This communication system has a transmitter and a receiver for repeatedly transmitting a frame of steering signal having a plurality of channels. The transmitter stores an identification data of a control parameter of a specific operation object in a first empty channel within one frame and stores a characteristic data of the control parameter of the specific operation object in a second empty channel to transmit along with steering data of other channels. Since the identification data and the characteristic data are transmitted at the same time along with the control data, the control parameters can be changed during steering of the operation object. Since the characteristic data and the identification data are transmitted in the same frame as a pair, when at least the one frame is received, the setting of the control parameter can be changed.

A sensor system includes: one or more master sensors; a plurality of slave sensors; and one or more servers. The one or more master sensors wirelessly send data to the plurality of slave sensors. The plurality of slave sensors acquire environmental and/or industrial process data based on associated configurations of the plurality of slave sensors. The plurality of slave sensors wirelessly send the environmental and/or industrial process data to the one or more master sensors. The one or more master sensors send the environmental and/or industrial process data to at least one of the one or more servers over a wireless network.

A control layer automation device comprises a processor, one or more control layer applications, a database, a wireless interface, a device memory. Each control layer application is configured to perform a discrete set of automation functions. The database comprises a plurality of operator device identifiers and the wireless interface allows the one or more control layer applications to communicate with a plurality of operator devices via the plurality of operator device identifiers. The device memory comprises the one or more control layer applications. The control layer application manager is configured to manage execution of the one or more control layer applications on the processor.

A method includes receiving, at a specified device among a plurality of devices, a first request to perform a first task. The method also includes transmitting multiple bid requests associated with the first task to multiple other devices among the plurality of devices. The method further includes receiving, at the specified device, at least one bid response from at least one of the other devices. In addition, the method includes assigning performance of the first task to one or more of the plurality of devices based on the at least one bid response. Each bid response may include a quality and a timeliness associated with the one of the devices' ability to perform the first task. Multiple bid responses may be received, and the method may further include ranking the bid responses based on at least one quality or timeliness factor identified by a party providing the first request.

There are provided measures for performing a configuration control in relation to an elevator, an escalator and automatic doors in a remote manner. Such measures exemplarily comprise determining a status of a component of said control apparatus, detecting whether a change with respect to said component has occurred based on said status, defining configuration parameters for said component, if it is detected that said change has occurred, and initiating transmission of said configuration parameters to said control apparatus.

An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, a processing circuit, a wireless transceiver, and a power circuit. The processing circuit includes a processor and memory and is configured to operate the mechanical transducer according to a control program stored in the memory. The wireless transceiver is configured to facilitate bidirectional wireless data communications between the processing circuit and an external device. The power circuit is configured to draw power from a wireless signal received via the wireless transceiver and power the processing circuit and the wireless transceiver using the drawn power. The processing circuit is configured to use the power drawn from the wireless signal to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the actuator to the external device via the wireless transceiver, wirelessly receive data from the external device via the wireless transceiver, and store the data received from the external device in the memory.

A load control system may be provided including control devices and a system controller. The system controller may be configured to broadcast a service set identifier (SSID) and provide a wireless network connection to a network device. The system controller may provide a web page to the network device, wherein the web page may include an indication of target system controllers. The target system controllers may be used for configuring (e.g., associating) the control devices. The system controller may receive an indication of a target system controller selected to associate the control devices. The system controller may determine an address and port number of the target system controller identified by the network device. The system controller may provide, to the network device, the web page from the target system controller while the network device is connected to the system controller via the wireless network connection.

An actuator in a HVAC system includes a mechanical transducer, a processing circuit, a wireless transceiver, and a power circuit. The processing circuit includes a processor and memory and is configured to operate the mechanical transducer according to a control program stored in the memory. The wireless transceiver is configured to facilitate bidirectional wireless data communications between the processing circuit and an external device. The power circuit is configured to draw power from a wireless signal received via the wireless transceiver and power the processing circuit and the wireless transceiver using the drawn power. The processing circuit is configured to use the power drawn from the wireless signal to wirelessly transmit data stored in the memory of the actuator to the external device via the wireless transceiver, wirelessly receive data from the external device via the wireless transceiver, and store the data received from the external device in the memory.

Described herein are several embodiments relating to irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers include a housing and a removable plug-in device. The housing includes a control portion comprising a first microcontroller configured to execute stored irrigation programs. The housing includes an interface connector port and driver circuitry configured to actuate irrigation valves based on control signals received from the first microcontroller. The removable plug-in device removably coupled to the interface connector port and comprising a second microcontroller and a wireless modem configured to communicate with a wireless network. The second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, such that the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller function together during use of the irrigation controller, wherein the removable plug-in device does not include any driver circuitry configured to actuate any irrigation valves based on any control signals received from the first microcontroller.

Described herein are several embodiments relating to irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers includes a housing; a control unit within the housing and comprising a first microcontroller configured to execute stored irrigation programs, wherein the control unit includes an interface connector port; a driver circuitry within the housing configured to actuate irrigation valves based on control signals received from the first microcontroller; and a removable plug-in device removably coupled to the interface connector port, the removable plug-in device comprising a second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, such that the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller function together during use of the irrigation controller, wherein the removable plug-in device does not include any driver circuitry configured to actuate any irrigation valves based on any control signals received from the first microcontroller.