User customizable monitoring system

• US 8,502,657 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fleming, Kweku David
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/325,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 340/517, 340/521, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/506, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.23, 340/539.27, 340/540, 235/472.01
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed invention provide a user customizable monitoring system. For example, in one embodiment, the user customizable monitoring system includes a set of user-programmable portable sensors and a communication hub for enabling a user to customize features associated with the set of user-programmable portable sensors. In one embodiment, the communication hub is further configured to receive data from the set of user programmable portable sensors and perform a user specified action based on the received data. In some embodiments, a user selects any desired combination of different types of user-programmable portable sensors that come preconfigured to operate with the communication hub. Additionally, in some embodiments, a user may configure particular parameters associated with a user-programmable portable sensor using the communication hub.

Claims

1. A user customizable monitoring system, comprising:

a set of user-programmable portable sensors; and

a communication hub comprising at least one physical port for plugging in one or more of the user-programmable portable sensors, a first communication interface for communicating with the set of user-programmable portable sensors and a second communication interface that provides communication over a communication network, the communication hub being configured to;

receive input from a user to customize features associated with the set of user-programmable portable sensors;

store, in a memory of a first user-programmable sensor, one or more configuration parameters when the first user-programmable sensor is plugged into the physical port, to configure behavior of the first user-programmable sensor;

receive data from the set of user programmable portable sensors; and

perform a user specified action in response to the received data, wherein performing a user specified action comprises communicating with a data processing system over the communication network, based on the received data.

2. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the user programmable portable sensors includes a data storage component for storing monitoring information locally until the communication hub receives the data from the user programmable portable sensors via a physical connection.

3. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the user programmable portable sensors each include a transceiver for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from the communication hub.

4. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the set of user-programmable portable sensors is selected from a plurality of user-programmable portable sensors, wherein a user programmable portable sensor within the plurality of user programmable portable sensors is configured with one of a set of sensors, the set of sensors comprising a temperature sensor, a touch sensor, a motion sensor, and a proximity sensor.

5. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the set of sensors further comprises a natural language sensor, an input button sensor, and an input touch screen sensor.

6. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 5, wherein a user programmable portable sensor within the plurality of user programmable portable sensors is configured with a combination of two or more sensors from the set of sensors.

7. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the set of user-programmable portable sensors include a first set of sensors configured to perform a first function and a second set of sensors configured to perform a second function.

8. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the set of user-programmable portable sensors further include a third set of sensors configured to perform a third function.

9. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors may be any combination of a set of sensors comprising a temperature sensor, a touch sensor, a motion sensor, and a proximity sensor, a natural language sensor, an input button sensor, and an input touch screen sensor, and wherein the user selects the combination.

10. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the set of user programmable portable sensors are uniformly shaped and are distinguishable by color based on a function performed by a user programmable portable sensor.

11. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a second set of user programmable portable sensors that are added to the user customizable home monitoring system at a later date and are preconfigured to function with the communication hub.

12. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the user places the set of user programmable portable sensors in one or more desired locations within a home location and wherein a user programmable portable sensor may be moved from a first location to a second location.

13. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein a user programmable portable sensor comprises a sensor housing, a sensor, a lens, and a light emitting diode.

14. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless network.

15. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet.

16. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein communicating over the communication network comprises transmitting the received data for reception by the data processing system.

17. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the set of user-programmable portable sensors comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein performing a user specified action comprises performing a user specified action in response to receiving data from the first sensor and performing a second user specified action in response to receiving data from the second sensor, and wherein the first user specified action is different from the second user specified action.

18. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication hub includes a set of ports for coupling one or more of the user programmable portable sensors for recharging an internal battery associated with the one or more user programmable portable sensors.

19. The user customizable monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication hub includes a set of ports for communicatively coupling one or more of the user programmable portable sensors to the communication hub to enable data exchange.

20. A method for providing a user customizable monitoring system, the method comprising:

configuring, with a communication hub, a set of user-programmable portable sensors, the communication hub comprising at least one physical port for plugging in one or more of the user-programmable portable sensors, a first communication interface for communicating with the set of user-programmable portable sensors and a second communication interface that provides communication over a communication network;

storing, in a memory of a first user-programmable sensor, one or more configuration parameters when the first user-programmable sensor is plugged into the physical port, to configure behavior of the first user-programmable sensor;

receiving data from the set of user-programmable portable sensors; and

performing a user-specified action in response to the received data, wherein performing a user specified action comprises communicating with a data processing system over the communication network, based on the received data.