Internet/intranet-connected apparatus

• US 10,104,150 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bishel, Richard Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US14/622,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities 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 H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method and apparatus that uses the Internet protocol, TCP/IP, for a home control network. The invention also provides embedded servers, email clients at the electrical boxes. The invention integrates the Internet to the electrical outlet, switch, or appliance boxes using a low cost embedded web server.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively energizing an electrical load, comprising:

a relay coupled between current leads for controlling a flow of current to an electrical load, the relay having one state that conducts current to the electrical load to activate the load and the relay having a second state that cuts off current to the electrical load to deactivate the load;

a bidirectional network interface for receiving control commands from an external source and for transmitting status information concerning the apparatus to the external source;

a controller configured to;

enable the relay,

receive an HTTP command via the network interface, wherein the HTTP command causes the controller to control the relay, and

generate a first web resource information that specifies interactions to the electrical load and an external sensor in response to the HTTP command; and

circuitry coupling the relay, the network interface, and the controller,

wherein the HTTP command specifies a second web resource information corresponding to the circuitry.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the relay comprises a triac.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises a standard Internet/Intranet network interface coupled to the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to a TCP/IP protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to an UDP/IP protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises at least one of an embedded controller, an embedded computer, a microcontroller, or a microcomputer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a storage device that stores a set of instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the storage device, the at least one processor being operative with the set of instructions in order to execute an application.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application comprises a web server.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application comprises a Simple Transport Mail Protocol application.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application comprises a File Transport Protocol application.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the application comprises an instant messaging application.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface receives the HTTP command across a wired connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface receives the HTTP command across a wireless connection.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical load is an AC electrical load.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry further couples the controller to a power network, the power network being configured to provide voltage to operate the controller.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to interface with an EEPROM.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to interface with an Ethernet controller.