METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING APPLIANCES

• US 20160085220A1
• Filed: 04/28/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: Yang, Yun, Ren, Qiao, Gao, Ziguang
• Granted Patent: US 9,996,065 B2
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002

Abstract

A method for controlling an appliance is provided. The method includes: receiving a notification message from a control device, wherein the notification message includes address information regarding the control device; receiving quality data of a target object from an appliance configured to process the target object, wherein the quality data of the target object is obtained by measuring quality of the target object by the appliance; and sending an appliance control prompt to the control device according to the address information when determining that the quality data of the target object does not reach a threshold, wherein the appliance control prompt is configured to prompt a user of the control device to start the appliance for processing the target object.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an appliance, the method being used in a server and comprising:

receiving a notification message from a control device, wherein the notification message includes address information regarding the control device;

receiving quality data of a target object from an appliance configured to process the target object, wherein the quality data of the target object is obtained by measuring quality of the target object by the appliance; and

sending an appliance control prompt to the control device according to the address information when determining that the quality data of the target object does not reach a threshold, wherein the appliance control prompt is configured to prompt a user of the control device to start the appliance for processing the target object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the quality data of the target object comprises:

receiving the quality data from at least one of an air purifier configured to purify air, or a water purifier configured to purify water.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the notification message further includes geographical location information of a house of the user of the control device, and types of one or more appliances in the house, the determining that the quality data of the target object does not reach the threshold comprises:

acquiring quality data of the target object from a plurality of appliances, wherein the plurality of appliances are of identical type and located in a plurality of houses in a specified region;

obtaining regional quality data of the specified region according to the acquired quality data of the target object; and

determining that the regional quality data does not reach the threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sending of the appliance control prompt to the control device according to the address information comprises:

if the house of the user is in the specified region and no appliance bound to the control device processes the target object, sending the appliance control prompt to the control device when it is determined that the regional quality data does not reach the threshold, wherein the appliance control prompt is configured to prompt the user of the control device to add an appliance for processing the target object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an appliance control instruction to the appliance, such that the appliance is controlled according to the appliance control instruction.

6. A method for controlling an appliance, the method being used in a control device and comprising:

sending to a cloud server a notification message including address information regarding the control device; and

receiving appliance control prompt information sent from the cloud server according to the address information, wherein the appliance control prompt information is configured to prompt a user of the control device to start an appliance for processing a target object, and the appliance control prompt information is sent from the cloud server when the cloud server determines that quality data of the target object does not reach a threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sending of the notification message to the cloud server comprises:

carrying in the notification message appliance information and geographical location information of a house of the user, wherein the appliance information includes an appliance type of the appliance, for the cloud server to obtain regional quality data of a specified region where the house is located according to the geographical location information and the appliance type.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a house identifier merging indicator;

acquiring individual house identifiers to be merged according to the house identifier merging indicator;

using one of the individual house identifiers as a unified house identifier; and

sending the unified house identifier to the cloud server, such that the cloud server changes the individual house identifiers to the unified house identifier.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the appliance:

measures quality of the target object to obtain the quality data; and

sends the quality data of the target object to the cloud server.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an appliance control instruction from the cloud server; and

performing appliance control according to the appliance control instruction.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the appliance:

sends appliance information including an appliance type and an appliance identifier of the appliance to the control device, for the control device to send the appliance information to the cloud server.

12. A control device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

send a notification message to a cloud server, wherein the notification message includes address information regarding the control device; and

receive appliance control prompt information sent from the cloud server, wherein the cloud server sends the appliance control prompt information according to the address information when determining that quality data of a target object does not reach a threshold, and the appliance control prompt information is configured to prompt a user of the control device to start an appliance for processing the target object.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

carry in the notification message appliance information and geographical location information of a house of the user, wherein the appliance information includes an appliance type of the appliance, for the cloud server to obtain regional quality data of a specified region where the house is located according to the geographical location information and the appliance type.

14. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a house identifier merging indicator;

acquire individual house identifiers to be merged according to the house identifier merging indicator;

use one of the individual house identifiers as a unified house identifier; and

send the unified house identifier to the cloud server, such that the cloud server changes the individual house identifiers to the unified house identifier.

15. A server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a notification message from a control device, wherein the notification message includes address information regarding the control device;

receive quality data of a target object from an appliance configured to process the target object, wherein the quality data of the target object is obtained by measuring quality of the target object by the appliance; and

send an appliance control prompt to the control device according to the address information when determining that the quality data of the target object does not reach a threshold, wherein the appliance control prompt is configured to prompt a user of the control device to start the appliance for processing the target object.

16. The server according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire quality data of the target object from a plurality of appliances, wherein the plurality of appliances are of identical type and located in a plurality of houses in a specified region;

obtain regional quality data of the specified region according to the acquired quality data of the target object; and

determine that the regional quality data does not reach the threshold.

17. The server according to claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the house of the user is in the specified region and no appliance bound to the control device processes the target object, send the appliance control prompt to the control device when it is determined that the regional quality data does not reach the threshold, wherein the appliance control prompt is configured to prompt the user of the control device to add an appliance for processing the target object.

18. The server according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send an appliance control instruction to the appliance, such that the appliance is controlled according to the appliance control instruction.