System and method for remotely controlling IR-enabled appliances via networked device

• US 10,119,714 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cielo Wigle Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cielo Wigle Inc.
• Inventors: Amer, Waseem, Jarral, Anees Ahmed
• Primary Examiner(s): Sedighian, M. R.
• Application Number:
  US14/849,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 398106, 398107, 398108, 398109
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for remotely controlling infrared (“IR”) enabled appliances via a networked device are described. The technology enables one or multiple users to control, monitor, and manage their appliances (e.g., air conditioners, television sets, multimedia systems, window curtains, etc.) both locally and remotely, irrespective of the users'"'"' location or their line of sight. In various embodiments, the technology includes a device with integrated Wi-Fi and IR subsystems connected via a cloud platform to a user application interface that can control appliances, generate analytics, schedule automatic operation, and perform smart learning operation.

Claims

1. A cloud-enabled remote control device controlling one or more for infrared (“

IR”

) enabled appliances, the device comprising;

a processor coupleable to a power source;

memory coupled to the processor;

an IR transceiver assembly coupled to the processor and configured to send a signal to the one or more IR enabled appliances;

a Wi-Fi module coupled to the processor;

an environmental sensor assembly coupled to the processor;

as housing containing the processor, the memory, the IR transceiver, the Wi-Fi module, and the environmental sensor;

wherein the processor receives a trigger via the Wi-Fi module, identifies a user associated with the trigger, determines a user-specific operation based at least in part on stored user-specific operation configuration, and transmits a signal via the IR transceiver, the signal being based at least in part on the user-specific operation.

2. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the IR transceiver assembly comprises a plurality of IR transceivers oriented in different directions, such that a combination of the plurality of IR transceivers are substantially omnidirectional.

3. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the IR transceiver assembly comprises an IR emitter and an IR receiver.

4. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the environmental sensor assembly comprises at least temperature, humidity, and ambient light sensors.

5. The remote control device of claim 1, further comprising a status indicator LED or display coupled to the processor.

6. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the memory is configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to receive appliance control commands via the Wi-Fi module, and to transmit IR signals to control operation of an appliance via the IR transceiver.

7. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured to control a plurality of appliances.

8. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the memory is configured to store schedule information, and wherein the device is further configured to transmit IR signals to control operation of an appliance via the IR transceiver at scheduled times based on the stored schedule information.

9. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the memory is configured to store information about each operation of the appliance and information about the status of the device.

10. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured to communicate with a remote server via the Wi-Fi module.

11. The remote control device of claim 10 wherein the device is configured to obtain, from the remote server, appliance IR control codes.

12. The remote control device of claim 10 wherein the device is configured to transmit, to the remote server, information about each operation of the appliance and information about the status of the device.

13. The remote control device of claim 10 wherein the device is configured to receive, from a user-operated remote control, IR signals to the appliance, and wherein the device is further configured to transmit, to the remote server, information about the received IR signals.