# US 12,267,392 B2 · Low-consumption hub and detector configured to communicate with this hub

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- Number: US 12,267,392 B2
- Document ID: US12267392B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/428,034
- Filed: 2020-02-04
- Published: 2022-04-21
- Granted: 2025-04-01
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-05
- Assignees: Engie
- Applicants: Engie
- Inventors: Julien Werly; Angelique D'Agostino; Fabian Rupin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12267392B2

## CPC

- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04Q 9/00: Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
- H04W 4/38: for collecting sensor information
- Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

The hub and this detector are configured to be able to pair and synchronize with one another. This hub and the detector each include a computer program allowing them to compute intervals during which the detector can send to the hub, by a radio communication module, collection data obtained by a sensor and representing the environment of this sensor. The hub only activates its radio communication module during these intervals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A detector including:
a sensor configured to acquire a feature of the environment of said sensor;
a pairing module configured to pair said detector with a hub, and to receive from said hub, during said pairing, a unique identifier of said detector;
a memory for storing said unique identifier and a computer program;
a synchronization module for synchronizing a clock of said detector with a clock of said hub;
a radio communication module controlled by the clock of the detector;
a computing module configured to determine, as a function of said unique identifier, and by executing said computer program, a start time of at least one interval of transmission of a collection datum obtained on the basis of the environment feature acquired by the sensor;
said radio communication module being configured to send said collection datum to said hub during said transmission interval.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The detector according to claim 1, wherein said radio communication module of at least one detector is configured to receive a synchronization message transmitted by said hub, said clock of the detector being synchronized by said synchronization module on the basis of said synchronization message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The detector according to claim 2, wherein said radio communication module is configured to receive said synchronization message in response to said sending of the collection datum.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The detector according to claim 1 wherein said feature is a measure of a feature in a fluid surrounding said sensor, a concentration of dihydrogen in said fluid.

### Claim 5

A hub including:
a pairing module configured to pair said hub with at least one detector and to send to said at least one detector, during said pairing, a unique identifier specific to said detector;
a memory for storing said unique identifier and a computer program;
a synchronization module for synchronizing a clock of said hub with a clock of said at least one detector;
a radio communication module controlled by said clock of the hub;
a computing module configured to determine, for each of said detectors, as a function of said unique identifier specific to said detector, and by executing said computer program, a start time of at least one interval of reception of a collection datum sent by said detector;
a controlling module configured to activate said radio communication module in said reception intervals to receive collection data transmitted by said at least one detector and to deactivate said radio communication module, at least as a receiver, outside these intervals; and
a communication module configured to transfer said collection data to at least one remote equipment item.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The hub according to claim 5, wherein said radio communication module is configured to send a synchronization message to at least one detector, so that said at least one detector synchronizes its clock with the clock of said hub.

### Claim 7

A system comprising:
at least one detector; and
a hub;
wherein the at least one detector includes:
a sensor configured to acquire a feature of the environment of said sensor;
a first detector module configured to pair said detector with the hub, and to receive from said hub, during said pairing, a unique identifier of said detector;
a detector memory for storing said unique identifier and a detector computer program;
a second detector module for synchronizing a clock of said detector with a clock of said hub;
a detector radio communication module controlled by the clock of the detector;
a detector computing module configured to determine, as a function of said unique identifier, and by executing said detector computer program, a start time of at least one interval of transmission of a collection datum obtained on the basis of the environment feature acquired by the sensor;
said detector radio communication module being configured to send said collection datum to said hub during said transmission interval;
wherein the hub includes:
a first hub module configured to pair said hub with the at least one detector and to send to said at least one detector, during said pairing, a unique identifier specific to said detector;
a hub memory for storing said unique identifier and a hub computer program;
a second hub module for synchronizing the clock of said hub with the clock of said at least one detector;
a hub radio communication module controlled by said clock of the hub;
a hub computing module configured to determine, for each of said detectors, as a function of said unique identifier specific to said detector, and by executing said hub computer program, a start time of at least one interval of reception of a collection datum sent by said detector;
a controlling module configured to activate said hub radio communication module in said reception intervals to receive collection data transmitted by said at least one detector and to deactivate said hub radio communication module, at least as a receiver, outside these intervals; and
a hub communication module configured to transfer said collection data to at least one remote equipment item;
wherein each transmission interval determined by a said detector is contained in one and only one reception interval determined by said hub.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system according to claim 7 wherein each transmission interval determined by a said detector is equal to one and only one reception interval determined by said hub.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system according to claim 7 wherein said radio communication module of said at least one detector and of said hub are configured to communicate in one and the same unique frequency band, the transmission and reception intervals determined for one and the same detector not overlapping, even partially, with the transmission and reception intervals determined for another detector.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system according to claim 7 wherein said radio communication module of said at least one detector and of said hub are configured to communicate in at least two frequency bands, and
wherein at least one transmission interval determined for a first frequency band overlaps with a transmission interval determined for a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system according to claim 7 wherein said radio communication modules of the hub and of said at least one detector are compatible and operate in a LPWAN network, using the LoRaWAN protocol.