Patent Application
20150357133
The present disclosure relates to wireless control of electrical fixtures within a building structure, and in particular to a wireless light switch system for controlling light fixtures.
In both residential and commercial buildings, wireless control of electrical fixtures and appliances, such as light fixtures, has gained popularity due to its advantages over hardwired control of fixtures and appliances. For example, wireless light switch systems that employ a wireless control device that sends radiofrequency (RF) commands to a receiver controlling a light fixture do not necessarily require that both the wireless control and the corresponding load be connected to the same circuit, unlike a traditional wired light switch and load. This relaxes some constraints on the relative positioning of the switch and the load. Some wireless solutions permit light fixtures to be controlled by a handheld remote control device, avoiding the need to mount the wireless control device on a wall. Regardless, there is still a general desire to provide fixed-position (e.g., wall-mounted) wireless controls similar in appearance and effect to commonly available switches used with wired fixtures.
There are currently available on the market wall-mounted wireless light switch transmitter devices that have the appearance of commonly available switches and switch plates, or that can be used with current models of switch plates. Some devices of this type use an external power source and therefore require wiring and mounting on an electrical box. In the case where a building with hardwired switches is to be retrofitted with wireless switches, the positioning of wall-mounted wireless switches is again constrained by the locations of existing electrical boxes, unless the installer is willing or able to install and wire new electrical boxes. Other devices of this type employ an internal power supply and may not require wiring; however, the dimensions of the power source and associated circuitry still require special accommodation, for instance by mounting the device on an electrical box with space to accommodate these components, or by providing a specially-designed switch plate and enclosure that differs in size or appearance from commonly available switch plates. Specially-designed switch plates, in particular, may jut out further from the wall and/or have a noticeably thicker appearance.
Similar concerns can also arise concerning the placement of the wireless receiver units that are used in conjunction with wireless light switch transmitter devices to control power flow to a light fixture. The wireless receivers must be positioned to receive a signal from the transmitter or from a central controller, and their size may prohibit them from being mounted in a discrete location.
The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example only, embodiments of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals describe similar items throughout the various figures.
There is accordingly provided a wireless load control system, comprising: one or more wireless switch components, each wireless switch component including a surface-mountable assembly comprising a mechanical user control interface, a wireless transmitter, and a microprocessor in communication with the wireless transmitter, the microprocessor being configured to, in response to a signal triggered by actuation of the user control interface, send a control signal to at least one load controller component; a plurality of load controller components, each load controller component being adapted for mounting in a junction box associated with one or more loads, each load controller component including an enclosure adapted to fit within the junction box, a wireless transceiver adapted to receive control signals from wireless switch components and transmit messages to other load controller components, and a control circuit comprised in the enclosure configured to control current delivered to the one or more loads in response to received control signals, the plurality of load controller components being configured to communicate with each other over a mesh network while the one or more wireless switch components are configured to send control signals without participating in the mesh network, each of the plurality of load controller components being adaptable to be paired with at least one of the one or more wireless switch components, and two or more of the plurality of load controller components being adaptable to be paired with a same wireless switch component at the same time.
In one aspect of the wireless load control system at least two of the plurality of load controller components are adapted to be paired with the same wireless switch component.
In another aspect, at least one of the plurality of load controller components is adapted to be paired with at least two of the one or more wireless switch components.
In still another aspect, at least two of the plurality of load controller components are adapted to be paired with the same wireless switch component.
One aspect of the invention provided herein is a wireless remote switch assembly for use in the wireless system. There is provided an assembly for a wireless switch, comprising: a base adapted for mounting on a surface, the base comprising a back plate having a first face mountable on the surface and at least one base sidewall projecting from an opposing face of the base; a rocker shell comprising at least one oblique wall extending between a pivot axis and an end of the rocker shell and at least one rocker shell sidewall extending from the at least one oblique wall, the rocker shell being pivotably mounted to the base at the pivot axis, the at least one base sidewall and the at least one rocker shell sidewall cooperating to define an enclosure; a control circuit comprised in the enclosure, the control circuit including at least one switch contact in electrical communication with an internal power source interface and a microprocessor controlling a wireless transmitter; at least one elastically deformable actuator disposed in the enclosure proximate to an end of a corresponding oblique wall of the rocker shell, the at least one elastically deformable actuator having a body comprising a contact member having a bearing surface at a first end and an opposing second end, the opposing second end being provided with a conductive contact, each actuator being positioned such that each conductive contact is substantially aligned with a corresponding switch contact, each contact member being movable between an engaged position with the corresponding switch contact when force is applied to the bearing surface via the corresponding oblique wall, and a disengaged position when the force is removed.
In one aspect, a depth of the at least one rocker shell sidewall is greater proximate to the pivot axis than proximate to the end of the rocker shell.
In another aspect, the rocker shell comprises a pair of oblique walls meeting at the pivot axis.
In still another aspect, the at least rocker shell sidewall comprises a substantially continuous sidewall and the at least one base sidewall comprises a substantially continuous sidewall.
In yet another aspect, the at least one rocker shell sidewall is adapted to receive and pivot on corresponding lugs provided on an interior of the at least one base sidewall.
In a further aspect, the at least one rocker shell sidewall is sized to fit within an interior of the at least one base sidewall, and exterior dimensions of the at least one base sidewall are sized to fit within a light switch cover plate.
In another aspect, a depth of the assembly is up to about 10 mm.
In another aspect, a depth of the enclosure as defined by the base is up to about 7 mm.
In yet aspect, the first face is substantially flat.
In another aspect of the assembly, each elastically deformable actuator further comprises a collapsible collar projecting from a first face of a actuator base member, the second end of the contact member being supported by the collapsible collar, the collapsible collar flexing to permit travel of the contact member though the collapsible collar and the actuator base member to the engaged position when force is applied to the bearing surface, wherein in the engaged position the conductive contact provided on the second end is in electrical communication with the corresponding switch contact.
