Abstract: A method is outlined for controlling a node to a join a wireless network, which increases the speed of the wireless network commissioning procedure by reducing the chance of congestion. This is achieved by differentiating the joining time of nodes attempting to join the wireless network. Nodes indirectly communicate by transmitting beacon request messages to nodes of the wireless network, which results in the transmission of beacon messages by nodes of the wireless network. These beacon messages can be received by all nodes attempting to join the wireless network. Therefore, the beacon messages can be utilized as an indicator for nodes attempting to join the wireless network as to the number of other nodes attempting to join the wireless network. Based on this indication, the node can be controlled to wait for a further length of time, or to join the wireless network.

Abstract: A method of selectively commissioning a node device by a coordinator device in a network created by the coordinator device is disclosed. The coordinator device and the node device interact with each other to check and confirm that a coordinator temporal indication related to a commissioning start time recorded by the coordinator device and a node temporal indication related to a commissioning start time recorded by the node device are the same or temporally very similar or close to each other. Then the coordinator device will commission the node device by joining the node device into the network created by the coordinator device. The ensures that only wanted or expected node devices will be joined into the network created and managed by the coordinator device.

Abstract: A node device (4) in a network (1) of communicatively interconnected node devices (4) having limited data processing and storage resources, such as a mesh network (1) of node devices (4), receives an inquiry message of the type ‘find the best match’ for information to be located at a node device (4). The inquiry message comprises benchmark data relating to the information to be located. The receiving node device updates the message based on a comparison of the content in the latest received message and the node's locally stored information. The locally stored information is derived from previous received messages from other node devices (4) in the network (1) and information available at the receiving node device. When no update is required, no message is broadcasted by a node device (4) and the local copy at the node devices involved converges in a few broadcasts to a static content from which the information sought can be located in the network (1).

Abstract: An electronic device is for identifying a LED driver which is a switched mode power supply. For example the LED driver is part of an LED luminaire. An interface (24) is adapted to be coupled to a high frequency power commutation component of the switched mode power supply, for sensing the high frequency power commutation of the switched mode power supply in driving the LED. A mapping is made between identifications of LED drivers which are switched mode power supply and characteristics of the high frequency power commutations in driving the LED of a respective switched mode power supply. Thus, a LED driver which uses a switched mode power supply can be identified corresponding to extracted characteristics of the high frequency power commutations in driving the LED. This identification can be used for energy monitoring and fault diagnosis purposes, for use in a universal low cost LED driver.

Abstract: The invention provides an antenna structure comprising a plurality of wire segments formed in a loop. Connecting units are provided between the wire segments, each of which is switchable between a conductive state and a reactive state. With the connecting units in the conductive state a loop antenna is formed with a first (longer) signal range and with the connecting units in the reactive state an antenna structure is formed with a second (shorter) signal range. Said reactive state is adapted to introduce a phase delay between the adjacent wire segments. This enables the same antenna to be used for long range signal communication and short range communication, for example for system configuration or commissioning. The antenna structure may be used with luminaires of a lighting system.

Abstract: A node device (4) in a network (1) of communicatively interconnected node devices (4) having limited data processing and storage resources, such as a mesh network (1) of node devices (4), receives an inquiry message of the type ‘find the best match’ for information to be located at a node device (4). The inquiry message comprises benchmark data relating to the information to be located. The receiving node device updates the message based on a comparison of the content in the latest received message and the node's locally stored information. The locally stored information is derived from previous received messages from other node devices (4) in the network (1) and information available at the receiving node device. When no update is required, no message is broadcasted by a node device (4) and the local copy at the node devices involved converges in a few broadcasts to a static content from which the information sought can be located in the network (1).

Abstract: An electronic device is for identifying a LED driver which is a switched mode power supply. For example the LED driver is part of an LED luminaire. An interface (24) is adapted to be coupled to a high frequency power commutation component of the switched mode power supply, for sensing the high frequency power commutation of the switched mode power supply in driving the LED. A mapping is made between identifications of LED drivers which are switched mode power supply and characteristics of the high frequency power commutations in driving the LED of a respective switched mode power supply. Thus, a LED driver which uses a switched mode power supply can be identified corresponding to extracted characteristics of the high frequency power commutations in driving the LED. This identification can be used for energy monitoring and fault diagnosis purposes, for use in a universal low cost LED driver.

Abstract: A lighting module has a conducting track which is used to provide a current to lighting elements. The conducting track is also used as a source of a varying electromagnetic field for inductive power transfer, so that an external device may harvest energy from that field. A driver is used for providing a time-varying current which is adapted to illuminate the lighting elements and, in combination with the track configuration, is adapted to generate a varying electromagnetic field for inductive power transfer for energy harvesting by an external device.

