Appliance and method for data exchange in a household

• US 9,171,190 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Drake, Jeff Donald, Bultman, Robert Marten, Finch, Michael Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US13/224,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• 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 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

Embodiments of an appliance and method utilize data keys to facilitate the exchange of data and information among devices as part of an energy management system. The data keys contain and/or encode information particular to the appliance. This information helps to distinguish data that originates from one appliance from data that originates from other appliances in the household. In one embodiment, the data keys are stored locally, either on devices (e.g., memory) incorporated into the appliance or on a communication device (e.g., a wireless radio) that can connect to the appliance to permit the exchange of inputs and outputs. Exemplary configuration of the appliance can sense the connection with the communication device and provide an input to the communication device to determine the data key that is associated with the appliance.

Claims

1. A method of exchanging data between an appliance and a remote device, the method comprising:

sensing at an appliance a connection with a communication device, the communication device remote from the appliance and comprising a wireless device and a data connection for coupling the communications device to the appliance;

if a data key is stored at the appliance,

transmitting from the appliance, an input to the communication device, the input including a data key, the data key including a credential identifying the appliance, the credential including a feature credential and a security credential; and

if a data key is not stored at the appliance,

transmitting from the appliance, a first input to the communication device, the first input including a credential identifying the appliance, the credential including a feature credential and a security credential;

selecting a data key at the communication device for the identified appliance, and encoding the data key with the credential identifying the appliance;

exchanging data between the communication device and the appliance using the data key, the feature credential of the data key including information that identifies the appliance and associates data received from the appliance with the appliance said exchanging data occurring over one of a plurality of communications protocols via the wireless device and data connection, the security credential including information designating a type of the communications protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a data key is available on memory of the appliance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential comprises information that is unique to the appliance to which the device is connected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a memory storing a plurality of data keys, each of the data keys for use with one of a plurality of appliances.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature credential comprises a certificate that is defined by one or more industry standards.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature credential identifies the appliance by type.

7. A method of exchanging data between an appliance and a remote device, the method comprising:

sensing at an appliance a connection with a communication device, the communication device remote from the appliance;

if a data key is stored at the appliance,

transmitting from the appliance, an input to the communication device, the input including a data key, the data key including a credential identifying the appliance, the credential including a feature credential and a security credential; and

if a data key is not stored at the appliance,

transmitting from the appliance, a first input to the communication device, the first input including a credential identifying the appliance, the credential including a feature credential and a security credential;

selecting a data key at the communication device for the identified appliance, and encoding the data key with the credential identifying the appliance;

via a designated communication protocol of a plurality of communication protocols, exchanging data between the communication device and the appliance using the data key, wherein the feature credential of the data key includes information that identifies the appliance and associated data received from the appliance, and wherein the security credential includes information that determines the designated communication protocol.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising storing a plurality of data keys on the communication device, each of the data keys for use with one of a plurality of appliances.