Method of communication by relay between a portable remote control and home automation appliances

• US 7,844,353 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somfy Activites SA (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Bejean, Alain, Maugain, Denis, Lagarde, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan; Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US11/655,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/60, 455/41.2, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• 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: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

The method governs the operation of a home automation installation comprising a portable remote control, a relay and home automation appliances, and in which at least some home automation appliances can receive, by wireless channel, control commands sent by the portable remote control. The method is such that control commands can be sent selectively according to a scenario to the home automation appliances over the same communication bearer by the relay when the latter receives a specific command sent by the portable remote control to the relay.

Claims

1. A method of operating a home automation installation (1) comprising a portable remote control (2), a relay (3) and home automation appliances (4, 7, 10, 11, 40, 41), the method comprising the following steps:

using the remote control to select control of one of an appliance or the relay;

sending over a media, by wireless channel, control commands being, as selected from the portable remote control, one of a direct command to the home automation appliance or a specific commands to the relay;

receiving a control command from the portable remote control by one of the home automation appliance or the relay as selected;

performing one of an execution of the control command by the appliance or a generation of selective control commands in the relay, and

sending selective control commands, over the media by the relay in response to the control command being a specific command, to the home automation appliances according to a scenario,

wherein the remote control is configured to send direct control signals and specific relay command signals.

2. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a preliminary step for pairing the relay with the home automation appliances and pairing the relay with the portable remote control.

3. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, which comprises, on the relay, a preliminary step for defining the scenario determining the control commands to be sent to the home automation appliances involved in the scenario.

4. The operating method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step for defining the scenario comprises a substep for reading on the relay a state of a selector (39) and/or a substep for determining data measured by sensors (6, 8, 13).

5. The operating method as claimed in claim 4, which comprises a step for correlating data measured by sensors with actions of the home automation appliances, this step being preliminary to that of defining the scenario.

6. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scenario is defined on the relay.

7. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control commands sent selectively to the home automation appliances are generated on the relay.

8. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a scenario, pre-saved in the relay, brings about, when it is executed, the closure of the entrances to a building and the switching off of the lighting.

9. A home automation installation (1) comprising a portable remote control (2), a relay (3) and home automation appliances (4, 7, 10, 11, 40, 41), and wherein at least some home automation appliances can receive directly, over a media, by wireless channel, control commands sent by the portable remote control, which comprises hardware means (21, 22, 24, 31, 32, 34) and software means for implementing the operating method of claim 1.

10. The home automation installation as claimed in claim 9, wherein the relay comprises means (32, 34) for translating a specific control command for executing the scenario into different control commands for the attention of the home automation appliances.

11. The operating method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising sending an acknowledgement message from the relay to the portable remote control upon receiving specific commands from the portable remote control by the relay.