Automation system with mobile interface

• US 10,156,831 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Raji, Reza, Gutt, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah, Alina A
• Application Number:
  US13/718,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,191 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/012 details of the transmission means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15052 Communication processor, link interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 : Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 : Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 : Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 : Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

Some embodiments of a method for premises management networking include monitoring premises management devices connected to a gateway at a premises; controlling premises management devices connected to the gateway at the premises; receiving, at the premises, an uplink-initiation signal associated with a network operations center server; and in response to the uplink-initiation signal, initiating, from the gateway at the premises, communications between the gateway and the network operations center server; and communicating, during the communications between the gateway and the network operations center server, information associated with the premises management devices.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a gateway device located at a premises, wherein the gateway device comprises a first interface in communication, via a first protocol, with a first network and a second interface in communication, via a second protocol, with a second network, wherein the second network is different from the first network and the second protocol is different from the first protocol;

a plurality of devices located at the premises, wherein the plurality of devices comprises a security device in communication with the first network and an automation device in communication with the second network, wherein the gateway device is configured to monitor and control, via the first interface and using the first protocol, the security device and monitor and control, via the second interface and using the second protocol, the automation device; and

a remote server in communication with the gateway device, wherein the remote server is configured to send, to a user device, data associated with a user interface, wherein the data associated with the user interface comprises a state parameter having a value based on a state of the security device and a state of the automation device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprise sensors.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensors comprise at least one of a door sensor, a window sensor, an enclosure sensor, a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a heat sensor, a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a water sensor, a freeze sensor, or a weather sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation device comprise actuators that perform a physical action in response to a control signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprise a device comprising a sensor coupled to an actuator.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprise a device configured as an actuator and a sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprise at least one display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprise a camera, wherein the camera comprises at least one of a still camera and a video camera.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprise one or more of Internet Protocol (IP) devices and radio frequency (RF) devices.

10. A system, comprising:

a security device located at a premises and in communication, via a first protocol, with a first network;

an automation device located at the premises and in communication, via a second protocol, with a second network using a second protocol, wherein the second network is different from the first network and the second protocol is different from the first protocol;

a gateway device located at the premises, wherein the gateway device comprises a first interface in communication, via the first protocol, with the first network and a second interface in communication, via the second protocol, with the second network, wherein the gateway device is configured to monitor and control, via the first interface and using the first protocol, the security device and monitor and control, via the second interface and using the second protocol, the automation device; and

a remote server in communication with the gateway device, wherein the remote server is configured to send, to a user device, data associated with a user interface, wherein the data associated with the user interface comprises a state parameter having a value based on a state of the security device and a state of the automation device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the gateway device is configured to register with the remote server by causing the remote server to associate the gateway device with an account of the premises.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the gateway device is configured to receive device information associated with one or more of the security device or the automation device, wherein the remote server is configured to receive from the gateway device at least a portion of the device information.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the gateway device is configured to receive network information of the first network and the second network, wherein the remote server is configured to receive from the gateway device at least a portion of the network information.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the gateway device is configured to receive data in a first format from one or more of the security device or the automation device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the gateway device is configured to interpret the data in the first format and convert the interpreted data to a second format.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote server is configured to receive data in the second format from the gateway device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote server is configured to convert data between the second format and a third format.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a gateway device from a security device via a first protocol and via a first network, security data, wherein the gateway device and the security device are located at a premises;

receiving, by the gateway device from an automation device via a second protocol and via a second network, automation data, wherein the automation device is located at the premises, and wherein second network is different from the first network and the second protocol is different from the first protocol;

determining, based on at least a portion of the security data and at least a portion of the automation data, a state parameter having a value based on a state of the security device and a state of the automation device;

sending the state parameter to a remote server configured to communicate the state parameter to a user device; and

controlling, by the gateway device and via one or more of the first network or the second network, one or more of the security device or the automation device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling one or more of the security device or the automation device comprises receiving, via the remote server, an instruction from the user device and controlling the one or more of the security device or the automation device based on the instruction from the user device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the instruction from the user device is based on user input, at the user device, defining a control operation for at least one of the security device or the automation device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the automation device comprises actuators that perform a physical action in response to a control signal.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the security device comprises sensors.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the state parameter is defined based on user input indicating the security device and the automation device.