard.
25 . The device of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive the access information of the wireless communication network from the wireless communication network.
26 . The device of claim 19 , wherein the access information includes at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a network security protocol type, or a key value.
27 . The device of claim 20 , wherein the processor is further configured to maintain the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths via the wireless transmitter for a predetermined amount of time.
28 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising a wireless receiver, wherein the device is a first device and the processor is further configured to:
receive an indication from the wireless communication network via the wireless receiver, the indication indicating that at least one second device accessed the wireless communication network;
determine if the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated; and
initiate a termination of the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths upon the determination that the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated.
29 . The device of claim 28 , wherein the at least one second device is a load control device.
30 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising a wireless receiver, wherein the device is a first device and the processor is further configured to:
receive a wireless signal from a second device via the wireless receiver, the wireless signal indicating that the second device used the data packets of modulated lengths to access the wireless communication network,
determine if the signal was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated; and
initiate a termination of the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths upon the determination that the signal was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated.
31 . The device of claim 30 , wherein the second device is a load control device.
32 . The device of claim 19 , further comprising a character-based user interface configured such that at least one of a generation of the data packets of modulated lengths or a transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths can be initiated via the character-based user interface.
33 . The device of claim 32 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a touch-screen interface, a hard-key interface, or a combination touch-screen and hard-key interface.
34 . A device configured to communicate on a wireless communication network, the device comprising:
a wireless transmitter configured to:
operate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode;
transmit data packets via a predetermined protocol in the first mode via the wireless transmitter; and
transmit data packets of modulated lengths in the second mode, the modulated lengths conveying access information of the wireless communication network.
35 . The device of claim 34 , further comprising a processor configured to:
respectively modulate a length of the data packets to generate the data packets of modulated lengths; and
initiate the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths via the wireless transmitter.
36 . The device of claim 35 , further comprising a character-based user interface, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the access information of the wireless communication network via the character-based user interface.
37 . The device of claim 34 , wherein the transmission is directed to a predetermined address of the wireless communication network.
38 . The device of claim 36 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a hard-key alpha-numeric keyboard or a virtual alpha-numeric keyboard.
39 . The device of claim 36 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a “QWERTY” hard-key keyboard or a virtual “QWERTY” keyboard.
40 . The device of claim 34 , further comprising a wireless receiver configured to receive the access information of the wireless communication network from the wireless communication network.
41 . The device of claim 34 , wherein the access information includes at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a network security protocol type, or a key value.
42 . The device of claim 34 , wherein the wireless transmitter is further configured to maintain the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths for a predetermined amount of time.
43 . The device of claim 34 , further comprising a wireless receiver, wherein the device is a first device and the wireless receiver is configured to:
receive an indication from the wireless communication network, the indication indicating that a second device accessed the wireless communication network, the first device further comprising a processor configured to:
determine if the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated; and
initiate a termination of the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths upon the determination that the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated.
44 . The device of claim 43 , wherein the second device is a load control device.
45 . The device of claim 34 , further comprising a wireless receiver, wherein the device is a first device and the wireless receiver is configured to:
receive a wireless signal from a second device, the wireless signal indicating that the second device used the data packets of modulated lengths to access the wireless communication network, the first device further comprising a processor configured to:
determine if the signal was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated; and
initiate a termination of the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths upon the determination that the signal was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated.
46 . The device of claim 45 , wherein the second device is a load control device.
47 . The device of claim 34 , further comprising a character-based user interface configured such that at least one of a generation of the data packets of modulated lengths or the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths can be initiated via the character-based user interface.
48 . The device of claim 47 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a touch-screen interface, a hard-key interface, or a combination touch-screen and hard-key interface.
49 . A device configured to communicate with a wireless communication network, the device comprising:
a wireless receiver configured to receive a wireless signal directed to a predetermined address of the wireless communication network, the wireless signal including data packets of modulated lengths, the modulated lengths conveying access information of the wireless communication network; and
a processor configured to determine the access information for the wireless communication network from the modulated lengths.
50 . The device of claim 49 , wherein the device is one of a load control device, a dimmer switch, a gateway device, a remote control device, and a sensor device.
51 . The device of claim 49 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
initiate access to the wireless communication network using the access information for the wireless communication network determined from the modulated lengths.
52 . The device of claim 51 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine that access to the wireless communication network has been obtained.
53 . The device of claim 52 , further comprising a wireless transmitter, wherein the processor is further configured to send a signal via the wireless transmitter indicating the device accessed the wireless communication network using the access information for the wireless communication network determined from the modulated lengths.
54 . The device of claim 49 , wherein the processor is further configured to operate in one or more modes of operation, the one or more modes of operation including a first mode.
55 . The device of claim 54 , further comprising a user interface, the user interface in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a command via the user interface to operate in a mode of operation of the one or more modes of operation.
56 . The device of claim 54 , wherein the wireless receiver is further configured to receive the wireless signal directed to the predetermined address upon receiving an indication from the processor that the processor has been placed into the first mode.
57 . The device of claim 56 , wherein the first mode is an associate mode.
58 . The device of claim 49 , wherein the data packets of modulated lengths have respective lengths and the processor is further configured to determine the access information for the wireless communication network from the modulated lengths by decoding the respective lengths.
59 . A method for providing a configuration for obtaining access information for a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
providing the configuration, the configuration transferable to a tangible storage medium of a wireless device, the configuration including computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions causing a processor of the wireless device that executes the computer-executable instructions to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions, the one or more computer-executable instructions including:
respectively modulate a length of data packets to generate data packets of modulated lengths, the modulated lengths conveying the access information of the wireless communication network; and
initiate a wireless transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths.
60 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
receive the access information of the wireless communication network via a character-based user interface of the wireless device.
61 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
receive the access information of the wireless communication network from the wireless communication network.
62 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
direct the wireless transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths to a predetermined address of the wireless communication network.
63 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the access information includes at least one of a service set identifier (SSID), a network security protocol type, or a key value.
64 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
maintain the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths for a predetermined amount of time.
65 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
receive an indication from the wireless communication network, the indication indicating that another device accessed the wireless communication network;
determine if the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated; and
initiate a termination of the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths upon the determination that the indication was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated.
66 . The method of claim 65 , wherein the other device is a load control device.
67 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
receive a wireless signal from another device, the wireless signal indicating that the other device used the data packets of modulated lengths to access the wireless communication network;
determine if the signal was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated; and
initiate a termination of the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths upon the determination that the signal was received after the transmission of the data packets of modulated lengths was initiated.
68 . The method of claim 67 , wherein the other device is a load control device.
69 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
receive a command to initiate the generation of the data packets of modulated lengths via a character-based user interface of the wireless device.
70 . The method of claim 69 , wherein the character-based user interface is at least one of a touch-screen interface, a hard-key interface, or a combination touch-screen and hard-key interface.