Proximity-enabled remote control

• US 9,787,756 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: N99 LLC
• Original Assignee: N99 LLC
• Inventors: Gold, Steven K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/738,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• 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

The invention relates to systems and methods that enable a mobile device to be approximated with an object in order to enable control of the object. In one possible embodiment of a method of the invention, a mobile device is brought in physical proximity with an object, the identity of the object is determined wirelessly, based on such determination, a remote control user interface is presented by the mobile device, the mobile device receives input relating to a desired control action for the object, and the mobile device wirelessly communicates with a remote computer to facilitate control of the object. Various embodiments of the invention are possible to address a wide range of practical applications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(A) determining a first location of a mobile device;

(B) in response to the determination of the first location of the mobile device, providing a first remote control user interface at the mobile device based on the first location of the mobile device;

(C) receiving first input from a user via the first remote control user interface, the first input relating to a first action to be performed at a first object located in proximity to the first location while the mobile device is in proximity to the first location;

(D) wirelessly transmitting, from the mobile device to a remote server, a first communication relating to the first action; and

(E) wirelessly receiving, at the mobile device from the remote server, first feedback relating to the first action.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) transmitting, from the remote server to a first controller associated with the first object, a third communication based on the first communication relating to the first action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein (E) further comprises, before wirelessly receiving the first feedback relating to the first action, receiving, at the remote server, second feedback from the first controller, wherein the first feedback is derived from the second feedback.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(F) before (E), at the remote server, transmitting information relating to the first feedback to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) transmitting the first remote control user interface to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises displaying elements of the first remote control user interface on a display of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

(G) storing the first remote control user interface on the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises:

(B)(1) determining that the user is authorized to use the first remote control user interface; and

(B)(2) providing access to the first remote control user interface to the user in response to the determination that the user is authorized to use the first remote control user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises:

(B)(1) determining that the mobile device is authorized to facilitate control of the first object; and

wherein providing the first remote control user interface at the mobile device comprises providing the first remote control user interface to the mobile device in response to determining that the mobile device is authorized to facilitate control of the first object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) receiving second input from the user, the second input relating to a second action to be performed by the object while the mobile device is in proximity to the first location;

(G) wirelessly transmitting a second communication relating to the second action; and

(H) receiving second feedback.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

(I) generating a second communication relating to the second action based on the second user input; and

(J) transmitting the second communication to the remote computer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) revising a presentation of the first remote control user interface on the mobile device based on the first feedback.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises selecting the first remote control user interface from among a plurality of remote control user interfaces.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first location of the mobile device comprises determining the first location of the mobile device using a global positioning system (GPS).

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first location of the mobile device comprises determining the first location of the mobile device using a Wifi positioning system (WPS).

16. The method of claim 1, wherein (E) comprises receiving first feedback indicating that the first action has been performed.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) receiving second input from the user via the first remote control user interface, the second input relating to a second action to be performed at the first object location in proximity to a second location while the mobile device is in proximity to the second location;

(G) wirelessly transmitting, from the mobile device to the remote server, a second communication relating to the second action; and

(H) wirelessly receiving, at the mobile device from the remote server, second feedback relating to the second action.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) at the mobile device, displaying information based on the first feedback to the user.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions executable by at least one computer processor to cause a first mobile device to perform a method, the method comprising:

(A) determining a first location of a mobile device;

(B) in response to the determination of the first location of the mobile device, providing a first remote control user interface at the mobile device based on the first location of the mobile device;

(C) receiving first input from a user via the first remote control user interface, the first input relating to a first action to be performed at a first object located in proximity to the first location while the mobile device is in proximity to the first location;

(D) wirelessly transmitting, from the mobile device to a remote server, a first communication relating to the first action; and

(E) wirelessly receiving, at the mobile device from the remote server, first feedback relating to the first action.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

(F) transmitting, from the remote server to a first controller associated with the first object, a third communication based on the first communication relating to the first action.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein (E) further comprises, before wirelessly receiving the first feedback relating to the first action, receiving, at the remote server, second feedback from the first controller, wherein the first feedback is derived from the second feedback.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

(F) before (E), at the remote server, transmitting information relating to the first feedback to the mobile device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

(F) transmitting the first remote control user interface to the mobile device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein (B) comprises displaying elements of the first remote control user interface on a display of the mobile device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

(G) storing the first remote control user interface on the mobile device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein (B) comprises:

(B)(1) determining that the user is authorized to use the first remote control user interface; and

(B)(2) providing access to the first remote control user interface to the user in response to the determination that the user is authorized to use the first remote control user interface.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein (B) comprises:

(B)(1) determining that the mobile device is authorized to facilitate control of the first object; and

wherein providing the first remote control user interface at the mobile device comprises providing the first remote control user interface to the mobile device in response to determining that the mobile device is authorized to facilitate control of the first object.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

(F) receiving second input from the user, the second input relating to a second action to be performed by the object while the mobile device is in proximity to the first location;

(G) wirelessly transmitting a second communication relating to the second action; and

(H) receiving second feedback.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

(I) generating a second communication relating to the second action based on the second user input; and

(J) transmitting the second communication to the remote computer.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

(F) revising a presentation of the first remote control user interface on the mobile device based on the first feedback.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein (B) comprises selecting the first remote control user interface from among a plurality of remote control user interfaces.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the first location of the mobile device comprises determining the first location of the mobile device using a global positioning system (GPS).

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the first location of the mobile device comprises determining the first location of the mobile device using a Wifi positioning system (WPS).

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein (E) comprises receiving first feedback indicating that the first action has been performed.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

(F) receiving second input from the user via the first remote control user interface, the second input relating to a second action to be performed at the first object location in proximity to a second location while the mobile device is in proximity to the second location;

(G) wirelessly transmitting, from the mobile device to the remote server, a second communication relating to the second action; and

(H) wirelessly receiving, at the mobile device from the remote server, second feedback relating to the second action.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

(F) at the mobile device, displaying information based on the first feedback to the user.