System and method for implementing internet of things (IOT) remote control applications

• US 9,774,497 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Afero, Inc.
• Inventors: Britt, Joe, Lee, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MAN U
• Application Number:
  US14/590,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-401, 370252-311, 709219-250
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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 platform, apparatus and method for Internet of Things Implementations for controlling electronic equipment. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN), and at least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) blaster to control specified electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment, the IoT device further comprising at least one sensor to detect current conditions associated with the operation of the electronics equipment, the IoT device to transmit an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel; and the IoT hub comprising a remote control code database to store remote control codes usable to control the electronics equipment, the IoT hub further comprising control logic to generate remote control commands using the remote control codes, the remote control commands selected by the control logic in response to the current conditions and input from an end user provided via a user device, the IoT hub to transmit the commands to the IoT device over the wireless communication channel; and the IoT device to responsively transmit the commands to the electronics equipment to control the electronics equipment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a hardware Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN);

at least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) blaster to control specified electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment, the IoT device further comprising at least one sensor to detect current conditions associated with the operation of the electronics equipment, the IoT device to transmit an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel;

the IoT hub comprising a remote control code learning logic circuitry to retrieve remote control codes from a master control code database on the IoT service responsive to an end user entering information identifying the electronics equipment via a user device, a remote control code database to store the remote control codes usable to control the electronics equipment, and a control logic circuitry to generate remote control commands using the remote control codes, the remote control commands selected by the control logic circuitry in response to the current conditions and input from the end user provided via the user device, the IoT hub to transmit the commands to the IoT device over the wireless communication channel; and

the IoT device to responsively transmit the remote control commands to the electronics equipment to control the electronics equipment.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the electronics equipment comprises an air conditioner and/or heater, the sensor comprises temperature sensor, and the current conditions comprises a temperature.

3. The system as in claim 2 wherein the input from the end user provided by the user device comprises a desired temperature, wherein the control logic circuitry generates the remote control commands to turn on or off the air conditioner and/or heater to achieve the desired temperature.

4. The system as in claim 1 wherein the electronics equipment comprises audiovisual equipment, lights, a stove, a washer and/or a dryer.

5. The system as in claim 1 wherein the remote control code learning logic circuitry is communicatively coupled to an IR/RF interface integrated on the IoT hub, the remote control code learning logic circuitry to learn remote control codes directly from original remote controls designed for operation with the electronics equipment by capturing the remote control codes from the original remote controls via the IR/RF interface.

6. The system as in claim 5 wherein the remote control code learning logic circuitry is to store the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub.

7. The system as in claim 1 wherein the input from the user is provided to the IoT hub through the IoT service.

8. The system as in claim 1 wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) communication channel.

9. The system as in claim 1 wherein the IoT hub is communicatively coupled to the IoT service over a cellular network connection coupling the IoT hub to the WAN.

10. The system as in claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of additional IoT devices communicatively coupled to the IoT hub, each of the IoT devices comprising an IR or RF blaster to control different types of electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment, each IoT device further comprising at least one sensor to detect current conditions associated with the operation of the different electronics equipment, each IoT device to transmit an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel.

11. A method comprising:

communicatively coupling an Internet of Things (IoT) hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN);

communicatively coupling at least one IoT device to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) blaster to control specified electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment;

sensing current conditions with a sensor on the IoT device, the current conditions associated with the operation of the electronics equipment;

transmitting the current conditions over the wireless communication channel from the IoT device to the IoT hub;

analyzing the current conditions in combination with user input to select remote control commands using remote control codes at the IoT hub, wherein the IoT hub comprises a remote control code learning logic circuitry to retrieve the remote control codes from a master control code database on the IoT service responsive to the user entering information identifying the electronics equipment; and

transmitting the remote control commands from the IoT hub to the IoT device over the wireless communication channel, the IoT device responsively transmitting the remote control commands to the electronics equipment to control the electronics equipment.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein the electronics equipment comprises an air conditioner and/or heater, the sensor comprises temperature sensor, and the current conditions comprises a temperature.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the input from the end user provided by the user device comprises a desired temperature, wherein a control logic circuitry generates the remote control commands to turn on or off the air conditioner and/or heater to achieve the desired temperature.

14. The method as in claim 11 wherein the electronics equipment comprises audiovisual equipment, lights, a stove, a washer and/or a dryer.

15. The method as in claim 11 wherein the remote control code learning logic circuitry is communicatively coupled to an IR/RF interface integrated on the IoT hub, the remote control code learning logic circuitry to learn remote control codes directly from original remote controls designed for operation with the electronics equipment by capturing the remote control codes from the original remote controls via the IR/RF interface.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the remote control code learning logic circuitry is to store the captured remote control codes in the remote control code database on the IoT hub.

17. The method as in claim 11 wherein the input from the user is provided to the IoT hub through the IoT service.

18. The method as in claim 11 wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) communication channel.

19. The method as in claim 11 wherein the IoT hub is communicatively coupled to the IoT service over a cellular network connection coupling the IoT hub to the WAN.

20. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

communicatively coupling a plurality of additional IoT devices to the IoT hub, each of the IoT devices comprising an IR or RF blaster to control different types of electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment, each IoT device further comprising at least one sensor to detect current conditions associated with the operation of the different electronics equipment, each IoT device to transmit an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel.

21. A system comprising:

a hardware Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN);

at least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) blaster to control specified electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment, the IoT device further comprising at least one sensor to detect current conditions associated with the operation of the electronics equipment, the IoT device to transmit an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel;

the IoT hub comprising a remote control code database to store remote control codes usable to control the electronics equipment, the IoT hub further comprising control logic circuitry to generate remote control commands using the remote control codes, the remote control commands selected by the control logic circuitry in response to the current conditions and input from an end user provided via a user device, the IoT hub to transmit the commands to the IoT device over the wireless communication channel;

the IoT device to responsively transmit the remote control commands to the electronics equipment to control the electronics equipment; and

a plurality of additional IoT devices communicatively coupled to the IoT hub, each of the IoT devices comprising an IR or RF blaster to control different types of electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment, each IoT device further comprising at least one sensor to detect current conditions associated with the operation of the different electronics equipment, each IoT device to transmit an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel.

22. A method comprising:

communicatively coupling an Internet of Things (IoT) hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN);

communicatively coupling at least one IoT device to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) blaster to control specified electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment;

sensing current conditions with a sensor on the IoT device, the current conditions associated with the operation of the electronics equipment;

transmitting the current conditions over the wireless communication channel from the IoT device to the IoT hub;

analyzing the current conditions in combination with user input to select remote control commands using the remote control codes at the IoT hub;

transmitting the remote control commands from the IoT hub to the IoT device over the wireless communication channel, the IoT device responsively transmitting the remote control commands to the electronics equipment to control the electronics equipment; and

communicatively coupling a plurality of additional IoT devices to the IoT hub, each of the IoT devices comprising an IR or RF blaster to control different types of electronics equipment via IR or RF communication with the electronics equipment, each IoT device further comprising at least one sensor to detect current conditions associated with the operation of the different electronics equipment, each IoT device to transmit an indication of the current conditions to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel.