Method and apparatus for a distributed home-automation-control (HAC) window

• US 7,526,539 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2000
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PNI Corporation (PNI Digital Media)
• Original Assignee: PNI Corporation (PNI Digital Media)
• Inventors: Hsu, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bayard; Djenane M
• Application Number:
  US09/633,801
• Time in Patent Office: 3,186 Days
• Field of Search: 709/104, 709/185, 709/218, 709/220, 709/224, 709/223, 709/217, 709/219, 709/203, 707/185, 700/17, 345/335
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• 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: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A software-control-module for enabling a user to monitor and control home-automated-systems and appliances from one or more remote interfaces on a data-packet-network is provided. The module comprises a reporting function for reporting current status of the home-automated-systems and appliances; a selection function for selecting options related to system and appliance settings; a command-building function for building commands for system and appliance control; an execution function for executing commands; and a display function for displaying relevant data and for facilitating interactive control ability. the software-control module is distributed to pre-selected network locations frequented by a user such that the user may have control over home-automated systems and appliances while visiting the network location during network navigation.

Claims

1. An Internet-enabled control system for monitoring and controlling home-automated-systems and appliances at a user'"'"'s premise, comprising:

a base station with Internet connection at the user'"'"'s premise, the base station in communication with sensing and actuating subsystems associated with individual ones of the home-automated systems and appliances via radio frequency technology;

a plurality of control units, comprising a wiring interface portion, a RF section comprising a redundancy-based networking protocol, a microcontroller comprising control code, wherein the control units are in communication with the base station via the RF section and in communication with the sensing and actuating subsystems via the wiring interface or the RF section;

a first Internet-connected server, comprising a software-control module for enabling a user to monitor and control home automated systems and appliances, communicating over the Internet with the base station, the first Internet-connected server monitoring the sensing subsystems and providing actuating commands to the actuating subsystems through the base station;

such that the control units produce control outputs for a particular home automated-system or appliance in response to input from sensing subsystems associated with the particular home automated-system or appliance and in response to other sensors associated with other home automated-systems or appliances as determined by the software-control module and the control code and wherein the redundancy-based networking protocol comprises a state wherein if one control unit is out of communication range with the base station another control unit intercepts communication on behalf of the out-of range control unit and retransmits to the out-of range control unit.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interactive display at a second Internet-connected server providing a set of services to the user not related to control of the home-automated systems and appliances;

and

an interactive control interface presentable on the interactive display by the second Internet-connected server, providing a control interface to the user, enabling the user to access settings, view conditions, and issue commands to the home automated systems and appliances over the Internet to the first server and hence to the base station and the systems and appliances themselves wherein the interactive interface comprises a window opened in the interactive display provided by the second server, the window providing information fields and input fields for the user to read conditions at and to provide input to the systems and appliances.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the set of services provided by the second server comprise one of banking services, search services, security exchange services, or personal data aggregation services.

4. A method for remotely controlling home-automated-systems and appliances at a user'"'"'s premise, comprising steps of:

providing an interactive display at a first web site, comprising a software-control module for enabling a user to monitor and control home-automated-systems and appliances;

authenticating the user at the web site to activate the interactive display;

establishing Internet communication from the first web site to a base station at the user'"'"'s premise, the base station in communication with sensing and actuating subsystems associated with individual ones of the home-automated-systems and appliances via radio frequency technology; and

communicating with the sensing and actuating subsystems through a plurality of control units, comprising a wiring interface portion, a RF section comprising a redundancy-based networking protocol, an input-output section, and a microcontroller comprising control code, wherein the control units are in communication with the base station via the RF section and in communication with the sensing and actuating subsystems via the wiring interface or the RF section;

such that the control units produces control outputs for a particular home-automated-system or appliance in response to input from sensing subsystems associated with the particular home automated-system or appliance and in response to other sensors associated with other home automated-systems or appliances as determined by the software-control module and the control code and wherein the redundancy-based networking protocol comprises a state wherein if one control unit is out of communication range with the base station another control unit intercepts communication on behalf of the out-of range control unit and retransmits to the out-of range control unit.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the authentication comprises a password.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the interactive display comprises a window providing information fields and input fields for the user to read conditions at and to provide input to the systems and appliances.

