METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERSONALIZED, SECURE, AND INTUITIVE SMART HOME CONTROL USING A SMART HAND

• US 20160124401A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Li, Zhiyun
• Granted Patent: US 10,254,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) for use in a smart home control system is provided. The UE includes a beam forming device configured to transmit a directional signal beam to an electronic device. The directional signal beam includes a credential associated with the UE. The UE also includes a transmitter configured to transmit a command signal including the credential after the beam forming device transmits the directional signal beam to the electronic device. The command signal commands an operation of the electronic device. The UE further includes an input device. The input device is configured to receive a directional signal beam generating input to initiate the transmission of the signal beam. The input device is also configured to receive a command input to initiate the transmission of the command signal.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for use in a smart home control system, the UE comprising:

a beam forming device configured to transmit a directional signal beam to an electronic device, wherein the directional signal beam includes a credential associated with the UE;

a transmitter configured to transmit a command signal including the credential after the beam forming device transmits the directional signal beam to the electronic device, wherein the command signal commands an operation of the electronic device; and

an input device configured to;

receive a directional signal beam generating input to initiate the transmission of the signal beam, and

receive a command input to initiate the transmission of the command signal.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the command input comprises at least one of a voice command, a sensing of a UE movement, a sensing of a muscle movement, a sensing of a touch input, and a sensing of an eye movement.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to transmit the credential and a signal source indication to a central hub in response to receiving the directional signal beam from the UE.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the credential is unique to the UE.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the credential is used by a central hub to authenticate the UE before an operation command signal is sent to command an operation of the electronic device.

6. A smart home control system comprising:

an electronic device;

a user equipment (UE) configured to;

transmit a directional signal beam to the electronic device, wherein the directional signal beam includes a credential associated with the UE, and

transmit a command signal including the credential after transmitting the directional signal beam to the electronic device, wherein the command signal commands an operation of the electronic device; and

a central hub configured to;

receive a signal from the electronic device including the credential and a signal source indication associated with the electronic device,

receive the command signal including the credential,

associate the command signal with the electronic device based on the credential, and

transmit the command signal to the electronic device.

7. The smart home control system of claim 6, wherein the UE is configured to transmit the command signal to the central hub using at least one of a cellular network, a WLAN connection or any other short-distance communication channels.

8. The smart home control system of claim 6, wherein the UE is configured to transmit the command signal to the central hub using at least one of a cellular network, a WLAN connection, or any other short-distance communication channels.

9. The smart home control system of claim 6, wherein the central hub is further configured load personal setting related to the electronic device based on the credential and transmit the personal settings with the command signal to the electronic device.

10. The smart home control system of claim 6, wherein the central hub is further configured to authenticate the credential with a list of approved credentials to determine whether the central hub is permitted based on the credential to transmit the command signal to the electronic device.

11. A central hub (hub) of a smart home control system, the hub comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

receive a signal from an electronic device including a credential associated with a user equipment (UE) and a signal source indication associated with the electronic device,

receive a command signal from the UE, wherein the command signal includes the credential, and

transmit the command signal to the electronic device; and

a processor configured to associate the command signal with the electronic device based on the credential in order to determine that the command signal is to be transmitted to the electronic device.

12. The hub of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the signal from the electronic device, receive the command signal from the UE, and transmits the command signal to the electronic device using a cellular network.

13. The hub of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the signal from the electronic device, receive the command signal from the UE, and transmits the command signal to the electronic device using wired or wireless short-distance communications, such as LAN, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, Bluetooth, etc.

14. The hub of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to associate the command signal with the electronic device based on the credential by matching the credential of the signal received from the electronic device with the credential of the command signal received from the UE.

15. The hub of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to load personal setting related to the electronic device based on the credential and transmit the personal settings with the command signal to the electronic device.

16. The hub of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the credential with a list of approved credentials to determine whether the hub is permitted based on the credential to transmit the command signal to the electronic device.

17. A method for use in a central hub (hub) of a smart home control system, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from an electronic device including a credential associated with a user equipment (UE) and a signal source indication associated with the electronic device;

receiving a command signal from the UE, wherein the command signal includes the credential;

associating the command signal with the electronic device based on the credential;

determining that the command signal is to be transmitted to the electronic device based on associating the command signal with the electronic device; and

transmitting the command signal to the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the signal from the electronic device comprises receiving the signal from the electronic device using a cellular network, wherein receiving the command signal from the UE comprises receiving the command signal from the UE using the cellular network, and wherein transmitting the command signal to the electronic device comprises transmitting the command signal to the electronic device using the cellular network.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the signal from the electronic device comprises receiving the signal from the electronic device using short-distance communication channels, wherein receiving the command signal from the UE comprises receiving the command signal from the UE using short-distance communication channels, and wherein transmitting the command signal to the electronic device comprises transmitting the command signal to the electronic device using short-distance communication channels.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein associating the command signal with the electronic device based on the credential comprises matching the credential of the signal received from the electronic device with the credential of the command signal received from the UE.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising loading personal setting related to the electronic device based on the credential and transmitting the personal settings with the command signal to the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising authenticating the credential with a list of approved credentials to determine whether the hub is permitted based on the credential to transmit the command signal to the electronic device