Access, monitoring, and control of appliances via a media processing system
First Claim
1. One or more circuits for use in a set top box, the one or more circuits comprising:
- at least one processor arranged to operationally couple to an interface for communicating with a wired or wireless local area network, at a first location;
the at least one processor also arranged to operationally couple to an interface for receiving commands sent via a wired or wireless wide area network to the first location from a remote second location; and
wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least;
identify at least one home appliance communicatively coupled to the set top box device,verify authorization for passage of the commands from the second location to the at least one home appliance, andpass the received commands to the at least one home appliance at the first location to allow at least access and control of the at least one home appliance.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device and method for accessing, monitoring, and controlling home appliances in a media exchange network by establishing a communication link between a communication initiation device and at least one home appliance and communicating at least one command from the communication initiation device to the at least one home appliance via the communication link. The at least one home appliance then generates at least one response to the at least one command. The commands may include turning the home appliance(s) on and off, parameter adjustment commands, access commands, monitoring commands, mode change commands, and programming commands. Appliance responses may include powering on, powering off, changing a mode of operation, sending a status to the communication initiation device, adjusting an operational parameter, and changing a programmed operational step.
41 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. One or more circuits for use in a set top box, the one or more circuits comprising:
-
at least one processor arranged to operationally couple to an interface for communicating with a wired or wireless local area network, at a first location; the at least one processor also arranged to operationally couple to an interface for receiving commands sent via a wired or wireless wide area network to the first location from a remote second location; and wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least; identify at least one home appliance communicatively coupled to the set top box device, verify authorization for passage of the commands from the second location to the at least one home appliance, and pass the received commands to the at least one home appliance at the first location to allow at least access and control of the at least one home appliance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of operating a set top box device to provide at least remote access and control of appliances, the method comprising:
-
identifying by the set top box device, at a first location, at least one home appliance communicatively coupled to the set top box device; establishing a communication link between the set top box device and the at least one home appliance via a local area network; receiving, by the set top box device at the first location from a remote second location via a wide area network, at least one command for passage to the at least one home appliance; verifying authorization for passage of the at least one command from the second location to the at least one home appliance; communicating the at least one command to the at least one home appliance via the local area network, if the verifying is successful; refraining from communicating the at least one command to the at least one home appliance via the local area network, if the verifying is not successful; and receiving by the set top box device, at the first location, at least one response from the at least one home appliance, if a command was communicated. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
Specification