	US 12,273,256 B2
	Assigning router devices in a mesh network
Galen Edgar Knode, Macungie, PA (US)
Assigned to Lutron Technology Company LLC, Coopersburg, PA (US)
Filed by Lutron Technology Company LLC, Coopersburg, PA (US)
Filed on May 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/315,040.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/117,759, filed on Nov. 24, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/022,169, filed on May 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0352002 A1, Nov. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. H04L 45/02 (2022.01); H04L 12/46 (2006.01); H04L 41/0813 (2022.01); H04L 41/0823 (2022.01); H04L 43/08 (2022.01); H04L 67/12 (2022.01)

CPC H04L 45/02 (2013.01) [H04L 12/4641 (2013.01); H04L 41/0813 (2013.01); H04L 41/0823 (2013.01); H04L 43/08 (2013.01); H04L 67/12 (2013.01)]

35 Claims

1. A device comprising:

a memory;

a communications circuit for transmitting and receiving messages; and

a control circuit, configured to:

receive, via the communications circuit, at least one optimization message from each control device of a plurality of control devices in a load control system;

measure a communication quality metric for each control device of the plurality of control devices from which the at least one optimization message is received;

store the communication quality metric associated with each control device of the plurality of control devices from which the at least one optimization message was received in optimization data with a corresponding identifier of a respective control device of the plurality of control devices from which the at least one optimization message was received;

process the optimization data to generate optimized network data, wherein the optimized network data comprises a router list that includes control devices determined to be assigned to a role of router device in a network, wherein the control devices are determined to be included in the router list based on a number of connections between each control device in the router list and other control devices in the network having the measured communication quality metric greater than a threshold, and wherein the connections represent potential attachment links between each control device in the router list and the other control devices in the load control system;

wherein the control circuit is configured to process the optimization data by generating a preferred connections list for each control device of the plurality of control devices based on the measured communication quality metric for the respective control device, and selecting the one or more control devices to be included in the router list based on the preferred connections list for each control device of the plurality of control devices.

17. A method comprising:

entering a router optimization mode at a control device of a plurality of control devices in a load control system;

transmitting at least one optimization message from the control device;

receiving optimization messages at the control device from other control devices of the plurality of control devices in the load control system;

measuring a communication quality metric for each optimization message received at the control device from the other control devices;

storing the communication quality metric for each optimization message received in optimization data with a corresponding identifier of the control device from which a respective optimization message was received;

processing the optimization data by a system controller to generate optimized network data, wherein the optimized network data comprises a router list that includes control devices determined to be assigned to a role of router device in a network, wherein the control devices are determined to be included in the router list based on a number of connections between each control device in the router list and other control devices in the network having the measured communication quality metric greater than a threshold, and wherein the connections represent potential attachment links between each control device in the router list and the other control devices in the load control system;

wherein processing the optimization data further comprises:

generating a preferred connections list at the system controller for each control device of the plurality of control devices based on the measured communication quality metric for the respective control device; and

selecting the control devices to be included in the router list based on the preferred connections list for the control devices.

35. A method comprising:

entering a router optimization mode at a control device of a plurality of control devices in a load control system;

transmitting at least one optimization message from the control device;

receiving optimization messages at the control device from other control devices of the plurality of control devices in the load control system;

measuring a communication quality metric for each optimization message received at the control device from the other control devices;

transmitting the optimization data to a system controller to generate optimized network data and a preferred connections list, wherein the optimized network data comprises a router list that includes control devices determined to be assigned to a role of router device in a network, wherein the control devices are determined to be included in the router list based on a number of connections between each control device in the router list and other control devices in the network having the measured communication quality metric greater than a threshold, wherein the connections represent potential attachment links between each control device in the router list and the other control devices in the load control system, and wherein the preferred connections list comprises a list of connections for the control device that has a communication quality metric above a preferred target quality threshold; and

receiving, from the system controller, an indication that the control device has been selected to be included in the router list.