In another aspect of the actuator, the bearing surface comprises a substantially flat surface. In some examples, the bearing surface is inclined at substantially a same angle of inclination as the corresponding oblique wall. In other examples, the collapsible collar and the contact member are substantially polygonal. Still further, the contact member may further comprise an alignment recess for aligning the actuator with a complementary alignment pin provided on an interior surface of the corresponding oblique wall. Also, the contact member, collapsible collar, and actuator base member may be integrally formed of silicone.
In another aspect, the at least one switch contact, internal power source interface, microprocessor, wireless transmitter and an antenna in communication with the wireless transmitter are provided on a circuit board mounted within the base sidewall, and the at least one elastically deformable actuator is disposed between the circuit board and the corresponding oblique wall.
Still further, the at least one switch contact comprises conductive traces on the circuit board.
In another aspect, the assembly comprises a pair of elastically deformable actuators, the rocker shell comprising a pair of oblique walls meeting at the pivot axis, and the control circuit comprising a pair of switch contacts, each switch contact being positioned proximate to an end of the circuit board, wherein the internal power source interface is disposed on the circuit board at a position proximate to the pivot axis between the pair of switch contacts, and at least one of the wireless transmitter and the microprocessor are disposed on the circuit board between the pair of switch contacts.
In another aspect, the control circuit further includes a battery power source mounted on the internal power source interface.
Another aspect of the invention provided herein is a load controller and assembly for use with a wireless switch controller assembly, the assembly comprising a load controller, comprising: an enclosure adapted to fit within a junction box, the enclosure comprising a projecting fitting adapted to fit through an aperture of the junction box to maintain the enclosure in fixed relation to the junction box, the enclosure comprising an antenna port disposed within the fitting and permitting passage of an antenna therethrough; and a control circuit comprised in the enclosure, the control circuit being configured to control mains current delivered to a load, the control circuit including a microprocessor in communication with a wireless transceiver and the antenna, the antenna extending from an interior of the enclosure through the antenna port to an exterior of the enclosure; such that when the enclosure is mounted in a junction box such that the fitting extends through the aperture of the junction box to project to an exterior of the junction box, the antenna thus extends to an exterior of the junction box.
In one aspect of the load controller assembly, antenna comprises a whip antenna or a wire antenna.
In another aspect, the microprocessor is configured to control the mains current delivered to the load in response to commands received by the wireless transceiver.
In still another aspect, the enclosure comprises a base and a cooperating lid, the projecting fitting being provided on an exterior surface of a wall of the base.
Still further, the antenna port may comprise an aperture through the wall of the base.
In yet another aspect, the projecting fitting comprises a threaded nipple.
The assembly may also include the junction box, which in some embodiments is metal. In other embodiments, the assembly may further include a light fixture, which comprises the load controlled by the assembly.
In some implementations of the wireless light switch system, security may be provided in the form of a rolling code or other similar monotonically increasing value that is stored by one or more devices in the system. Accordingly, to improve performance of memory components provided in the system, there is also provided a method of managing operation of rewritable memory, comprising: reading in a first value from the set of one or more memory locations; on detection of an instruction to store an incremented value: permuting the incremented value by, in combination: applying an encoding, in which a value of a least significant bit changes only on every second increment, to two least significant bits of the incremented value; and on overflow of a least significant byte as a result of the increment, applying a cyclic byte-wise shift to the incremented value; and storing the permuted incremented value in the one or more memory locations.
In one aspect of this method, wherein the encoding applied to the least significant two bits comprises an encoding of a′1=a1 and a′0=a1a0, wherein a0 is an initial value of the least significant bit, a′0 is an encoded value of the least significant bit, a1 is an initial value of a second-least significant bit, and a′1 is an encoded value of the second-least significant bit.
In another aspect, the set of one or more memory locations comprises a plurality of memory locations, and the cyclic byte-wise shift comprises shifting a memory location allocated to a byte of the first value to a next byte of the incremented value.
There is also provided a method of managing operation of rewritable memory used to store a sequence of binary values, the method comprising: defining an allocation of each one of a plurality of memory blocks in the rewritable memory to a corresponding byte position of a multiple-byte value; storing a first multiple-byte value in the memory blocks corresponding to the plurality of memory addresses according to the allocation; reading in the first value from the memory blocks; incrementing the first value to provide an incremented value; encoding two least significant bits of the incremented value according to the encoding of a′1=a1 and a′0=a1 a0, wherein a0 is an initial value of the least significant bit, a′0 is an encoded value of the least significant bit, a1 is an initial value of a second-least significant bit, and a′1 is an encoded value of the second-least significant bit; when the incrementing of the first value does not result in an overflow of a least significant byte, storing the incremented value in the memory blocks according to the allocation; when the incrementing of the first value results in an overflow of a least significant byte, altering the allocation by cyclically shifting the allocation of the plurality of memory blocks to the corresponding byte positions, and storing the incremented value in the memory blocks according to the allocation as altered.
In one aspect, storing the incremented value comprises rewriting only those memory blocks corresponding to bytes of the incremented value that are changed.
The method may further comprise maintaining a mapping of the allocation of the plurality of memory blocks to the corresponding byte positions.
In another aspect, only the least significant bit of the first value is incremented.
There is also provided a method of managing operation of rewritable memory used to store an increment of a stored value, the stored value being represented by multiple bytes, the multiple bytes being stored in a defined set of blocks of the rewritable memory according to a defined byte order, the method comprising: detecting an instruction to store an incremented value in place of the stored value; permuting two least significant bits of the incremented value according to the encoding of a′1=a1 and a′0=a1a0, wherein a0 is an initial value of the least significant bit, a′0 is an encoded value of the least significant bit, a1 is an initial value of a second-least significant bit, and a′1 is an encoded value of the second-least significant bit; upon determining that the incremented value results in an overflow of a least significant byte as compared to the stored value, permuting the byte order according to a cyclic byte-wise shift, and storing the incremented value as incremented according to the permuted byte order.
In these methods, the rewritable memory may comprise EEPROM. Further, the method may be implemented in where the first value and the incremented value comprise values in a rolling code algorithm.
There is also provided an electronic device comprising memory and a processor configured to implement the foregoing methods and variants.
