Granted Patent B2

US 12,199,826 · App. 16/907,227 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Inventors: Jeffrey S. Hayes (Allentown, PA); Galen Edgar Knode (Macungie, PA); Ankit Bhutani (Aston, PA); Richard S. Camden (Coopersburg, PA); Jordan H. Crafts (Bethlehem, PA); Jason A. King (Bethlehem, PA)

Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC

H04L41/12G16Y40/35H04B17/318H04L41/0806H04L41/0816H04L67/1089H04L67/1093H04L67/125H04L69/28H04W4/70H04W24/02H04W48/10H04W48/16H04W74/085H04W76/15H04W84/20G16Y10/80G16Y20/10G16Y40/30

Abstract

Claims (90)

1. A control device configured to communicate on a network comprising at least one leader device, a group of router devices, and end devices, the control device being configured to communicate as an end device, the control device comprising:

a memory;

a wireless communication circuit configured to transmit and receive messages; and

a control circuit configured to:

determine that a message is to be transmitted to a destination device;

identify, in response to the determination, a primary parent device through which the message is to be transmitted on the network, wherein the primary parent device is a first router device of the group of router devices, and wherein an identifier of the primary parent device is stored in the memory of the control device;

transmit the message to the destination device through the primary parent device;

receive messages from one or more auxiliary parent devices and the primary parent device, wherein identifiers of the one or more auxiliary parent devices are stored in memory as router devices of the group of router devices from which network communications are capable of being received, wherein at least one of the messages received from the one or more auxiliary parent devices originates from the at least one leader device;

store a respective received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with each of the primary parent device and the one or more auxiliary parent devices;

identify a first auxiliary parent device of the one or more auxiliary parent devices as a second primary parent device through which network communications are to be transmitted in place of the first primary parent device based on the respective RSSI of the primary parent device and the respective RSSI of the first auxiliary parent device; and

transmit an attachment message to the first auxiliary parent device, wherein the attachment message is configured to update the primary parent device to the first auxiliary party device.

2. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device when the respective RSSI associated with the first auxiliary parent device indicates a communication link between the control device and the second primary parent device is stronger than a communication link between the control device and the primary parent device.

3. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine that the respective RSSI associated with the first auxiliary parent device indicates a communication link between the control device and the second primary parent device is stronger than a communication link between the control device and the primary parent device by determining that an average received signal strength indicator of the first auxiliary parent device is greater than an average received signal strength indicator of the primary parent device.

4. The control device of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine that the average received signal strength indicator of the first auxiliary parent device is greater than the average received signal strength indicator of the primary parent device by a margin.

5. The control device of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

store a received signal strength at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device;

receive a response message from the first auxiliary parent device, the response message including a received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message;

determine if the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device; and

set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device of the control device when the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device.

6. The control device of claim 5 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine not to set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device when a response message from the first auxiliary parent device is not received or when the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is not greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device.

7. The control device of claim 6 , wherein, after determining not to set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device, the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the respective RSSI of a second auxiliary parent device of the one or more auxiliary parent devices indicates a stronger potential communication link than the RSSI of the second primary parent device; and

set the second auxiliary parent device as the third primary parent device of the control device when the received signal strength indicator at which the second auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the second primary parent device receives messages from the control device.

8. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

transmit a unicast message to the primary parent device; and

receive an acknowledge message from the primary parent device when the primary parent device receives the unicast message from the primary parent device.

9. The control device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

count a number of times that the control device transmits a unicast message to the primary parent device and does not receive an acknowledgement message from the primary parent device.

10. The control device of claim 9 , wherein, when the number of times exceeds a threshold, the control device is configured to set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device of the control device based on the RSSI of the primary parent device and the respective RSSI of the first auxiliary parent device.

11. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to maintain an auxiliary parent table including a unique identifier and the respective RSSI associated with each of one or more auxiliary parent devices.

12. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine a RSSI of a router device that is not one of the one or more auxiliary parent devices of the control device;

determine that the respective RSSI of a second auxiliary parent device indicates a weakest communication link of the one or more auxiliary parent devices in the auxiliary parent table;

determine that the RSSI of the router device indicates a stronger potential communication link than the RSSI of the second auxiliary parent device;

remove the unique identifier and the RSSI of the second auxiliary parent device from the auxiliary parent table; and

add a unique identifier and the RSSI of the router device to the auxiliary parent table.

13. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to automatically set the first auxiliary parent device as the primary parent device after determining that the respective RSSI of the first auxiliary parent device indicates a stronger potential communication link than the respective RSSI of the primary parent device.

14. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive a multicast message from the one or more auxiliary parent devices.

