Network addressable power socket automation

• US 10,331,155 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roche, Kyle Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/967,072
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• 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

A technology is described for applying automation rules to network addressable power sockets. An example method may include receiving a power socket identifier for a network addressable power socket that detects an electrical device connected to the network addressable power socket via a wireless communication protocol. Receiving a unique identifier for the electrical device detected by the network addressable power socket. The network addressable power socket and the electrical device may be identified using the power socket identifier and the unique identifier, and an automation rule may be obtained that determines the functionality of the electrical device. The automation rule may then be applied to either of the network addressable power socket or the electrical device.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an electrical device using a network addressable power socket, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory device including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

register a tag identifier for a NFC (Near Field Communication) tag located with an electrical plug of the electrical device, at an automation service hosted in a computing service environment, wherein the tag identifier is associated with an automation rule;

receive, at the automation service, a power socket identifier for the network addressable power socket from the network addressable power socket having a NFC reader that is configured to read the NFC tag located with the electrical plug of the electrical device engaged with the network addressable power socket;

receive, at the automation service, from the network addressable power socket the tag identifier for the NFC tag located with the electrical plug of the electrical device;

obtain the automation rule that is associated with the tag identifier; and

apply the automation rule associated with the tag identifier to the network addressable power socket to control the electrical device using the network addressable power socket.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to further identify an electrical device profile that identifies the electrical device and the automation rule that is associated with the electrical device.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to further identify a power socket profile that identifies a location of the network addressable power socket.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to further determine that the automation rule associated with the tag identifier corresponds with a location of the network addressable power socket.

5. A computer implemented method, comprising:

registering a unique identifier for an electrical device, at an automation service hosted in a computing service environment, wherein the unique identifier is associated with an automation rule;

receiving, at the automation service, via a computer network, a power socket identifier for a network addressable power socket which detects the electrical device connected to the network addressable power socket by way of a wireless communication protocol;

receiving, at the automation service, via the computer network, a unique identifier for the electrical device detected by the network addressable power socket;

identifying the network addressable power socket and the electrical device using the power socket identifier and the unique identifier;

obtaining the automation rule that defines functionality of the electrical device as controlled by the network addressable power socket; and

applying the automation rule to the network addressable power socket.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein registering the unique identifier further comprises registering a tag identifier for a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag that associates the RFID tag with the electrical device, wherein the network addressable power socket is configured with an RFID reader that detects the RFID tag.

7. A method as in claim 5, wherein the unique identifier for the electrical device is transmitted to the network addressable power socket via a short-range wireless network.

8. A method as in claim 7, further comprising receiving sensor data from the electrical device that is sent to the network addressable power socket via the short-range wireless network.

9. A method as in claim 5, further comprising receiving a profile for the electrical device specifying characteristics of the electrical device that can be controlled via the network addressable power socket.

10. A method as in claim 9, further comprising determining that the characteristics of the electrical device are compatible with a group profile that includes the network addressable power socket.

11. A method as in claim 5, further comprising recording an occupied state of the network addressable power socket in a power socket profile, wherein the occupied state indicates whether the electrical device is connected to the network addressable power socket.

12. A method as in claim 5, wherein obtaining the automation rule further comprises obtaining an automation rule that is associated with a characteristic of the electrical device.

13. A method as in claim 5, wherein the automation rule is associated with the network addressable power socket or the electrical device.

14. A method as in claim 5, wherein the automation rule comprises an action that is performed according to a condition, schedule, or request.

15. A method as in claim 5, further comprising receiving identity data via a gateway server that provides access to network services located in a computing service environment.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the network addressable power socket includes a wireless radio that is in communication with the computer network allowing the network addressable power socket to communicate with network services via the gateway server.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein the network addressable power socket includes a power-line network adapter that is in communication with the computer network allowing the network addressable power socket to communicate with network services via the gateway server.

18. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, the instructions when executed by a processor:

register an electrical device profile for an electrical device, at an automation service hosted in a computing service environment, wherein the electrical device profile includes a unique identifier for the electrical device and a characteristic of the electrical device;

receive, at the automation service, identity data that identifies a network addressable power socket and a unique identifier for the electrical device connected to the network addressable power socket which includes an electromagnetic reader configured to detect the electrical device using a wireless communication protocol;

identify the network addressable power socket using the identity data;

identify the electrical device profile for the electrical device using the unique identifier for the electrical device;

obtain an automation rule for a group of network addressable devices that includes the network addressable power socket and the electrical device;

determine that the electrical device is compatible with the automation rule using the characteristic included in the electrical device profile; and

apply the automation rule for the group of network addressable devices to an automation profile for the network addressable power socket to control the electrical device.

19. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium as in claim 18, wherein the instructions that when executed by the processor further:

receive notice that the electrical device is not connected to the network addressable power socket; and

disassociate the automation rule from the automation profile.

20. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium as in claim 18, wherein the instructions that when executed by the processor further execute an automation rule user interface used to create, modify, and delete automation rules.