The embodiments described and depicted herein provide a wireless light switch system comprising one or more remote switch devices and corresponding load controllers capable of many-to-many association for flexible control of light fixtures over a home area network. In one implementation, the remote switch devices are independently-powered rocker switch-type devices having a low profile and that are capable of being installed on a flat surface using conventional, commercially available rocker-switch wall plates such as Leviton Decora® brand wall plates. The low profile of the remote switch devices permits them to be mounted behind a conventional wall plate without the need for an electrical box or cutout to accommodate the remote switch device, thereby permitting the installer to place the remote switch device wherever desired. The corresponding load controllers are sized so that they can be contained inside conventional junction boxes (e.g., octagonal electrical boxes) with their antennas extending through a knockout, thereby permitting the load controllers to be substantially concealed, and even be mounted inside metal junction boxes that would otherwise interfere with RF reception.
Pairing between remote switch devices and load controllers may be accomplished in some embodiments without requiring manual operation of the load controller. Security may be provided for the home area network using encryption and a rolling (hopping) code. To reduce implementation cost of the rolling code, a wear-levelling technique may be applied to the memory components of the system.
In accordance with an embodiment,
Each remote switch device 110 is paired with, and can be operated to control, one or more corresponding load controllers 120 over the home area network 150. Each load controller 120 in turn controls one or more lighting devices, represented schematically as loads 10a-10n. In this embodiment, each load controller 120 is wired to its corresponding load or loads 10a-10n; thus, in the example of
While each load controller 120 may be capable of receiving control signals directly from their paired remote switch device(s) 110, in some cases the load controllers 120 may be configured as nodes in a home area network 150 to potentially extend the reach of a transmitter in a given remote switch device 110 and/or improve reliability of the system 100 in the event a direct transmission route between a remote switch device 110 and a paired load controller 120 is not possible. The home area network 150 is a wireless network operating using any frequency and protocol suitable for communication and control of appliances in a building automation context. In this particular example, the network 150 operates over a sub-1 GHz band (e.g., 315 or 915 MHz) in compliance with applicable regulations. In one embodiment, transmissions between the remote switch devices 110 and the load controllers 120 take place over a 915 MHz band, which in some current environments may be preferred over other bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz) due to lower likelihood of signal collision and greater signal penetration in a typical furnished building structure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciated that a most suitable wireless communication standard for use with the wireless light switch system 100 is one that provides sufficiently reliable data delivery at an acceptable cost in resources and power consumption.
The home area network 150 may operate in a mesh or star configuration. In
The wireless light switch system 100 can include an optional hub device 130 that operates as a gateway between the home area network 150 and the Internet or other suitable public or private network 50 to permit communication with components of the system 100 with remote devices (not shown). Remote devices can include servers or other communication equipment provided by a utility (e.g., an electricity distribution company), or user communication devices, such as a personal computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or similar device. In the former case, the hub 130 may be configured as a smart energy portal that collects utility usage data from connected smart devices on the wireless light switch system 100, which could include load controllers 120, then transmits this usage data to the utility, or manages the operation of devices on the home area network 150. In the latter case, the hub 130 may be configured to collect status information from load controllers 120 and transmit the status information to the user communication device, and to receive operation commands (e.g., ON/OFF) from the user communication device for forwarding to one or more load controllers 120. The hub device 130 may be a distinct computing device dedicated to the wireless light switch system 100, or it can be integrated in another appliance or fixture.
It can be seen in
In some example wireless light switch systems 100, a network key device 140 is also included. In
The devices 200, 300, 400 may also be configured to implement different or additional functions, and may therefore include additional components not mentioned. For instance, it will be noted that the wireless light switch system 100 and the operations described herein are generally directed to simple control (ON/OFF) of a light fixture. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the devices, methods and system described herein can be extended to and adapted for other control functions and suitable loads. For instance, a remote switch device 110 may be configured to transmit dimming commands to a load controller 120 to control the lighting level of corresponding light fixtures. In that case, the devices 110, 200 and the load controllers 120, 300 may therefore be provided with different electrical controls in order to accomplish the dimming function. The remote switch device 110 may instead comprise a sensor device for detecting a state of another fixture or an entrance (e.g., a contact or contactless sensor detecting whether a door or window is opened or closed), or detecting environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, moisture, ambient light level), which may be used to control operation of an electrically-controlled fixture or appliance, such as a light fixture, entertainment system, humidifier, air conditioner, and the like. The sensor device would then transmit state or condition data to a load controller associated with the fixture or appliance for action, or else will process the detected state or condition to identify a command to be sent to the load controller. Such modifications and variations are within the knowledge of the person of ordinary skill in the art; the examples provided herein are not intended to be limiting.
An example schematic remote switch device 200 is shown in
The memory 220 stores code (not shown) executable by the processor 210 to implement various switch functions described herein. The memory 220 also stores control data such as a product identifier 222, switch identifier 224, device key 226, and rolling code value 228. Some of this control data is used for security purposes, and as such it will be appreciated that it may be optional or may be varied, should the security features described herein not be implemented. The particular format of the control data (bit size, etc.) may vary according to the particular implementation.
The product identifier 222 is a code generated and stored in the memory 220 at the time of manufacture or before installation, and may be the same for all remote switch devices 110, or the same for groups of remote switch devices 110. The switch identifier 224 is a value uniquely or quasi-uniquely assigned to the remote switch device 110. The device key 226 is a unique or quasi-unique value generated and stored in memory 220 at the time of initialization or pairing of the switch 200. As explained below, the device key 226, if used, is provided to the load controller 300 during pairing and is used to encrypt data sent to the load controller 300.
The memory 220 may be integrated in the processor 210. The processor 210, memory 220, and transmitter subsystem 230 may optionally be provided in a single system on chip (SoC) package, as denoted by the dashed line in
The remote switch device 200 includes one or more user controls 240a-240n for receiving operator instructions from a user. In the context of light fixtures, common user controls for simple ON/OFF control include electromechanical devices such as a physical toggle, push button, or rocker switch. Actuation of a physical component triggers a corresponding signal via a user control interface to the processor 210, which initiates transmission of a command to one or more load controllers via the wireless subsystem 230 and antenna 235. Other user controls, such as dials, sliders, and the like may also be employed, particularly when more complex control (e.g., dimming) is desired.
