Method of testing and installing a home automation remote control unit

• US 7,860,679 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Orsat, Jean-Michel, Rouhier, Valérie, Pellarin, Florent
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee; Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US11/787,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 702/108, 702/122, 702/123, 340/7.55, 340/7.56, 340/825.22, 340/825.24, 340/7.1, 340/7.2, 340/7.24, 703/23, 703/27, 348/734
• US Class Current: 702/108
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/61 Password, biometric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• 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

Abstract

A method of testing and installing a remote control unit (RCU) for controlling elements (ACT1, ACT2, ACT3) of a home automation network, intended for managing the security or heat or light comfort in a building, comprising the use of software (ALS) emulating the remote control unit in a computer (PCU) to define a virtual remote control unit (VRCU), and the configuring of the virtual remote control unit to enable the elements of the network to be controlled, wherein sending rights are assigned to the virtual remote control unit at the time of that configuration and wherein the cancellation of these sending rights results at least from a step for copying the configuration (CFG) of the virtual remote control unit in the remote control unit.

Claims

1. A method of testing and installing a remote control unit (RCU) for controlling elements (ACT1, ACT2, ACT3) of a home automation network intended for managing security or heat or light comfort in a building, comprising the use of software (ALS) emulating the remote control unit in a computer (PCU) to define a virtual remote control unit (VRCU), and the configuring of the virtual remote control unit to enable the elements of the network to be controlled, wherein sending rights are assigned to the virtual remote control unit at the time of that configuration and wherein the cancellation of these sending rights results at least from a step of copying the configuration (CFG) of the virtual remote control unit in the remote control unit.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sending rights of the virtual remote control unit are also cancelled at the end of a predetermined time, counted when using the virtual remote control unit or from the installation of the emulation software.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the phase for loading remote control unit emulation software into a computer is done via the Internet.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtual remote control unit configuration phase comprises loading software into the computer to assist in configuring the virtual remote control unit and running this software.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step for copying the configuration of the virtual remote control unit to the remote control unit comprises a phase for transmitting configuration data over the Internet network.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step for copying the configuration of the virtual remote control unit to the remote control unit comprises a phase for transmitting data by radio or infrared waves.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step for copying the configuration of the virtual remote control unit to the remote control unit is accompanied by a phase for storing an activation code in the remote control unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step for copying the configuration of the virtual remote control unit to the remote control unit takes place automatically when the computer detects, within the range area of the transmitter (TSV), a remote control unit that is not yet programmed of the same type as that emulated in the computer.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to perform the method as claimed in claim 1.

10. A remote control unit (RCU) for controlling elements (ACT1, ACT2, ACT3) of a home automation network intended for managing security or heat or light comfort in a building, which comprises a configuration memory (MCFG) and an activation code memory (MAC) the contents of which are prestored, a means of inputting a user activation code and a means (CMP) of activating the remote control unit if the user activation code matches the prestored activation code and hardware means (ULT) and software means (PRG) for executing the method as claimed in claim 1.