Systems and methods for finding wireless signals sufficient for installation of wireless home automation devices

• US 10,063,641 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: McCarthy, III, Bernard A., Lett, David B., Smith, George Horkan, Bly, Jr., Allan Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, BLANE J
• Application Number:
  US15/280,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20180091598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/681 using addresses for wireless personal area networks or wireless sensor networks, e.g. Zigbee addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a systems and methods for finding wireless signals sufficient for installation of wireless home automation devices. Before such home automation devices are installed, or during the process of installing such home automation devices, the remote-control device of a wireless home automation hub may detect whether a suitable wireless signal is able to be received from the home automation hub or from a wireless repeater device at various locations on the customer premises and indicate that on the remote-control device. The remote control device may continue to display such an indication regarding the signal, or lack thereof, as the user moves about the customer premises with the remote control. In this manner, the user may find what locations on the customer premises are suitable for installation of home automation devices to communicate wirelessly with the home automation hub.

Claims

1. A remote-control device comprising:

a remote-control device housing;

a system control module within the housing;

a set of input controls positioned on the housing communicatively coupled to the system control module; and

an indicator on the remote-control device housing communicatively coupled to the system control module, the indicator operable to indicate a wireless signal quality between the remote control device and a home automation hub device, and wherein the system control module is configured to;

detect whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from a home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel at a current location of the remote-control device, wherein the remote-control device is a remote-control device of the home automation hub device;

cause the indicator to indicate, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, whether a current location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel;

receive user input at the remote control device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on a television along with a television program being displayed on the television; and

send a remote control command to the home automation hub device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on the television along with the television program being displayed on the television.

2. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

if a wireless signal is not able to be received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device over the wireless communication channel, then search for a wireless signal from a repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub and through which a signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device over the wireless communication channel; and

based on the search, if the wireless signal is found from the repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub and through which a signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device over the wireless communication channel, then cause the indicator to indicate, based on a wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the repeater device, whether a current location of the remote control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the repeater device such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel through the repeater device.

3. The remote-control device of claim 2 wherein the repeater device is another home automation device that the home automation hub device is able to communicate with and control over the wireless communication channel.

4. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

detect the wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device;

compare the detected wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device to a wireless signal quality threshold; and

cause the indicator to indicate, based on the comparison of the detected wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device to a wireless signal quality threshold, whether the current location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

5. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the indicator is configured to provide indications of different levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device and the system control module is further configured to:

cause the indicator to indicate different levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device based on the detected wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device.

6. The remote-control device of claim 5 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

continuously detect the wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device and continuously cause the indicator to indicate updated levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device based on the continuous detection of the wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device.

7. The remote-control device of claim 6 wherein the continuously causing the indicator to indicate updated levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub includes causing an audible indication to occur to indicate updated levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub.

8. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

first perform a pairing process between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device before subsequently detecting whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from a home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel and before causing the indicator to indicate, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, whether the current location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

9. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

detect whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel at another location of the remote-control device; and

cause the indicator to indicate, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, whether the other location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the other location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

10. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

cause the remote-control device to wirelessly pair with a mobile device of a user; and

cause the mobile device of the user to graphically display an indication, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, whether the location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

11. The remote-control device of claim 10 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

detect the wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device; and

cause the mobile device of the user to graphically display an indication of different levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device based on a detected wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device.

12. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the indication of whether a current location of the remote-control device, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub includes a green visual indication if the current location of the remote-control device is within the sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub and a red visual indication if the current location of the remote-control device is not within the sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub.

13. The remote-control device of claim 12 wherein the indication of whether a current location of the remote-control device, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub includes a yellow visual indication if it is inconclusive whether the current location of the remote-control device is within the sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub.

14. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the indication of whether a current location of the remote-control device, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub includes a bar chart indicating different levels of signal quality in which a first particular quality level on the bar chart is associated with the remote-control device being within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub and a second lower particular level on the bar chart is associated with the remote-control device not being within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub.

15. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the detection of whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from a home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel at a current location of the remote-control device is in response to a button being pressed on the remote-control device to initiate a signal test.

16. The remote-control device of claim 15 wherein the system control module is further configured to:

until user input is received via one of the input controls positioned on the housing to stop the detection, continuously perform the detection of whether the wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from a home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel at a current location of the remote-control device and continuously cause the indicator to indicate whether a current location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

17. A method for controlling operation of a remote-control device comprising:

receiving, by a system control module of the remote-control device, input including a command to initiate detection of a wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and a home automation hub device, wherein the remote-control device is a remote-control device of the home automation hub device;

in response to receiving the command, detecting, by the system control module of the remote-control device, wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device over a wireless signal channel;

indicating on the remote-control device, by the system control module of the remote-control device, whether the detected wireless signal quality is sufficient for the home automation hub to be able to communicate with and control, over the wireless signal channel, a home automation device to be located at the current location of the remote control device based on the detected wireless signal quality;

receiving, by the system control module of the remote-control device, user input at the remote control device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on a television along with a television program being displayed on the television; and

sending, by the system control module of the remote-control device, a remote control command to the home automation hub device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on the television along with the television program being displayed on the television.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the wireless signal channel includes at least one wireless repeater device between the home automation device and the remote-control device.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions thereon, that when executed by a computer processor cause the following method for controlling operation of a remote-control device to be performed:

determining whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device directly from a home automation hub device, wherein the remote-control device is a remote-control device of the home automation hub device;

if a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device, then determine a signal quality of the wireless signal received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device and indicate, on the remote-control device, the signal quality of the wireless signal received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device to indicate whether the home automation hub device would be able to communicate with and control a home automation device to be located at a current location of the remote-control device;

if a wireless signal is not able to be received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device at the current location of the remote-control device, then search for a wireless signal from a repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub and through which a signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device; and

if the wireless signal is found from the repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub, then determine a signal quality of the wireless signal from the repeater device and indicate, on the remote-control device, the signal quality of the wireless signal from the repeater device to indicate whether the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control, via the repeater, the home automation device to be located at the current location of the remote-control device;

receiving user input at the remote control device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on a television along with a television program being displayed on the television; and

sending a remote control command to the home automation hub device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on the television along with the television program being displayed on the television.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer processor, further cause the computer processor to:

for different locations of the remote-control device repeat;

the determining whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device directly from a home automation hub device;

if a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device, the determining a signal quality of the wireless signal received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device and indicating, on the remote-control device, the signal quality of the wireless signal received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device to indicate whether the home automation hub device would be able to communicate with and control a home automation device to be located at a current location of the remote-control device;

if a wireless signal is not able to be received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device at the current location of the remote-control device, the searching for a wireless signal from a repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub and through which a signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device; and

if the wireless signal is found from the repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub, the determining a signal quality of the wireless signal from the repeater device and indicating, on the remote-control device, the signal quality of the wireless signal from the repeater device to indicate whether the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control, via the repeater, the home automation device to be located at the current location of the remote-control device.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the home automation device is selected form the group consisting of:

a camera, a thermostat, a light fixture, a door sensor, a window sensor, a power outlet, a light switch, a doorbell, a doorbell sensor, a light bulb, a motion sensor, an electrical switch, an appliance switch, window covering control device, an alarm, a dimmer switch and a door lock.