The memory 330, which again may comprise EEPROM, stores control data for the load controller 300 including current status information 332 and an association table 340 storing data for paired remote switch devices 200. The current status information 332 may be a set of bits or a byte indicating a current status of the associated load (e.g., whether the load is currently ON or OFF, or a current dimming level), based on detected current or a last instruction received from a paired device 200. This current status information 332, being stored in non-volatile memory, will be retained even after a mains power outage and can be referenced by the load controller upon restoration of power so that the load can be returned to its expected state. The association table 340 includes, for each remote switch device 200 with which the load controller 300 is paired, a switch identifier 342, a device key 344, and a rolling code 346. The data stored in the association table 340 thus mirrors select data stored in the paired remote switch device(s) 200, although as explained below, the rolling code 228 and 346 may not be synchronized at all times. Also, as further explained below, the device key 344 and the rolling code 346 are used to provide a level of security to the wireless light switch system 100. However, it is sufficient, albeit less secure, for the association table 340 to store only the switch identifiers 342 for the paired remote switch devices 200.
The network key device 400, shown in
In other examples, the network key device 400 may be used to configure routing between various devices 110, 120 in the home area network 150. In that case, the network key device 400 is adapted to communicate with the configuration computer 20 to receive data defining routing instructions for the various paired remote switch devices and load controllers. The network key device 400 is then used to transmit the routing instructions to each device. Communication with the configuration computer 20 may be accomplished wirelessly if the wireless subsystem 460 includes a receiver component, or alternatively by a fixed connection (such as the USB connection illustrated in
The network key device 400 is preferably portable so that it can be brought to already-installed remote switch devices 110 and load controllers 120, should they require configuration or reconfiguration. Thus, in a further embodiment, the network key device 400 can be embodied in a portable user mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet adapted for wireless communication using the protocol employed by the home area network 150. In that case, the mobile device may also operate as the configuration computer 20, eliminating the need for a separate device. The network key device 400 may also be implemented in a remote control device configured to transmit operation commands to load controllers 120 in the home are network 150.
Turning now to
Subsequent to pairing, at 540, the various components of the wireless light switch system are installed and connected, as necessary, to the building power supply and light fixtures. Accordingly, one or more remote switch devices 110 are mounted on walls or other structural components of the building; one or more load controllers 120 are mounted adjacent or proximate to target light fixtures 10a-10n as desired, and where possible, inside the junction or electrical box for each light fixture, as will be described below; and the hub 130 is connected to the Internet or other public/private network 50.
After devices 110, 120 have been paired and installed, at 550 either the remote switch devices 110 or the hub 130 may be used to transmit control commands to the load controllers 120. The associations between the various remote switch devices 110 and 120 can also be managed at 560, whether by removing a paired device, adding a new paired load controller 120 to a remote switch device 110, adding a new paired remote switch device 110 to a load controller 120, and so on.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the steps depicted in the overview method 500 need not be followed in exactly the order set out in
At 610, after a timeout period following initialization, the remote switch device 110 enters a sleep mode while it awaits a user input, in order to conserve power. At 615, an interrupt signal is detected. This interrupt may be triggered by a user action, such as actuation of a physical button, switch, or other control on the remote switch device 110. The primary source of an interrupt signal at the remote switch device 110 is expected to be user actuation of the switch in order to control a light fixture; thus, as noted above, to preserve battery life the device 110 does not respond to received RF signals unless it is implementing an initialization or pairing procedure.
At 620, the processor of the remote switch device 110 determines whether the interrupt indicates an ON command (for example, if the remote switch device 110 comprised a physical rocker or toggle switch, detection that the physical switch was moved to the “ON” position); if so, at 625 an ON command is transmitted over the home area network 150 to be received by a paired load controller or controllers 120. If the signal does not indicate an ON command, it is then determined at 630 whether the interrupt indicates an OFF command.
If an OFF command was received, at 635 the remote switch device 110 transmits an OFF command over the home area network to be received by the paired controller(s) 120. If the command is not an OFF command, at 640 it is determined whether the command was an association or pairing command. If so, the association or pairing process is initiated at the remote switch device 110 at 645. Upon responding to the interrupt by transmitting a command or beginning the association process, or upon determining that the interrupt does not correspond to a known command, the remote switch device 110 returns to sleep mode 610, optionally after a predetermined timeout period.
If a CLEAR command was not received, then at 735 the load controller 120 determines whether a command to carry out an operation, such as ON/OFF, was received. If so, the load controller 120 determines whether the command is valid at 740 (including determining whether the load controller is paired with the remote switch device transmitting the command, if the command was transmitted by a remote switch device). If the command is valid, then the command is executed at 745.
If the device 110, 120, 130 remains in the initialization state, at 820 it waits for an initialization command from the network key device 140. At this stage, the network key device 140 can broadcast an initialization command 825 including the generated network key for receipt by any listening devices. At 830, the device 110, 120, 130 receives the initialization command and saves the network key in memory, then optionally signals the user that initialization was completed. The signal may be an audible signal or a visual signal, such as illumination of a light emitting diode (LED). Once initialization by the network key device 140 is complete, the device 110, 120, 130 can carry out other operations 850.
Once devices are initialized and have a network key, at least one remote switch device 110—load controller 120 set should be paired or associated. One possible protocol for pairing or associating a load controller 120 with one or more remote switch devices 110 is illustrated by the load controller state diagram in
As shown in
If the pairing communication 922 is received from the remote switch device 110 before the timeout, the load controller 120 enters a Confirmation Wait state 930, during which it waits a user confirmation that the pairing is to be completed. Again, the load controller 120 may issue a signal to the user that it is awaiting a confirmation. A second timeout is set; and again, if the timeout expires 934, or if a “cancel” command is received 936, the Confirmation Wait state is cancelled and the load controller 120 returns to the Normal state. If the pairing confirmation 932 is received within the timeout period, then the load controller 120 enters an Association Complete stage 940 in which it completes the pairing by storing the switch identifier 224 and the device key 226 received from the remote switch device 110 in its association table. The load controller 120 then transitions back to the Normal state 910.
