METHODS FOR DETERMINING PROXIMITY OF A MOBLE DEVICE AND AN APPLIANCE AND FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20150126126A1
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lee, Dong Hun, Shin, Dong Soo, Hwang, Jun Sik, Park, Kihwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,331,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method for determining proximity of a mobile device to an appliance and for operating the appliance and the mobile device is provided. The method includes identifying the mobile device and/or the appliance with a Media Access Control or MAC header and establishing a proximity of the mobile device to the appliance based at least in part on a Received Signal Strength Indicator or RSSI. A service of the appliance can be executed if the RSSI is greater than a threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for determining proximity of a mobile device to an appliance and for operating the appliance and the mobile device, comprising:

receiving a Media Access Control or MAC header of the appliance at the mobile device;

establishing whether a Received Signal Strength Indicator or RSSI of the appliance is greater than a threshold value at the mobile device;

requesting a service of the appliance with the mobile device if the RSSI of the appliance is greater than the threshold value at said step of establishing; and

executing the service with the appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a source address of the appliance is registered with the mobile device prior to said step of requesting.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of requesting comprises requesting the service of the appliance with the mobile device if the RSSI of the appliance is greater than the threshold value at said step of establishing and if the source address of the appliance is registered with the mobile device at said step of determining.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of executing comprises sending information from the appliance to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the information on a display of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of executing comprises executing the service with the appliance if an identity of the service is listed in a service list of the appliance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the appliance with the mobile device prior to said step of receiving.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of registering comprises:

positioning the mobile device proximate the appliance;

broadcasting a command for the appliance with the mobile device;

replying to the command with the appliance, wherein the appliance sends at least one of an appliance type identifier, an appliance model name, a list of available services and a MAC address of the appliance to the mobile device during said step of replying; and

storing at least one of the appliance type identifier, the appliance model name, the list of available services and the MAC address of the appliance in a memory of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliance is a refrigerator appliance, a washing machine appliance, a dryer appliance, a dishwasher appliance, a microwave appliance, an HVAC appliance, a cooktop appliance, an oven appliance, a video display appliance or an audio emitter appliance.

10. A method for determining proximity of a mobile device to an appliance and for operating the appliance and the mobile device, comprising:

receiving a Media Access Control or MAC header of the mobile device at the appliance;

establishing whether a Received Signal Strength Indicator or RSSI of the mobile device is greater than a threshold value at the appliance;

executing a service of the appliance with the appliance if the RSSI of the mobile is greater than the threshold value at said step of establishing

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether a source address of the mobile device is registered with the appliance prior to said step of executing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of executing comprises executing the service of the appliance with appliance if the RSSI of the mobile device is greater than the threshold value at said step of establishing and if the source address of the mobile device is registered with the appliance at said step of determining.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of executing comprises sending information and a MAC address of the appliance from the appliance to the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the information on a display of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising registering the mobile device with the appliance prior to said step of receiving.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of registering comprises:

positioning the mobile device proximate the appliance;

broadcasting a MAC address of the mobile device with the mobile device;

sending at least one of an appliance type identifier, an appliance model name, a list of available services and a MAC address of the appliance to the mobile device;

requesting registration of the mobile device by the appliance with the mobile device; and

storing a list of selected services and the MAC address of the mobile device in a memory of the appliance.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the appliance is a refrigerator appliance, a washing machine appliance, a dryer appliance, a dishwasher appliance, a microwave appliance, an HVAC appliance, a cooktop appliance, an oven appliance, a video display appliance or an audio emitter appliance.