Remote communication systems and methods for communicating with a building gateway control to control building systems and elements

• US 9,330,561 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hello, Inc.
• Inventors: Proud, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US13/955,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.01, 600/534, 600/545
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/683 Means for maintaining contact with the body A61B5/6802 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A wearable monitoring device, worn by a user, has one or more sensors which acquire at least one of a user'"'"'s activities, behaviors and habit information, an antenna and a unique user ID. The monitoring device includes a wireless user interface with a one or more input selection elements, which are accessible by the user to control at least a portion of one or more controllable devices housed in a building. One or more controllable systems or devices are at the building. At least a first portion of the one or more controllable systems or devices have an interface with a receiver in communication with the monitoring device that enables the monitoring device to communicate with the receiver.

Claims

1. A system to interact with one or more controllable systems and one or more controllable devices at a building, comprising:

a wearable monitoring device that includes a microphone, an RF transmitter and sensors to determine air quality, sound level, sound quality, light quality and ambient temperature near an individual, the RF transmitter serving as a communication system;

the wearable monitoring device including a wireless user interface with a one or more input selection elements, the one or more input selection elements being accessible by the individual to control at least a portion of the one or more controllable devices housed in the building;

an accelerometer configured to detect an individual'"'"'s movement information, the accelerometer and the wearable monitoring device configured to assist to determine sleep information and sleep behavior information of the individual, the microphone configured to record individual movement sounds detected by the accelerometer, the accelerometer configured to cause the microphone to stop recording the individual movement sounds when the movement sounds are not directed to a sleep related parameter; and

the one or more controllable systems or the one or more controllable devices at the building, at least a first portion of the one or more controllable systems or the one or more controllable devices having an interface with a receiver in communication with the wearable monitoring device that enables the wearable monitoring device to communicate with the receiver, the first portion of the one or more controllable systems or the one or more controllable devices are directly controllable by the wearable monitoring device and operable to make a change to a setting of that one or more controllable systems or one or more controllable devices at the building.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

ID circuitry at the wearable monitoring device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a building gateway control system at the building that includes a broadband communication interface, a remote data network and a wireless controllable device interface to control a setting for at least the first portion of the one or more controllable devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the building gateway control system includes a monitoring device interface to receive remote commands from the wearable monitoring device, via a wireless data protocol.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the wireless data protocol is used selected from at least one of 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and wireless technology standard for exchanging data.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the broadband interface communicates with the remote data network.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the wireless data protocol is used selected from at least one of 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and wireless technology standard for exchanging data.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the building gateway control system is positioned at an interior of the building.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the building gateway control system is positioned at an exterior of the building.

10. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a processing module responsive to a monitoring device interface and responsive to the broadband interface.

11. A method to interact by a user with one or more controllable systems and one or more controllable devices in a building, comprising:

using a monitoring device that includes a microphone, an RF transmitter and sensors to determine air quality, sound level, sound quality, light quality and ambient temperature near the user, the RF transmitter serving as a communication system;

wearing by the user the monitoring device, the monitoring device having a wireless user interface with one or more selection elements, the monitoring device being in communication with the one or more controllable systems or the one or more controllable devices at the building, at least a first portion of the one or more controllable systems or the one or more controllable devices having an interface with a receiver operable to be in communication with the monitoring device;

using an accelerometer to detect a user'"'"'s movement information, the accelerometer and the monitoring device configured to assist to determine user sleep information and sleep behavior information, the microphone configured to record user movement sounds detected by the accelerometer, the accelerometer configured to cause the microphone to stop recording the user movement sounds when the movement sounds are not directed to a sleep related parameter;

receiving signals from the wireless user interface at the first portion of the one or more controllable systems or the one or more controllable devices directly controllable by the monitoring device;

in response to receipt of the signals, making a change to a setting of the first portion of the one or more controllable systems or the one or more controllable devices at the building.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring device includes ID circuitry.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using a building gateway control system at the building.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

a processing module responsive to a monitoring device interface and responsive to a broadband interface.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using a wireless data protocol to communicate remote commands from the monitoring device to at least via a wireless data protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a broadband interface communicates with a remote data network.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein a building gateway control system is positioned at an interior of the building.

14. The method of 13, wherein the building gateway control system is positioned at an exterior of the building.