Transmission of control data on wireless network communication links

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12231995-B2
Application number	US-202318545221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2023
Priority date	Sep 22, 2020
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A device may be configured to process messages from a plurality of input devices. The messages may be received on a first communication link and may be processed for being transmitted on a second communication link. The device may receive messages comprising data on the first communication link from the plurality of input devices. The data from the input devices may be aggregated and transmitted in at least one message on the second communication link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first communication circuit configured to communicate via a first communication link;
a second communication circuit configured to communicate via a second communication link; and
a control circuit, configured to:
receive, via the first communication circuit, messages comprising sensor data on the first communication link from a plurality of input devices, wherein the messages comprise sensor data measured at a first input device of the plurality of input devices, and wherein the messages comprise sensor data measured at a second input device of the plurality of input devices;
aggregate the sensor data from the first input device and the sensor data from the second input device;
in response to detection of a first threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first input device, transmit, via the second communication circuit, a message on the second communication link that comprises the aggregated sensor data from the first input device and the second input device; and
in response to detection of a second threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first input device, transmit, via the second communication circuit, a plurality of messages on the second communication link, wherein the plurality of messages comprise at least one message that comprises the aggregated sensor data from the first input device and the second input device, and wherein the second threshold amount of change is greater than the first threshold amount of change.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit the plurality of messages in series with a transmission interval period of time after each message transmission.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold amount of change and the second
threshold amount of change each comprise a different threshold amount of change in the sensor data from one or more of previously measured sensor data, previously received sensor data, or previously transmitted sensor data.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold amount of change and the second
threshold amount of change each comprise a different threshold rate of change over a period of time.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine a first transmission count for the first input device based on the first threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first input device; and
determine a second transmission count for the second input device based on the second threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the second input device.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the message comprises a first message,
wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine, after expiration of a heartbeat interval period of time, that at least one of the first input device or the second input device are tagged for a heartbeat transmission; and
transmit, via the second communication circuit, a second message on the second communication link comprising the aggregated sensor data for the first input device and the second input device.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
set a first transmission count for the first input device in response to detection of the first threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first input device; and
set a second transmission count for the second input device in response to detection of the second threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the second input device, wherein the second transmission count is greater than the first transmission count.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the message comprises a first message, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine that the first input device and the second input device both have a transmission count greater than a threshold; and
transmit, via the second communication circuit, a second message on the second communication link that comprises the aggregated sensor data from the first input device and the second input device.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine that the second input device has a transmission count greater than the threshold;
determine that the first input device no longer has a transmission count greater than the threshold; and
transmit, via the second communication circuit, a third message on the second communication link that comprises the sensor data from the second input device.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is configured to enter a transmit state
to transmit the third message on the second communication link, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine that each of the plurality of input devices fails to have a transmission count greater than the threshold;
enter an idle state; and
set an interval timer to an idle interval period of time for remaining in the idle state.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
identify a state of the device, wherein the identified state is one of a heartbeat state, a rapid state, or a backoff state; and
process the received messages according to the identified state.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the identified state is the backoff state, and wherein the
control circuit is further configured to:
determine whether a message including sensor data has been received during an interval period of time; and
transition to the heartbeat state in response to a determination that the message including the sensor data was not received during the interval period of time.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the identified state is the rapid state, and wherein the
control circuit is further configured to:
enter the rapid state in response to the detection of the second threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first sensor to control an electrical load in response to the second threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first sensor;
determine, upon expiration of an interval period of time, that the first input device is tagged for a transmission based on a transmission count of the first input device; and
transmit, via the second communication circuit, a message on the second communication link comprising sensor data for the first input device.

14. A method comprising:
receiving messages comprising sensor data on a first communication link from a plurality of input devices, wherein the messages comprise sensor data measured at a first input device of the plurality of input devices, and wherein the messages comprise sensor data measured at a second input device of the plurality of input devices;
aggregating the sensor data from the first input device and the sensor data from the second input device;
in response to detection of a first threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first input device, transmitting a message on a second communication link that comprises the aggregated sensor data from the first input device and the second input device; and
in response to detection of a second threshold amount of change in the sensor data from the first input device, transmitting a plurality of messages on the second communication link, wherein the plurality of messages comprises at least one message that comprises the aggregated sensor data from the first input device and the second input device, and wherein the second threshold amount of change is greater than the first threshold amount of change.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the firs

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Dolan David J
• Evans Parker

Classifications

• H05B47/175

  by remote control · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H04W72/54

  based on quality criteria · CPC title

• H04W72/20

  Control channels or signalling for resource management · CPC title

• H04W76/28

  Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] · CPC title