Remote control system

• US 7,155,213 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: James R. Almeda
• Inventors: Lindahl, Glen Thomas, Almeda, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US11/228,769
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/418, 455/420, 455/566, 455/564, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 340/825.22, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/825.76, 379/102.01, 379/102.03
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

A method includes the steps of selecting an appliance to be controlled from a list of appliances stored in the cellular device, selecting an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from a list of instructions stored in the cellular device, and transmitting the instruction to a cellular interface associated with the selected appliance via a public cellular telephone infrastructure by dialing a telephone number stored in the cellular device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of an appliance from a remote location using a cellular device, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting an appliance to be controlled from a list of appliances stored in the cellular device,

selecting an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from a list of instructions stored in the cellular device,

generating a command string based on the selected instruction, wherein the command string is stored in the cellular device,

using the cellular device to dial a cellular telephone number stored in the cellular device, wherein dialing the cellular telephone number establishes a connection between the cellular device and a cellular interface associated with the selected appliance via a public cellular telephone infrastructure,

transmitting the command string stored in the cellular device to the cellular interface over the connection, and

wherein the list of appliances and the list of instructions are retrieved from memory in the cellular device, without connecting to a remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of receiving a verification from the cellular interface associated with the selected appliance that the command string was received and/or executed via the public cellular telephone infrastructure.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprises the step of communicating to the user that the command string was received and/or executed by the selected appliance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular device has a display screen and a keypad, and the step of selecting an appliance comprises the steps of displaying on the screen a list of application programs including a remote control program, using the keypad to select the remote control program from the list of application programs displayed on the screen, executing the remote control program, displaying the list of appliances on the screen, and using the keypad to select an appliance to be controlled from the list of appliances displayed on the screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular device has a display screen and a keypad, and the step of selecting an instruction comprises the steps of displaying on the screen a list of instructions associated with the selected appliance, and using the keypad to select an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from the list of instructions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular interface is embedded in the selected appliance, and the step of transmitting the command string comprises the steps of establishing a communication link with the embedded cellular interface by calling a telephone number associated therewith, and sending the command string to the embedded cellular interface via the public cellular telephone infrastructure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cellular device has a display screen and a scrolling mechanism, and the step of selecting an instruction comprises the steps of displaying on the screen a list of stored instructions associated with the selected appliance, and using the scrolling mechanism to select an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from the list of instructions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular interface is carried by a central hub associated with the selected appliance, and the step of transmitting the command string comprises the steps of establishing a communication link with the cellular interface of the hub by calling a telephone number associated therewith, and sending the command string to the hub cellular interface via the public cellular telephone infrastructure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the hub transmits the instruction to the selected appliance via a communication modality associated therewith.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hub transmits the instruction to the selected appliance using one of the following modalities:

electric wire, IR, BlueTooth, and Wi-Fi.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of returning to the step of selecting an appliance after the step of transmitting the instruction to the cellular interface associated with the selected appliance.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular device has a display screen, a keypad and a graphic representation capability, and the step of selecting an instruction comprises the steps of displaying on the screen a graphic representation of a control panel having buttons for controlling the operation of the selected appliance, and using the keypad to select an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular device has a touchscreen display panel, and the step of selecting an instruction comprises the steps of displaying on the touchscreen display panel a list of stored instructions associated with the selected appliance, and using the touchscreen display panel to select an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from the list of instructions.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular device has a touchscreen display panel and a graphic representation capability, and the step of selecting an instruction comprises the steps of displaying on the display panel a graphic representation of a control panel having buttons for controlling the operation of the selected appliance, and using the touchscreen display panel to select an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular device has a display screen and a voice recognition capability, and the step of selecting an instruction comprises the steps of displaying on the screen a list of stored instructions associated with the selected appliance, and using the voice recognition capability to select an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from the list of instructions.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular interface comprises an antenna, a microprocessor, and a memory.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cellular interface is configured to connect to a base station of a public cellular telephone infrastructure.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting an instruction occurs prior to establishing a connection between the cellular device and the cellular interface.

19. A method for controlling the operation of an appliance from a remote location using a cellular device, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting a list of one or more appliances capable of being controlled;

receiving a selection of an appliance to be controlled from the list of appliances;

presenting a list of instructions associated with the selected appliance, wherein the list of instructions is presented in a non-verbal manner;

receiving a selection of an instruction from the list of instructions;

using the cellular device to dial a telephone number associated with the selected appliance, wherein dialing the telephone number establishes a communication link over a public cellular telephone infrastructure between the cellular device and a controller associated with the selected appliance;

transmitting the instruction from the cellular device to the controller over the communication link; and

wherein the list of appliances and the list of instructions are retrieved from memory in the cellular device, without connecting to a remote device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each appliance on the list of appliances is associated with a unique telephone number.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein each appliance on the list of appliances is associated with a unique cellular telephone number.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each telephone number associated with the list of appliances is stored in the cellular device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the controller wirelessly communicates the instruction to the selected appliance.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the instruction transmitted to the controller over the communication link is a digital command string generated by the cellular device based on the selected instruction.

25. A method for controlling the operation of an appliance from a remote location using a cellular device, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving a list of appliances capable of being remotely controlled;

receiving a selection of an appliance to be controlled from the list of appliances;

retrieving a list of instructions associated with the selected appliance;

receiving a selection of an instruction from the list of instructions;

using the cellular device to establish a communication link over a public cellular telephone infrastructure between the cellular device and a controller associated with the selected appliance, wherein the communication link is established by dialing a telephone number on the cellular device that is associated with the selected appliance;

transmitting the instruction from the cellular device to the controller over the communication link; and

wherein the list of appliances and the list of instructions are retrieved from memory in the cellular device, without connecting to a remote device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the controller includes a cellular interface and wherein the cellular device establishes a communication link with the cellular interface.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the cellular interface is configured to connect to a base station of a public cellular telephone infrastructure.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the list of appliances comprises a first appliance and a second appliance, wherein the first appliance includes a first cellular interface and the second appliance includes a second cellular interface.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first cellular interface is embedded in the first appliance and the second cellular interface is embedded in the second appliance, wherein a communication link is established with the first cellular interface responsive to selection of the first appliance by dialing a first cellular telephone number, and wherein a communication link is established with the second cellular interface responsive to selection of the second appliance by dialing a second cellular telephone number.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the controller is a hub associated with a plurality of appliances, wherein the hub is configured to transmit the instruction to the selected appliance.