7. An internet-enabled control system for monitoring and controlling home-automated-systems and appliances at a user'"'"'s premise, comprising:

an actuating subsystem;

a sensing subsystem;

a base station comprising a microcontroller, memory portion, communication port, and a RF communicating section in communication with the sensing and the actuating subsystems associated with individual ones of the home-automated systems and appliances via radio frequency technology;

a first internet-connected server comprising a software-control module for enabling a user to monitor and control home-automated-systems and appliances communicating with the base station; and

a plurality of control units comprising a microcontroller comprising control code, an input-output section, a memory portion, a wiring interface portion and a RF communicating section comprising a redundancy-based networking protocol wherein the control units are in communication with the base station via the RF section and in communication with the sensing and actuating subsystems via the wiring interface or the RF section;

such that the control units produce control outputs for a particular home automated-system or appliance in response to input from sensing subsystems associated with the particular home automated-system or appliance and in response to other sensors associated with other home automated-systems or appliances as determined by the software-control module and the control code and wherein the redundancy-based networking protocol comprises a state wherein if one control unit is out of communication range with the base station another control unit intercepts communication on behalf of the out-of range control unit and retransmits to the out-of range control unit.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising an interactive display in communication with said base station providing a set of services via said first Internet-connected server to said user to control said home-automated systems and appliances wherein said first Internet-connected server monitors each control unit and provides actuating commands to each control unit through the base station.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising

an interactive control interface presentable on the interactive display by said first Internet-connected server, providing a control interface to said user, enabling said user to access settings, view conditions, and issue commands via said base station RF communicating section to each said control unit.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said interactive interface further comprises a window opened in the interactive display wherein access to additional services comprising at least one of banking services, search services, security exchange services, purchasing services, repair services or personal data aggregation services is provided.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising access to a second Internet-connected server wherein the second Internet-connected server provides access to at least one of said additional services.

12. An Internet-enabled control system for monitoring and controlling home-automated-systems and appliances at a user'"'"'s premise, comprising:

a base station with Internet connection at the user'"'"'s premise, the base station in communication with sensing subsystems and actuating subsystems at individual ones of the home-automated systems and appliances via radio frequency technology;

a plurality of control units comprising a wiring interface portion, an input-output section, a microcontroller comprising control code, and a RF communicating section comprising a redundancy-based networking protocol wherein the control units are in communication with the base station via the RF section and in communication with the sensing and actuating subsystems via the wiring interface or the RF section;

first Internet-connected server communicating over the Internet with the base station, the first Internet-connected server monitoring the sensing subsystems and actuating subsystems and providing actuating commands to the actuating subsystems through the base station;

an interactive display at the Internet-connected base station providing a set of services to the user related to the control and monitoring of the home-automated systems and appliances; and

an interactive control interface presentable on the interactive display by the first Internet-connected server, providing a control interface to the user, enabling the user to access settings, view conditions, and issue commands to the home automated systems and appliances over the Internet to the base station and the systems and appliances themselves such that the control units produces control outputs for a particular home automated-system or appliance in response to input from sensing subsystems associated with the particular home automated-system or appliance and in response to other sensors associated with other home automated-systems or appliances as determined by the software-control module and the control code and wherein the redundancy-based networking protocol comprises a state wherein if one control unit is out of communication range with the base station another control unit intercepts communication on behalf of the out-of range control unit and retransmits to the out-of range control unit.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said interactive display is hosted by a second Internet-connected server providing a set of services to the user related to control of the home-automated systems and appliances;

and

an interactive control interface presentable on the interactive display by the second Internet-connected server, providing a control interface to the user, enabling the user to access settings, view conditions, and issue commands to the home automated systems and appliances over the Internet to the first Internet-connected server and hence to the base station and the systems and appliances themselves.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said interactive display is hosted at a second Internet-connected server providing a set of services to the user unrelated to control of the home-automated systems and appliances;

and

an interactive control interface presentable on the interactive display by the second Internet-connected server, providing a control interface to the user, enabling the user to access settings, view conditions, and issue commands to the home automated systems and appliances over the Internet to the first Internet-connected server and hence to the base station and the systems and appliances themselves.