Wi-Fi-to-serial encapsulation in systems

• US 10,498,830 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Burd, Dana, Dawes, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatti, Hashim S
• Application Number:
  US16/026,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20190045021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• 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 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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 67/567 : Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 : Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12

Abstract

Embodiments include a device comprising an interface module for interfacing with proprietary legacy systems. The interface module comprises a data interface for interfacing with a processing component of the legacy system, where the processing component uses a proprietary protocol for processing data of the legacy system. The interface module includes a protocol module that comprises a protocol corresponding to the proprietary protocol of the legacy system, and the interface module uses the protocol to exchange data with the processing component. The interface module includes a communication device that communicates with a remote system via a wireless channel. The interface module controls communications that include passing commands from the remote system to the legacy system, and passing event data of the legacy system to the remote system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a gateway device located at a premises and configured to enable control of one or more premises devices located at the premises, wherein the gateway device is configured to;

receive user input associated with the one or more premises devices; and

send, to a computing device and via a first communication protocol, an indication of the user input, wherein the computing device is located at the premises; and

the computing device configured to;

receive, from the gateway device, the indication of the user input;

based on the indication of the user input, send, to the one or more premises devices and via a second communication protocol, command data, wherein the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol;

receive, from the one or more premises devices, premises device data; and

send, to the gateway device and via the first communication protocol, an indication of the premises device data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway device is further configured to cause output, via a user interface, of the indication of the premises device data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway device comprises a touchscreen;

and

wherein the gateway device is configured to receive the user input via a user interface of the touchscreen.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol comprises at least one of a radio frequency protocol, a Wi-Fi protocol, a Zigbee protocol, or a Bluetooth protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication protocol comprises at least one of a serial communication protocol, a wireless protocol, or a protocol associated with a manufacturer of the one or more premises devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

determine that the one or more premises devices are configured to be polled; and

based on determining that the one or more premises devices are configured to be polled, poll, via the second communication protocol, the one or more premises devices for the premises device data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a proxy device configured to perform at least one function of the gateway device based on at least one of a communication error or conservation of a communication resource of the gateway device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to determine an inefficiency associated with communication between the gateway device and the one or more premises devices;

and

send, to the computing device, the indication of the user input based on the inefficiency.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the inefficiency associated with communication between the gateway device and the one or more premises devices is associated with at least one of timing of the communication, resources used by the communication, or errors in the communication.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a proxy device configured to communicate with at least two devices, wherein the at least two devices are configured to communicate via different communication protocols.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, from a gateway device and via first communication protocol, an indication of user input associated with one or more premises devices;

based on the indication of the user input, sending, to the one or more premises devices and via a second communication protocol, command data, wherein the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol;

receiving, from the one or more premises devices, premises device data; and

sending, to the gateway device and via the first communication protocol, an indication of the premises device data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the premises device data comprises receiving, via the second communication protocol, the premises device data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input is associated with a user interface of the gateway device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the command data is configured to cause the one or more premises devices to at least one of generate content, modify a setting associated with the one or more premises devices, change a state associated with the one or more premises devices, or send data associated with the one or more premises devices.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more premises devices comprise at least one of a camera device, a sensor device, an Internet Protocol (IP) device, a controller device configured to control another device, or an alarm device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the user input is indicative of at least one of a modification of a setting of the one or more premises devices, a change of state of the one or more premises devices, or a generation, by the one or more premises devices, of content.

17. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

receive, from a gateway device and via first communication protocol, an indication of user input associated with one or more premises devices;

based on the indication of the user input, send, to the one or more premises devices and via a second communication protocol, command data;

receive, from the one or more premises devices, premises device data; and

send, to the gateway device and via the first communication protocol, an indication of the premises device data.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the premises device data is indicative of at least one of content generated by the one or more premises devices, a state change of the one or more premises devices, or a modification of a setting of the one or more premises devices.

19. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the one or more premises devices comprise at least one of a security system device or a home automation device.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:

poll, based at least on a communication from the one or more premises devices, the one or more premises devices, for the premises device data.