Method and system for personalized, secure, and intuitive smart home control using a smart hand

• US 10,254,724 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Li, Zhiyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Satish
• Application Number:
  US14/530,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 700275-306
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) for use in a smart home control system is provided. The UE includes a beam forming device configured to transmit a directional signal beam to an electronic device. The directional signal beam includes a credential associated with the UE. The UE also includes a transmitter configured to transmit a command signal including the credential after the beam forming device transmits the directional signal beam to the electronic device. The command signal commands an operation of the electronic device. The UE further includes an input device. The input device is configured to receive a directional signal beam generating input to initiate the transmission of the signal beam. The input device is also configured to receive a command input to initiate the transmission of the command signal.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for use in a smart home control system, the UE comprising:

a processor configured to receive an input to initiate a transmission of a directional signal beam;

a narrow beam forming device configured to transmit the directional signal beam to an electronic device, wherein;

the directional signal beam includes a credential unique to the UE, and

the credential is used to authenticate the UE as authorized to control the electronic device,

a transceiver coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is further configured to receive, after the UE is authenticated as authorized based on the credential, a command input to initiate the transmission of a command signal,

wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the command signal after the narrow beam forming device transmits the directional signal beam to the electronic device, and

wherein the command signal commands an operation of the electronic device.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the command input comprises at least one of a voice command, a sensing of a UE movement, a sensing of a muscle movement, a sensing of a touch input, or a sensing of an eye movement.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the credential is authenticated before an operation command signal is sent to command an operation of the electronic device.

4. A smart home control system comprising:

an electronic device;

a user equipment (UE) configured to;

transmit a directional signal beam to the electronic device, wherein;

the directional signal beam includes a credential unique to the UE, and

the credential is used to authenticate the UE as authorized to control the electronic device,

transmit a command signal after transmitting the directional signal beam to the electronic device, wherein the command signal commands an operation of the electronic device; and

a central hub configured to;

receive a signal from the electronic device including the credential and a signal source indication associated with the electronic device,

authenticate the UE, using the credential, as authorized to control the electronic device,

receive the command signal including the credential,

associate the command signal with the electronic device based on the authenticated credential, and

transmit the command signal to the electronic device.

5. The smart home control system of claim 4, wherein the electronic device is configured to transmit the credential and the signal source indication to the central hub in response to receiving the directional signal beam from the UE.

6. The smart home control system of claim 4, wherein the UE is configured to transmit the command signal to the central hub using at least one of a cellular network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection or any other short-distance communication channels.

7. The smart home control system of claim 4, wherein the UE is configured to transmit the command signal to the central hub using at least one of a cellular network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection, or any other short-distance communication channels.

8. The smart home control system of claim 4, wherein the central hub is further configured to:

load personal settings, related to the electronic device, based on the credential, and

transmit the personal settings, with the command signal, to the electronic device.

9. The smart home control system of claim 4, wherein the central hub is configured to authenticate the credential with a list of approved credentials to determine whether the central hub is permitted, based on the credential, to transmit the command signal to the electronic device.

10. A central hub (hub) of a smart home control system, the hub comprising:

a transceiver, and

a processor configured to;

control the transceiver to receive a signal from an electronic device including

(i) a credential unique to a user equipment (UE), the credential received from the UE on directional signal beam, and

(ii) a signal source indication associated with the electronic device,

authenticate, using the credential, the UE as authorized to control the electronic device,

control the transceiver to receive a command signal from the UE, wherein the command signal commands an operation of the electronic device;

associate the command signal with the electronic device based on the authenticated credential, and

control the transceiver to transmit the command signal to the electronic device.

11. The hub of claim 10, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the signal from the electronic device, receive the command signal from the UE, and transmit the command signal to the electronic device using a cellular network.

12. The hub of claim 10, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the signal from the electronic device, receive the command signal from the UE, and transmit the command signal to the electronic device using wired or wireless short-distance communications.

13. The hub of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to associate the command signal with the electronic device based on the credential by matching the credential of the signal received from the electronic device with the credential of the command signal received from the UE.

14. The hub of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

load personal settings related to the electronic device based on the credential and

transmit the personal settings, with the command signal, to the electronic device.

15. The hub of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the credential with a list of approved credentials to determine whether the hub is permitted, based on the credential, to transmit the command signal to the electronic device.

16. A method for use in a central hub (hub) of a smart home control system, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from an electronic device including

(i) a credential unique to a user equipment (UE), the credential received from the UE on directional signal beam, and

(ii) a signal source indication associated with the electronic device;

authenticating, using the credential, the UE as authorized to control the electronic device,

receiving a command signal from the UE, wherein the command signal includes the credential and commands an operation of the electronic device;

associating the command signal with the electronic device based on the authenticated credential;

determining that the command signal is to be transmitted to the electronic device based on associating the command signal with the electronic device; and

transmitting the command signal to the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

receiving the signal from the electronic device comprises receiving the signal from the electronic device using a cellular network,

receiving the command signal from the UE comprises receiving the command signal from the UE using the cellular network, and

transmitting the command signal to the electronic device comprises transmitting the command signal to the electronic device using the cellular network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

receiving the signal from the electronic device comprises receiving the signal from the electronic device using short-distance communication channels,

receiving the command signal from the UE comprises receiving the command signal from the UE using short-distance communication channels, and

transmitting the command signal to the electronic device comprises transmitting the command signal to the electronic device using short-distance communication channels.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein associating the command signal with the electronic device based on the credential comprises matching the credential of the signal received from the electronic device with the credential of the command signal received from the UE.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising loading personal settings related to the electronic device, based on the credential, and transmitting the personal settings, with the command signal, to the electronic device.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising authenticating the credential with a list of approved credentials to determine whether the hub is permitted, based on the credential, to transmit the command signal to the electronic device.