METHOD, SYSTEM, and COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM RELATING TO INTERNET of THINGS-ENABLED REMOTE CONTROLS

• US 20150262443A1
• Filed: 05/02/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyu Han Chong
• Original Assignee: Kyu Han Chong
• Inventors: Chong, Kyu Han
• Granted Patent: US 9,779,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

The disclosed technology relates to transforming an ordinary remote control into an IoT device. IoT provides an opportunity to enable and extend traditional technology products in seamless and cost-effective way. As an example, a remote control for garage door openers is transformed, thereby allowing users of smart phones to remotely activate the garage door openers from anywhere in the world. The transformation virtually eliminates installation and integration difficulties, without losing any functionality. The IoT-powered devices also open the opportunity of whole world of M2M automation and benefits, such as automatically closing all garage doors after 9 PM or when people are away from the home.

This technology further enables the power of smart phones, connected watches, tablets, IoT and M2M devices disruptively, changing how we live and interact with machines.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a remote control device comprising:

receiving, by an electronic device, a signal transmitted from a user device such as a smart phone, information encoded within the signal describing IoT message, and semantic information encoded within the signal describing content of the message;

accessing programming logic for interpreting the content of the message described by the semantic information; and

enabling a combination of remote control functions, the electronic device operatively coupled with remote control circuit board via a docking station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is operatively coupled with one or more type of the management, message, and logic servers, as well as the IoT devices, the method further comprising:

receiving at the user device, an input via the Graphical User Interface (GUI) that specifies an action that is intended to activate remote control function(s);

transmitting a control signal to the IoT device via Message server, configured to instruct the IoT device to perform the action specified;

receiving additional message signals transmitted by the IoT device that reports sensor information as a result of the actions.

3. A system for transforming a traditional remote control into an IoT device, the system comprising:

one or more of the message and logic servers configured to support one or more of the M2M/IoT protocols, wherein communicates with user devices and IoT devices;

an authentication and authorization servers wherein communicates with user devices and IoT devices;

an iOS and Android mobile applications on user devices configured to support one or more of the M2M/IoT protocols wherein communicates with the message server;

an IoT device configured to support one or more of the M2M protocols, wherein the IoT device is configured to receive and send messages from and to the message server; and

a communication network providing a medium for devices and servers to send and receive M2M messages.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the IoT device directly couples with the remote control to activate a remote devices over a communication network, comprising:

a networked System-on-Module (SoM) further comprising a System-on-Chip (SoC), a storage memory and a program execution memory;

wherein the SoC comprises a microcontroller interfacing with sensors and coupled devices thereto;

a SoM circuit board providing an interface with the extracted remote controller circuit board, comprising;

a docking station to couple an extracted remote control circuit board;

wherein the extracted remote control circuit board with battery(s) removed is coupled to the SoM/SoC circuit board using spring loaded (pogo) pins and/or arched metal plates enhancing contacts;

wherein the SoM/SoC circuit board and remote control circuit board are coupled using one of the following options;

directly coupled;

directly coupled using a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT);

coupled to simulate a button push using a BJT;

directly coupled using a optocoupler;

coupled using a combination of BJT and optocoupler;

a battery-shaped power adapter is coupled to the remote control circuit board;

wherein the power to the remote control circuit board is activated as needed controlled by the SoM on the IoT device;

an Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current (DC) power supply provides power to both IoT devices and remote control circuit board, the DC power also charges a battery with protection circuitry, visual and audible alarms and actuator(s);

wherein a backup battery provides filtered and regulated power for the circuit board and remote control circuit board;

a sensor(s) proving environment situation awareness;

an actuator to disengage a garage door from a garage door opener;

a display to render received information and status of the sensors;

an AC power sensor providing power status;

a battery-shaped power adapter provides power to the remote control circuit board as needed to eliminate a potential false activation of the device(s); and

a solder shaped pogo pins and/or wire brush pogo pins couple with the remote control circuit board comprising;

a self-centering pogo pins that accommodates different shapes and sizes of the solder as well as the pins of different lengths on top of the solders.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the IoT device interacts with servers and client applications to conduct a multi-factor authentication and authorization program process, wherein the authentication and authorization process are also used to establish the initial connection with the management server that in turn provides information back to IoT device to establish a new connection with the servers and communication network;

wherein the system interacts with an unmanned autonomous devices and manned devices comprising;

a wireless interface circuit providing a communication channel with the unmanned autonomous devices such as Amazon Prime Air drone, robots, vehicles equipped with telematics, as well as the manned devices from USPS, FEDEX, UPS, and 911 emergency response professionals to exchange information and activate the movable barriers;

a authentication program process to verify the identity and determine an allowed functionality;

a authorization program process to verify a set of actions to be performed on movable barrier(s) for a set period of time;

an interactive program to coordinate detail actions such as a start time, end time, specific position of the movable barrier, notification, and verification;

a 911 interactive program provides information about household, their last known locations, sensor information, and alarm status;

the program can also disengage the garage door from the garage door opener, and activation of garage door openers; and

a security program to monitor sensors and execute commands such as activating door locks and enabling other IoT device(s).

