SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING APPLIANCES VIA A NETWORK
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A remote control device (140, 600) controls the operation of an appliance. The remote control device (140, 600) includes a receiver (320) or transceiver (620), a controller (330, 630), and a transmitter (350, 650). The receiver (320) or transceiver (620) receives a network packet that includes at least one command. The controller (330, 630) analyzes the network packet to determine whether the packet is intended for the remote control device (140, 600). The transmitter (350, 650) outputs a signal to control operation of the appliance based on the command when the controller (330, 630) determines that the packet is intended for the remote control device (140, 600).
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Citations
54 Claims
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1-33. -33. (canceled)
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34. A control device comprising:
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a receiver coupled to a network and configured to receive from an originating device over the network a network packet having a destination address and including at least one command, the at least one command for controlling operation of an appliance; a storage device configured to store information corresponding to a capability of the control device, the capability of the control device including a set of predetermined commands; and a controller configured to analyze the destination address of the network packet to determine whether the network packet is intended for the control device, wherein the controller identifies the at least one command from the network packet and compares the at least one command with the set of predetermined commands to determine whether the at least one command can be performed by the control device; and a transmitter which transmits a signal to the appliance to control operation of the appliance based on the at least one command when the network packet is determined to be intended for the control device. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method comprising:
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receiving at a control system from an originating device over a network a network packet having a destination address and including at least one command, wherein the at least one command is to control operation of a appliance, and wherein the control system includes a storage that contains information corresponding to a capability of the control system, the capability of the control system including a set of predetermined commands; analyzing the destination address of the network packet to determine whether the network packet is intended for the control system; identifying the at least one command from the network packet; comparing the at least one command with the set of predetermined commands to determine whether the at least one command can be performed by the control system; and transmitting a signal to the appliance to control operation of the appliance based on the at least one command when the network packet is determined to be intended for the control system. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A system comprising:
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an originating device configured to generate a command for controlling one of a plurality of appliances and transmit the command in a packet having a destination address indicating that the command is intended for a target control device having said address; and a plurality of control devices including the target control device, each of the plurality of control devices having an address and storing a capability comprising a set of known commands, wherein each of the plurality of control devices is configured to; receive the packet; determine, based on a correspondence between the destination address of the packet and an address of the control device, whether the control device is the target control device, determine whether the control device can perform the command by comparing the command with the stored set of known commands, generate, based on the determination that the packet is intended for the target control device and the determination that the target control device can perform the command, a control signal based on the command; and transmit the control signal to one of the plurality of appliances to control operation of the one appliance. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method comprising:
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sending, via an originating device, a request for information regarding a capability of a control device, wherein the control device is associated with at least one appliance; receiving, in response to the request, information of said control device, the information including a network address of the control device and the capability of the control device; providing by the originating device a user interface including an indication of the at least one appliance and the capability of the control device; receiving an instruction by said originating device, the instruction being for controlling a selected one of the at least one appliance; determining, based on said instruction, a command and a destination network address associated with the control device associated with the selected appliance; generating a network packet including the command and the destination network address; transmitting the network packet to the control device; analyzing, by the control device, the network packet to determine whether said destination network address matches the network address of the control device; reading the network packet to identify the command; comparing the command with a set of known commands stored by the control device to determine if the control device can perform the command; and transmitting from the control device to the selected appliance, a signal including the identified command.
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Specification