Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W40/00—Communication routing or communication path finding
  • H04W40/24—Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
  • H04W40/248—Connectivity information update
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W8/00—Network data management
  • H04W8/005—Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W84/00—Network topologies
  • H04W84/18—Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of inserting one or more communications modules into a wireless communication system having at least one control module and a plurality of communications modules, wherein the system transmits wireless messages directly or indirectly between pairs of modules.
• the invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a method of inserting one or more communications modules into a system in which a high degree of reliability is required, such as in a security or fire alarm system.
• Wireless communication systems are known in which one or more control modules transmit wireless messages around the system, either directly or indirectly, via successive radio frequency communications modules, each of which is designed to receive a message and transmit the message onwards in the system to a ' ⁇ control module or to a further communications module.
• Each module is allocated a predetermined position in the order of message transmission. This enables wireless -messages to be relayed across relatively large distances by indirect communica ion, the messages being relayed via modules, without the need for high power transmitters , which in certain countries are subject to fairly stringent licensing requirements .
• figure 1 shows a communication system in which a control module 1 communicates by radio frequency wireless signals with a communications module 2.
• the control module 1 is allocated address number 0, and the communications module 2 is allocated address number 1.
• the new module 3 When a new communications module 3 is to be inserted into the system shown in figure 1, the new module 3 must firstly be able to communicate directly with at least two existing modules 1,2 for it to be installed at all. If the new module can communicate with the control module 1 and existing communications module 2, it is placed between the two existing modules in order of communication. In other words, the system is modified to the system of figure 2 in which the new communications module 3 is now allocated address number 1, the existing communications module 2 has its address incremented to 2, and the control module 1 is allocated addresses 0 and 3.
• Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.
• a method of inserting a communications module into a wireless communications system comprising at least one control module and a plurality of first communications modules, wherein the system is adapted, when in a communication mode, to transmit wireless messages sequentially between modules, and wherein each said first communications module is adapted to receive a wireless message and transmit that message to a further first communications module or to a said control module, the method comprising: -
• the method further comprises the step of only causing said second communications module to be installed in the system if a said first message is received by at least two said first communications modules.
• the method may further comprise the step of only causing said second communications module to be installed in the system if a said first message is received by said first communications module which received the message with greatest signal strength and a further said first communications module adapted to communicate directly with said first communications module which received the signal with greatest signal strength.
• the method may further comprise the step of causing a third communications module, which is to be inserted into the system, to transmit at least one second message in the set-up mode and, if a said second signal is detected by at least one pair of first communications modules adapted to communicate directly with each other in the communication mode, causing said third communications module to be installed to communicate directly with said two first communications modules of at least one said pair in said communication mode .
• This provides the advantage of enabling sub groups of the system to be formed which pass messages around a generally circular loop, in combination with being able to transmit messages along a generally linear chain covering large distances .
• At least one said second or third communications module is programmed with an address identifying the or each module with which said module communicates directly when in said communication mode, and the step of causing said second or third communications module to be inserted into the system comprises updating the addresses of said modules adapted to transmit messages in the system subsequently to the communications module to be inserted.
• the method may further comprise the step of testing reliability of communications links between the said second and or third communications module and those modules with which it is to communicate directly when in said communication mode.
• the step of testing reliability comprises directly exchanging at least one message between said communications module to be inserted and those modules with which it is to communicate directly when in said communication mode .
• the method may further comprise the step of changing the or each said second or third communications module from said setup mode to said communication mode by means of a signal from at least one said control module.
• Figures 1 to 4 are a schematic illustration of a prior art process for automatically installing further communications modules into a wireless communica ion system
• Figure 5 illustrates a wireless communication system set up using a method embodying the present inventio ,-
• Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a wireless communication system corresponding to the system of figure 5 with a further communications module to be added;
• Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of addition of a further communications module to a central part of an existing linear wireless communication system.
• a wireless communication system is arranged in a generally linear chain and is initially set up by providing a control module 100 and a first communications module 101.
• the communications module 101 transmits a radio frequency wireless message to the control module 100, and the control module 100 has address number 0, and the communications module 101 is allocated address number 1, so that it communicates directly with the control module 100.
• the new module 102 When a second communications module 102 is to be inserted into the system in the position shown in figure 5 (i.e. at the end of the chain remote from the control module 100) , the new module 102 is caused to emit a message in a set-up mode. Initially, the existing module 100,101 which received the message with the strongest signal intensity (module 101 in the case of figure 5, because of its proximity to the new module 102) is identified. The new module 102 is then caused to communicate directly with the existing module 101 by allocating address number 2 to the module 102.
• the new module 103 when a new module 103 is to be introduced into the system of figure 5, the new module 103 is caused to emit a message in a set-up mode. The message is received by existing module 102 (again because of its proximity) with the greatest signal strength. A determination is then made whether the message is received by any other modules. If the message is received by existing module 102 (i.e. the module receiving the signal with the greatest signal strength) and at least one other existing module 100 or 101, the new module 103 is incorporated into the system, and caused to communicate directly with existing module 102 by allocating address number 3 to the new module 103.
• the new unit 106 is either prevented from being installed in the system unless it can communicate directly with existing unit 104 (the unit which prior to insertion of module 106 communicated directly with module 103) , in which case the addresses of existing modules 104 and 105 are incremented to address numbers 5 and 6 respectively or, alternatively, the new module 106 and existing module 105 are allocated different sub addresses of the same hierarchy so that both modules 106, 104 communicate directly with existing module 103, and existing module 105 communicates directly with existing module 104 but not module 106.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Small-Scale Networks (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9936525

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2002
  • 2002-05-11 GB GB0210857A patent/GB0210857D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2003
  • 2003-04-25 WO PCT/GB2003/001770 patent/WO2003096625A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-04-25 CA CA002485612A patent/CA2485612A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-04-25 AU AU2003227882A patent/AU2003227882A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-04-25 EP EP03725342A patent/EP1504570A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events