Abstract: The invention provides an antenna structure comprising a plurality of wire segments formed in a loop. Connecting units are provided between the wire segments, each of which is switchable between a conductive state and a reactive state. With the connecting units in the conductive state a loop antenna is formed with a first (longer) signal range and with the connecting units in the reactive state an antenna structure is formed with a second (shorter) signal range. Said reactive state is adapted to introduce a phase delay between the adjacent wire segments. This enables the same antenna to be used for long range signal communication and short range communication, for example for system configuration or commissioning. The antenna structure may be used with luminaires of a lighting system.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrical device, comprising a transformer (22) with a ferrite core (24) and an RF antenna (14). The antenna (14) is electrically isolated from said transformer (22), and a geometric dimension of the antenna (14) has a maximum dimension along or around a surface of the RF antenna (i.e. within the plane of the antenna or around a curved surface defining the antenna), and the RF antenna (14) is spatially spaced from a nearest part of the ferrite core (24) by less than the maximum dimension. This design makes use of the ferrite core of a transformer to provide isolation of the antenna from other parts of the device. This assists in reducing the impact of those parts of the device on the performance of the antenna, in particular the reception range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for operating a communication apparatus in a network comprising a plurality of communication nodes, upon reception of a message at the communication apparatus, the communication apparatus starting a retransmission delay being selected at random from a retransmission delay interval, said retransmission delay interval being dependent on at least one of a status of the communication apparatus and a property of the received message, the communication apparatus monitors retransmissions of said message by other communication nodes during said retransmission delay and the communication apparatus transmitting a retransmission of said message at the expiry of said retransmission delay if a statistic based on the retransmissions of said message by other communication nodes is below a threshold.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of managing a neighbor table in a communication apparatus. The method includes the steps of the communication apparatus maintaining a neighbor table comprising a plurality of neighboring table entries corresponding to respective neighboring nodes being communication nodes in communication range of the communication apparatus. Upon determination that the neighbor table capacity has reached a threshold, replacing a first neighbor table entry corresponding to a first neighboring node from the neighbor table by a new neighbor table entry corresponding to a new neighboring node based on the determination that the new neighboring node is a communication partner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for routing messages through a mesh network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein a message is send from a sending node to a receiving node. The method comprises the steps of defining a routing table designating a path from a source node to a destination node through the mesh network, and defining a neighbor table listing one or more neighbor nodes from the plurality of nodes which are in the neighborhood of the sending node. If the destination node is not in the neighbor table of the sending node, the message is transmitted by the sending node to a receiving node adapted to forward the message to the destination node in accordance with the routing table.

Abstract: A lighting module has a conducting track which is used to provide a current to lighting elements. The conducting track is also used as a source of a varying electromagnetic field for inductive power transfer, so that an external device may harvest energy from that field. A driver is used for providing a time—varying current which is adapted to illuminate the lighting elements and, in combination with the track configuration, is adapted to generate a varying electromagnetic field for inductive power transfer for energy harvesting by an external device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for operating a communication apparatus in a network comprising a plurality of communication nodes, upon reception of a message at the communication apparatus, the communication apparatus starting a retransmission delay being selected at random from a retransmission delay interval, said retransmission delay interval being dependent on at least one of a status of the communication apparatus and a property of the received message, the communication apparatus monitors retransmissions of said message by other communication nodes during said retransmission delay and the communication apparatus transmitting a retransmission of said message at the expiry of said retransmission delay if a statistic based on the retransmissions of said message by other communication nodes is below a threshold.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrical device, comprising a transformer (22) with a ferrite core (24) and an RF antenna (14). The antenna (14) is electrically isolated from said transformer (22), and a geometric dimension of the antenna (14) has a maximum dimension along or around a surface of the RF antenna (i.e. within the plane of the antenna or around a curved surface defining the antenna), and the RF antenna (14) is spatially spaced from a nearest part of the ferrite core (24) by less than the maximum dimension. This design makes use of the ferrite core of a transformer to provide isolation of the antenna from other parts of the device. This assists in reducing the impact of those parts of the device on the performance of the antenna, in particular the reception range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of managing a neighbor table in a communication apparatus the method comprising the steps of the communication apparatus maintaining a neighbor table comprising a plurality of neighboring table entries corresponding to respective neighboring nodes being communication nodes in communication range of the communication apparatus, said maintaining including, upon determination that the neighbor table capacity has reached a threshold, replacing a first neighbor table entry corresponding to a first neighboring node from the neighbor table by a new neighbor table entry corresponding to a new neighboring node based on the determination that the new neighboring node is a communication partner, wherein a communication node is defined as a communication partner if at least one the following conditions is met: condition a a message including the communication partner as source address has been received by the communication apparatus, or condition b a message including the communi

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for routing messages through a mesh network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein a message is send from a sending node to a receiving node. The method comprises the steps of defining a routing table designating a path from a source node to a destination node through the mesh network, and defining a neighbor table listing one or more neighbor nodes from the plurality of nodes which are in the neighborhood of the sending node. If the destination node is not in the neighbor table of the sending node, the message is transmitted by the sending node to a receiving node adapted to forward the message to the destination node in accordance with the routing table.

Abstract: A heat sink is arranged to dissipate heat generated by electronic circuitry, the heat sink comprising an array of spaced cooling elements. Further, an antenna is arranged to transmit and/or receive wireless electromagnetic signals at a carrier frequency, the signals communicating data to and/or from a wireless communications device. The signals are transmitted and/or received in the form of a beam having an axis in a target direction. To enhance the directionality of the beam: the array of spaced cooling elements in the heat sink is arranged to form an electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure tuned to the carrier frequency used by the antenna; and the antenna is placed relative to the array of cooling elements such that the EBG structure suppresses the propagation of electromagnetic energy in the signals at the carrier frequency in one or more directions other than the target direction.