Residential gateway system for automated control of residential devices

• US 20030126295A1
• Filed: 12/31/2001
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Doherty, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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

Abstract

A residential gateway connects an Internet connection to an in-home network that has at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway. The residential gateway has software that receives control parameters from a control server via the Internet connection. The control server determines the control parameters from operational information of the residential device and relevant control information accessed from an information server on the Internet. The software causes the residential gateway to communicate with the residential device to provide control of the residential device based on the received control parameters. In a particular implementation, the residential device is a home irrigation system connected to the residential gateway via a wireless interface and the information server is a weather station server storing climatic information from a plurality of weather stations.

Claims

1. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, the residential gateway comprising:

a software module to receive control parameters from a control server via the Internet connection and cause the residential gateway to communicate with the residential device to provide control of the residential device based on the received control parameters; and

wherein the control server determines the control parameters from relevant control information accessed from one or more information servers on the Internet and operational information of the residential device.

2. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as per claim 1, wherein the residential device is a home irrigation system that comprises:

an irrigation controller connected to the residential gateway; and

at least one sprinkler connected to the irrigation controller.

3. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as per claim 2, wherein the control parameters are a water cycle of the irrigation system.

4. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as per claim 3, wherein the control information is climatic information.

5. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as per claim 4, wherein the operational information comprises water usage.

6. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as claim 5, wherein the water cycle is also determined based on an economic setpoint.

7. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as per claim 5, wherein the information server is a weather station server that stores climatic information from a plurality of weather stations.

8. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as per claim 7, wherein the irrigation controller is connected to the residential gateway via an IEEE 802.11b wireless interface.

9. A residential gateway that connects an Internet connection to an in-home network which comprises at least one residential device connected to the residential gateway, as per claim 1, wherein the control parameters are also determined based on an economic setpoint.

10. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, the system comprising:

a residential gateway connecting the in-home network to an Internet connection;

a control server that determines control parameters for controlling the residential device, the control server determining the control parameters from relevant control information accessed from one or more information servers on the Internet and operational information of the residential device; and

wherein the residential gateway comprises a software module that receives the control parameters from the control server via the Internet connection and causes the residential gateway to communicate with the residential device to provide control of the residential device based on the received control parameters.

11. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 10, wherein the residential device is a home irrigation system that comprises:

an irrigation controller connected to the in-home network; and

at least one sprinkler connected to the irrigation controller.

12. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 11, wherein the control parameters are a water cycle of the irrigation system.

13. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 12, wherein the control information is climatic information.

14. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 13, wherein the operational information comprises water usage.

15. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as claim 14, wherein the water cycle is also determined based on an economic setpoint.

16. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 14, wherein the information server is a weather station server that stores climatic information from a plurality of weather stations.

17. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 16, wherein the in-home network uses an IEEE 802.11b wireless interface.

18. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 10, further comprising:

a customer computer system connected to the residential gateway to provide a user with override and control capabilities and to display current and tracked operational information

19. A system for providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to an in-home network, as per claim 10, wherein the control parameters are also determined based on an economic setpoint.

20. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, the method comprising:

retrieving relevant control information from one or more information servers on the Internet;

tracking operational information of the residential device;

determining control parameters of the residential device based on the tracked operational information and the retrieved control information;

communicating the control parameters to the residential gateway via an Internet connection;

wherein the residential gateway communicates with the residential device to provide control of the residential device based on the control parameters.

21. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as per claim 20, wherein the residential device is a home irrigation system that comprises:

an irrigation controller connected to the in-home network; and

at least one sprinkler connected to the irrigation controller.

22. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as per claim 21, wherein the control parameters are a water cycle of the irrigation system.

23. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as per claim 22, wherein the control information is climatic information.

24. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as per claim 23, wherein the operational information comprises water usage.

25. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as claim 24, wherein the water cycle is also determined based on an economic setpoint.

26. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as per claim 24, wherein the information server is a weather station server that stores climatic information from a plurality of weather stations.

27. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as per claim 26, wherein the in-home network uses an IEEE 802.11b wireless interface.

28. A method of providing automated control of at least one residential device connected to a residential gateway, as per claim 20, wherein the control parameters are also determined based on an economic setpoint.