Wireless Aggregator

• US 20140304356A1
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iDevices, LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: iDevices, LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, Christopher J. Sr., Montieth, Shawn, Ferguson, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/245,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20140304356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Aggregator for communicating with one or more accessory devices having at least one receiver configured to communicate with one or more devices and collect data therefrom, a processor in communication with the at least one receiver, a first memory in communication with the processor and configured to store the collected data, and a second memory in communication with the processor and configured provide read-write capabilities to the aggregator.

Claims

1. An aggregator comprising:

at least one wireless radio configured to communicate with one or more accessory devices to at least one of collect data therefrom and send data thereto;

a processor in communication with the at least one wireless radio and configured to receive and process data collected from the one or more accessory devices and configured to process and send data from the aggregator to the one or more accessory devices, the processor further configured to receive inputs from a user to control the aggregator and/or the one or more accessory devices;

a first memory in communication with the processor and configured to store the collected data; and

a second memory in communication with the processor and configured provide read-write capabilities to the aggregator.

2. An aggregator as defined in claim 1, further comprising an internet controller configured to connect the aggregator to the internet.

3. An aggregator as defined in claim 2, wherein the aggregator is configured to allow a user to access the aggregator through the internet.

4. An aggregator as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless radio comprises a Bluetooth wireless radio.

5. An aggregator as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless radio comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy wireless radio.

6. An aggregator as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless radio comprises a wireless network protocol radio.

7. An aggregator as defined in claim 1, wherein the first memory comprises non-volatile memory and the second memory comprises volatile memory.

8. An aggregator as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one communications port configured to allow wired communication between at least one of the one or more accessory devices and the aggregator.

9. An aggregator as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to be controlled by a program on a user device.

10. A method comprising:

establishing a data communication connection between an aggregator and one or more accessory devices;

receiving at the aggregator information transmitted from at least one of the one or more accessory devices;

storing the received information on the aggregator; and

transmitting the received information from the aggregator to a user.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the one or more accessory devices comprise Bluetooth enabled devices, and the data communication connection comprises a wireless Bluetooth connection.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the storage of the received information is first stored in a volatile memory for a duration and then transferred to a non-volatile memory for longer storage times.

13. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising transmitting from the aggregator at least one of a command and information to at least one of the one or more accessory devices to control the accessory device.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the transmitting of a command or information is initiated by a user.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, further comprising providing the command or information from at least one of a manual input, a wireless connection from an access device, and from the internet.

16. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising transmitting the received information from the aggregator to a server for at least one of storage, processing, and remote access by a user.

17. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting the received information is initiated by a request of a user.

18. An aggregator system comprising:

an aggregator configured to communicate with one or more accessory devices by a data connection thereto, and configured to at least one of store information collected from the accessory devices, receive information from the one or more accessory device, and send at least one of commands and information to the one or more accessory devices by the data connection; and

an access device configured to communicate, using a computerized application, with the aggregator to, by the data connection, at least one of obtain the stored information, send at least one of commands and information to the one or more accessory devices, and retrieve information from the one or more accessory devices.

19. An aggregator system as defined in claim 18, wherein the communication between the aggregator and the one or more accessory devices comprises wireless communication.

20. An aggregator system as defined in claim 19, wherein the wireless communication comprises at least one of Bluetooth, low energy Bluetooth, and wireless network protocol.

21. An aggregator system as defined in claim 18, wherein the access device comprises a wireless computing device.

22. An aggregator system as defined in claim 21, wherein the application comprises a user interface configured to display at least one of information comprising the stored information, at least one of commands and information to be sent to the accessory devices, and commands to control the aggregator.

23. An aggregator system as defined in claim 18, wherein the access device is further configured to control the aggregator.

24. An aggregator system as defined in claim 18, further comprising at least one additional aggregator in a communication connection with the aggregator and configured to communicate with one or more additional accessory devices by a data connection thereto, and configured to, by the data connection, at least one of store information collected from the one or more additional accessory devices, receive information from the one or more additional accessory devices, and send at least one of commands and information to the one or more additional accessory devices.

25. An aggregator system as defined in claim 24, defining, through the communication connection between the aggregator and the at least one additional aggregator, the data connection between the aggregator and the one or more accessory devices, and the data connection between the at least one additional aggregator and the one or more additional accessory devices, a communication system configured to allow communication among any of said aggregators, the one or more accessory devices, and the one or more additional accessory devices.

26. An aggregator system as defined in claim 24, wherein the communication system, through a communication connection between the access device and the aggregator, is configured to allow communication among the access device and any of said aggregators, the one or more accessory devices, and the one or more additional accessory devices.

27. An aggregator system as defined in claim 24, wherein the at least one additional aggregator is configured to, when information is received by the at least one additional aggregator from one or more of the one or more additional accessory devices, send at least one of commands or information to one or more of the one or more accessory devices in response to the received information through said communication connection with the aggregator and communication between the aggregator and the one or more of the one or more accessory devices.

28. An aggregator system as defined in claim 24, wherein when the access device is connected to the aggregator or the at least one additional aggregator, the access device is configured to at least one of obtain information stored on any of said aggregators, send at least one of commands and information to accessory devices in communication with said aggregators, and retrieve information from accessory devices in communication with said aggregators.

29. An aggregator system as defined in claim 24, wherein the aggregator and the at least one additional aggregator each define an area of coverage within which an accessory device is connectable thereto.

30. An aggregator system as defined in claim 29, wherein the areas of coverage at least partially overlap so that said accessory device remains connected to at least one of the aggregator and the at least one additional aggregator as it moves between the coverage areas of the aggregator and the at least one additional aggregator.

31. An aggregator system as defined in claim 18, wherein the access device is configured to communicate with the one or more accessory devices and configured to at least one of obtain information directly from the one or more accessory devices and send at least one of commands and information directly to the one or more accessory devices by a data connection between the access device and the one or more accessory devices.

32. A system comprising:

a first unit comprising a processing unit and at least one storage device, the processing unit configured and adapted to control the first unit to at least one of communicate with one or more accessory devices, and at least one collect information therefrom and send at least one of commands and information thereto, the at least one storage device configured and adapted to at least one of store information collected from the one or more accessory devices, store programs configured to control the one or more accessory devices, and store information about each of the one or more accessory devices; and

a second unit comprising a computerized electronic device having hardware and at least one of firmware and software adapted and configured for installation of a computer application adapted and configured such that the second unit is adapted and configured to communicate with the first unit, wherein the second unit is further adapted and configured to permit a user to at least one of (i) send at least one of information and commands from the first unit to the one or more accessory devices and (ii) collect information from the first unit.

33. A system as defined in claim 32, wherein the first unit comprises an aggregator.

34. A system as defined in claim 32, wherein the second unit comprises a wireless computing device.

35. A system as defined in claim 32, wherein the first unit is wirelessly connectable to at least one of the one or more accessory devices.

36. A system as defined in claim 35, wherein the wireless connection is at least one of Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, radio frequency, and wireless network protocol.

37. A system as defined in claim 32, wherein the computer application is a mobile application program.

38. A system as defined in claim 32, further comprising an internet server configured to facilitate communication between the second unit and the first unit.

39. A system as defined in claim 32, wherein the computer application comprises a user interface presented on the second unit and configured to allow viewing of at least one of (i) the information collected by and stored on the first unit and (ii) commands or information capable of being sent to at least one of the first unit and the one or more accessory devices.

40. A system as defined in claim 39, wherein the computer application user interface is configured to allow for a user to control the first unit.