Accessory having a communication function for Internet of Things

• US 10,204,513 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Dooyul, Goo, Kyeonggyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Shi K
• Application Number:
  US15/605,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20170345291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

An accessory includes a main body including a communication module that is configured to communicate with a predetermined network, and a container including a main body-coupling portion that is configured to separably couple to the main body. The main body includes at least one of (i) a remote control module that is configured to transmit an optical signal for controlling a predetermined apparatus within a predetermined range or (ii) a sensor module that is configured to sense information about a surrounding environment. The container includes an external coupling portion that is configured to couple the container to an external object.

Claims

1. An accessory comprising:

a main body including a communication module that is configured to communicate with a predetermined network; and

a container including a main body-coupling portion that is configured to separably couple to the main body,

wherein the main body comprises at least one of (i) a remote control module that is configured to transmit an optical signal for controlling a predetermined apparatus within a predetermined range or (ii) a sensor module that is configured to sense information about a surrounding environment, and

wherein the container comprises an external coupling portion that is configured to couple the container to an external object,

wherein the main body includes the remote control module,

wherein the remote control module comprises a control signal light-emitting unit that is configured to transmit the optical signal from the main body in a transmission direction, and

wherein the container comprises a direction-setting portion that is configured, based on the container being coupled to the external object, to guide the main body to a set position in which the transmission direction is aligned to a predetermined direction.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main body includes the sensor module, wherein the sensor module comprises a proximity sensor that is configured to sense a distance along a transmission direction between the main body and an object.

3. The accessory of claim 2, further comprising a reflector having:

a reflective surface that is configured to reflect a predetermined optical sensing signal; and

an attachment surface configured to be coupled to a surface,

wherein the proximity sensor comprises;

a proximity signal light-emitting unit that is configured to transmit the predetermined optical sensing signal in the transmission direction, and

a proximity signal light-receiving unit that is configured to receive the predetermined optical sensing signal that has been reflected from the reflector.

4. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the container further comprises a plurality of containers configured to be coupled to predetermined external objects that are located at different positions from each other,

wherein the sensor module comprises a plurality of sensors that are configured to sense different target information from each other,

wherein the main body comprises a controller that is configured to perform a state change from a first state to a second state,

wherein the controller is configured, based on the controller being in the first state, to transmit a first target information sensed by a first sensor among the plurality of sensors over the predetermined network, and

wherein the controller is configured, based on the controller being in the second state, to transmit a second target information sensed by a second sensor among the plurality of sensors over the predetermined network.

5. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a direction-indicating portion that is configured to visually indicate the transmission direction.

6. The accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the direction-setting portion comprises a direction-setting protrusion or a direction-setting recess that is configured to receive the direction-setting protrusion,

the main body comprises one of the direction-setting protrusion and the direction-setting recess,

the container comprises the other of the direction-setting protrusion and the direction- setting recess,

the direction-setting protrusion is configured to engage into the direction-setting recess based on the transmission direction being aligned to the predetermined direction, and

the direction-setting protrusion is offset from a central axis of the main body and the container.

7. The accessory of claim 6, wherein:

the main body includes one of an attachment-detachment groove and an attachment-detachment protrusion, the attachment-detachment protrusion being configured to be inserted into the attachment-detachment groove based on the main body being coupled to the container,

the container includes the other of the attachment-detachment protrusion and the attachment-detachment groove,

the attachment-detachment groove extends in a circumferential direction of the main body or the container, and

the attachment-detachment protrusion includes a first attachment-detachment protrusion disposed at a location opposite the direction-setting protrusion with respect to the central axis.

8. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the first attachment-detachment protrusion is configured, based on (i) the direction-setting protrusion being disengaged from the direction-setting recess and (ii) the first attachment-detachment protrusion inserting into the attachment-detachment groove, to be slidable along the attachment-detachment groove in the circumferential direction by rotating the main body relative to the container about the central axis.

9. The accessory of claim 7, wherein the attachment-detachment protrusion further comprises a second attachment-detachment protrusion that is configured, based on the direction-setting protrusion being engaged into the direction-setting recess, to insert into the attachment-detachment groove.

10. The accessory of claim 1, wherein:

the main body includes one of an attachment-detachment groove and an attachment- detachment protrusion, the attachment-detachment protrusion being configured to be inserted into the attachment-detachment groove based on the main body being coupled to the container,

the container includes the other of the attachment-detachment protrusion and the attachment-detachment groove,

the attachment-detachment groove extends in a circumferential direction of the main body or the container, and

the attachment-detachment protrusion comprises a plurality of attachment-detachment protrusions arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction.

11. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises the remote control module and the sensor module.

12. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the container further comprises a plurality of containers configured to be coupled to predetermined external objects that are located at different positions from each other,

wherein the main body comprises a controller that is configured to control transmission of sensed information over the predetermined network and operation of the remote control module.

13. A network system including a plurality of accessories according to claim 11, the network system further comprising a server that is configured to:

receive a first information from a first main body about a surrounding environment of the first main body, and

transmit a signal to a second main body to control an apparatus located at the second main body based on the received first information.

14. The network system of claim 13, further comprising a third main body,

wherein the server is configured to:

receive a third information from a third body about a surrounding environment of the third main body, and

transmit a signal to the second main body to control the apparatus located at the second main body based on the received first information and third information.

15. The accessory of claim 1, further comprising:

a detachable waterproof member that is configured to seal a boundary that is defined between the main body and the container based on the main body being coupled to the container,

wherein the main body has an upper edge that has a perimeter greater than a perimeter of the boundary,

wherein the container has a lower edge that has a perimeter greater than a perimeter of the boundary, and

wherein the waterproof member comprises a detachable elastic band that surrounds side surfaces between the upper edge of the main body and the lower edge of the container based on the main body being coupled to the container.

16. The accessory of claim 15, wherein the side surface of the main body is inclined in a first direction with respect to a central axis of the main body, the side surface becoming closer to the central axis from the upper edge of the main body toward the boundary, and

the side surface of the container is inclined in a second direction opposite the first direction with respect to the central axis, the side surface becoming closer to the central axis from the lower edge of the container toward the boundary.

17. An accessory comprising:

a main body including a communication module that is configured to communicate with a predetermined network; and

a plurality of containers, each of the plurality of containers including a main body-coupling portion that is configured to separably couple to the main body, the main body being configured to selectably coupled to one of the plurality of containers,

wherein each of the plurality of containers comprises a direction-setting portion that is configured, based on the main body being coupled to the container, to set the main body to a predetermined position relative to the container.