Systems and methods for the automatic registration of devices

• US 6,686,838 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xanboo Inc (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rezvani, Babak, Jalili, Reza, Kalin, Edward B., Chen, Jack I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US09/709,688
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/506, 340/531, 340/533, 340/539, 340/3.1, 340/10.1, 705/80, 705/26, 709/224
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/02 Mechanical actuation of the alarm, e.g. by the breaking of a wire
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 : Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 : Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 : Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 : for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 : characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 : Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 : providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 : Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 : Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 : for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 : Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 : using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing registration at a remote site that may include, for example, a monitoring module that may communicate with a remote site. A registration protocol may be used by the monitoring module and the remote site in generating the messages communicated during the registration process. The monitoring module may gather and generate various identification information to be included in the registration protocol messages. The registration information provided by the monitoring module may be stored at the remote site in a database server having a database. A confirmation message may be communicated from the remote site to the monitoring module that may either acknowledge successful registration or report that an error occurred during the registration process.

Claims

1. A method for remotely associating devices with user accounts comprising:

automatically detecting a device at an installation;

extracting registration information from the device;

communicating the registration information to a remote site that does not have requisite registration information associated with the device using a communications network;

registering the device with the remote site based on the registration information; and

associating the device at the remote site with a user account based on the registration information.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising registering at the remote site a resource of the device.

3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising registering at the remote site a component of a resource of the device.

4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising registering at the remote site a virtual representation of the device.

5. The method defined in claim 4, wherein the virtual representation of a component is used as one of an indicator or a means by which to effect a change in state of the device.

6. The method defined in claim 4, wherein the virtual representation of a component is selected from a group consisting of toggle button, radio buttons, absolute slider, proportional slider, edit field, label, image, video clip, streaming video, audio clip, multiselect list, time field, date field, N-directional component, N-state button, N-state selector, tree, table, graph, chart, drawing pad, streaming audio, and banner.

7. The method defined in claim 4, further comprising providing a user associated with the user account an opportunity to access the virtual representation of the device.

8. The method defined in claim 1, wherein communicating registration information comprises generating a registration message using hypertext transfer protocol.

9. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising creating the user account before associating the installation with the user account.

10. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising communicating a confirmation message to the installation using the communications network.

11. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the communications network is any one of the following:

the Internet, an Intranet, a local area network, a wide area network, a telephone network, or a cable television network.

12. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the device is any one of the following:

a motion sensor, a video camera, a still camera, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, or a light switch.

13. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the device is a household appliance.

14. The method defined in claim 1, wherein registering the device at the remote site comprises:

creating table entries in a database; and

storing the registration information in the appropriate table entries of the database.

15. The method defined in claim 14, wherein creating table entries comprises calling at least one application program interface function at a web server to create table entries in a database at a database server.

16. The method defined in claim 14, wherein storing registration information comprises calling at least one application program interface function at a web server to store registration information in corresponding table entries in a database at a database server.

17. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising validating a registration message at the remote site.

18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein validating the registration message comprises checking message validity.

19. The method defined in claim 17, wherein validating the registration message comprises checking command validity.

20. A system for remotely associating devices with user accounts comprising:

means for automatically detecting a device at an installation;

means for extracting registration information from the device;

means for communicating the registration information to a remote site that does not have requisite registration information associated with the device using a communications network;

means for registering the device with the remote site based on the registration information; and

means for associating the device at the remote site with a user account based on the registration information.

21. The system defined in claim 20 further comprising means for registering at the remote site a resource of the device.

22. The system defined in claim 20, further comprising means for registering at the remote site a component of a resource of the device.

23. The system defined in claim 20, further comprising means registering at the remote site a virtual representation of the device.

24. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the virtual representation of a component is used as one of an indicator or a means by which to effect a change in state of the device.

25. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the virtual representation of a component is selected from a group consisting of toggle button, radio buttons, absolute slider, proportional slider, edit field, label, image, video clip, streaming video, audio clip, multiselect list, time field, date field, N-directional component, N-state button, N-state selector, tree, table, graph, chart, drawing pad, streaming audio, and banner.