The pairing procedure may be repeated on the same load controller 120 for a plurality of remote switch devices 110 as described above, with the result that the association table stored in the load controller 120 will include identifiers and keys for multiple devices 110. The number of paired remote switch devices 110 may be limited only by available memory space. Similarly, the pairing procedure may be repeated with the same remote switch device 110 and multiple load controllers 120. As can be seen from the above protocol, the switch device 110 merely transmits its control data, and is not required to store any data pertaining to the pairing or the load controller 120.
In a more robust pairing procedure, the remote switch device 110 may include a receiver configured to receive messages from a load controller during the pairing process, confirming successful receipt of pairing information from the remote switch device 110. Thus, if the remote switch device 110 does not receive the confirmation within a defined period of time, the device 110 can retransmit its pairing information until confirmation is received or the pairing process is aborted. In still other pairing procedures, a remote switch device 110 equipped with a transmitter may initiate the pairing process by transmitting an initial pairing inquiry message in response to a user command (e.g. a key press or sequence of inputs), rather than having the pairing process initiated by the user at the load controller 120. In some implementations, it may not be necessary for the user to physically manipulate the load controller, which may be advantageous in the case where the load controller has already been installed.
Still further, a remote switch device 110 that is equipped to receive information from a load controller 120 may itself store pairing data, including load controller identifiers and device keys for one or more load controllers, which may be provided in a manner analogous to that described above in respect of the remote switch devices 110. If the remote switch device 110 stores pairing data, it may then address messages to specific load controllers using the load controller's identifier or a separate address also obtained during pairing, rather than merely broadcasting signals to all receivers. Different methods for wirelessly pairing devices within and outside a network environment will be known to those skilled in the art.
Once the remote switch devices 110 and load controllers 120 in the network 150 have been initialized and paired, the load controllers 120 are ready to receive commands from their paired remote switch devices 110 and the hub 130.
A device, such as a remote switch device 110, broadcasts a command message 1005. As noted above, in the illustrated example system 100 the remote switch device 110 does not store pairing data; it simply broadcasts its commands for receipt and processing by any listening load controllers 120. The message includes, at a minimum, the remote switch device identifier 224 and the command to be executed by a target paired load controller 120. Each load controller 120 within range of the remote switch device 110 receives the message 1005 at step 1010. At 1015, the load controller 120 attempts to validate the device identifier received in the message. At 1020, the load controller 120 determines whether the identifier in the message is valid; i.e., that it is stored in the load controller's association table as a paired device. If the device identifier is determined not to be present, then at 1035 the message is discarded. If, however, the identifier is found in the association table, the load controller 120 then attempts to validate the command received in the message at 1025.
In some embodiments, the message payload comprises more robust data, including, for example, redundancy bits and checksums, which may also be used by the receiving load controller 120 to check the integrity of the received message at 1025. Also, as discussed below, additional data such as the rolling code 228 may be included in the messages to improve security in the wireless light switch system, and so the validation step 1025 may include an attempt to verify this additional data as well. Some or all of the message payload may be encrypted by the remote switch device 110 using a symmetric cipher key established using pairing information shared with the load controller 120 during pairing, in which case the validation step 1025 may include decryption of the message.
At 1030, the load controller 120 determines whether the command received in the message is valid. If it is not valid, the command is discarded at 1035 and no responsive action is taken. If, however, the command is valid, then at 1040 the load controller extracts the command and executes it. The load controller 120 thus executes commands received only from those remote switch devices 110 that were “whitelisted” as a result of the pairing procedure. The validation steps 1015-1020 and 1025-1030 may be implemented in the reverse order, although it is more expedient to check the device identifier first prior to decrypting and analysing a remainder of the message.
Since the remote switch device 110 broadcasts its messages in the main embodiment described herein, it is able to control a number of load controllers 120 with a single burst of data, rather than transmitting multiple addressed messages to each paired device, which increases communication time and drain on the remote switch device battery.
Example commands that may be sent by a remote switch device 110 configured to issue simple ON/OFF operation commands to a load controller 120 are set out in Table 1 below:
The ability to transmit the aforementioned CLEAR command described above may be restricted only to a designated master remote switch device 110 or the hub 130.
The hub 130 may be configured to send data to, and receive data from, the load controllers 120. The messages sent by the hub 130 may be broadcast, multicast, or unicast to many or only one load controller 120. For example, the hub 130 may broadcast an initial polling message to obtain identifiers for all controllers 120 on the home area network 150. Subsequently, the hub 130 can specifically address one or more load controllers 120 with a message containing an operation command, such as a request for status or to change the status of a light fixture. The hub 130 may also transmit ON/OFF and Status Change commands as described above in Table 1.
To reduce the likelihood of attacks on the home area network 150 or individual load controllers 130 by malicious third parties, encryption and rolling (hopping) codes may be used to mitigate the risk of eavesdropping and replay attacks. These measures may be implemented together with a robust network packet payload including additional redundancy checks, such as the example set out in Table 2 below.
Encryption of some or all of the message payload may be implemented, as mentioned above, using a symmetric cipher key based on information provided by the remote switch device 110 to the load controller 120 at the time of pairing. In the example of Table 2, not all content of the message is encrypted. It will be appreciated that many different encryption algorithms and symmetric or asymmetric key arrangements may be employed; the following is but one example. Rather than using the device key 226 that was provided by the remote switch device 110 to the load controller 120 on pairing as the encryption key, a separate cipher key may be generated at either the remote switch device 110 or the load controller 120 from the device key 226 using an algorithm configured at both devices 110, 120, or agreed upon by both devices during the pairing. For example, the cipher key may be calculated as an exclusive-or combination of sets of bytes of both the device key 226 and the remote switch device's identifier 224. The cipher key is then optionally stored in memory at the remote switch device 110, or else computed on the fly when required by the remote switch device 110 to transmit a message. Similarly, the load controller 120 can store a copy of the cipher key in its association table, or else compute the cipher key upon receipt of a message that requires decryption. Since the message includes the switch identifier 226 (sent in the clear, as indicated in Table 2), when a message is received, the load controller 120 can extract the switch identifier from the message to key into the association table to retrieve the corresponding cipher key, or else retrieve the corresponding data required to compute the cipher key.
