Network solution for integrated control of electronic devices between different sites

• US 20060045107A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Castle Tek Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Castle Tek Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Kucenas, Ray, Barker, Roger
• Application Number:
  US11/208,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20060045107A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/00 Interfaces specially adapted for wireless communication networks

Abstract

A network solution for integrated control of electronic devices between different sites is provided to enable complete control of home electronic devices, automotive devices, watercraft devices and aircraft electronic device with an affordable cost to the general public. The network solution has a hardware solution and a software solution integrated with each other. The hardware has a main server located at a first site to link with and control various electronic devices located at the first site, and a computer located at a second site to link with and control various electronic devices at the second site. The software provides a user interface program for interfacing the main server and the computer with the electronic devices linked therewith, respectively, and an internetworking model interacting with the user interface program to communicate the main server and the computer. Therefore, the user is able to control the electronic devices at a distant site.

Claims

1. A network solution for integrated control of electronic devices between sites, comprising:

a hardware solution, comprising a main server located at a first site and a computer located at a second site, the main server being operative to link with and control various electronic devices at the first site and the computer being operative to link with and control various electronic devices at the second site; and

a software solution loaded in the main server and the computer, the software solution comprising;

a user interface program for interfacing at least one of the main server and the computer with the electronic devices linked therewith according to an input provided by a user; and

an internetworking model interacting with the user interface program to communicate the computer with the main server.

2. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the first site includes a stationary site and the second site includes a mobile site away from the first site.

3. The network solution of claim 2, wherein the computer includes a mobile computer small and ruggedized enough to fit in the mobile site.

4. The network solution of claim 2, wherein the second site includes a vehicle, a watercraft or an aircraft.

5. The network solution of claim 2, wherein the electronic devices linked to and controlled by the computer comprise at least one of a navigation package, a satellite package, a handheld remote control, a pressure sensitive, and a cellular modem.

6. The network solution of claim 2, wherein the hardware solution further comprises a biometric device linked to the computer for identifying the user.

7. The network solution of claim 2, further comprising at least one of a cellular Internet modem and a high speed wireless device to provide a network medium allowing the internetworking model to communicate the computer with the main server.

8. The network solution of claim 7, wherein an 802.11 interface is used for the communication between the computer model and the main server.

9. The network solution of claim 2, wherein the hardware solution further comprises a user interface linked to the computer allowing the user to provide the input to the user interface program.

10. The network solution of claim 9, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen.

11. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the first site and the second site are two different stationary sites.

12. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the electronic devices linked to the main server includes at least one of a temperature control device, a light control device, a camera system, a door locking solution, a drape/shade solution system, at least one personal computer, an oven, and a video/audio device.

13. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the software solution is stored in a memory.

14. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the user interface is customized for each individual user.

15. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the hardware solution further comprises a user interface at each of the first and second sites allowing the user to provide the input to the user interface program at each site.

16. The network solution of claim 15, wherein the user interfaces includes touch screens.

17. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the user interface program includes a customer interface layer and the internetworking model includes Open System Interconnect model having an Application layer, a Presentation layer, a Session layer, a Transport layer, a Network layer, a Data link layer, and a Physical layer.

18. The network solution of claim 17, wherein the customer interface layer interacts directly with the Application layer.

19. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the user interface program is operative to provide a user menu in each of the main server and the computer allowing the user to select access of any of the electronic devices linked therewith, respectively.

20. The network solution of claim 1, wherein the user interface program is operative to provide a user menu in the computer allowing the user to select access of any of the electronic devices linked with the main server at the first site.

21. A software solution for interfacing electronic devices at a plurality of sites through main servers at the respective sites, comprising:

a user interface program allowing a user at a first site to input a task on selected electronic devices at a second site and operative to interface the selected electronic devices with the main server at the second site; and

an internetworking model operative to communicate the main server at the first site with the main server at the second site.

22. The software solution of claim 21, wherein the first site is the same as the second site.

23. The software solution of claim 21, wherein the first site is distant from the second site.

24. The software solution of claim 21, wherein the internetworking model includes the Open System Interconnect model having seven layers and the user interface program includes a customer interface layer interacting with an Application layer of the Open System Interconnect model.

25. The software solution of claim 24, wherein the customer interface layer is operative to integrate all the electronic devices at the same site into the same interface.

26. The software solution of claim 21, wherein the first site includes a car, a boat, a plane or a mobile vehicle.