System and methods for home appliance identification and control in a networked environment

• US 20060259183A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Black, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US11/491,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259183A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/221
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] 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 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• 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 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping

Abstract

A home control and automation system and method. The system generally includes one or more wireless remote controls, a plurality of appliances (including network enabled appliances and traditional legacy appliances in the exemplary system), associated control centric devices, and associated content centric devices. Various methods for control and operation of appliances in the networked home control and automation environment are disclosed. Specifically, methods are disclosed which enable advanced home control features such as location based control setup and operation, network enabled legacy appliances and system integration, save and recall capabilities for appliance and media states, generic command based appliance controls, dynamic/complex macro command generation, and Internet based control capabilities from remote locations are disclosed in conjunction with the system of the current invention.

Claims

1. A method for providing user specified data to a portable device within an environment, the method comprising;

providing a plurality of user locatable signal generating devices within the environment;

associating each user locatable signal generating devices with user specified data in a database accessible to the portable device;

receiving a signal from a one of the plurality of user locatable signal generating devices located within the environment by the portable device when the portable device is within an operative proximity to the one of the plurality of signal generating devices;

matching data in the signal received by the portable device to user specified data in the database; and

providing the matched user specified data to the portable device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of user locatable signal generating devices comprise RFID tags.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the user specified data is location data.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the operative proximity is a user adjustable setting of the portable device.

5. A method for providing user specified data to a portable device within an environment, the method comprising;

providing a plurality of user locatable RFID tags within the environment;

associating each user locatable RFID tag with user specified data in a database accessible to the portable device;

reading data from an RFID tag located within the environment by the portable device when the portable device is within an operative proximity to the RFID tag; and

matching the RFID data read by the portable device to the database containing user specified data in order to provide the user specified data to the portable device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the user specified data is location data.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the operative proximity is a user adjustable setting of the portable device.