As mentioned earlier, the message can include a rolling code that is stored at both the remote switch device 110 and the load controller 120 (at the latter, in the association table, in association with the corresponding switch device identifier), and is used by the load controller 120 to validate a received command. In the example of Table 2 above, the rolling code is a 32-bit value that is retrieved from memory of the remote switch device 110 and inserted in the message payload then encrypted. Once the message is sent, the rolling code is incremented by 1 at the remote switch device 110 and stored.
When the message is received by a load controller 120 and the device identifier included in the message is validated, the load controller extracts the rolling code in the message and compares it to the rolling code 346 stored in its memory 330 for that device identifier. The rolling code received in the message is expected to be greater than the rolling code 346 stored at the load controller 120, since the remote switch device 110 would have incremented its copy of the rolling code 228 after the previous transmission.
It will be appreciated, however, that in some cases the rolling code 228 stored at the remote switch device 110 may have been incremented by more than 1 since the last time a transmission was received by the load controller 120, for instance due to error or a failed transmission. Thus, a range or window of permissible offsets between the rolling code received in the message and the rolling code stored at the load controller 120 is defined. In one example, an “open” window, or offset between received and stored rolling codes at the load controller 120, is set at 16; thus, the received rolling code in the message must be greater than the stored rolling code 346, with an offset of no more than 16 from the stored rolling code 346. If the received rolling code meets this condition, the load controller 120 may validate the received command, and stores the received rolling code in place of the stored rolling code 346, thus updating the stored rolling code.
In some cases, the offset between the received rolling code and the stored rolling code 346 is outside the defined open window. In that case, the load controller 120 will not execute the received command. However, the remote switch device 110 and the load controller 120 may have fallen out of synchronization due to interference or due to one of the devices being moved out of range, so a re-synchronization window is defined for a select range of offsets greater than the offsets permitted within the open window. If the offset falls within the range of offsets permitted in the re-synchronization window, the rolling code received in the message is temporarily stored for the remote switch device 110 in the association table. If a subsequent message is received from the same remote switch device 110 with a further rolling code with an offset from the temporarily stored value that falls within the open window range, then the newly received rolling code is stored for the remote switch device 110, and the controller 120 may then execute the received command in the new message. If, however, the offset of the first received rolling code falls outside both the open window and re-synchronization window, the controller neither executes the received command nor implements re-synchronization.
Table 3 illustrates possible windows for above rolling code implementation for a rolling code 32 bits long, in which the range of possible offsets is zero to 232−1:
In Table 3, the open window for offsets for which received rolling codes are validated is the smallest window, covering only offsets from 1 to 16. The re-synchronization window then covers nearly half of the remaining possible offsets greater than 16. The “block” window, in which the offset between the received rolling code and the stored rolling code 346 is considered too great to permit re-synchronization, covers the remaining range of possible offsets, and includes the case where the offset is zero. The various ranges for these windows may be set arbitrarily. For example, the range of 1 to 16 for the open window may be defined on the presumption that most transmissions from the remote switch device 110 to the load controller 120 will not fail. This open window may of course be set to cover a greater or smaller range of offsets depending on the overall performance of the wireless light switch system 100, and the likelihood that a transmission will fail. In a less robust system subject to high failure rates, a larger open window may be appropriate.
In one implementation, the rolling code value and other control data are stored in EEPROM at both the remote switch device 110 and the load controller 120. As can be seen from the foregoing rolling code implementation, the rolling code values transmitted or received by a device are generally monotonically increasing by a value of 1, and the changed value must be stored at both the transmitting and receiving devices. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, solid state storage media such as EEPROM can endure only a finite number of write-erase cycles before its integrity is degraded and the memory becomes unreliable. Common types of EEPROM currently available have write-erase cycle limits ranging from about 100,000 to 1,000,000. Assuming an average usage rate of about 100/operations per day for a remote switch device 110 or load controller 120, 100,000 write-erase cycles is equivalent to about 2.74 years of use. This usage rate, which is possible in a high-traffic area, results in an expected EEPROM lifetime well below the expected lifetime for a home automation product. While memory rated with a higher duty cycle could be used instead, this substitution would increase the cost of manufacturing the device.
To address this problem, in a further embodiment, a wear-leveling technique is applied to the EEPROM to extend the potential lifespan of the memory device. It may be noted that in the above rolling code implementation, the least significant bit (LSB) of the rolling code changes with each transmission/reception, while more significant bits change less frequently, meaning that when the memory address storing a LSB reaches its end of life, the second LSB may have half of its life left, while the third LSB may have three-quarters of its life remaining, and so on.
Different coding methods exist that permit write-erase cycles to be distributed across different memory locations. For example, in a first coding method, referred to as “2-4 coding”, two binary digits are used to represent four numbers according to the generation formula a′1=a1; a′0=a1a0, as set out in Table 4:
Thus, in the original set of binary numbers, the LSB changed on every count compared to the most significant bit (MSB), which changed only every other count in this example (i.e., half as frequently as the LSB). However, after encoding with 2-4 code, the change rate of the LSB drops to every other count, like the MSB. Using this encoding, the potential lifespan of the LSB is now double the lifespan when the unencoded values are stored. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the 2-4 coding is a trivial case of a general N−2N coding scheme that, when applied to a series of values increasing by 1, potentially extends the lifespan of memory by N times compared to unencoded values since each encoded bit position changes value only every N counts rather than every 1 count. Thus, in a 4-8 coding scheme, the LSB changes only every four counts rather than every count; and in an 8-16 coding scheme, the LSB changes only every eight counts. However, with increasing N the coding scheme introduces increasing redundancy (by one bit for 4-8 code, and four bits for 8-16 code). The 2-4 coding scheme, however, does not add redundancy.
