System and method for cloud-networked stand-alone dual modulation LAN

• US 10,291,428 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hall Labs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Hall Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Hall, David R., Hall, Mark, Boswell, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Sciacca, Scott M
• Application Number:
  US15/145,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A cloud-networked stand-alone local area network (LAN) is disclosed. A stand-alone LAN is networked to a server outside the stand-alone LAN, and the server is part of a cloud of servers. The server includes hardware processors that process system operation information updates from a user for the stand-alone LAN, hardware memory that stores the system operation information updates; and a transceiver for communicating the system operation information updates to the stand-alone LAN. The stand-alone LAN includes a primary network hub (PNH) having a microcontroller that stores the system operation information, a cloud-side transceiver networked to the cloud of servers for receiving the system operation information updates from the server, and a PNH LAN long range transceiver that communicates via a long range spread spectrum or a narrowband frequency shift keying signal. The stand-alone LAN also includes a peripheral device having a microcontroller and an actuation mechanism.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a stand-alone local area network;

a server outside the stand-alone local area network, wherein the server is part of a cloud of servers, the server comprising;

hardware processors that process system operation information updates from a user for the stand-alone local area network;

hardware memory that stores the system operation information updates; and

a transceiver for communicating the system operation information updates to the stand-alone local area network;

a primary network hub (PNH) of the stand-alone local area network comprising;

a PNH microcontroller that stores the system operation information, wherein the PNH microcontroller further receives the system operation information updates and associates the system operation information with a secondary network hub (SNH) of the stand-alone local area network;

a PNH cloud-side transceiver networked to the cloud of servers for receiving the system operation information updates from the server; and

a PNH local area network Long range transceiver that communicates via a long range spread spectrum (SS) signal or a narrowband frequency shift keying (FSK) signal;

a plurality of secondary network hubs (SNHs) of the stand-alone local area network, wherein each of the plurality of SNHs is associated with a distinct set of peripheral devices (PDs), wherein the plurality of SNHs include the SNH, wherein the SNH comprises a long range transceiver, wherein the SNH is located in a different building than the PNH, wherein the SNH receives location information for a peripheral device (PD), determines a range between the SNH and the PD, chooses a long range spread spectrum (SS) signal or a narrowband frequency shift keying (FSK) signal based on the range, and transmits, via the long range transceiver, the system operation information; and

a set of peripheral devices (PDs) associated with the SNH, wherein the set of PDs includes the PD of the stand-alone local area network, the PD comprising a PD microcontroller, a PD local network transceiver, and an actuation mechanism, wherein the system operation information includes actuation instructions for the PD.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the PNH, the PD, or both, further comprise a battery for off-power grid operation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a PNH microcontroller firmware comprises instructions for long range spread spectrum frequency hopping signal communication.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a PD communication firmware comprises instructions for long range spread spectrum frequency hopping signal communication.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the SNH further comprises a battery for off-power grid operation.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising SNH microcontroller firmware and wherein the SNH microcontroller firmware comprises instructions for long range spread spectrum frequency hopping signal communication.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a PD communication firmware comprises instructions for long range SS signal communication, narrowband FSK signal communication, or both.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising the secondary network hub (SNH) of the stand-alone local area network comprising:

a SNH microcontroller having communication firmware for long range SS and narrowband FSK signal communication via the SNH Long range transceiver.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user device networked to the server, wherein the user device updates the system operation information via the server.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user device, wherein the user device comprises a long range transceiver that communicates via a long range spread spectrum (SS) signal or a narrowband frequency shift keying (FSK) signal for direct communication with the stand-alone LAN.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a secondary network hub (SNH) of a stand-alone local area network, a system operation instruction and an update instruction from a primary network hub (PNH) of the stand-alone local area network, wherein the SNH comprises a long range transceiver, wherein the SNH is one of a plurality of SNHs associated with the PNH, and wherein each of the plurality of SNHs is associated with a distinct set of peripheral devices (PDs);

associating the system operation instruction and the update information with a peripheral device (PD) of the stand-alone local area network, wherein the PD comprises a long range transceiver and an actuation mechanism, and wherein the PD is located in a different building than the PNH within the stand-alone local area network;

receiving and storing, at the SNH, location information for the PD;

determining, at the SNH, a range between the SNH and the PD;

choosing, at the SNH, a long range spread spectrum (SS) signal or a narrowband frequency shift keying (FSK) signal based on the range; and

transmitting, via the SNH long range transceiver, actuation instructions for the PD based on the system operation instruction and the update information using the chosen long range SS signal or the chosen narrowband FSK signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the long range SS signal is a long range spread spectrum frequency hopping signal.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving and storing a response from the PD at the SNH in response to the actuation instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising notifying a user of the response via a server and a user device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a log signal communicating a PD status.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising notifying a user of PD status via the server and a user device.

17. A method comprising:

receiving and storing a system operation instruction at a primary network hub (PNH) of a stand-alone local area network, wherein the PNH comprises a long range transceiver and a cloud-side transceiver networked to a server that is part of a cloud of servers;

receiving, at the PNH cloud-side transceiver and from the server, update information for the system operation instruction;

storing, at the PNH, the update information;

associating the system operation instruction and the update information with a secondary network hub (SNH) of the stand-alone local area network, wherein the SNH comprises a long range transceiver, and wherein the SNH is located in a different building than the PNH within the stand-alone local area network, wherein the SNH is one of a plurality of SNHs associated with the PNH, wherein each of the plurality of SNHs is associated with a distinct set of peripheral devices (PDs);

receiving and storing, at the PNH, location information for the SNH;

determining, at the PNH, a range between the PNH and the SNH;

choosing, at the PNH, a long range spread spectrum (SS) signal or a narrowband frequency shift keying (FSK) signal based on the range;

transmitting, via the PNH Long range transceiver, the system operation instruction and the update information to the SNH using the chosen long range SS signal or the chosen narrowband FSK signal;

receiving, at the SNH Long range transceiver, the system operation instruction and the update information;

associating the system operation instruction and the update information with a peripheral device (PD) in a set PDs associated with the SNH, the PD having a long range transceiver and an actuation mechanism, and located in a further different building from the SNH and the PNH;

receiving and storing, at the SNH, location information for the PD;

determining, at the SNH, a range between the SNH and the PD;

choosing, at the SNH, a long range spread spectrum (SS) signal or a narrowband frequency shift keying (FSK) signal based on the range;

transmitting, via the SNH long range transceiver, actuation instructions for the PD based on the system operation instruction and the update information using the chosen long range SS signal or the chosen narrowband FSK signal.