System and method for controlling device location determination

• US 8,059,621 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Wayne, Scott, Arling, Paul D., Yuh, Allen, Chambers, Christopher, de Clerq, Stephan, Lilleness, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US12/020,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20080137631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/389, 370/252, 370/349, 455/414.1, 455/410, 455/456.5, 455/419, 455/418
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/70 Device selection
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A controlling device such as a remote control has programming for transmitting a signal response to a plurality of control environments, each environment including a signaling device. Each signaling device in receipt of the signal request sends a signal response having a unique ID which is chosen to be characteristically attenuated by the surroundings of the environment. Because the controlling device can only be in one environment at a given time, and given the attenuation characteristics of the signal response from each signaling device, only one signal response will be received by the controlling device in each environment. Location definitions associated with the received unique ID may be used by programming in the controlling device to recall saved devices states, commands sets, macros, and even to dynamically generate commands based on the location information.

Claims

1. A system for providing location data for use in a portable device, the system comprising:

a portable device having programming for simultaneously receiving from each of a plurality of different signaling devices a wireless signal wherein the simultaneously received wireless signals function to provide a unique wireless signal fingerprint in each of a plurality of different environments and for capturing the unique wireless signal fingerprint in each of the plurality of different environments; and

a database accessible to the portable device having a plurality of stored location definitions each being related to a captured unique wireless signal fingerprint such that when the portable device is in subsequent simultaneous receipt of the wireless signals from each of the plurality of different signaling devices in a one of the plurality of different environments the programming is setup to select one of the plurality of stored location definitions from the database for use in configuring the portable device to be used in the one of the plurality of different environments.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of different signaling devices comprise a wireless access point having a network address.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises at least one of:

a remote control, a portable phone, a wireless capable PDA, a tablet PC, a Smart Display, and a home appliance.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless signal fingerprint comprises at least one of a network ID, access point name, and appliance address associated with the wireless signal received from each of the plurality of different signaling devices.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless signal fingerprint comprises a least a signal strength associated with the wireless signal received from each of the plurality of different signaling devices.