Communication method in a system comprising a power supply and communication entity and a home automation actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10241522-B2
Application number	US-201314022981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2013
Priority date	Dec 6, 2011
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A communication method for a home automation actuator comprising an electric motor driving a moving element in a building and two electric terminals making it possible to power the actuator by a power supply and communication entity (IMS) and allowing communication between the actuator and the power supply and communication entity (IMS), the method comprising the following steps:
analysis of a power supply signal supplied by the power supply and communication entity; generation of a first time-sequence of a response signal, representative of a first predetermined calibration information element, called first calibration sequence;

sending of a series of time-sequences of the response signal, representative of a series of information elements, each information element of this series, equal to the calibration information element, being represented by a time-sequence which is an image of the first calibration sequence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication method for a home automation actuator comprising an electric motor driving a moving element in a building and two electric terminals for powering the actuator by a power supply and communication entity and allowing the communication between the actuator and the power supply and communication entity via two wires, the method comprising the following steps:
analysis of a power supply signal supplied by the power supply and communication entity;
generation by the actuator of a first time-sequence of a response signal, representative of a first predetermined calibration information element, called first calibration sequence; and
sending, from the actuator to the power supply and communication entity, a data frame that forms at least a part of the response signal, wherein the data frame corresponds to a series of time-sequences of the response signal, representative of a series of information elements that represent variations of the response signal circulating on the two wires, each information element of this series, equal to the calibration information element, being represented by a time-sequence which is an image of the first calibration sequence,
wherein the data frame sent by the actuator to the power supply and communication entity establishes a communication protocol for communication between the actuator and the power supply and communication entity.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which each information element codes a binary element or two binary elements or more than two binary elements.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , in which a number of binary elements coded by each information element is determined according to the volume and/or the content of the information to be sent, notably according to the volume and/or the content of the information to be transmitted in the frame.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the method also comprises, prior to the sending step, at least one step of generation of a second time-sequence of the response signal, representative of a second calibration information element, called second calibration sequence.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the method comprises a step of deduction of at least one second time-sequence from the response signal, representative of a second calibration information element, by using the knowledge of the first calibration sequence and/or criteria shared by the actuator and the power supply and communication entity.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the sending comprises the generation, for each value of the information element, of a time-sequence of the response signal corresponding to, in particular equal to, the calibration sequence associated with this value of the information element.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the order of generation of the first time-sequence of the response signal and of generation of the at least one second time-sequence of the response signal is defined by the communication protocol chosen by the actuator, from a set of at least two protocols, notably the order of generation of the first time-sequence of the response signal and of generation of the at least one second time-sequence of the response signal indicates the coding mode of the information elements in the protocol chosen by the actuator.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the actuator is capable of implementing a plurality of communication protocols and in which the actuator chooses another communication protocol to be used in the case of reception of a non-compatibility information item sent by the power supply and communication entity.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the step of generation of the first calibration sequence comprises the following substeps:
configuration of the impedance of the actuator with a first value for a first duration; and
configuration of the impedance of the actuator with a second value for a second duration.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , in which the step of generation of the first calibration sequence comprises a substep of configuration of the impedance of said actuator with a third value for a third duration.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , in which at least one configuration substep comprises a driving of a controlled switch of the actuator, in particular a series of openings and closures of the switch in PWM (pulse width modulation) mode.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the method comprises a step of detection of a time variation of the power supply signal, representative of a calibration request sent by the power supply and communication entity.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the method comprises a step of generation of a third time-sequence of the response signal, representative of a calibration signaling sent by the actuator.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein if the power supply signal is provided in the form of a voltage signal, the response signal is in the form of an intensity of electric current signal; or if the power supply signal is provided in the form of an electric current signal, the response signal is in the form of an electric voltage signal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the response signal is in the form of a frame transmitted over the two wires, and wherein the two wires are configured to be dedicated for communication or used for power and communication by varying an input impedance.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the calibration sequence represents information concerning encoding of data that will be transmitted subsequently between the actuator and the power supply and communication entity.

17. A communication method for a power supply and communication entity comprising two electric terminals making it possible to power a home automation actuator comprising an electric motor driving a moving element in a building, and to communicate with this actuator via two wires,
the method comprising the following steps:
generation of a power supply signal between the electric terminals;
determination of a first time-sequence of a response signal by the actuator, called first calibration sequence;
assignment of a meaning of representation of a first predetermined calibration information element to the first calibration sequence; and
reception, by the power supply and communication entity, of a data frame that forms at least a part of the response signal, wherein the data frame corresponds to a series of time-sequences of the response signal, representative of a series of information elements that represent variations of the response signal circulating on the two wires, each information element of this series, equal to the calibration information element, being represented by a time-sequence which is an image of the first calibration sequence,
wherein the data frame establishes a communication protocol for communication between the actuator and the power supply and communication entity.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , in which the power supply and communication entity assigns, prior to the reception step, each time-sequence of the response signal not already received in the frame a meaning of representation of at least one second predetermined calibration information element.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 , in which the method comprises a step of deduction of at least one second time-sequence of the response signal, representative of a second calibration information element, by using the knowledg

Assignees

• Somfy Sas

Inventors

• Desbiolles Claude
• Germain Florian
• Mugnier Daniel
• Riffaud Stephane

Classifications

• H04L12/282

  based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• H04L12/2807

  Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50) · CPC title

• G05B2219/36464

  Position, teach, store extreme, full open, closed positions · CPC title

• G05B2219/45015

  Roller blind, shutter · CPC title

• G05D15/00 Primary

  Control of mechanical force or stress; Control of mechanical pressure · CPC title