COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM INCLUDING INSTANT MESSAGE DEVICE CONTROL AND RELATED METHODS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A communications system comprising:
- a control device having an instant message (IM) device contact associated therewith; and
a control gateway having an IM gateway contact associated therewith and configured to communicate with a controllable device over a network, and validate the IM device contact, said control gateway comprising a database of a plurality of already validated IM device contacts;
said control device configured to communicate with the controllable device through said control gateway after validation and based upon the IM device contact and the IM gateway contact;
said control gateway configured to send a communications request to said control device based upon the IM device contact being added to the database of the plurality of already validated IM device contacts.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system may include a control device having an instant message (IM) device contact associated therewith. The communications system may also include a control gateway having an IM gateway contact associated therewith and may be configured to communicate with a controllable device over a network. The control gateway may be configured to validate the IM device contact. The control device may be configured to communicate with the controllable device through the control gateway after validation and based upon the IM device contact and the IM gateway contact.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A communications system comprising:
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a control device having an instant message (IM) device contact associated therewith; and a control gateway having an IM gateway contact associated therewith and configured to communicate with a controllable device over a network, and validate the IM device contact, said control gateway comprising a database of a plurality of already validated IM device contacts; said control device configured to communicate with the controllable device through said control gateway after validation and based upon the IM device contact and the IM gateway contact; said control gateway configured to send a communications request to said control device based upon the IM device contact being added to the database of the plurality of already validated IM device contacts. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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2. (canceled)
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4. (canceled)
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10. A communications sytem comprising:
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a network; a controllable device; a control device having an instant message (IM) device contact associated therewith; and a control gateway having an IM gateway contact associated therewith and configured to communicate with said controllable device over said network, and validate the IM device contact, said control gateway comprising a database of a plurality of already validated IM device contacts; said control device configured to communicate with the controllable device over said network through said control gateway after validation and based upon the IM device contact and the IM gateway contact; said control gateway configured to send a communications request to said control device based upon the IM device contact being added to the database of the plurality of already validated IM device contacts. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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11. (canceled)
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16. A control device having an instant message (IM) device contact associated therewith and comprising:
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a control device controller configured to communicate with a control gateway having an instant message (IM) gateway contact associated therewith and configured to communicate with a controllable device over a network, and validate the IM device contact, the control gateway comprising a database of a plurality of already validated IM device contacts; said control device controller configured to communicate with the controllable device through the control gateway after validation and based upon the IM device contact and the IM gateway contact; said control device configured to receive a communications request from said control gateway based upon the IM device contact being added to the database of the plurality of already validated IM device contacts. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A communications method comprising:
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using a control gateway having an IM gateway contact associated therewith to communicate with a controllable device over a network, and validate an IM device contact associated with a control device, the control gateway comprising a database of a plurality of already validated IM device contacts; using the control device to communicate with the controllable device through the control gateway after validation and based upon the IM device contact and the IM gateway contact; the communication also being based upon the control gateway sending a communications request to the control device based upon the IM device contact being added to the database of the plurality of already validated IM device contacts. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A communications method comprising:
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using a control device to communicate with a controllable device through a control gateway over a network, the control gateway having an IM gateway contact associated therewith and comprising a database of a plurality of already validated IM device contacts; the communication being based upon an IM device contact associated with the control device and the IM gateway contact and after validation from the control gateway the communication also being based upon the control gateway sending a communications request to the control device based upon the IM device contact being added to the database of the plurality of already validated IM device contacts. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification