System and method for home automation and security

• US 7,551,071 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, III, Raymond Walden, Lund, Arnold M., Griffith, Laura Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/438,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20060220830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/511, 340/517, 340/521, 340/541, 340/3.1, 340/825.49, 340/825.36, 379/45
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data

Abstract

A home automation and security system is provided in which a home automation and security controller in a customer premises is coupled with a remotely located central control facility using a continuous connectivity access line providing a data channel separate from a voice channel. The controller at the customer premises is responsible for monitoring and applying control signals to devices in the home and for supporting a human interface. The remotely located central control facility is responsible for providing the computational and database resources to the controller. By redistributing functionality, the network-based structure of this home automation and security system can overcome the disadvantages of conventional home automation and security systems.

Claims

1. A home automation system, comprising:

a home automation controller located at a user premises configured to implement one or more control signals that control one or more devices coupled to the home automation controller;

a home automation server, located remotely from the user premises, operative to generate and convey the control signals to the home automation controller, wherein the control signals are based on one or more requests received at the home automation server from the home automation controller;

a home automation application implemented by the home automation server, wherein the home automation application is, in response to receiving an indication of a security event, to determine whether the user premises is scheduled to contain an occupant according to an expected occupation schedule; and

an access line coupling the home automation controller to the home automation server.

2. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a first data-over-voice modem coupled to the home automation controller and a second data-over-voice modem coupled to the home automation server, wherein the access line couples the first data-over-voice modem to the second data-over-voice modem.

3. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a gateway coupled to the home automation controller and a digital subscriber line access multiplexer coupled to the home automation server, wherein the access line couples the gateway to the digital subscriber line access multiplexer.

4. A home automation system as defined in claim 3, wherein the access line comprises a digital subscriber line.

5. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the access line comprises an asymmetrical digital subscriber line.

6. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the access line comprises a continuous connectivity access line.

7. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a network coupling the home automation controller to the home automation server.

8. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a speech processing computational server coupled to the home automation server.

9. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the server is configured to be coupled to a central office.

10. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the home automation controller is accessible via a remote computer over a network.

11. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more control signals comprise instructions to activate an alarm of a security system in response to an indication that the user premises is not scheduled to contain the occupant.

12. A home automation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the home automation application is operative to receive resident location information from another home automation controller located at a premises of another user via the home automation server.

13. A home automation system as defined in claim 12, wherein the resident location information is obtained from a transponder to be worn by a resident of the user premises.

14. A home automation system as defined in claim 12, wherein the home automation application is to alter the expected occupation schedule based on the resident location information.

15. A home automation system, comprising:

a home automation controller located at a user premises;

a home automation server, located remotely from the user premises, operative to control an operation of a load coupled to the home automation controller;

a home automation application implemented by the home automation server, wherein the home automation application is, in response to receiving an indication of a security event, to determine whether an occupant is scheduled to be at the user premises according to an expected occupation schedule; and

an information source coupled to the home automation server via a data network, wherein the home automation server receives a message from the information source and sends a control signal based on the message to the home automation controller to control an operation of a load coupled to the home automation controller in accordance with the message.

16. A home automation system as defined in claim 15, wherein the information source comprises a weather source.

17. A home automation system as defined in claim 16, wherein the message comprises a weather warning regarding weather in the vicinity of the user premises.

18. A home automation system as defined in claim 15, wherein the message comprises an event determined to be of interest to one or more occupants of the user premises.

19. A method of operating a home automation system, comprising:

configuring a home automation controller located at a user premises to implement one or more control signals that control one or more devices coupled to the home automation controller; and

receiving, via an access line coupling the home automation controller to a home automation server located remotely from the user premises, the control signals, wherein the control signals are to be generated by a home automation application implemented on the home automation server, wherein the control signals are based on one or more requests received at the home automation application from the home automation controller; and

determining, using the home automation application, whether an occupant is scheduled to be at the user premises according to an expected occupation schedule in response to receiving an indication of a security event.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, further comprising sending a message to a third party via the home automation server, wherein the message indicates a status of the one or more devices coupled to the home automation controller.