System, methods, devices and computer program products for controlling electronic appliances within a local area

• US 7,843,333 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Angelhag, Anders, Camp, Jr., William O.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/679,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20080181172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.49, 340/7.55, 370/338, 370/252, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 455/410
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

A system, methods, devices and computer program products for controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance, e.g. a TV, a music system, a lighting system, a kitchen appliance or an alarm system, located within a local area. The system has a mobile terminal located within the local area, the mobile terminal being configured to transmit a short-range radio signal to one or more short-range devices located within the local area. Each short-range device of the plurality of short-range devices located within the local area is configured to receive a short-range radio signal from the mobile terminal, perform a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said short-range radio signal received from the mobile terminal, and transmit information about said measurement to an electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus is configured to subsequently receive this information about the signal measurements from the plurality of short-range devices. In response thereto, the electronic apparatus is operable to determine the location of the mobile terminal, and control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the system comprising:

(a) a mobile terminal located within the local area and configured to transmit a short-range radio signal to a short-range device;

(b) a plurality of short-range devices within the local area, wherein each short-range device of the plurality of short-range devices is configured to receive the short-range radio signal from the mobile terminal;

perform a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said short-range radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and

transmit information about said measurement to a central server;

(c) the central server configured to receive information about said signal measurement from the plurality of short-range devices within the local area;

in response thereto determine the location of the mobile terminal; and

control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the central server is configured to determine the location of the mobile terminal by comparing the different signal measurements performed by the short-range devices and based on said comparison determine which of the plurality of short-range devices is located in closest proximity to the mobile terminal.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the mobile terminal is a device from the group comprising:

a portable radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, a smart phone, a computer or a headset.

4. A short-range device for assisting a central server in controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the short-range device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a short-range radio signal from a mobile terminal located within the local area;

a measurement unit configured to perform a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit information about the signal measurement to the central server within the local area.

5. The short-range device according to claim 4, wherein the receiver is additionally configured to receive information about at least one further signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of the radio signal received from the mobile terminal, wherein said at least one further signal measurement is performed by another short-range device of a plurality of short-range devices within the local area;

and the transmitter is additionally configured to transmit the information about the at least one further signal measurement to the central server.

6. The short-range device according to claim 4, wherein the short-range device is an accessory device or a stand-alone short-range device.

7. The short-range device according to claim 6, wherein the short-range device is a Bluetooth device configured to communicate short-range radio signals according to a Bluetooth technology.

8. The central server for use with the short-range device according to claim 4 for controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within the local area, the central server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive from the short-range device information about said signal measurement;

a determination unit configured to determine the location of the mobile terminal based on the received information about said signal measurement; and

a controller configured to control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal.

9. The central server according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the location of the mobile terminal by comparing different signal measurements performed by different short-range devices of a plurality of short-range devices and determine based on said comparison which short-range device of the plurality of short-range devices is located in closest proximity to the mobile terminal.

10. The central server according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance via a wired connection or via a wireless connection.

11. The central server according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the information about the determined location of the mobile terminal, wherein the at least one electronic appliance is an appliance from the group comprising:

the mobile terminal, a TV, a display screen, a music system, a speaker, a lighting system, a kitchen appliance, a home entertainment system, an alarm system, a surveillance system, a personal computer (PC), or a telephone.

12. A method of controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting from a mobile terminal within the local area a short-range radio signal to one or more short-range devices;

(b) receiving at a plurality of short-range devices within the local area the short-range radio signal from the mobile terminal;

performing at each short-range device a signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said short-range radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and

transmitting from each short-range device information about the signal measurement to a central server;

(c) receiving at the central server the information about said signal measurements performed by the plurality of short-range devices;

in response thereto determining the location of the mobile terminal, and further controlling the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the determining comprises:

comparing the different measurements performed by the plurality of short-range devices; and

determining which of the plurality of short-range devices is located in closest proximity to the mobile terminal based on said comparison.

14. A computer program product comprising computer program code means for performing the method according to claim 12 when said computer program code means is executed by means of an electronic device having computer capabilities.

15. A method of assisting in controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within a local area, the method being performed by a short-range device and comprising:

receiving a short-range signal from a mobile terminal located within the local area;

performing a measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said radio signal received from the mobile terminal; and

transmitting information about the signal measurement to a central server within the local area.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving information about at least one further signal measurement of signal delay, signal strength, or both signal delay and signal strength of said radio signal received from the mobile terminal, wherein said at least one further signal measurement is performed by another short-range device of a plurality of short-range devices within the local area; and

transmitting the information about the at least one further signal measurement to the central server within the local area.

17. A method performed by the central server for the use with the method according to claim 15 for controlling the operation of at least one electronic appliance within the local area, the method comprising:

receiving from the short-range device information about said signal measurement;

determining the location of the mobile terminal based on the received information about said signal measurement; and

controlling the operation of the at least one electronic appliance in dependence of the determined location of the mobile terminal.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the determining comprises:

determining the location of the mobile terminal by comparing different signal measurements performed by different short-range devices of a plurality of short-range devices and determining which short-range device of the plurality of short-range devices is located in closest proximity to the mobile terminal.