Home automation system and method

• US 20070192486A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian, Savard, Jason, Wul, Mari, Hubacher, Mark, Brownfield, Carlton
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In one embodiment a method is disclosed for interacting with a controllable device in an internet protocol television (IPTV) system. The method receives at a control server, device state data for the controllable device from a first client device in the IPTV network; accesses user interface (UI) data from a database accessible to the control server; reflects the device state data in the UI data at the control server; and sends the UI data from an IPTV server to the first client device. In another embodiment a system is disclosed for interacting with a controllable device in an internet protocol television (IPTV) system. The system receives at a control server, device state data for the controllable device from a first client device in the IPTV network; accesses user interface (UI) data from a database at the control server; reflects the device state data in the UI at the control server; and sends the UI from an IPTV server to the first client device.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with a controllable device in an internet protocol television (IPTV) system, comprising:

receiving at a control server, device state data for the controllable device from a first client device in the IPTV network;

accessing user interface (UI) data from a database accessible to the control server;

representing the device state data in the UI data at the control server database; and

sending the UI data representing the device state data from an IPTV server to the first client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the UI data representing the device state data from the control server to a second client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the control server user input data representing a user input from the UI data presented at the first client device;

configuring the device state data in the database in accordance with the input data; and

sending the configured device state data from the control server to the first client device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first client device and the second client device are the same device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first client device is a set top box (STB) with an integrated client (IC) for receiving video and data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controllable device further comprises one of a set consisting of a telephone, media server, home theatre, security system, lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning thermostat, video systems, audio systems, window coverings, attic vent fans, automated doors, gates, locks, energy management system, automated fountain, water heaters, sprinklers, pools, spas, video cameras, automated appliances, water leakage, vehicle detection systems, hurricane shutters, security shutters, weather station, utility monitoring devices, automated fireplaces and automated ceiling fans.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending vice data and home automation data from an IPTV server to the first client device wherein the home automation data is one selected from the set consisting of audio, video, text, icons, pop up windows and control state.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending the content and the device state information to a second client device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending video between the first and a second client devices through at least one of the set consisting of the control server and the IPTV server.

10. A system for configuring a device state comprising:

a database for storing device state data for a controllable device;

a server coupled to the database, the server comprising,

a first server interface to send user interface (UI) data from the server to a client device;

a second server interface to receive user input data representing a user input to the UI from the client device at the server to configure the device state data in the database in accordance with the user input data; and

a third server interface to send the configured device state data from the server to the client device.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a fourth server interface to apply a business rule to the user input data.

12. A method of configuring a device state of a home automation controllable device in an IPTV network, comprising:

obtaining at a client device, device state data for a plurality of controllable devices associated with the client device;

sending the device state data to a control server;

sending user input data from the client device to an IPTV server for configuring the device state data in a database in accordance with the user input data;

receiving from the IPTV server at the client device, user interface (UI) data representing the configured device state data; and

displaying the UI data representing the device state data at the client device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying further comprises

displaying the UI data in a pop up window on a display associated with the client device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving video content data from the IPTV server at the client device from the IPTV network; and

displaying the UI data along with the video content at the client device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein in the method a home automation controllable device further comprises one of a set consisting of a telephone, media server, home theatre, security system, lighting, ventilation, air conditioning thermostat, video systems, audio systems, window coverings, attic vent fans, automated doors, gates, locks, energy management system, automated fountain, water heaters, sprinklers, pools, spas, video cameras, automated appliances, water leakage, vehicle detection systems, hurricane shutters, security shutters, weather station, utility monitoring devices, automated fireplaces and automated ceiling fans

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending client device video data to the control server from the client device; and

sending the client video data from the control server to a monitoring service.

17. A system for configuring a device state of a home automation controllable device comprising:

a communication link providing communication to the controllable device;

a client device in communication with the link to the controllable device, the client device, the client device comprising;

a memory having a data base;

a processor, coupled to the data base;

a first processor interface to receive user interface (UI) data at the client device from a first server;

a second processor interface to send data representing a user input to an UI from the client device to the first server to configure device state data in a database at a second server in accordance with the user input;

a third processor interface to receive the configured device state data from the second server at the client device.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a fourth processor interface for sending the device state data to the second server.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a fifth processor interface for monitoring data representing a state for the controllable device over the communication link.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a sixth processor interface for accepting UI input from a remote control.

21. A computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method for interacting with a controllable device in an internet protocol television (IPTV) system, comprising:

receiving at a control server, device state data for the controllable device from a first client device in the IPTV network;

accessing user interface (UI) data from a database at the control server;

representing the device state data in the UI at the control server; and

sending the UI data representing the device state data from an IPTV server to the first client device.

22. A computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform A method of configuring a device state of a home automation controllable device in an IPTV network, comprising:

obtaining at a client device, device state data for a plurality of controllable devices associated with the client device;

sending the device state data to a control server;

sending user input data from the client device to an IPTV server for configuring the device state data in a database in accordance with the user input data;

receiving from the IPTV server at the client device, user interface (UI) data representing the configured device state data; and

displaying the UI data at the client device.