User Identification and Location Determination in Control Applications

• US 20140106735A1
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Jackson, Daniel, Bargetzi, Fred, Donlan, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,204,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices

Abstract

A system in which a portable electronic device communicates with an external device to determine a location. Upon determining its location, the portable electronic device transmits this information as well as identifying information to a control processor. The control processor controls one or more controllable devices according to the location and identifying information. The portable electronic device may determine the location via NFC tag or via one or more RF beacons transmitting information according to the Bluetooth 4.0 protocol.

Claims

1. A system for providing individualized control comprising:

(a) one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting a control processor ID and a beacon ID;

(b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving from at least one of the one or more RF beacons, the control processor ID and the beacon ID of each RF beacon via the first network interface of the portable electronic device,

(ii) estimating a distance to at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon,

(iii) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to at least one of the one or more RF beacons,

(iv) establishing communication with a control processor corresponding to the control processor ID, and

(v) transmitting the location of the portable electronic device and the user ID to the control processor; and

(c) a control processor comprising a network interface, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving the location of the portable electronic device and the user ID, and

(ii) executing a default control action according to the location and the user ID.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) each of the one or more RF beacons is further configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier; and

(b) the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving the application identifier from at least one of the one or more RF beacons, and

(ii) opening a control application on the portable electronic device corresponding to the application identifier.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the memory of the portable electronic device encodes one or more project files, each of the one or more project files associated with a control processor; and

(b) the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising loading a project file corresponding to the control processor ID with the control application.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising displaying on the display a page of the project file corresponding to the location.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the page of the project file comprises one or more selectable visual items representing one or more control functions of a controllable device.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the page of the control application comprises one or more selectable visual items representing one or more controllable environmental aspects of the location.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the system comprises three or more RF beacons; and

(b) the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving from at least three of the three or more RF beacons, a beacon ID of each RF beacon via the first network interface,

(ii) estimating a first distance, a second distance and a third distance to three of the three or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon, and

(iii) determining the location of the portable electronic device based on the first distance, the second distance and the third distance via trilateration.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device comprises a second network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the control processor and wherein the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising transmitting the location, the user ID and to the control processor via the second network interface.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the portable electronic device is further identified by a device ID and the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising transmitting the location, the user ID and the device ID to the control processor via the second network interface.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more RF beacons is configured for receiving the location and the user ID from the portable electronic device and transmitting the location and the user ID to the control processor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more RF beacons are configured for bi-directional communication according to Bluetooth RF communication protocols.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more RF beacons is configured for broadcasting according to Bluetooth 4.0 low energy protocols.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the RF beacons is configured for transmitting the broadcast signal strength of the RF beacon.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the beacon ID is a network address of the RF beacon.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the beacon ID is a location of the RF beacon.

16. A system for providing individualized control comprising:

(a) three or more RF beacons, each of the three or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier, a control processor ID and a beacon ID;

(b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and a device ID and comprising a personal area network interface configured for enabling communication between the three or more RF beacons and the portable electronic device, a local area network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and a control processor, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving from at least three of the three or more RF beacons, the application identifier, the control processor ID and the beacon ID of each RF beacon via the personal area network interface of the portable electronic device,

(ii) opening a control application on the portable electronic device corresponding to the application identifier

(iii) estimating a first distance, a second distance and a third distance to three of the three or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon, and

(iv) determining the location of the portable electronic device based on the first distance, the second distance and the third distance via trilateration,

(v) loading a project file corresponding to the control processor ID with the control application,

(vi) displaying a page of the project file corresponding to the location of the portable electronic device,

(vii) establishing communication with a control processor corresponding to the control processor ID via the local area network interface of the portable electronic device, and

(viii) transmitting the location of the portable electronic device, the user ID and the device ID to the control processor via the local area network interface of the portable electronic device; and

(c) a control processor comprising a network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the control processor, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising

(i) receiving the location of the portable electronic device, the user ID and the device ID, and

(ii) executing a default control action according to the location, the user ID and the device ID.

17. A method for providing individualized control, said method comprising:

(a) providing

(i) one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting a control processor ID and a beacon ID,

(ii) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory, and

(iii) a control processor comprising a network interface, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory;

(b) positioning the first network interface of the portable electronic device within communication range of at least one of the one or more RF beacons;

(c) receiving the application identifier and beacon ID of at least one of the one or more RF beacons via the first network interface of the portable electronic device;

(d) opening a control application on the portable electronic device according to the application identifier;

(e) estimating a distance to at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the at least one of the one or more RF beacons;

(f) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one of the one or more RF beacons;

(g) displaying a page of the control application corresponding to the location of the portable electronic device;

(h) communicating the location and the user ID to the control processor corresponding to the control processor ID; and

(i) executing a default control action at the control processor according to the location and the user ID.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

(a) the step of estimating a distance to the at least one RF beacon according to a detected signal strength of the at least one RF beacon further comprises estimating a first distance to a first RF beacon, a second distance to a second RF beacon and a third distance to a third RF beacon according to a detected signal strength of each of the first RF beacon, second RF beacon and third RF beacon; and

(b) the step of determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to the at least one RF beacon further comprises determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the first distance, the second distance and the third distance using trilateration.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of communicating the location and the user ID to the control processor corresponding to the control processor ID further comprises the steps of:

(a) establishing communication between the portable electronic device and the control processor via a local area network interface of the portable electronic device; and

(b) transmitting the location and the user ID to the control processor via the local area network interface of the portable electronic device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of communicating the location and the user ID to the control processor corresponding to the control processor ID further comprises the steps of:

(a) establishing communication between the portable electronic device and one of the one or more RF beacons by pairing the portable electronic device with the one of the one or more RF beacons via the first network interface of the portable electronic device;

(b) transmitting the location and the user ID to the one of the one or more RF beacons via the first network interface of the portable electronic device; and

(c) transmitting the location and the user ID from the one of the one or RF beacons to the control processor.