Reducing wireless communication to conserve energy and increase security

• US 9,781,686 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Velu, Kamesh Raj
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tan H
• Application Number:
  US14/807,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 455 69, 455522, 455 131, 455410, 455435, 455 411, 455 412, 455 413, 4551271, 455 6711, 4554521, 455 901, 4555501, 4555521, 4555531, 455513, 455 301, 4555621, 348143, 307116, 307 38, 340 58, 340 1051, 340 125, 340531, 340539, 340501, 340540, 700297, 700 19, 700278, 315292, 315297, 315291, 709220, 370254, 370334
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level

Abstract

An electronic device includes communication circuitry configured to communicably couple the electronic device to one or more other electronic devices in a wireless network associated with a structure. A processor of the electronic device is operatively coupled to a memory. The processor is configured to determine a status associated with one or more occupants of the structure. The processor is configured to control wireless transmission power output of the electronic device or the one or more other electronic devices based on the status associated with one or more occupants of the structure.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to be executed by an electronic device communicably coupled to one or more other electronic devices in a wireless network associated with a structure, the instructions comprising instructions to:

determine a status associated with one or more occupants of the structure, wherein the status is based on a likelihood that any occupants of the structure are asleep; and

control wireless transmission power output of the electronic device or the one or more other electronic devices based on the status associated with one or more occupants of the structure.

2. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the status is based on a likelihood that there are no occupants in the structure.

3. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission power output is controlled based at least in part on a distance between the one or more other electronic devices and the electronic device to restrict communication of the one or more other electronic devices located further than the distance.

4. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to reduce the wireless transmission power output so that no devices outside the structure receive wireless signals.

5. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, the instructions comprising instructions to reduce the wireless transmission power output to a point where communication fails with the one or more other electronic devices.

6. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein controlling the wireless transmission power output comprises removing the wireless transmission power output when none of the one or more other electronic devices are communicating on the wireless network.

7. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission power output of a thermostat, a camera, a hazard detector, a door lock, a wristband, a watch, a fan, a light switch, a light bulb, a wireless access point, or any combination thereof is controlled by the electronic device.

8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein instructions comprise instructions to cause the electronic devices to control the wireless transmission power output of the electronic device based on the status from a thermostat, camera, hazard detector, or any combination thereof.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is a door lock, a wristband, a watch, a laptop, a tablet, a fan, a light bulb, a light switch, or an outlet.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the status comprises a likelihood that there are no occupants within any room of a plurality of rooms within the structure or any occupants within any room of the plurality of rooms are asleep, or both.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, the instructions comprising instructions to disable communication with the one or more other electronic devices by reducing wireless transmission power to where wireless communication with the one or more other electronic devices exceeds a maximum allowable error rate.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a device type associated with a MAC address of the one or more other electronic devices is utilized to allow the electronic device to determine that the one or more other electronic devices likely will have data to communicate.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicably couple the electronic device to one or more other electronic devices in a wireless network associated with a structure; and

a processor operatively coupled to a memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine a status associated with one or more occupants of the structure, wherein the status is based on a likelihood that there are no occupants in the structure or a likelihood that any occupants of the structure are asleep; and

control wireless transmission power output of the electronic device or the one or more other electronic devices based on the status associated with one or more occupants of the structure.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to control the wireless transmission power output by reducing or directing the wireless transmission power output based on a distance or direction between the one or more other electronic devices and the electronic device when there is a likelihood the one or more other electronic devices will have data to communicate.

15. An electronic device, comprising

communication circuitry configured to communicably couple the electronic device to one or more other electronic devices in a wireless network associated with a structure;

and

a processor operatively coupled to a memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine a status associated with one or more occupants of the structure;

determine a range or direction from the electronic device to a first electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices of the wireless network; and

control a wireless transmission power output of the electronic device of the one or more electronic devices based on the status associated with one or more occupants of the structure, wherein the wireless transmission power output is controlled based at least in part on the range or direction to allow the first electronic device to communicate with the electronic device and to disable communication with a second electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices;

wherein the wireless transmission power output controls the range or direction based on an indication that the first electronic device likely will have data to communicate and the second electronic device will likely not have data to communicate.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the second electronic device is located in a different range or direction than the first electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein a device type associated with a MAC address of the first electronic device is utilized to allow the electronic device to determine that the first electronic device likely will have data to communicate.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to disable communication with the second electronic device by reducing wireless transmission power to where wireless communication with the second electronic device exceeds a maximum allowable error rate.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cause the one or more electronic devices to control wireless transmission power output of the one or more electronic devices.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cause the electronic device to reduce or remove wireless transmission power output of the electronic device.

21. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to receive a signal from a cloud service to cause the electronic device to control the wireless transmission power output of the electronic device or the one or more electronic devices.

22. A method of communication between an electronic device and one or more other electronic devices of a wireless network, comprising:

determining a status associated with one or more occupants of a structure, wherein the status is based on a likelihood that the occupants are asleep; and

controlling wireless transmission power output of the electronic device or the one or more electronic devices based on the status associated with the one or more occupants of the structure.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising:

determining that the one or more other electronic devices on the wireless network have or do not have data to communicate wirelessly; and

controlling the wireless transmission power output based on whether the one or more other electronic devices have or do not have data to communicate.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the wireless transmission power output is reduced until a maximum allowable error rate is reached for the one or more other electronic devices.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the wireless transmission power output is reduced based on the maximum allowable error rate to allow a first electronic device of the one or more other electronic devices to communicate and to restrict communication of a second electronic device of the one or more electronic devices at a further distance from the electronic device.

26. The method of claim 22, comprising determining a range or direction from the electronic device to the one or more other electronic devices of the wireless network.

27. A method of communicating between an electronic device and one or more other electronic devices of a wireless mesh network in a structure, comprising:

accessing a status signal indicating a status associated with occupants of the structure;

determining that the one or more other electronic devices do not have data to communicate with the electronic device when the status indicates a likelihood that there are no occupants in the structure or that any occupants of the structure are asleep, or both; and

reduce or remove wireless mesh communication of the electronic device when no devices have data to communicate with the electronic device.

28. An electronic device, comprising

communication circuitry configured to communicably couple the electronic device to one or more other electronic devices in a wireless network associated with a structure;

and

a processor operatively coupled to a memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine a likelihood that there are no occupants within the structure or any occupants within the structure are asleep, or both; and

secure wireless communication within the structure between the electronic device and the one or more other electronic devices on the wireless network by reducing or eliminating wireless transmission power based on the likelihood that there are no occupants within the structure or any of the occupants are asleep, or both.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to reduce an amount of time the wireless communication is available to unauthorized devices.