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the IoT device directly couples with a remote control to activate movable barriers and other devices such as a ceiling fan, home door lock, automotive door lock, electric heaters, light switches, lights with sensors, and hardwire interconnected smoke alarms, in addition to the specifications in claim 4 following is a list of specifications per unique embodiment, comprising:

an embodiment couples with an automotive remote control and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) controller, comprising;

an IoT SoC comprises a microcontroller for interfacing with a SCADA controller to gain a full access from the user interfaces;

a DC power to the remote control is disabled until the IoT device onboard the automobile authenticates and authorizes the user account and user device;

wherein, if the automotive remote control is automatically recognized by the automobile, the door(s) will be unlocked without any further user interaction;

wherein, if the automotive remote control is not automatically recognized by the automobile, the SoC will activate a remote control function to unlock the doors;

a DC power to the IoT device and remote control is provided by the 12 v DC automotive power where it is converted and regulated appropriately;

a power to the IoT device and the remote control is provided by a 12 v DC automotive power where the DC power is converted and regulated appropriately;

an embodiment coupled with an interconnect cable of a hardwire interconnected smoke alarm, comprising;

an IoT SoC receives a smoke alarm warning data, and/or activates the smoke alarms creating an audible warning;

wherein the SoC coupled to a gas sensor can active the smoke alarms;

wherein the SoC coupled to a security sensor can active the smoke alarms;

wherein the SoC coupled to an audible and visual alarm devices can be activated;

wherein the user devices receive the alarm message based on their configured subscribed topics;

an IoT SoC can activate the hardwire interconnected smoke alarms based on the messages received from the message server;

an embodiment coupled with a lights, comprising;

an IoT SoC detects changes in the output of the security sensors specific to a microwave, infrared, ultrasonic, and motion (video pixels) sensors;

in turn the output triggers an indication and warning message to the logic server where rules based on combination of sensor data activates different levels of audible, visual, and message notification for further action;

wherein these security sensors are part of the light system;

an embodiment coupled with a light switch, comprising;

an IoT SoC detects changes in the output of the security sensors specific to a microwave, infrared, ultrasonic, and motion (video pixels) sensors providing indication and warning messages to the logic server in which the rules based on combination of sensor data activates different levels of audible, visual, and message notification for further action;

wherein these sensors are part of light switches; and

an IoT SoC enabled electrical switch couples with traditional 3, 4, or n-way light switches, acting as one of the wall switches in a group.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

an IoT medium configured to store computer-readable instructions thereon; and

a computer-readable instructions that;

when executed SoC performs methods, comprising;

receiving, by an electronic device, a signal transmitted from a graphical user interface of a personal computing device, IoT devices, message server, or logic server, an information encoded within a signal containing a command to operate a remote control, authenticate with message server, verify authorization based on combination of username, password, originating device, device type(s), authorized property of the device, rules, and/or, logics, provide visual and/or audible warning, pause for a set period of time, once authenticated and authorized the enable power is provided to the coupled remote control, and enable the function of the remote control or enables a combination of functions meticulously timed and sequenced, read from sensor(s) and report status back to originating device, user, and subscriber(s) of the function performed, stores the status of the sensor on the medium configured to store computer-readable instruction, displays sensor information, communication connection status and information, message server connection status, IoT device status, log, subscribed topics, received commands, authentication status, authorization status, and error messages, activate actuator(s) to disengage garage doors from their respective garage door openers;

wherein the computer-readable instruction in non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is updated over the communication network, or over a SoC UART port; and

wherein the computer-readable data is stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;

a user device (smartphone, watch, tablet, automobile telematics device, drone (UAVS), robot, or computer) medium configured to store computer-readable instructions thereon; and

a computer-readable instructions that;

when executed performs methods, comprising instructions and functions to;

connect to server automatically, connect to server manually, disconnect from server manually, visualize status of the sensors, actions related to the devices, and status of IoT, visualize sensor data related to sensor(s), device(s), and group(s), visualize actions assigned by logic actions, authorization(s), and subscriber of the action to be performed, visualize log of actions listing time, initiated device, user, and type of action and sensor data, visualize rules and logics, sort, search, add and remove information from the visualization screen, visualize status of battery and actuators, visualize position of the GD, visualize temperature and humidity of garage and outside, group sensors and/or devices together as a group to perform actions, ungroup sensors and/or device(s), create and delete if-do logic action(s), create and delete if-stop rule(s), create and delete authorization for user(s), create and delete authorization for machine(s), create and delete authentication method(s), create and delete subscribe topic(s) including supporting wild card expression, create and delete publish topic(s) including supporting wild card expression, create and delete audible notification level(s) and type(s), create and delete visual notification level(s) and type(s), create and delete feel notification level(s) and type(s), create and delete list of notification recipient(s), group and ungroup recipient(s), present GUI interface for group(s), device(s), sensor(s), logic action(s), rule(s), authorization(s), authentication method(s), user(s), machine(s), method(s), topic(s), notification level(s), types(s), and topic(s), auto-list and auto-complete all listed above, store the information on the SoM/SoC flash memory and on the server flash memory; and

a server device storage medium configured to store computer-readable instructions thereon; and

a computer-readable instructions that;

when executed performs methods, comprising instructions and functions to;

communicate with devices and perform actions based on settings set by authorized user applications, communicate with devices and stop requested action(s) based on setting(s) set by authorized user application(s), notify device(s), user(s), recipient(s) of stop action(s), store all communication(s), log message(s), and status of all devices and their data, management server for configuring and managing IoT devices, Security server as part of the management server for encryption, authorization, authentication and analysis.