SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A NETWORK OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL UNITS

• US 20070250189A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quartet Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quartet Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Rourke, Michael, Rumsey, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/526 giving audible indications
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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

Abstract

A system for managing a network of environmental control units (ECUs) enables an ECU user to more easily move from one living environment to another. The system allows an ECU to be conveniently configured based on the contents of an ECU configuration profile database that stores ECU user profiles and living environment profiles, without manual reprogramming of specific user or living environment characteristics. An ECU configuration profile database is maintained that stores user profiles made up of user specific ECU configuration information, and living environment profiles made up of living environment specific ECU configuration information. Each user profile contains user specific characteristics that reflect an associated user'"'"'s disability, physical characteristics and/or preferences. Each living environment profile contains living environment characteristics that describe the living environment devices located in an associated living environment, including information regarding how those devices can be controlled by an ECU. Individual user profiles and living environment profiles are independently stored in and retrieved from the ECU configuration profile database. The ECU configuration profiles stored in the ECU configuration profile database can each be uploaded from, and/or downloaded onto, any ECU in the network of interconnected ECUs through an administrator tool application program that provides a sophisticated and powerful graphical user interface to an administrator user.

Claims

1. A system for managing a network of environmental control units, comprising:

administration tool program code stored on a computer readable medium;

wherein said administration tool program code is operable to independently store and retrieve individual ones of a plurality of environmental control unit user profiles to and from an environmental control unit configuration profile database;

wherein said administration tool program code is further operable to independently store and retrieve individual ones of a plurality of living environment profiles to and from said environmental control unit configuration profile database;

wherein each of said environmental control unit user profiles is made up of user specific environmental control unit configuration information associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of environmental control unit users; and

wherein each of said living environment profiles is made up of living environment specific environmental control unit configuration information for at least one living environment device located in an associated living environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said administration tool program code is further operable to independently download a user specified one of said plurality of environmental control unit user profiles and a user specified one of said plurality of living environment profiles into a user specified one of a plurality of environmental control units, said user specified one of said plurality of environmental control units, user specified one of said plurality of environmental control unit user profiles and said user specified one of said plurality of living environment profiles each individually selected by a user through a graphical user interface provided by said administration tool.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said administration tool program code is further operable to independently upload individual ones of said plurality of environmental control unit user profiles and said plurality of living environment profiles from user specified ones of said plurality of environmental control units, said user specified environmental control units selected by said user from a plurality of environmental control units through said graphical user interface provided by said administration tool.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said user specific environmental control unit configuration information for each of said environmental control unit user profiles reflects a disability of said corresponding one of said plurality of environmental control unit users.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said user specific environmental control unit configuration information for each of said environmental control unit user profiles further reflects at least one physical characteristic of said corresponding one of said plurality of environmental control unit users.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said user specific environmental control unit configuration information for each of said environmental control unit user profiles further reflects at least one preference of said one of said plurality of corresponding environmental control unit users.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said living environment specific control unit configuration information for each of said living environment profiles includes information describing how said at least one living environment device can be controlled by an environmental control unit.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said administration tool is further operable to download a user selected executable software image to a user selected one of said plurality of environmental control units.

9. A method of managing a network of environmental control units, comprising:

independently storing and retrieving individual ones of a plurality of environmental control unit user profiles to and from an environmental control unit configuration profile database;

independently storing and retrieving individual ones of a plurality of living environment profiles to and from said environmental control unit configuration profile database;

wherein each of said environmental control unit user profiles is made up of user specific environmental control unit configuration information associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of environmental control unit users; and

wherein each of said living environment profiles is made up of living environment specific environmental control unit configuration information for at least one living environment device located in an associated living environment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

independently downloading a user specified one of said plurality of environmental control unit user profiles and a user specified one of said plurality of living environment profiles into a user specified one of a plurality of environmental control units; and

providing a graphical user interface through which said user specified one of said plurality of environmental control units, said user specified one of said plurality of environmental control unit user profiles, and said user specified one of said plurality of living environment profiles are each individually selected by a user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

independently uploading individual ones of said plurality of environmental control unit user profiles and said plurality of living environment profiles from user specified ones of said plurality of environmental control units; and

providing a graphical user interface through which said user specified environmental control units are selected by said user from a plurality of environmental control units.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said user specific environmental control unit configuration information for each of said environmental control unit user profiles reflects a disability of said corresponding one of said plurality of environmental control unit users.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said user specific environmental control unit configuration information for each of said environmental control unit user profiles further reflects at least one physical characteristic of said corresponding one of said plurality of environmental control unit users.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said user specific environmental control unit configuration information for each of said environmental control unit user profiles further reflects at least one preference of said one of said plurality of corresponding environmental control unit users.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said living environment specific control unit configuration information for each of said living environment profiles includes information describing how said at least one living environment device can be controlled by an environmental control unit.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

downloading a user selected executable software image to a user selected one of said plurality of environmental control units.

17. A system for managing a network of environmental control units, comprising:

means for independently storing and retrieving individual ones of a plurality of environmental control unit user profiles to and from an environmental control unit configuration profile database;

means for independently storing and retrieving individual ones of a plurality of living environment profiles to and from said environmental control unit configuration profile database;

wherein each of said environmental control unit user profiles is made up of user specific environmental control unit configuration information associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of environmental control unit users; and

wherein each of said living environment profiles is made up of living environment specific environmental control unit configuration information for at least one living environment device located in an associated living environment.