26. The system defined in claim 23, further comprising means for providing a user associated with the user account an opportunity to access the virtual representation of the device.

27. The system defined in claim 20, wherein means for communicating registration information comprises means for generating a registration message using hypertext transfer protocol.

28. The system defined in claim 20, further comprising means for creating the user account before associating the installation with the user account.

29. The system defined in claim 20, further comprising means for communicating a confirmation message to the installation using the communications network.

30. The system defined in claim 20, wherein the communications network is any one of the following:

the Internet, an Intranet, a local area network, a wide area network, a telephone network, or a cable television network.

31. The system defined in claim 20, wherein the device is any one of the following:

a motion sensor, a video camera, a still camera, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, or a light switch.

32. The system defined in claim 20, wherein the device is a household appliance.

33. The system defined in claim 20, wherein means for registering the device at the remote site comprises:

means for creating table entries in a database; and

means for storing the registration information in the appropriate table entries of the database.

34. The system defined in claim 33, wherein means for creating table entries comprises means for calling at least one application program interface function at a web server to create table entries in a database at a database server.

35. The system defined in claim 33, wherein means for storing registration information comprises means for calling at least one application program interface function at a web server to store registration information in corresponding table entries in a database at a database server.

36. The system defined in claim 20, further comprising means for validating a registration message at the remote site.

37. The system defined in claim 36, wherein means for validating the registration message comprises means for checking message validity.

38. The system defined in claim 36, wherein means for validating the registration message comprises means for checking command validity.

39. A system for remotely associating devices with user accounts comprising:

a monitoring module that detects a device at an installation;

a communications network that carries registration information from the monitoring module; and

a remote site that does not have requisite registration information associated with the device and that uses the registration information to register the device and to associate the device with a user account based on the registration information.

40. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the communications network is any one of the following:

the Internet, an Intranet, a local area network, a wide area network, a telephone network, or a cable television network.

41. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the device is any one of the following:

a motion sensor, a video camera, a still camera, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, or a light switch.

42. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the device is a household appliance.

43. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the monitoring module is a stand-alone device that is directly coupled to the communications network.

44. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the monitoring module is a stand-alone device that is coupled to the communications network via an access device.

45. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the monitoring module is a software application running on a computer.

46. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the monitoring module is partially implemented as software and partially implemented as hardware.

47. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the interface between the device and the monitoring module is a wired connection.

48. The system defined in claim 39, wherein the interface between the device and the monitoring module is a wireless connection.

49. The system defined in claim 39, further comprising a database server located at the remote site, wherein the database server comprises a database.

50. The system defined in claim 39, further comprising a web server located at the remote site.

51. The system defined in claim 39, further comprising:

a database server located at the remote site, wherein the database server comprises a database; and

a web server located at the remote site.

52. The system defined in claim 39, further comprising a remote user access device for accessing the remote site from a location remote to the installation.

53. A method for automatically registering at a remote site a device located at an installation to allow remote interaction between the remote site and the device, wherein the installation has already been registered with the remote site, comprising:

conducting object discovery of new devices at the registered installation;

detecting a new device at the monitoring module;

extracting registration information from the device;

generating a registration message, wherein the registration message comprises the registration information; and

communicating the registration message to the remote site, which does not have requisite registration information associated with the device, using a communications network, wherein the remote site uses the registration information to register the device to allow remote interaction between the remote site and the device.

54. The method defined in claim 53, wherein conducting object discovery comprises continuously checking for new devices.

55. The method defined in claim 53, wherein conducting object discovery comprises periodically checking for new devices.

56. The method defined in claim 53, wherein communicating registration information comprises generating a registration message, wherein the registration message is comprised of the registration information.

57. The method defined in claim 53, wherein communicating registration information comprises generating a registration message, wherein the registration message is comprised of registration information and information related to the registered installation.