Another scheme that may be employed is a bit shift scheme that again distributes operations across all bits evenly. In a bit shift scheme, the position of the LSB is changed so that it occupies each location during a cycle. Thus, for example, the bit order rotates for a three-bit binary number increasing by 1, the bit order rotates every eight (23) counts from a2a1a0 to a1a0a2 to a0a2a1. At the end of three loops through eight number counts (from 000 to 111), every bit position will have changed the same number of times (14), thereby increasing the lifespan by approximately 1.714 times. For N bit shifts, after N loops the total number of changes or transitions Tb of each bit can be expressed as
T
b=21+22+23+ . . . +2N=2̂(N+1)−2
And the life expansion factor is calculated as
where Ta is the total number counted. A similar principle may be applied to bytes.
Accordingly, in one embodiment, 2-4 coding and a byte shift are combined and applied to the rolling code scheme described above. The 2-4 code is applied only to the lowest two bits of the rolling code, thereby doubling the potential life span of the EEPROM. In addition, each time the lowest 8-bit value overflows, the byte order is changed as follows: a3a2a1a0→a0a3a2a1→a1a0a3a2→a2a1a0a3. The life expansion factor may then be calculated as:
which, when multiplied by the 2.74 year estimate above, yields a lifespan of about 21 years, which is more acceptable. Thus, by combining the foregoing N−2N and bit shifting schemes, and improvement in EEPROM performance may be realized.
Thus, in the case of a rolling code being incremented at the remote switch device 110, the remote switch device 110 may implement a method such as the method 1100 shown in
However, prior to storage of the incremented value in the allocated memory blocks, at least one permutation is applied to the incremented value. First, at 1125, the two least significant bits of the value are encoded according to the 2-4 code described above. As explained above, this results in a twofold increase in memory life. Next, a byte-wise shift is applied to the allocation of the bytes to the designated memory blocks according to a predetermined condition. At 1130, it is determined whether the increment resulted in an overflow of the least significant byte of the value. If so, a cyclic byte-wise shift is applied to reorder the bytes of the value with respect to the allocated memory blocks, as described above. Thus, the least significant byte is assigned to the previously-defined fourth block; the next least significant byte is assigned to the first block; the second most significant byte is assigned to the second block; and the most significant byte to the third block. If at 1130 it is determined that there is no overflow of the least significant byte, then no shift is implemented. A mapping may be stored in in the memory of the device correlating a logical address for each byte to the physical address of each block.
A similar procedure may be implemented at the load controller 120, although in the case of the load controller 120 the values may not be incremented by 1.
As noted earlier, the size and/or electrical requirements of some prior art wall-mounted wireless switch devices impose limitations on the installer of wireless light fixture controls, since the device may require installation in an electrical box either to accommodate its bulk or to provide the necessary electrical wiring to the building power supply. The wireless light switch system 100 described herein may be implemented using remote switch devices and load controllers configured to provide flexibility in installation in new or old structures, and facilitate retrofitting of existing buildings. A particular example of a remote switch device and load controller is illustrated in
The base 1210 includes a back plate with a substantially rectangular lip or sidewall 1212 projecting from the front surface of the plate. The back plate and the sidewall 1212 together define part of an enclosure 1213 (indicated in
Flanges 1214, 1216 extend from the top and bottom, respectively, of the base 1210 and provide bores 1220 and slots 1222 for receiving fasteners (not shown) for mounting the remote switch casing to a switch plate and/or a wall or existing electrical box (although as noted above, mounting on an electrical box is not required). The slots 1222 may be provided with a counterbore or may be otherwise recessed from the front surface of the back plate to accommodate the depth of a screw head. Alternatively, the remote switch device 1200 can be affixed to a wall or other surface using double-sided tape or another adhesive mounting means. The back surface of the base 1210 in the implementation shown in the figures therefore provides a substantially flat area to which an adhesive can be applied for mounting on a flat surface.
Turning to
The remote switch device 1200 is shown in exploded view in
At least one sidewall 1243 depends from the oblique walls of the rocker shell 1240. In this example, the sidewall 1243 of the rocker shell 1240 is sized to fit within the interior sidewall 1212 so as to retain the circuit board 1380 and actuators 1350 within the enclosure. The sidewalls 1243 of the rocker switch are grooved 1242 at the switch's fulcrum or pivot axis. Posts or lugs 1219 projecting from either interior side of the base sidewall 1212 ride in the grooves 1242 when the casing is assembled to permit the rocker switch to move in a rocking motion between an “ON” position (e.g., depression of an upper portion of the rocker switch) and an “OFF” position (e.g., depression of a lower portion of the rocker switch). In the aforementioned implementation, the at least one sidewall 1243 is substantially straight, but the outer surface of the sidewall 1243 at the ends of the rocker shell 1240 (i.e., the ends that are substantially parallel to the pivot axis) may be slightly bevelled to minimize rubbing between the sidewall 1243 and the base sidewall 1212 as the rocker shell 1240 travels between “ON” and “OFF” positions. It can be seen in
As can be seen in the rear perspective view of the rocker switch shell 1240 in
The base 1210 and its sidewall 1212, and the sidewall 1243 and oblique walls 1241a, 1241b of the rocker shell 1240, together define the enclosure 1213. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that as a result of the general configuration of the rocker shell 1240 and its pivoting action when mounted on the base 1210, the enclosure shape will change when the remote switch device 1200 actuated and released. In the aforementioned implementation, the base sidewall 1212 is approximately 2.25 mm thick, resulting in the enclosure 1213 having a width of approximately 28.5 mm by 62.5 mm high. The depth of the enclosure on the base 1210 is approximately 7 mm, and the overall depth of the base 1210 is approximately 9 mm. The base sidewall 1212 may project only by about 5.5 to 6 mm from the base 1210. The overall height and width of the rocker shell 1240 is approximately 62 mm by 28 mm with an approximately 2 mm thick sidewall 1243 and oblique walls 1241a, 1241b. On the interior of the rocker shell 1240, the sidewall 1243 depth ranges from approximately 4.5 mm closer to the pivot axis to 3.5 mm closer to the ends (excepting any cutouts to accommodate other parts, such as the grooves 1242). The overall dimensions of the remote switch device 1200, including the flanges 1214, 1216, are approximately 104 mm high by 35 mm wide with a depth of 10 mm.
