Mobile unit for controlling the comfort and/or security conditions in a building

• US 9,462,409 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somfy Activites SA (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Mignot, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/426,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Mobile control unit comprising:

• • first communication elements (COM1) adapted for communication according to a local protocol (P1); second communication elements (COM2) adapted for communication according to a second communication protocol (P2);
  • elements (IHM, MEM, Rx_COM2, Rx_COM1) of detecting at least one event (EVT) involving the sending of at least one message (MSG) to at least one electrical equipment item (11, 12, 13, 14, GTW);
  • elements (μP, MEM, COM1, COM2, IHM) of automatically selecting the communication elements (COM_TX) to be used for the sending of the at least one message (MSG); and
  • elements (μP, MEM, COM1, COM2) of generating the at least one message (MSG) according to the event (EVT) detected and the selected communication elements (COM_TX).

Claims

1. Mobile control unit, intended to be used in an installation for the automated control of the comfort and/or security conditions in a building, the installation comprising an electrical equipment item adapted for communication according to a first communication protocol, called local protocol,

wherein the mobile control unit comprises:

first communication elements adapted for communication according to the local protocol;

second communication elements adapted for communication according to a second communication protocol, called remote protocol, allowing access to an external network;

elements for detecting at least one event involving the sending of at least one message to an electrical equipment item;

elements for automatically selecting the communication elements to be used for the sending of the at least one message; and

elements for generating the at least one message according to the event detected and the selected communication elements,

wherein the at least one message is adapted to be received by the electrical equipment according to the first communication protocol, whatever the communication protocol used by the mobile control unit.

2. The mobile control unit according to claim 1, wherein the mobile control unit further comprises elements for determining at least one action to be executed by the electrical equipment item, according to the event detected.

3. The mobile control unit according to claim 1, wherein the selection elements further comprise human-machine interface elements, making it possible for a user to select commands to be sent to the electrical equipment item.

4. The mobile control unit according to claim 1, wherein the selection elements further comprise geolocation elements.

5. Installation for the automated control of the comfort and/or security conditions in a building, wherein the installation comprises:

the mobile control unit according to claim 1; and

an electrical equipment item adapted to communicate according to the local protocol,

wherein the at least one message is adapted to be received by the electrical equipment according to the first communication protocol, whatever the communication protocol used by the mobile control unit.

6. The installation according to claim 5, wherein the installation further comprises a communication gateway device comprising:

communication elements adapted to the local protocol;

communication elements adapted to a third communication protocol allowing access to the external network; and

elements for converting the data received in accordance with the third communication protocol into a format compatible with the local protocol.

7. The installation according to claim 5, wherein the installation comprises a device for accessing the external network, adapted to communicate with the mobile control unit according to the remote protocol,

wherein information concerning the device for accessing the external network is notified to the user through specific actions executed by electrical equipment items.

8. Method of operating the installation according to claim 5, the method being implemented by the mobile control unit, and comprising:

detecting at least one event involving the sending of at least one message to an electrical equipment item of the installation;

automatically selecting the communication elements to be used for the sending of the at least one message to the electrical equipment item;

generating the at least one message according to the event detected and the communication elements selected for the sending of the message;

sending the at least one message via the communication elements selected for the sending of the message.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the operating method further comprises determining at least one action to be executed by the electrical equipment item, according to the event detected.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the operating method further comprises receiving a report message containing information relating to the result of the reception of the at least one message by the electrical equipment item.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the operating method further comprises automatically selecting the elements for receiving the report message.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the elements for receiving the report message are the communication elements selected for the sending of the message.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of automatic selection comprises testing the connection using the local protocol, in order to set up a direct communication with the electrical equipment item, the selected communication elements being:

the first communication elements in the case of successful establishment of the direct communication;

the second communication elements, in the case of failure to establish the direct communication.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of automatic selection comprises geolocating the mobile control unit, the selected communication elements being:

the first communication elements if the control unit is located within a predefined perimeter;

the second communication elements otherwise.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of detecting the at least one event comprises detecting at least one user action executed via a human-machine interface.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of detecting the at least one event comprises detecting the timing-out of at least one action to be executed in accordance with a predefined scenario.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the of detecting the at least one event comprises receiving, via the communication elements, the data concerning the operation of an electrical equipment item.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the data are received via the second communication elements, the data relate to a device allowing access to the external network and the message contains a command to trigger an action of the electrical equipment item, according to the data received.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

the action to be executed by the electrical equipment item consists in updating its configuration parameters; and

the method implemented by the control unit, further comprises;

generating a message requesting configuration parameters, to a remote server, in a format compatible with the remote protocol;

transmitting the request message via the second communication elements;

receiving, from the remote server, a message containing configuration parameters, via the second communication elements; and

converting the content of the message received in accordance with the remote protocol into a response message compatible with the local protocol.

20. Method of communicating in the installation according to claim 5, implemented by a device for accessing the external network, adapted to communicate with the control unit according to the remote protocol, the method comprising:

generating data relating to the access device; and

sending the data via the second communication elements to the control unit.

21. Mobile control unit according to claim 1, wherein between the sending of two messages, the elements for automatically selecting message communication elements switch from one set of elements among the first and second message communication elements to the other set of elements among the first and second message communication elements.

22. The method according to claim 8, comprising, between the sending of two messages, switching from one set of elements among the first and second message communication elements to the other set of elements among the first and second message communication elements.