15. A method for a control device to communicate on a network comprising at least one leader device, a group of router devices, and end devices, the control device being configured to communicate as an end device, the method comprising:

determining that a message is to be transmitted to a destination device;

identifying, in response to the determination, a primary parent device through which the message is to be transmitted on the network, wherein the primary parent device is a first router device of the group of router devices, and wherein an identifier of the primary parent device is stored in the memory of the control device;

transmitting the message to the destination device through the primary parent device;

receiving messages from one or more auxiliary parent devices and the primary parent device, wherein identifiers of the one or more auxiliary parent devices are stored in memory as router devices of the group of router devices from which network communications are capable of being received, wherein at least one of the messages received from the one or more auxiliary parent devices originates from the at least one leader device;

storing a respective RSSI associated with each of the primary parent device and the one or more auxiliary parent devices;

identifying a first auxiliary parent device of the one or more auxiliary parent devices as a second primary parent device through which network communications are to be transmitted in place of the primary parent device based on the RSSI of the primary parent device and the respective RSSI of the first auxiliary parent device, wherein the control device transmits and receives messages with the other devices through the first auxiliary parent device; and

transmitting an attachment message to the first auxiliary parent device, wherein the attachment message is configured to update the primary parent device to the first auxiliary party device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising setting the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device of the control device when the respective RSSI associated with the first auxiliary parent device indicates a communication link between the control device and the second primary parent device is stronger than a communication link between the control device and the primary parent device, wherein the RSSI for the primary parent device comprises an average received signal strength indicator of messages received from the primary parent device, and the respective RSSI of each of the one or more auxiliary parent devices comprises an average received signal strength indicator of messages received from the auxiliary parent device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining that the respective associated with the first auxiliary parent device indicates a communication link between the control device and the second primary parent device is stronger than a communication link between the control device and associated with the primary parent device by determining that the average received signal strength indicator of first auxiliary parent device is greater than the average received signal strength indicator of the primary parent device;

determining that the average received signal strength indicator of the first auxiliary parent device is greater than the average received signal strength indicator of the primary parent device by a margin;

storing a received signal strength at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device;

transmitting an attachment message to the first auxiliary parent device;

receiving a response message from the first auxiliary parent device, the response message including a received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message;

determining if the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the first primary parent device receives messages from the control device; and

setting the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device of the control device when the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining not to set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device when a response message from the first auxiliary parent device is not received or when the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is not greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

maintaining an auxiliary parent table including a unique identifier and the respective RSSI associated with each of one or more auxiliary parent devices;

determining a RSSI of a router device that is not one of the one or more auxiliary parent devices of the control device;

determining that the respective RSSI of a second auxiliary parent device indicates a weakest communication link of the one or more auxiliary parent devices in the auxiliary parent table;

determining that the RSSI of the router device indicates a stronger potential communication link than the RSSI of the second auxiliary parent device;

removing the unique identifier and the RSSI of the second auxiliary parent device from the auxiliary parent table; and

adding a unique identifier and the RSSI of the router device to the auxiliary parent table.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a control circuit, cause the control circuit to:

determine that a message is to be transmitted to a destination device;

identify, in response to the determination, a primary parent device through which the message is to be transmitted on the network, wherein the primary parent device is a first router device of the group of router devices, and wherein an identifier of the primary parent device is stored in the memory of the control device;

transmit the message to the destination device through the primary parent device;

receive messages from one or more auxiliary parent devices and the primary parent device, wherein identifiers of the one or more auxiliary parent devices are stored in memory as router devices of the group of router devices from which network communications are capable of being received, wherein at least one of the messages received from the one or more auxiliary parent devices originates from the at least one leader device;

store a respective received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with each of the primary parent device and the one or more auxiliary parent devices;

identify a first auxiliary parent device of the one or more auxiliary parent devices as a second primary parent device through which network communications are to be transmitted in place of the primary parent device based on the respective RSSI of the primary parent device and the respective RSSI of the first auxiliary parent device; and

transmit an attachment message to the first auxiliary parent device, wherein the attachment message is configured to update the primary parent device to the first auxiliary party device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the control circuit to set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device of the control device when the respective RSSI associated with the first auxiliary parent device indicates a communication link between the control device and the second primary parent device is stronger than a communication link between the control device and the primary parent device, wherein the RSSI for the primary parent device comprises an average received signal strength indicator of messages received from the primary parent device, and the respective RSSI of each of the one or more auxiliary parent devices comprises an average received signal strength indicator of messages received from the auxiliary parent device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the control circuit to:

determine that the respective RSSI associated with the first auxiliary parent device indicates a communication link between the control device and the second primary parent device is stronger than a communication link between the control device and associated with the primary parent device by determining that the average received signal strength indicator of first auxiliary parent device is greater than the average received signal strength indicator of the primary parent device;

determine that the average received signal strength indicator of first auxiliary parent device is greater than the average received signal strength indicator of the primary parent device by a margin;

store a received signal strength at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device;

transmit an attachment message to the first auxiliary parent device;

receive a response message from the first auxiliary parent device, the response message including a received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message;

determine if the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device; and

set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device of the control device when the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the control circuit to:

determine not to set the first auxiliary parent device as the second primary parent device when a response message from the first auxiliary parent device is not received or when the received signal strength indicator at which the first auxiliary parent device received the attachment message is not greater than the received signal strength indicator at which the primary parent device receives messages from the control device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the control circuit to:

maintain an auxiliary parent table including a unique identifier and the respective RSSI associated with each of one or more auxiliary parent devices;

determine a RSSI of a router device that is not one of the one or more auxiliary parent devices of the control device;

determine that the respective RSSI of a second auxiliary parent device indicates a weakest communication link of the one or more auxiliary parent devices in the auxiliary parent table;

determine that the RSSI of the router device indicates a stronger potential communication link than the RSSI of the second auxiliary parent device;

remove the unique identifier and the RSSI of the second auxiliary parent device from the auxiliary parent table; and

add a unique identifier and the RSSI of the router device to the auxiliary parent table.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (147)

Cited By (1)

US 12,695,664