The actuators 1350 are shown in greater detail in
In the depicted example, an actuator 1350 is manufactured using a suitable material that provides an appropriate amount of elastic deformation, such as silicone or polyurethane. The structures comprise generally solid rectangular-shaped keys or contact members 1353, 1363 supported by a collapsible collar 1354, 1364, respectively, which in this example comprise angled walls extending from a front face 1351 of a base of the actuator. Each contact member 1353, 1363 is provided with cooperating engagement means corresponding to the engagement means provided on the interior of the rocker switch shell 1240. In this particular example, one of each type of post 1245, 1246 is provided at each of the “ON” and “OFF” positions of the rocker switch, so the contact members 1353, 1363 are therefore provided with corresponding recesses 1356, 1366 matching the shape of the corresponding shape of the post 1245, 1246. The posts in this example vary in shape so as to ensure that the actuators 1350 are correctly aligned in the remote switch device 1200.
The junction of the rectangular keys 1353, 1363 and the collapsible collars 1354, 1364 define a bending perimeter. On the rear face 1352 of the actuator 1350, shown in
When the remote switch device 1200 is assembled, the rear surfaces of the actuators 1350 are in contact with the circuit board and are positioned such that conductive pads provided on the actuators 1350 are substantially aligned with corresponding switch contacts on the circuit board, without contacting the switch contacts. The rocker switch may be considered to be in a neutral position (in neither an “ON” or “OFF” position, although the associated light fixture may be in an ON or OFF state). The switch contacts are not shown in the figures, but may comprise a pair of circuit traces on the circuit board. When the rocker shell 1240 is depressed by a user at either the “ON” position or “OFF” position, the posts 1245, 1246 in that position press on the corresponding contact members 1353, 1363, causing the actuator structure to collapse along the bending perimeter and force the contact member and conductive pad move through the space defined within the collar 1354, 1364 and the base of the actuator 1350 to contact the circuit traces, thus closing a circuit on the board. The pressure is applied via the rocker shell 1240, and it will be noted from the cross-sectional view in
This response is unlike a conventional electromechanical rocker light switch, which will be latched in the “ON” or “OFF” position until the switch is actuated again, thereby providing the user with a form of tactile and visual feedback indicating that the user's action on the switch was successful. However, the slight resistance of the silicone or polyurethane actuators 1350 and collapse of the actuator structure under user pressure provides a form of tactile feedback that replaces the tactile feeling of operating a conventional rocker switch.
In one implementation, the maximum height of the actuator 1350 is approximately 6.75 mm, including the contact member 1353, 1363 supported on an angled collar 1354, 1364 approximately 1.5 mm in height at an angle of about 50°, in turn supported on a base of about 1.5 mm thickness. The actuator 13150 can be accommodated within the enclosure 1213 of the aforementioned implementation of the remote switch device 1200 when the rocker shell 1240 is in a neutral or non-actuated state. In this particular implementation, the contact member 1363 has an upper bearing surface inclined at about 3-4°.
It may be note that the actuators 1350 depicted in the figures include a pair of contact members and collars, although it is only necessary, given the arrangement of the circuit in this example, for each actuator 1350 to comprise only one contact member assembly. This particular configuration of the actuator 1350 facilitates manufacture and installation, as the sets of engagement means (e.g., recesses 1356, 1366) ensure that the actuators 1350 are aligned in the correct direction when installed in the device 1200.
As can be seen in
The schematic of
A companion load controller 2000 is illustrated in
An antenna port 2026, visible in
Contained within the enclosure is a circuit board 2050 generally comprising the components described in connection with
To install, once the load controller 2000 has been initialized, it is placed in the light fixture junction box 40 with the fitting 2024 and antenna 2056 extending through a knockout or other aperture in the junction box 40. The neutral and line wires leading off the controller 2000 are maretted (i.e., capped) with the corresponding building wiring, and the load wire from the controller 2000 is connected to the light fixture. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that because the antenna 2056 extends via the antenna port 2026 and fitting 2024 beyond the junction box 40, it will not be shielded by the junction box 40, even if the junction box is made of metal. Assuming that other materials in the surrounding area do not unduly attenuate or block signals to or from the antenna, there is no need to replace existing metal junction boxes 40 with plastic. This facilitates retrofitting of existing lighting fixtures, and permits the installer to use more durable metal rather than plastic junction boxes. The load controller 2000 can then be paired with one or more remote switch devices 120 as described above.
Throughout the specification, terms such as “may” and “can” are used interchangeably and use of any particular term should not be construed as limiting the scope or requiring experimentation to implement the claimed subject matter or embodiments described herein. Further, the various features and adaptations described in respect of one example or embodiment in this disclosure can be used with other examples or embodiments described herein, as would be understood by the person skilled in the art.
Code configured to provide the systems and methods described above may be provided on many different types of electronic device-readable media including physical or non-transitory data storage mechanisms (e.g., CD-ROM, RAM, flash memory, computer hard drive, etc.) that contain instructions for use in execution by a processor to perform the methods' operations and implement the systems described herein.
It should be understood that any processing or communication steps described herein may be altered, modified and/or augmented and still achieve the desired outcome. Various functional units may be implemented in hardware circuits such as custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays; field-programmable gate arrays; programmable array logic; programmable logic devices; commercially available logic chips, transistors, and other such components. Modules implemented as software for execution by a processor or processors may comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of code that may be organized as one or more of objects, procedures, or functions. The modules need not be physically located together, but may comprise code stored in different locations, such as over several memory devices, capable of being logically joined for execution. Modules may also be implemented as combinations of software and hardware, such as a processor operating on a set of operational data or instructions.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is or may be subject to one or more of copyright, design patent, industrial design, or unregistered design protection. The rights holder has no objection to the reproduction of any such material as portrayed herein through facsimile reproduction of the patent document or patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.
