WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK FOR SMART APPLIANCES
First Claim
1. A communications module for use in a consumer device, the communications module comprising:
- a wireless transceiver adapted to communicate over a wireless link;
an interface for communicating with a host processor of the consumer device; and
a processor in communication with the memory, the wireless transceiver, and the interface, the processor being adapted to;
receive scheduled event data over the wireless link on behalf of the host processor;
schedule events for the host processor using the scheduled event data thus received; and
transmit commands for said scheduled events to the host processor for execution.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communications module, and a consumer device comprising the communications model, is provided for use in a communication network with one or more consumer devices or “smart” appliances. The communications module includes a wireless transceiver for communication with the network, for example in accordance with the ZigBee protocol, and an interface for communicating with a host processor of the consumer device. The module receives scheduled event data over a wireless link on behalf of the host processor, and schedules events for execution by the host processor upon receipt of commands transmitted by the module. The communications module may include a virtual host module, which translates commands between a protocol used by the host processor and a protocol used by the communications module. The communications module is also configured to automatically seek and join a network, and to discover and bind to services provided over the network.
91 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A communications module for use in a consumer device, the communications module comprising:
-
a wireless transceiver adapted to communicate over a wireless link; an interface for communicating with a host processor of the consumer device; and a processor in communication with the memory, the wireless transceiver, and the interface, the processor being adapted to; receive scheduled event data over the wireless link on behalf of the host processor; schedule events for the host processor using the scheduled event data thus received; and transmit commands for said scheduled events to the host processor for execution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A consumer device comprising:
-
a host processor; and a communications module in communication with the host processor, the communications module comprising; a wireless transceiver adapted to communicate over a wireless link; an interface for communicating with a host processor of the consumer device; and a processor in communication with the memory, the wireless transceiver, and the interface, the processor being adapted to; receive scheduled event data over the wireless link on behalf of the host processor; schedule events for the host processor using the scheduled event data thus received; and transmit commands for said scheduled events to the host processor for execution.
-
-
11. A method for managing scheduled events for a consumer device, the method comprising:
-
receiving over a wireless link, at a communications module comprised in the consumer device, scheduled event data from a services portal; scheduling events for a host processor of the consumer device using the scheduled event data; and transmitting commands for said scheduled events to the host processor for execution. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code which, when executed by a processor of a communications module, causes the module to carry out the method of:
-
receiving over a wireless link, at the communications module, the communications module being comprised in a consumer device, scheduled event data from a services portal; scheduling events for a host processor of the consumer device using the scheduled event data; and transmitting commands for said scheduled events to the host processor for execution.
-
Specification