Internet/intranet-connected apparatus

• US 20100293241A1
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bishel, Richard Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/804,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293241A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• 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 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• 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 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method and apparatus that uses the Internet protocol, TCP/IP, for a home control network. The invention also provides embedded servers, email clients at the electrical boxes. The invention integrates the Internet to the electrical outlet, switch, or appliance boxes using a low cost embedded web server.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively energizing an electrical load, the apparatus comprising:

a relay coupled between current leads for controlling a flow of current from the relay to the electrical load;

a controller programmed to enable the relay;

a standard Internet/Intranet network interface coupled with the controller to allow Internet/Intranet access; and

a housing having a form conforming to an electrical box, wherein the housing contains the controller and the Internet network interface.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relay comprises a thyristor.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to a TCP/IP protocol.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to an UDP/IP protocol.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is selected from the group consisting of an embedded controller, an embedded computer, a microcontroller, and a microcomputer.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller executes one or more programs.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more programs comprises a web server.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more programs comprises a Simple Transport Mail Protocol program [.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more programs comprises a File Transport Protocol program.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more programs comprises an instant messaging program.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is selected from a group consisting of an outlet box, a switch box, a ceiling box, a wiring junction box, an electrical junction box, a wall box, and a receptacle box.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wired technology.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wireless technology.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical load is an AC electrical load.

15. An apparatus for selectively analyzing one or more sensors, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor to detect an environmental or user condition;

a computer programmed to receive information from the sensor;

a standard Internet/Intranet network interface coupled to the computer to allow Internet/Intranet access; and

a housing mountable within an electrical junction box, wherein the housing contains the sensor, the computer, and the standard Internet/Intranet network interface.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, where the sensor is selected from a group consisting of a current sensor, temperature sensor, motion sensor, switch, smoke detector, camera, microphone and an environmental sensor.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to a TCP/IP protocol.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to an UDP/IP protocol.

19. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein computer is selected from the group consisting of an embedded controller, an embedded computer, a microcontroller, and a microcomputer.

20. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the computer has one or more programs.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more programs comprises a web server.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more programs comprises a Simple Transport Mail Protocol program.

23. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more programs comprises a File Transport Protocol program.

24. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more programs comprises an instant messaging program.

25. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the housing is selected from the group consisting of electrical junction box is selected from a group comprising an outlet box, a switch box, a ceiling box, a wiring junction box, a wall box, and a receptacle box.

26. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wired technology.

27. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wireless technology.

28. An apparatus for controlling one or more electrical loads, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a driver to control one or more electrical loads;

a standard Internet/Intranet network interface coupled with said controller to allow Internet/Intranet access; and

a housing mountable within an electrical box, wherein the housing contains the controller and the standard Internet/Intranet network interface.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the controller is selected from the group consisting of an embedded controller, an embedded computer, a microcontroller, and a microcomputer.

30. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the driver is selected from the group consisting of a relay driver, a triac driver, a transistor driver, and an integrated circuit driver.

31. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said one or more electrical loads are selected from the group consisting of a motor, an appliance, a heater, and a light.

32. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to a TCP/IP protocol.

33. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the standard Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to an UDP/IP protocol.

34. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the housing is selected from a group consisting of an outlet box, a switch box, a ceiling box, a wiring junction box, a wall box, an electrical junction box, and a receptacle box.

35. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said one or more electrical loads are AC electrical loads.