Initialization and configuration of end point devices using a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018337822-A1
Application number	US-201815978840-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 14, 2018
Priority date	May 18, 2017
Publication date	Nov 22, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method and system for assigning addresses to end point devices in a network includes placing a mobile device in close proximity to a first end point device and establishing a wireless connection, transmitting an auto-addressing command from the mobile device to the end point device in response to the connection being established and disconnecting the connection in response to the end point device being configured with the network address. As the mobile device is moved through the system, when the wireless signal strength between the mobile device and a respective the end point device exceeds a threshold, both devices recognize that they are in close proximity and the mobile device transfers the address configuration information to the end point device. By moving the mobile device through the system the steps are automatically repeated until the mobile device assigns address and location information to each end point device on the network. The initialization process also involves assigning personality information to end devices that define particular behaviors that the end devices shall assume in the configured system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer implemented method for assigning configuration parameters to a plurality of end point devices in a network, comprising:
(a) placing a mobile wireless device in close proximity to a first end point device of N end point devices, N being a number greater than 1 ; (b) establishing a first wireless connection between the first end point device and the mobile wireless device; (c) transmitting a first auto-addressing command from the mobile wireless device to the first end point device in response to the first wireless connection being established, the first auto-addressing command including information to configure the first end point device with a first network address; (d) transmitting other initialization information from the mobile device to the first end device; (e) disconnecting the first wireless connection in response to receiving indicating that the first end point device is configured with the first network address; and (g) repeating steps (a)-(d) until each of the remaining N−1 end point devices is configured with a network address.

2 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each of the N end point devices is automatically assigned a sequential address in the network according to a sequential order of the wireless connections between the mobile wireless device and each of the N end point devices as the mobile wireless device is moved along the network.

3 . The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the sequential address in the network of each of the N end point devices includes information identifying a position of each of the N end point devices with respect to each other in the network.

4 . The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the mobile wireless device increments an address counter after each of the N end point devices is assigned a sequential address in the network.

5 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting each of the auto-addressing commands includes monitoring a wireless signal strength between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device and transmitting each of the auto-addressing commands in response to the wireless signal strength being greater than a threshold.

6 . The computer implemented method of claim 5 , wherein monitoring a wireless signal strength between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device includes monitoring an RSSI level, determine an average RSSI level over time and transmitting each of the auto-addressing commands in response to the average RSSI level being greater than the threshold.

7 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each of the wireless connections is established based on a wireless signal transmitted between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device having an identifier unique to each respective end point device.

8 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a public/private key encryption protocol in the wireless signal communication between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device.

9 . The computer implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising establishing an encryption key unique to a set of the N end point devices located in a single vehicle.

10 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising replacing one of the N end point devices with a new end point device, and wherein at least one of the N end point devices in closest proximity to the new end point device performing steps (b)-(e) to enable the new end point device to join the network.

11 . The computer implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising selecting configuration information for the end point devices to assign personality traits for the end devices.

12 . A system for assigning addresses to a plurality of end point devices in a network, comprising:
a wireless mobile device; N end point devices, N being a number greater than 1 ; and a main controller; the wireless mobile device comprising one or more computer processors, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media and program instructions, stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, which when implemented by the one or more processors, cause the wireless mobile device to perform the steps of: (a) establishing a first wireless connection between a first end point device of the N end point devices and the mobile wireless device in response to the mobile wireless device being in close proximity to the first end point device; (b) transmitting a first auto-addressing command from the mobile wireless device to the first end point device in response to the first wireless connection being established, the first auto-addressing command including information to configure the first end point device with a first network address; (c) disconnecting the first wireless connection in response to receiving indicating that the first end point device is configured with the first network address; and (d) repeating steps (a)-(e) until each of the remaining N−1 end point devices is configured with a network address; the N end point devices storing the respective network address; and the main controller being configured to establish communication with each of the N end point devices and to register the addresses of each of the N end point devices in a network configuration table in response to receiving a signal that all of the N end point devices have been configured with a network address.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the N end point devices is automatically assigned a sequential address in the network according to a sequential order of the wireless connections between the mobile wireless device and each of the N end point devices as the mobile wireless device is moved along the network.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the sequential address in the network of each of the N end point devices includes information identifying a position of each of the N end point devices with respect to each other in the network.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the mobile wireless device increments an address counter after each of the N end point devices is assigned a sequential address in the network.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein transmitting each of the auto-addressing commands includes monitoring a wireless signal strength between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device and transmitting each of the auto-addressing commands in response to the wireless signal strength being greater than a threshold.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein monitoring a wireless signal strength between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device includes monitoring an RSSI level, determine an average RSSI level over time and transmitting each of the auto-addressing commands in response to the average RSSI level being greater than the threshold.

18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the wireless connections is established based on a wireless signal transmitted between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device having an identifier unique to each respective end point device.

19 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising establishing a public/private key encryption protocol in the wireless signal communication between the wireless mobile device and each respective end point device.

20 . The system of claim 19 , further comprising establishing an encrypti

Assignees

• Bae Sys Controls Inc

Inventors

• Heimes Felix O
• Brennan Gerald M

Classifications

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04L41/0806 Primary

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W4/80

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

• H04W8/26

  Network addressing or numbering for mobility support · CPC title