Method of remotely controlling electrical appliances

• US 9,418,541 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grand Mate Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Grand Mate Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Chung-Chin, Huang, Chin-Ying, Huang, Hsin-Ming, Huang, Hsing-Hsiung, Yeh, Yen-Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US14/341,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.22, 340/12.23, 340/825.22, 340/825.25, 340/5.25, 340/5.64, 340/5.72, 710/5, 710/15, 710/72, 348/734, 307/11, 307/38, 307/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

A method of remotely controlling electrical appliances includes the steps of: inputting ID codes of a plurality of electrical appliances into a remote control device; selecting one of the electrical appliances and a corresponding operating command on the remote control device; generating a Wi-Fi signal to carry the first packet; transmitting the Wi-Fi signal to a repeater; converting the first packet carried thereby into a second packet; generating a RF signal to carry the second packet; transmitting the RF signal to the electrical appliances; comparing a ID code kept in a second ID code field of the second packet to the ID codes of the electrical appliances. Finally, the electrical appliance which has the matched ID code performs an operation according to an operating command in a second data field of the second packet.

Claims

1. A method of remotely controlling electrical appliances, comprising the steps of:

A. providing a plurality of electrical appliances and a repeater, wherein each of the electrical appliances is stored with a unique ID code, and the repeater communicates with the electrical appliances through RF signals, wherein ID stands for identification, and RF stands for radio frequency;

B. inputting an ID code of one of the electrical appliances into a remote control device, wherein the remote control device communicates with the repeater through Wi-Fi signals, wherein Wi-Fi is a brand name certifying wireless fidelity;

C. selecting one of the electrical appliances and one of operating commands which corresponds to the selected electrical appliance through the remote control device, and accordingly generating a Wi-Fi signal with the remote control device, wherein a first packet, which includes a first ID code field and a first data field, is carried by the Wi-Fi signal;

the ID code of the selected electrical appliance is recorded in the first ID code field, and the selected operating command is recorded in the first data field;

D. transmitting the Wi-Fi signal to the repeater, converting the first packet carried thereby into a second packet with the repeater, and then generating a RF signal to carry the second packet with the repeater, wherein the second packet includes a second ID code field and a second data field;

the ID code in the first ID code field and the operating command in the first data field are copied to the second ID code field and the second data field respectively;

E. transmitting the RF signal to each of the electrical appliances, comparing the ID code in the second ID code field to the ID code stored in each of the electrical appliances, and then performing an operation according to the operating command in the second data field with the electrical appliance which has identical ID code to the ID code in the second ID code field;

wherein the repeater has a device code, which is also inputted into the remote control device in step B;

the remote control device establishes connections between the electrical appliances and the repeater according to the ID codes before performing step C;

the first packet further includes a first device code field, and the device code of the repeater is recorded in the first device code field;

if the device code in the first device code field of the first packet matches the device code of the repeater, the repeater converts the first packet into the second packet in step D.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ID codes of the electrical appliances are also kept by the repeater;

the ID codes of the electrical appliances are transmitted to the remote control device through the repeater;

the remote control device establishes connections between the electrical appliances and the repeater according to the ID codes and the device code before step C.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

F. respectively generating a RF signal to carry a third packet with each of the electrical appliances to indicate an operating status thereof, wherein each of the third packet includes a third ID code field and a third data field;

the ID code and the operating status of the electrical appliance which generates the third packet are sequentially and respectively recorded in the third ID code field and the third data field;

G. transmitting the RF signal which carries the third packet to the repeater, converting the third packet carried thereby into a fourth packet with the repeater, and then generating a Wi-Fi signal to carry the fourth packet with the repeater wherein the fourth packet includes a fourth device code field, a fourth ID code field, and a fourth data field;

the device code of the repeater is recorded in the fourth device code field;

the ID code in the third ID code field and the operating status in the third data field are copied to the fourth ID code field and the fourth data field respectively;

H. transmitting the Wi-Fi signal which carries the fourth packet to the remote control device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the electrical appliances generates an error code when an abnormal operation occurs;

each of the third packet further includes a third error code field, and the error code generated by the corresponding electrical appliance is recorded in the third error code field;

the fourth packet further includes a fourth error code field, and the error code in the third error code field is copied to the fourth error code field.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the error code in the third error code field of the third packet is also kept in the repeater as a history log;

the fourth packet further includes a fourth history log field, and the history log kept in the repeater is recorded in the fourth history log field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the electrical appliances further has a model code, which is also inputted into the remote control device in step B;

a plurality of control options are listed according to the model code of the selected electrical appliance in step C, and the operating command is generated by selecting one of the control options.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control device includes a mobile device, which communicates with the repeater through Wi-Fi signals;

one of the electrical appliances and the corresponding operating command is selected on the mobile device in step C, and the Wi-Fi signal which carries the first packet is generated accordingly.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control device includes a mobile device and an access point;

the mobile device communicates with the access point through Wi-Fi signals, and the access point communicates with the repeater through Wi-Fi signals;

one of the electrical appliances and the corresponding operating command is selected on the mobile device in step C, and the Wi-Fi signal which carries the first packet is generated accordingly and transmitted to the repeater through the access point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control device includes a server and an access point;

the server communicates with the access point through an Internet, and the repeater communicates with the access point through Wi-Fi signals;

one of the electrical appliances and the corresponding operating command is selected on the server in step C, and an Internet signal is generated accordingly to carry the first packet;

the Internet signal is transmitted to the access point to generate the Wi-Fi signal which carries the first packet.