Systems and methods for controlling appliances via a network

• US 7,865,568 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. (Rtx Corporation), Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. (Rtx Corporation), Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Redi, Jason Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US09/572,682
• Time in Patent Office: 3,885 Days
• Field of Search: 703/223, 703/224, 703/202, 703/204, 703/208, 340/286.02, 340/825.06, 340/825, 340/3.1, 340/3.4, 340/3.54, 340/3.55, 348/211.3, 348/558, 348/552, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.4, 379/102.03, 379/102.02, 709/223, 709/224, 709/202, 709/204, 709/208, 709/217, 709/238, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

A remote control device (140, 600) controls the operation of an appliance. The remote control device (140, 600) includes a receiver (320) or transceiver (620), a controller (330, 630), and a transmitter (350, 650). The receiver (320) or transceiver (620) receives a network packet that includes at least one command. The controller (330, 630) analyzes the network packet to determine whether the packet is intended for the remote control device (140, 600). The transmitter (350, 650) outputs a signal to control operation of the appliance based on the command when the controller (330, 630) determines that the packet is intended for the remote control device (140, 600).

Claims

1. A wireless remote control device operatively coupled to a user device via a network, the wireless remote control device comprising:

a receiver configured to wirelessly receive from the user device via radio frequency (RF) technology over said network a network packet having a destination address and including at least one command, the at least one command for controlling operation of one of a plurality of household appliances;

a controller configured to analyze the destination address of the received network packet to determine if the received network packet is intended for the wireless remote control device,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

store information regarding capabilities of the wireless remote control device, the capabilities of the wireless remote control device comprising a set of known commands, and

identify the at least one command from the received network packet and compare the at least one command with the set of known commands to determine if the wireless remote control device can perform the at least one command; and

an infrared (IR) transmitter which transmits an IR signal directly to each of the plurality of household appliances to control operation of said one of said appliances based on the at least one command and based on the controller determining that the received network packet is intended for the wireless remote control device,

wherein each of said plurality of household devices comprises an IR receiving port for receiving the IR signal directly from the IR transmitter.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a transmitter controller configured to generate the signal based on the at least one command when the controller determines that the network packet is intended for the wireless remote control device.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to compare the destination address in the received network packet to a network address for the wireless remote control device to determine whether the received network packet is intended for the wireless remote control device.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the receiver includes:

a transceiver configured to receive the received network packet and acknowledge receipt of the received network packet.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the controller is further configured to receive a request for information regarding the capabilities of the wireless remote control device and transmit a reply containing the requested information.

6. A system including a plurality of appliances, comprising:

a user device configured to generate a command for controlling one of the appliances and transmit the command via a wireless network in a packet, the packet having a remote control destination address indicating that the command is intended for a target remote control device having said address; and

a plurality of remote controls, each of the remote controls including an apparatus which;

wirelessly receives the packet via radio frequency (RF) technology over said wireless network, the packet including the command,

determines, based on the remote control destination address, if the command from the user device is intended for the target remote control device,

whereby it is determined that the remote control is the target remote control device based on the remote control destination address corresponding to the address of the target remote control device,

determines if the target remote control device can perform the command,

wherein the target remote control device stores information regarding capabilities of the target remote control device, the capabilities comprising a set of known commands, and the target remote control device determines if it can perform the command by comparing the command with the set of known commands,

generates, based on the determination that the command is intended for the target remote control device and the determination that the target remote control device can perform the command, an infrared (IR) control signal based on the command, and

transmits the IR control signal directly to an IR receiving port on the one of the appliances to control operation of the one of the appliances,

wherein each of said plurality of appliances comprises an IR receiving port for receiving the IR signal, and

wherein the user device is further configured to transmit a request to each of the plurality of remote controls via the wireless connection to determine capabilities of each one of the plurality of remote controls; and

wherein each of the plurality of remote controls is further configured to store information regarding the capabilities of itself and transmit the information to the user device via the wireless connection in response to the request, the information comprising the set of known commands.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a network device connected to the remote control via a network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the network includes the Internet.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of remote controls is further configured to transmit a network address corresponding to itself in response to the request.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the device includes:

a graphical user interface to facilitate control of the appliances by a user.

