Deployment and communications test of intermediate-range devices using a short-range wireless mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10178016-B1
Application number	US-201715825428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 29, 2017
Priority date	Nov 29, 2017
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein are wireless devices operable at intermediate wireless at ranges of thousands of meters, utilizing packets that include a preamble and a data payload. Devices may be such things as keypads, door latches, occupancy monitors, sprinkler controllers and other devices needing a communications link. Devices include an intermediate-range transceiver and a separate short-range wireless transceiver accessible from a mobile device such as a cellular telephone or portable tablet. Devices may bear a scannable label bearing a code providing a means of identification, and can be registered in a database and deployed for use by means of an application running on the mobile device. Intermediate-range communications may be tested during deployment as directed from a mobile device. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system of deployment for intermediate-range wireless communications devices using a mobile device, said system comprising:
a first deployed wireless device comprising a wireless transceiver functional for point-to-point wireless communication at intermediate ranges, and a memory in which is stored communications parameters for the transceiver;
a second wireless device under deployment comprising an intermediate-range wireless transceiver functional for point-to-point wireless communication at intermediate ranges with said first intermediate-range wireless device, a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a mobile device at short-ranges, a memory, an activator input, and an electronic circuit implementing a state machine immutable to power-transient events; and
a mobile device comprising a processor, a non-volatile memory, a user interface whereby an operator can view and input information, a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a device under deployment at short-range;
wherein said mobile device has application software installed to said non-volatile memory of said mobile device configured to perform the functions of:
(a) pairing with said second wireless device,
(b) transmitting sufficient communications parameters to said second wireless device to enable communication between said first and second wireless devices using their respective intermediate-range wireless transceivers,
(c) sending a command to said second wireless device to perform a communications test with said first wireless device,
(d) following the sending of a command to perform a communications test, receiving a report of a communications test from said second wireless device,
(e) displaying elements of a report of a communications test on the user interface of said mobile device;
wherein said state machine of said second wireless device is configured to perform the functions of:
(f) receiving an activation on said activator input,
(g) on condition of receiving an activation on said activator input, entering a pairing state whereby the short-range transceiver of said second wireless device is active, the intermediate-range transceiver of said second wireless device is inactive, and communications can be established with said mobile device,
(h) receiving communications parameters from said mobile device over said short-range transceiver of said second wireless device,
(i) over said short-range transceiver of said second wireless device, receiving a directive to test intermediate-range communications with said first wireless device,
(j) following the receiving of a directive to test intermediate-range communications, pivoting to a state whereby the short-range transceiver of said second wireless device is inactive, the intermediate-range transceiver of said second wireless device is active, and said second wireless device conducts a test of the intermediate-range communications link with said first wireless device using earlier-received communications parameters,
(k) following the conducting of a test of the intermediate-range communications link with said first wireless device, pivoting to a reporting state whereby the short-range transceiver of said second wireless device is active, and the intermediate-range transceiver of said second wireless device is inactive,
(l) while in the reporting state, transmitting a report of the test of the intermediate-range communications link with said first wireless device,
(m) receiving a command to enter normal operation, and
(n) following the receiving of a command to enter normal operation, pivoting to a state whereby the short-range transceiver of said second wireless device is inactive, the intermediate-range transceiver of said second wireless device is active, and said second wireless device conducts communications with said first wireless device in the course of normal operation; and
wherein said first intermediate-range wireless device is configured to interact with said second intermediate-range wireless device in a communications test using communications as defined by the communications parameters stored in the memory of said first intermediate-range device.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said mobile device has application software installed to said non-volatile memory of said mobile device configured to perform the further functions of:
(o) receiving an input at the user interface of said mobile device, and
(p) commanding said second wireless device to enter normal operations.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said mobile device has application software installed to said non-volatile memory of said mobile device configured to perform the further functions of:
(o) in connection with the sending of a command to perform a communications test to said second wireless device, recording the device identifier of said second wireless device in the context of one that is due to have a communications test report,
(p) unpairing with said second wireless device,
(q) repairing with said second wireless device, and
(r) following the repairing with said second wireless device and by way of a recorded device identifier, recognizing the second wireless device as one that is due to have a communications test report; and
wherein the receiving a report of a communications test from said second wireless device is performed after the function of said recognizing.

4. A system as recited in claim 3 , wherein said mobile device has application software installed to said non-volatile memory of said mobile device configured to perform the further functions of:
(s) following said recognizing, receiving an input at the user interface of said mobile device, and
(t) following said recognizing, commanding said second wireless device to enter normal operations.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said mobile device has application software installed to said non-volatile memory of said mobile device configured to perform the further functions of:
(o) following said displaying elements of a report of a communications test on the user interface of said mobile device, receiving an input at the user interface of said mobile device, and
(p) following said receiving an input at the user interface of said mobile device, sending a command to said second wireless device to perform a second communications test with said first wireless device.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said mobile device has application software installed to said non-volatile memory of said mobile device configured to perform the further functions of:
(o) following said displaying elements of a report of a communications test on the user interface of said mobile device, receiving an input at the user interface of said mobile device,
(p) transmitting a second set of communications parameters to said second wireless device sufficient to enable communication between said first and second wireless devices using their respective intermediate-range wireless transceivers, and
(q) following said transmitting a second set of communications parameters, sending a command to said second wireless device to perform a second communications test with said first wireless device.

7. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein in the course of performing the function of pairing with said second wireless device, said mobile device uses a logical pairing.

8. A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said mobile device has application software installed to said non-volatile memory of said mobile device configured to perform the further functions of:
(o) following the sending of a command to perform a communications test, pairing with a third wireless device comprising an intermediate-r

Assignees

• Hall David R
• Robinson John
• Robbins Taylor
• Boswell Craig
• Hall Labs Llc

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Robinson John
• Robbins Taylor
• Boswell Craig

Classifications

• H04J13/004

  Orthogonal · CPC title

• H04J2013/0096

  Network synchronisation · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• H04L43/50 Primary

  Testing arrangements · CPC title

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title