Home appliance control method and device

• US 9,940,828 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: Hou, Enxing, Meng, Deguo, Hei, Lijun
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Carlos E
• Application Number:
  US15/226,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 340 125, 340 1251
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A home appliance control method and device are provided. The method includes: receiving operation mode information from a home appliance, wherein the operation mode information indicates a current operation mode of the home appliance; and sending the operation mode information to another home appliance to cause said another home appliance to operate in the indicated operation mode. Accordingly, a wearable device can receive from a home appliance operation mode information, and then send the same to another home appliance to cause said another home appliance to operate in the operation mode of the home appliance.

Claims

1. A home appliance control method implemented by a wearable device, comprising:

receiving operation mode information from a home appliance and position information corresponding to a user'"'"'s position, wherein the operation mode information indicates a current operation mode of the home appliance and comprises various functional parameters needed for the home appliance to operate, and the position information indicates a relative distance between the user and another home appliance; and

sending the operation mode information to said another home appliance such that said another home appliance operates in the indicated operation mode when the relative distance between the user and said another home appliance is within a predetermined range, wherein said another home appliance and said home appliance have the same type of functionality.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

updating operation mode information stored in the wearable device with the operation mode information received from the home appliance.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

if the detected signal strength is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength, sending a start indication to the home appliance, the start indication causing the home appliance to start operating.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

sending to the home appliance signal strength information indicating the detected signal strength, so that the home appliance starts operating if the signal strength indicated by the signal strength information is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength.

5. A control method implemented by a home appliance, comprising:

receiving operation mode information from a wearable device and position information corresponding to a user'"'"'s position, wherein the operation mode information indicates an operation mode of another home appliance and comprises various functional parameters needed for said another home appliance to operate, and the position information indicates a relative distance between the user and the home appliance; and

operating in the operation mode when the relative distance between the user and the home appliance is within a predetermined range, wherein said another home appliance and said home appliance have the same type of functionality.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a start indication, which is sent by the wearable device if a detected signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength; and

starting operating according to the start indication.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

receiving from the wearable device signal strength information indicating a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

starting operating if the signal strength indicated by the signal strength information is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

starting operating if the signal strength is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength, and/or stopping operating if the signal strength is lower than or equal to a predetermined stop threshold.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

receiving position information corresponding to a user'"'"'s position; and

starting or stopping operating according to the position information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the position information indicates the user'"'"'s position;

and

starting or stopping operating according to the position information comprises;

determining whether the user'"'"'s position is within a predetermined range; and

starting operating if the position is within the predetermined range, and/or stopping operating if the position is not within the predetermined range.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the position information comprises a determined result of determining whether the user'"'"'s position is within a predetermined range;

and

starting or stopping operating according to the position information comprises;

starting operating if the determined result indicates that the position is within the predetermined range, and/or stopping operating if the determined result indicates that the position is not within the predetermined range.

12. A wearable device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive operation mode information from a home appliance and position information corresponding to a user'"'"'s position, wherein the operation mode information indicates a current operation mode of the home appliance and comprises various functional parameters needed for the home appliance to operate, and the position information indicates a relative distance between the user and another home appliance; and

send the operation mode information to said another home appliance such that said another home appliance operates in the indicated operation mode when the relative distance between the user and said another home appliance is within a predetermined range, wherein said another home appliance and said home appliance have the same type of functionality.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is also configured to:

update operation mode information stored in the wearable device with the operation mode information received from the home appliance.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is also configured to:

detect a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

if the detected signal strength is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength, send a start indication to the home appliance, the start indication causing the home appliance to start operating.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is also configured to:

detect a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

send to the home appliance signal strength information indicating the detected signal strength, so that the home appliance starts operating if the signal strength indicated by the signal strength information is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength.

16. A home appliance, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive operation mode information from a wearable device and position information corresponding to a user'"'"'s position, wherein the operation mode information indicates an operation mode of another home appliance and comprises various functional parameters needed for said another home appliance to operate, and the position information indicates a relative distance between the user and the home appliance; and

operate in the operation mode when the relative distance between the user and the home appliance is within a predetermined range, wherein said another home appliance and said home appliance have the same type of functionality.

17. The appliance according to claim 16, wherein the processor is also configured to:

receive a start indication, which is sent by the wearable device if a detected signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength; and

start operating according to the start indication.

18. The appliance according to claim 16, wherein the processor is also configured to:

receive from the wearable device signal strength information indicating a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

start operating if the signal strength indicated by the signal strength information is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength.

19. The appliance according to claim 16, wherein the processor is also configured to:

detect a signal strength of communications between the home appliance and the wearable device; and

start operating if the signal strength is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold strength, and/or stop operating if the signal strength is lower than or equal to a predetermined stop threshold.

20. The appliance according to claim 16, wherein the processor is also configured to:

receive position information corresponding to a user'"'"'s position; and

start or stop operating according to the position information.

21. The appliance according to claim 20, wherein the position information indicates the user'"'"'s position;

and the processor is also configured to;

determine whether the user'"'"'s position is within a predetermined range; and

start operating if the position is within the predetermined range, and/or stop operating if the position is not within the predetermined range.

22. The appliance according to claim 20, wherein the position information comprises a determined result of determining whether the user'"'"'s position is within a predetermined range;

and the processor is also configured to;

start operating if the determined result indicates that the position is within the predetermined range, and/or stop operating if the determined result indicates that the position is not within the predetermined range.