System, device, and apparatus for coordinating environments using network devices and remote sensory information

• US 10,135,628 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Imes, Kevin R., Hollister, James, Cottrell, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akki, Munear
• Application Number:
  US14/590,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 340 31, 340501, 340632, 34053922, 340541, 4554261, 455 411, 4554351
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a system, device and apparatus for coordinating environments using networked devises and remote sensory based information is provided. The system can include an intelligent remote sensor configured to communicate sensory-based information to a network device and a mobile device. The system also includes an environment coordinator configured to communicate with the intelligent remote sensor to initiate coordinating operating conditions of the network device at a site.

Claims

1. An intelligent remote sensor enabled apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to communicate with a mobile device and an environment coordinating device located at a site, and a network connected device located at the site, the network connected device accessible and manageable by the intelligent remote sensor enabled apparatus;

an operating condition selector configured to enable a manual selection of an operating condition of the network connected device located at the site;

a processor configured to;

process a selection of the operating condition selector to enable activation of a setting of the network connected device,

detect a connection of the mobile device to the wireless communication device, and

initiate communication of setting information to the environment coordinating device to alter the operating condition of the network connected device;

a memory configured to store the setting information usable by the processor;

a sensor device configured to sense at least one operating condition of an environment at the site; and

a near field communication (NFC) device configured to;

output authentication data to the mobile device to join the mobile device when the mobile device is placed near the NFC device,

add another network connected device to be located at the site upon the another network connected device being placed near the NFC device, the another network connected device accessible and manageable by the intelligent remote sensor enabled apparatus, and

output sensed information including a status information of the at least one operating condition of the environment at the site.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the sensor device configured to provide one or more of the following:

temperature sensing,

humidity sensing,

network availability sensing,

connected device sensing,

power management sensing,

proximity sensing,

network device sensing,

distance sensing,

motion sensing,

sound sensing,

light sensing, and

airflow sensing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the network connected device includes the environment coordinating device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a proximity sensing device configured to alter transmission of a wireless communication of the communication device based on a presence or an absence of a user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a proximity sensing device configured to alter a sleep state and an awake state based on a proximity based input and a time interval.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to use one or more of:

a Bluetooth LE device to transmit sensory-based information when in an awake state, and

a power management device configured to initiate a reduction in power consumption when a user is away or home by altering an operating mode of the Bluetooth LE device,

wherein the time interval includes a variable time interval to initiate the wakeup and sleep states.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to initiate communication with an iOS-based operating system device using an iBeacon protocol and to initiate a communication with an Android-based operating system device using Bluetooth LE protocol upon detection of either iOS.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising the communication device configured to transmit sensory-based information formatted to be displayed on a GUI of a mobile device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a touch button configured to enable and disable one or more network devices including:

a lighting device,

a temperature device,

a speaker device,

a camera device,

a door lock, and

an additional network device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a touch button configured to lock and unlock manual, non-proximity based detection.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising the processor configured to be usable with the mobile device to activate and deactivate use of sensory-based information to alter operating the network connected device based on the mobile device connecting to the communication device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the touch button is configured to initiate the processor to group the network connected devices and to enable and disable use when activated or deactivated by the touch button.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a material covering a portion of a housing; and

wherein the wireless communication device communicates information identifying a color of the material, the information receivable by the mobile device to display the color on a display of the mobile device.