Controlling a Remote Device Over a Network

• US 20180007141A1
• Filed: 11/28/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sure-Fi Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sure-Fi Inc.
• Inventors: Hall, David R., Hall, Mark, Boswell, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 10,382,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

A system for extending the range of a wireless signal is disclosed. A typical or near typical IP packet may be used to establish a connection between a server and a sending device. A server receives the payload of a packet for which delivery information has been removed. The server may package the data into a full IP packet and then communicate with a smart device, such as a door lock.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a device over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a control server, on a virtual server, a reduced packet;

constructing, based on the reduced packet and removable data, wherein the removable data consists of routing instructions, a network packet;

sending, to the remote device, the network packet to set the state of the remote device;

receiving a response packet from the remote device, the response packet consisting of data identifying the status of the remote device and data identifying the remote device;

constructing, based on the response packet and the removable data, a response network packet, the response network packet comprising data identifying the status of the remote device and identifying the remote device; and

,

sending the response network packet to the control server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving, from a control server, on a virtual server, a reduced packet, further consists of receiving, from a control server, on a virtual server a reduced packet, the reduced packet consisting of a status code, a remote device address, and a security token.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual server is located at least 0.75 miles from the control server, wherein data in the reduced packet is derived from data in the network packet, wherein the reduced packet consists only of a status code, and wherein the size of the reduced packet is less than 10 bytes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein data of the reduced packet is a subset of data in the network packet and wherein the reduced packet consists only of status code and a remote device address.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending the response network packet to a device configured as a control server, a control client, or as both a control server and control client further comprises sending the response network packet to a device located greater than 0.3 mile from the virtual server, wherein the device is configured as a control server.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending the response network packet to a device configured as a control server, a control client, or as both a control server and control client further comprises sending the response network packet to a device located greater than 0.7 mile from the virtual server, wherein the device is configured as a control server.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending, to the remote device, a reduced packet, the reduced packet comprising data other than the removable data further comprises sending simultaneously to the sending of the reduced packet, to a second remote device that is three times heavier than the remote device, a second reduced packet, the second reduced packet comprising data other than removable data.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending, to the remote device, a reduced packet, the reduced packet comprising data other than the removable data, further comprises sending, to the remote device, a reduced packet that is less than 65 bytes, the reduced packet comprising data other than the removable data and a security token.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending, to the remote device, a reduced packet, the reduced packet comprising data other than the removable data, further comprises sending, to the remote device, a reduced packet that is less than 3 bytes, the reduced packet comprising data other than the removable data and including instructions for converting the remote device to on-status.

20. The method of claim 1 where in the step of identifying, in the network packet, removable data, the method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending, to the remote device, a reduced packet, the reduced packet comprising data other than the removable data, further comprises sending, to the remote device, a reduced packet that is less than 4 bytes, the reduced packet comprising a security token and less than 2 bytes of data consisting of instructions for converting the remote device to on-status, and wherein the distance from the control server to the virtual server is greater than 0.5 miles.

5. A system for communicating a request from a smart appliance to a control server, the device comprising:

a processor;

memory, communicatively connected to the processor; and

a non-transitory data storage medium, the non-transitory data storage medium comprising;

a communication receiving module to receive, from a device, a communication packet;

an adding module to add, to the communication packet, networking data, the networking data controlling the transmission of the data to a device state server, to create a device state network packet;

a transmitting module to transmit, to the device state server, the device state network packet

a control receiving module to receive, from the device state server, a control packet, the control packet responding to the communication packet;

a creating module to create, from the control packet, a device state change packet, the device state change packet consisting of a reduction of the control packet; and

a sending module to send, to the device, the device state change packet to inform the device of request to change state.

6. The device in claim 6, wherein the adding module adds, to the networking data includes an identification of the device state server.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the adding module adds authentication data, the authentication data identifying the remote device to the device state server.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the device state change packet comprises a time length for the remove device to remain in that state.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the device state change packet comprises a delay indicator, the delay indicator indicating a time the device is to change state.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for activities comprising:

receiving on a packet receiver, from a remote device, an authentication packet, the authentication packet identifying the device to a device control server;

authenticating, via a device authenticator, based on the authentication packet, the remote device;

receiving, via a network packet receiver, a network packet, the network packet including instructions for the remote device;

identifying, via a removable data identifier, in the network packet, removable data, the removable data representing data that is to be removed from the network packet to create a reduced packet consisting of at least one element selected from the group consisting of a status code, a device address, and a security token;

sending, via a reduced packet sender, to the remote device, the reduced packet, the reduced packet comprising data from the network packet that is not in the removable data;

receiving, via a response packet receiver, from the remote device, a response packet, the response packet comprising data returned in response to the reduced packet;

constructing, via a response network packet constructor, based on the response packet and the removable data, a response network packet, the response network packet comprising data identifying the status of the remote device and identifying the remote device,

sending, via a response packet sender, the response network packet to a server.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the machine-implementable instructions for activities comprising authenticating, via a device authenticator, based on the authentication packet, the remote device further consists of using, via a device authenticator, a device token, the device token indicating data used to authenticate the remote device.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the machine-implementable instructions for activities comprising sending, via a reduced packet sender, to the remote device, the reduced packet, the reduced packet comprising data from the network packet that is not in the removable data further consists of adding, via the reduced packet sender, to the reduced packet, a validation token, the validation token identifying the device control server as the only source of the reduced packet.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the machine-implementable instructions for activities comprising sending, via a reduced packet sender, to the remote device, the reduced packet, the reduced packet comprising data from the network packet that is not in the removable data further consists of adding, via the reduced packet sender, to the reduced packet, a validation token derived from the device token, the validation token identifying the device control server as the source of the reduced packet.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the machine-implementable instructions for activities comprising receiving, via a response packet receiver, from the remote device, a response packet further comprises, receiving, via the response packet receiver, the device token and using the device token to identify data.