11. A method comprising:

sending to a wireless network, via a user device connected to said wireless network, a request for information regarding capabilities of each of a plurality of remote controls available on said wireless network, each remote control associated with a plurality of appliances, each of said plurality of appliances comprising an infrared receiving port; and

receiving from each of said remote controls by the user device, in response to the request, information of each of said remote controls, the information including a network address of said remote control and capabilities of said remote control;

providing on the user device, via a graphical user interface (GUI), an indication of said plurality of appliances and said capabilities of the plurality of remote controls;

receiving an instruction by said user device, the instruction being for controlling a selected one of said plurality of appliances;

determining, based on said instruction, a command signal and a destination network address associated with one of said remote controls associated with the selected appliance, the network address being determined based on the received information of each of said remote controls;

generating a network packet including said command and said destination network address and transmitting said network packet to at least one of said plurality of remote controls over said wireless network;

analyzing, by the at least one of said plurality of remote controls, said network packet to determine if said destination network address matches a network address of one of said at least one of said plurality of remote controls;

receiving, by the user device, an acknowledging message indicating receipt of said network packet from said one of said plurality of remote controls;

reading, by the at least one of said plurality of remote controls, said network packet at said one of said remote controls to identify said command;

comparing, by the at least one of said plurality of remote controls, the identified command with a set of known commands to determine if the at least one of said plurality of remote controls can perform the at least one command, the set of known commands being stored in the at least one of said plurality of remote controls; and

transmitting, directly from the at least one of said plurality of remote controls to the infrared receiving port of the selected appliance, an infrared signal including said identified command.

12. A method comprising:

sending to a wireless network, via a user device connected to said wireless network, a request for information regarding capabilities of each of a plurality of remote controls available on said wireless network, each remote control associated with a plurality of appliances, each of said plurality of appliances comprising an infrared receiving port; and

receiving from each of said remote controls by the user device, in response to the request, information of each of said remote controls, the information including a network address of said remote control and capabilities of said remote control;

receiving an instruction by said user device, the instruction being for controlling a selected one of said plurality of appliances;

determining, based on said instruction, a command signal and a destination network address associated with one of said remote controls associated with the selected appliance, the network address being determined based on the received information of each of said remote controls;

generating a network packet including said command and said destination network address and transmitting said network packet to at least one of said plurality of remote controls including said one of said remote controls associated with the selected appliance over said wireless network;

analyzing, by the at least one of said plurality of remote controls, said network packet to determine if said destination network address matches a network address of one of said at least one of said plurality of remote controls;

receiving, by the user device, an acknowledging message indicating receipt of said network packet from said one of said plurality of remote controls;

reading, by the at least one of said plurality of remote controls, said network packet at said one of said remote controls to identify said command;

comparing, by the at least one of said plurality of remote controls, the identified command with a set of known commands to determine if the at least one of said plurality of remote controls can perform the at least one command, the set of known commands being stored in the at least one of said plurality of remote controls; and

transmitting, directly from the at least one of said plurality of remote controls to the infrared receiving port of the selected appliance, an infrared signal including said identified command.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said one of said remote control devices includes a transceiver configured to receive said network packet and transmit and acknowledgement of receipt of said network packet.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the capabilities determining includes:

receiving, by said user device, from said one of said remote control devices a set of commands associated with the appliance.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a request for information regarding the capabilities of said one of said remote control devices, and

transmitting a reply containing a set of commands associated with the appliance.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving, at one of said plurality of remote control devices, a request for information regarding the capabilities of said one of said plurality of said remote control devices, and

transmitting a reply containing the set of known commands.

17. A system comprising:

a plurality of wireless remote control devices operatively coupled to a user device via a wireless network, wherein each of the wireless remote control devices receives, via radio frequency (RF) technology over the wireless network, from the user device, a network packet, the network packet including a wireless remote control device destination address and at least one command for controlling an appliance, the plurality of wireless remote control devices including a target appliance controlling device having said destination address, the target appliance controlling device including;

a receiver configured to wirelessly receive from the user device via radio frequency (RF) technology the network packet;

a controller configured to analyze the wireless remote control device destination address of the network packet to determine if the received network packet is intended for the target appliance controlling device,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

store information regarding capabilities of the target appliance controlling device, the capabilities of the target appliance controlling device comprising a set of known commands, and

identify the at least one command included in the network packet and compare the at least one command with the set of known commands to determine if the target appliance controlling device can perform the at least one command; and

an infrared (IR) transmitter which transmits an IR signal directly to the appliance to control operation of the appliance based on the at least one command and based on the controller determining that the received network packet is intended for the target appliance controlling device and the controller determining that the target appliance controlling device can perform the at least one command,

wherein said appliance is one of a plurality of appliances, where each of said plurality of appliances comprises an IR receiving port for receiving the IR signal directly from the transmitter.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the target appliance controlling wireless remote control device further comprises:

a transmitter controller configured to generate the signal based on the at least one command when the controller determines that the network packet is intended for the target appliance controlling wireless remote control device.