Home automation using near field communication

• US 9,716,530 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Imes, Kevin R., Hollister, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bousono, Orlando
• Application Number:
  US14/149,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20140191848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system includes a network device that is disposed at a site and configured to communicate with a wireless network. A controller is disposed at the site and is in communication with the wireless network, and a passive device is disposed at the site and includes a unique identifier disposed thereon. The system further includes a mobile device associated with the site and which includes a communication chip. The communication chip is configured to read the unique identifier when the mobile device is placed in close proximity to the passive device, and a mobile application disposed on the mobile device is configured to transmit the unique identifier to the controller for use in controlling the network device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first network device and a second network device disposed at a site and configured to communicate with a wireless network, the first network device configured to perform a first operation of a plurality of operations of the first network device of at least a portion of the site and mapped to the second network device that is configured to perform a second operation of a plurality of operations of the second network device different than the first operation;

a controller disposed at the site and in communication with the wireless network;

at least one of a plurality of passive devices disposed at the site and including a unique identifier disposed thereon, the unique identifier associated with at least one of the plurality of operations of the first network device and the second network device;

the controller configured to communicate with a mobile device associated with the site and including a communication chip disposed thereon, the communication chip configured to read the unique identifier when the mobile device is moved into communication with the at least one of the plurality of passive devices;

a mobile application disposed on the mobile device and configured to transmit the unique identifier to the controller; and

the controller further configured to effectuate the first network device to perform the first operation and the second network device to perform the second operation different than the first operation in response to receiving the unique identifier from the mobile application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication chip is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader and the unique identifier is an RFID tag.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of:

a mobile phone, a tablet, a watch, and a laptop computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of passive devices comprises at least one of:

a coaster, a pad, and an inductive charger.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device is further configured to read the unique identifier when the mobile device is placed on the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is programmable through at least one of:

the mobile application, the controller, and a web-based server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network device comprises a thermostat to automatically control the temperature and the unique identifier is associated with a temperature set-point for communication to the controller when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network device comprises an alarm system and the unique identifier is associated with an alarm on or off set-point for communication to the controller when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network device comprises a garage door system and the unique identifier is associated with a garage door open or closed position for communication to the controller when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network device comprises a coffee maker system and the unique identifier is associated with a coffee-maker on set-point for communication to the controller when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second network device comprises a lighting system and the unique identifier is associated with a lighting system on or off set-point for communication to the controller when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile application is further configured to allow a user to interact with the controller using a graphical user interface displayed on the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of passive devices are each disposed in different locations throughout the site.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of passive devices includes a temperature sensor configured to read an ambient temperature of the site, wherein the communication chip is further configured to read the ambient temperature when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices, and wherein the mobile application is configured to transmit the unique identifier and the read ambient temperature to the controller for use in controlling at least one of the first and second network devices.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication chip is configured to power the at least one of the plurality of passive devices when the mobile device is disposed in closed proximity thereto.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate with a cloud server and the mobile application is configured to synchronize data stored on the mobile device with the cloud server when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate with a memory of a computer for storing the data stored on the mobile device and the mobile application is configured to synchronize the data stored on the mobile device with the memory of the computer when the mobile device is disposed in close proximity to the at least one of the plurality of passive devices.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication chip comprises at least one of:

a Z-wave chip, a Zigbee chip, a WiFi chip, and a power-line chip.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network device includes at least one of:

an HVAC system, a heat pump, and a thermostat; and

wherein the second network device includes at least one of;

a personal computer, a consumer electronic device, a media device, a smart utility meter, an advanced metering infrastructure, a smart energy device, an energy display device, a home automation controller, an energy hub, a smart energy gateway, a set-top box, a digital media subscriber system, a cable modem, a fiber optic enabled communications device, a media gateway, a home media management system, a network server, an energy substation, a vehicle charging station, a renewable energy production device, a renewable energy control device, an energy storage management system, a smart appliance, a water pump, a hot water heater, an energy controller, an irrigation system, a lighting system, an alarm system, a smart power outlet, an energy detection device, a power measurement device, a power measurement unit (PMU), an air handler, a wireless air damper, a humidity control system, a heat and motion sensing device, a switch router, a wireless router, an automated blind, a tinted window glass system, a television, a coffee maker, and a garage door.

20. A system comprising:

a first network device disposed at a site and configured to communicate with a wireless network and to perform a first operation of at least a portion of the site;

a second network device disposed at the site, mapped to the first network device, and configured to communicate with the wireless network and to perform a second operation different than the first operation;

a controller disposed at the site and in communication with the wireless network;

a passive device disposed at the site and including a unique identifier disposed thereon, the unique identifier associated with the first operation of the first network device and the second operation of the second network device different than the first operation;

the controller configured to communication with a mobile device associated with the site and including a communication chip disposed thereon, the communication chip configured to read the unique identifier when the mobile device is moved into communication with the passive device;

a mobile application disposed on the mobile device and configured to transmit the unique identified to the controller; and

the controller further configured to effectuate the first network device to perform the first operation and the second network device to perform the second operation different than the first operation in response to receipt of the unique identifier from the mobile application.