METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING HOUSEHOLD DEVICES

• US 20160179068A1
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huizhou TCL Mobile Communication Company Limited (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Huizhou TCL Mobile Communication Company Limited (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: QIAN, Wen, QIAO, Hongwei
• Application Number:
  US14/891,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20160179068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21071 Configuration, each module has a settable address, code wheel, encoder
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25167 Receive commands through mobile telephone
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2613 Household appliance in general
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/70 Device selection
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity

Abstract

A method and system for managing household devices is provided. The method includes: locating by multiple household devices the current position coordinates of a mobile terminal; computing by the multiple household devices their respective distances to the mobile terminal using the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal to obtain multiple pieces of distance information, and transmitting the distance information to a control center; selecting by the mobile terminal the smallest distance based on the distance information, and transmitting feedback information to the household device at the smallest distance; and receiving by the household device the feedback information and thus performing operations of turning on, turning off, or regulating. The present disclosure makes possible an intelligent and humane home management mode without addition of extra chips which thus results in low cost.

Claims

1. A method for managing household devices, comprising:

setting ID parameters for a mobile terminal and the household devices, the ID parameters being configured to identify interaction signals between the mobile terminal and the household devices;

identifying by the household devices the interaction signals via the ID parameters;

locating by the household devices current position coordinates of the mobile terminal;

computing by the household devices their respective distances to the mobile terminal using the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal to obtain a plurality of pieces of distance information, and transmitting the plurality of pieces of distance information to a control center;

selecting by the control center the smallest distance based on the plurality of pieces of distance information, and transmitting feedback information to the household device at the smallest distance; and

receiving by the household device at the smallest distance the feedback information and thus performing operations of turning on, turning off, or regulating.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computing by the household devices their respective distances to the mobile terminal using the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal comprises:

computing the distances by determining strength of the interaction signals;

the stronger the interaction signal is, the closer the corresponding household device and the mobile terminal are;

the weaker the interaction signal is, the farther the corresponding household device and the mobile terminal are.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, before the receiving by the household device at the smallest distance the feedback information and thus performing the operations of turning on, turning off or regulating:

setting a signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed by the household device;

comparing the signal strength of the feedback information against the signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed;

when the signal strength of the feedback information is greater than or equal to the signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed, performing by the household device one of the operations of turning on, turning off or regulating;

when the signal strength of the feedback information is smaller than the signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed, not performing by the household device one of the operations of turning on, turning off or regulating.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein an interaction between the mobile terminal and the household devices is performed via the interaction signals.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the receiving by the household device at the smallest distance the feedback information, the mobile terminal customizes an operation mode on the household device such that when the household device interacts with the mobile terminal and acquires the feedback information, it performs operations according to the customized mode.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal interacts with the household devices via a Bluetooth beacon.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the household devices comprise at least one of a light, a television, a socket, a refrigerator, a washing machine, doors and windows.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a MP3/MP4, or a headphone.

4. A method for managing household devices using a mobile terminal, comprising:

locating by the household devices current position coordinates of the mobile terminal;

computing by the household devices their respective distances to the mobile terminal using the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal to acquire a plurality of pieces of distance information, and transmitting the plurality of pieces of distance information to a control center;

selecting by the control center the smallest distance based on the plurality of pieces of distance information, and transmitting feedback information to the household device at the smallest distance; and

receiving by the household device at the smallest distance the feedback information and thus performing operations of turning on, turning off, or regulating.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising, before the locating by the household devices the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal:

setting ID parameters for the mobile terminal and the household devices, the ID parameters being configured to identify interaction signals between the mobile terminal and the household devices.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, before the locating by the household devices the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal:

interacting by the mobile terminal with the household devices via the interaction signals;

identifying by the household devices the interaction signals via the ID parameters;

when the identification passes, the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal are successfully located;

when the identification fails, the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal are not located.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the computing by the household devices their respective distances to the mobile terminal using the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal comprises:

computing the distances by determining strength of the interaction signals;

the stronger the interaction signal is, the closer the corresponding household device and the mobile terminal are;

the weaker the interaction signal is, the farther the corresponding household device and the mobile terminal are.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising, before the receiving by the household device at the smallest distance the feedback information and thus performing the operations of turning on, turning off or regulating:

setting a signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed by the household device;

comparing the signal strength of the feedback information against the signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed;

when the signal strength of the feedback information is greater than or equal to the signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed, performing by the household device one of the operations of turning on, turning off or regulating;

when the signal strength of the feedback information is smaller than the signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed, not performing by the household device one of the operations of turning on, turning off or regulating.

9. A system for managing household devices, comprising a mobile terminal, a plurality of household devices and a control center, wherein:

the plurality of household devices are configured to locate current position coordinates of the mobile terminal, compute their respective distances using the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal to obtain a plurality of pieces of distance information, and transmit the plurality of pieces of distance information to the control center;

the control center is configured to transmit feedback information to the household devices based on the plurality of pieces of distance information.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the control center comprises a processor and a non-transitory program storage medium the medium comprising an execution unit configured to, after the household device receives the feedback information, control the household device to perform operations of turning on, turning off or regulating.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the medium further comprises an ID parameters setting unit configured to, before the current position coordinates of the mobile terminal are located, set ID parameters for the mobile terminal and the plurality of household devices, the household devices identifying the mobile terminal via the ID parameters and thus locating the mobile terminal.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein, the medium further comprises a signal strength threshold setting unit, being configured to, after the household device receives the feedback information and before performs the operations of turning on, turning off, or regulating, set a signal strength threshold for the operation to be performed.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the mobile terminal interacts with the household devices via a Bluetooth beacon.