IN-VEHICLE HOME AUTOMATION INTEGRATION

• US 20150293509A1
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: BANKOWSKI, Stefan, RAPITIS, Markos, DeGROW, Aaron, BURDETTE, Kevin, HALASH, Elizabeth, WEHRMAN, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/253,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293509A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

A nomadic device may be configured to connect to a vehicle computing system over a local connection and to an automation service over a wide-area connection, receive a message from the vehicle computing system over the local connection requesting a home automation action to be performed, and responsive to the message, send a command over the wide-area connection to an automation service to request the home automation action. A vehicle controller may be configured to connect to a nomadic device over a local connection, the nomadic device configured to connect to an automation service over a wide-area connection, receive input to a user interface of the vehicle computing system requesting performance of a home automation action of the automation service, and responsive to the input, send a command over the local connection to request the home automation action.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a nomadic device configured to

connect to a vehicle computing system over a local connection and to an automation service over a wide-area connection,

receive a message from the vehicle computing system over the local connection requesting a home automation action to be performed, and

responsive to the message, send a command over the wide-area connection to an automation service to request the home automation action.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the local connection includes at least one of a Bluetooth connection and a universal serial bus (USB) connection.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wide-area connection includes an Internet connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the nomadic device is further configured to log into an account of the automation service associated with a home of a user of the vehicle according to credentials received from the user via a user interface of at least one of the nomadic device and the vehicle computing system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation service includes one of a thermostat automation service, a security automation service, and a lights automation service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the home automation action includes a request for automation information, and wherein the nomadic device is further configured to receive a command response over the wide-area connection responsive to the command and including the automation information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the message requesting the home automation action to be performed is received from the vehicle computing system responsive to user input to a user interface of the vehicle computing system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user input includes at least one of voice command input requesting the home automation action to be performed and touchscreen input requesting the home automation action to be performed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the nomadic device is further configured to:

identify an automation status change in a home under automation control of the automation service,

identify a current vehicle location, and

when the vehicle is determined to be at least a predetermined distance from the home, send a message to the vehicle configured to cause the vehicle to display an automation alert in a user interface of the vehicle, the alert specifying the automation status change.

10. A system comprising:

a vehicle controller configured to

connect to a nomadic device over a local connection, the nomadic device configured to connect to an automation service over a wide-area connection,

receive input to a user interface of the vehicle computing system requesting performance of a home automation action of the automation service, and

responsive to the input, send a command over the local connection to request the home automation action.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the local connection includes at least one of a Bluetooth connection and a universal serial bus (USB) connection, and the wide-area connection includes an Internet connection.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the nomadic device is further configured to log into an account of the automation service associated with a home of a driver of the vehicle according to credentials received from the user via a user interface of at least one of the nomadic device and the vehicle computing system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the automation service includes one of a thermostat automation service, a security automation service, and a lights automation service.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the home automation action includes a request for automation information, and wherein the nomadic device is further configured to receive a command response over the wide-area connection responsive to the command and including the automation information.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the input includes at least one of voice command input requesting the home automation action to be performed and touchscreen input requesting the home automation action to be performed.

16. A system comprising:

a nomadic device configured to

identify an automation status in a home under automation control of an automation service,

identify a current vehicle location, and

when the vehicle is determined to be at least a predetermined distance from the home, send a message to the vehicle configured to cause the vehicle to display an automation alert in a user interface of the vehicle, the alert specifying the automation status.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the current vehicle location is identified according to at least one of:

a global positioning system of the nomadic device, and a global positioning system of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the nomadic device is further configured to:

connect to a vehicle computing system over a local connection and to an automation service over a wide-area connection,

receive a message from the vehicle computing system over the local connection requesting a home automation action to be performed, and

responsive to the message, send a command over the wide-area connection to an automation service to request the home automation action.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the automation status is a change in automation status.