58. The method defined in claim 53, further comprising:

generating a confirmation message at the remote site;

communicating the confirmation message to the installation using the communications network; and

processing the confirmation message at the installation.

59. The method defined in claim 58, wherein generating a confirmation message comprises generating a message that includes an acknowledge character, wherein the registration was successful.

60. The method defined in claim 58, wherein generating a confirmation message comprises generating a message that includes a negative-acknowledge character, wherein the registration was unsuccessful.

61. The method defined in claim 60, further comprising resending the registration message from the installation to the remote site.

62. The method defined in claim 53, wherein the communications network is any one of the following:

the Internet, an Intranet, a local area network, a wide area network, a telephone network, or a cable television network.

63. The method defined in claim 53, wherein the device is any one of the following:

a motion sensor, a video camera, a still camera, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, or a light switch.

64. The method defined in claim 53, wherein the device is a household appliance.

65. The method defined in claim 53, wherein using the registration information at the remote site comprises:

creating table entries in a database; and

storing the registration information in the appropriate table entries of the database.

66. The method defined in claim 53, wherein using the registration information at the remote site comprises:

validating the registration message at the remote site;

using application program interface functions to create table entries in a database; and

using application program interface functions to store the registration information in the appropriate table entries of the database.

67. The method defined in claim 66, wherein validating the registration message comprises checking message validity.

68. The method defined in claim 66, wherein validating the registration message comprises checking command validity.

69. A system for automatically registering at a remote site a device located at an installation to allow remote interaction between the remote site and the device, wherein the installation has already been registered with the remote site, comprising:

means for conducting object discovery of new devices at the registered installation;

means for detecting a new device at the monitoring module;

means for extracting registration information from the device;

means for generating a registration message, wherein the registration message comprises the registration information; and

means for communicating the registration message to the remote site, which does not have requisite information associated with the device, using a communications network, wherein the remote site uses the registration information to register the device to allow remote interaction between the remote site and the device.

70. The system defined in claim 69, wherein means for conducting object discovery comprises means for continuously checking for new devices.

71. The system defined in claim 69, wherein means for conducting object discovery comprises means for periodically checking for new devices.

72. The system defined in claim 69, wherein means for communicating registration information comprises means for generating a registration message, wherein the registration message is comprised of the registration information.

73. The system defined in claim 69, wherein means for communicating registration information comprises means for generating a registration message, wherein the registration message is comprised of registration information and information related to the registered installation.

74. The system defined in claim 69, further comprising:

means for generating a confirmation message at the remote site;

means for communicating the confirmation message to the installation using the communications network; and

means for processing the confirmation message at the installation.

75. The system defined in claim 74, wherein means for generating a confirmation message comprises means for generating a message that includes an acknowledge character, wherein the registration was successful.

76. The system defined in claim 74, wherein means for generating a confirmation message comprises means for generating a message that includes a negative-acknowledge character, wherein the registration was unsuccessful.

77. The system defined in claim 76, further comprising means for resending the registration message from the installation to the remote site.

78. The system defined in claim 69, wherein the communications network is any one of the following:

the Internet, an Intranet, a local area network, a wide area network, a telephone network, or a cable television network.

79. The system defined in claim 69, wherein the device is any one of the following:

a motion sensor, a video camera, a still camera, a contact sensor, a smoke sensor, or a light switch.

80. The system defined in claim 69, wherein the device is a household appliance.

81. The system defined in claim 69, wherein means for using the registration information at the remote site comprises:

means for creating table entries in a database; and

means for storing the registration information in the appropriate table entries of the database.

82. The system defined in claim 69, wherein means for using the registration information at the remote site comprises:

means for validating the registration message at the remote site;

means for using application program interface functions to create table entries in a database; and

means for using application program interface functions to store the registration information in the appropriate table entries of the database.

83. The system defined in claim 82, wherein means for validating the registration message comprises means for checking message validity.

84. The system defined in claim 82, wherein means for validating the registration message comprises means for checking command validity.