SYSTEM, METHODS, DEVICES AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRONIC APPLIANCES WITHIN A LOCAL AREA
First Claim
1. A system for controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the system comprising:
- (a) a mobile terminal located within the local area and configured to transmit a short-range radio signal to a short-range device;
(b) a plurality of short-range devices within the local area, wherein each short-range device of the plurality of short-range devices is configured to receive a short-range radio signal from the mobile terminal;
perform a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said short-range radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and
transmit information about said measurement to an electronic apparatus;
(c) an electronic apparatus configured to receive information about said signal measurement from the plurality of short-range devices within the local area;
in response thereto determine the location of the mobile terminal; and
control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, methods, devices and computer program products for controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance, e.g. a TV, a music system, a lighting system, a kitchen appliance or an alarm system, located within a local area. The system has a mobile terminal located within the local area, the mobile terminal being configured to transmit a short-range radio signal to one or more short-range devices located within the local area. Each short-range device of the plurality of short-range devices located within the local area is configured to receive a short-range radio signal from the mobile terminal, perform a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said short-range radio signal received from the mobile terminal, and transmit information about said measurement to an electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus is configured to subsequently receive this information about the signal measurements from the plurality of short-range devices. In response thereto, the electronic apparatus is operable to determine the location of the mobile terminal, and control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A system for controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the system comprising:
-
(a) a mobile terminal located within the local area and configured to transmit a short-range radio signal to a short-range device; (b) a plurality of short-range devices within the local area, wherein each short-range device of the plurality of short-range devices is configured to receive a short-range radio signal from the mobile terminal;
perform a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said short-range radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and
transmit information about said measurement to an electronic apparatus;(c) an electronic apparatus configured to receive information about said signal measurement from the plurality of short-range devices within the local area;
in response thereto determine the location of the mobile terminal; and
control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A short-range device for assisting an electronic apparatus in controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the short-range device comprising:
-
a receiver configured to receive a short-range radio signal from a mobile terminal located within the local area; a measurement unit configured to perform a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and a transmitter configured to transmit information about the signal measurement to an electronic apparatus within the local area. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the method comprising:
-
(a) transmitting from a mobile terminal within the local area a short-range radio signal to one or more short-range devices; (b) receiving at a plurality of short-range devices within the local area a short-range radio signal from the mobile terminal;
performing at each short-range device a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said short-range radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and
transmitting from each short-range device information about the signal measurement to an electronic apparatus;(c) receiving at an electronic apparatus the information about said signal measurements performed by the plurality of short-range devices;
in response thereto determining the location of the mobile terminal, and further controlling the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 18)
-
-
14. A method of assisting in controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the method being performed by a short-range device and comprising:
-
receiving a short-range signal from a mobile terminal located within the local area; performing a measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and transmitting information about the signal measurement to an electronic apparatus within the local area. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
Specification