Controlling end nodes of a low-power wide area network

1. A method of managing a plurality of end nodes of a Low-Power Wide Area Network, LPWAN, wherein each end node is switchable between at least two operating modes, the method comprising:

broadcasting a mode change command to the plurality of end nodes, wherein the mode change command indicates a desired operating mode of the plurality of end nodes;

determining, by a detector of a network controller, whether at least one end node has not successfully switched into the desired operating mode in response to the mode change command; and

in response to the detector determining that at least one end node has not switched into the desired operating mode, rebroadcasting the mode change command;

wherein the at least two operating modes comprise at least:

a first operating mode in which the end node transmits first information, generated at the end node, to the network controller; and

a second operating mode in which the end node does not transmit the first information to the network controller;

the step of determining comprising

determining whether each of the plurality of end nodes has successfully switched into the desired operating mode in response to the mode change command based on whether the first information from each of the plurality of end nodes is received by the network controller or not, wherein, when the desired operating mode is the first operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has not successfully switched into the desired operating mode if the first information is not received by the network controller from the at least one end node and wherein, when the desired operating mode is the second operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has not successfully switched into the desired operating mode if the network controller receives the first information from the at least one end node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasting comprises repeatedly broadcasting the mode change command a predetermined number of times, wherein the predetermined number is calculated based on at least one characteristic of the LWPAN, such as the packet loss rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the mode change command indicates a desire to switch away from the first operating mode: the method comprises determining whether any one or more of the plurality of end nodes continues to transmit the first information to the network controller, so as to determine whether each of the plurality of end nodes has successfully switched to the desired operating mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the mode change command indicates a desire to switch to the first operating mode: the method comprises determining whether any one or more of the plurality of end nodes has failed to transmit the first information to the network controller within a predetermined time window, so as to determine whether each of the plurality of end nodes has successfully switched to the desired operating mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the mode change command indicates a desire to switch the plurality of end nodes to the second operating mode, the method further comprises:

transmitting second information to each of the plurality of end nodes;

broadcasting a second mode change signal command, the second mode change signal command indicating a desire to switch the end node to the first operating mode;

receiving first information from each of the plurality of end nodes;

determining, based on the received first information, whether the second information was correctly received by each of the plurality of end nodes, wherein an end node operating in the second operating mode is adapted to receive the second information.

6. A computer program comprising code for implementing the method of claim 5 when said program is run on a computer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when the desired operating mode is the first operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has successfully switched into the desired operating mode based on the network controller receiving the first information from the at least one end node and wherein, when the desired operating mode is the second operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has successfully switched into the desired operating mode based on the absence of the first information from the at least one end node.

8. A network controller for managing a plurality of end nodes of a Low-Power Wide Area Network, LPWAN, wherein each end node is switchable between at least two operating modes, the network controller comprising:

a transmitter configured to broadcast at least a mode change command to the plurality of end nodes, wherein the mode change command indicates a desired operating mode of the plurality of end nodes;

a detector configured to determine whether at least one end node has not successfully switched into the desired operating mode in response to the mode change command; and

wherein, in response to the detector determining that the at least one end node has not switched to the desired operating mode, the transmitter is configured to rebroadcast the mode change command; wherein the at least two operating modes comprise at least:

a first operating mode in which the end node transmits first information, generated at the end node, to a network controller; and

a second operating mode in which the end node does not transmit the first information to the network controller;

the detector is further configured to determine whether each of the plurality of end nodes has successfully switched into the desired operating mode in response to the mode change command based on whether the first information from each of the plurality of end nodes is received by the network controller or not, wherein, when the desired operating mode is the first operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has not successfully switched into the desired operating mode if the first information is not received by the network controller from the at least one end node and wherein, when the desired operating mode is the second operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has not successfully switched into the desired operating mode if the network controller receives the first information from the at least one end node.

9. The network controller of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast the mode change command a predetermined number of times, wherein the predetermined number is calculated based on at least a characteristic of the LWPAN, such as a packet loss rate.

10. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein if the mode change command indicates a desire to switch from the first operating mode:

the detector is adapted to determine whether any one or more of the plurality of end nodes continues to transmit first information to the network controller, so as to determine whether each of the plurality of end nodes has successfully switched to the desired operating mode.

11. The network controller of claim 9 , wherein if the mode change command indicates a desire to switch to the first operating mode:

the detector is adapted to determine whether any one or more of the plurality of end nodes has failed to transmit first information to the network controller within a predetermined time interval, so as to determine whether each of the plurality of end nodes has successfully switched to the desired operating mode.

12. The network controller of claim 8 , wherein each end node comprises a luminaire adapted to output light and the first information comprises a light control signal for controlling an output light of the luminaires of the end nodes.

13. An end node for a Low-Power Wide Area Network, LPWAN, comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive at least a mode change command from a network controller according to claim 8 ;

a transmitter adapted to transmit data to the network controller; and

a processor adapted to switch the end node between at least two operating modes based on the mode change command, wherein the end node is switchable between at least: a first operating mode in which the end node primarily transmits first information, generated at the end node, to the network controller; a first operating mode in which the end node transmits first information, generated at the end node, to a network controller; and a second operating mode in which the end node does not transmit the first information to the network controller.

14. A network system comprising: the network controller of claim 8 .

15. The network controller of claim 8 , wherein, when the desired operating mode is the first operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has successfully switched into the desired operating mode based on the network controller receiving the first information from the at least one end node and wherein, when the desired operating mode is the second operating mode, the detector is configured to determine that the at least one end node has successfully switched into the desired operating mode based on the absence of the first information from the at least one end node.