Network and method for controlling appliances
First Claim
1. A method for networking and controlling appliances within a local environment containing a local server responsive to commands received from a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant having a local controller function, each controllable appliance being controllable by a corresponding appliance control module, comprising the steps of:
- receiving, in response to a request transmitted within the local environment, an address of a remote location maintaining appliance control modules for each controllable appliance;
obtaining the appliance control module by using the addresses to contact the remote location maintaining the appliance control module;
installing on the local server, the appliance control module for each controllable appliance;
providing communication between the local server and the controllable appliances; and
accessing the local server with the local controller when the local controller is one of within the local environment and outside the local environment to select one of the installed appliance control modules for controlling the corresponding appliance.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An appliance network for controlling appliances from a remote location. The appliances include memory which contains an address location from which an appliance control module can be located for controlling a corresponding appliance. The address location is provided to a local controller, preferably by wireless transmission, which then uses the address location to access the appliance control module. Once accessed, the appliance control module is stored on a local server for use in controlling the corresponding appliance. In a preferred embodiment, a security feature is included to limit appliance control access to authorized users.
185 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for networking and controlling appliances within a local environment containing a local server responsive to commands received from a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant having a local controller function, each controllable appliance being controllable by a corresponding appliance control module, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, in response to a request transmitted within the local environment, an address of a remote location maintaining appliance control modules for each controllable appliance; obtaining the appliance control module by using the addresses to contact the remote location maintaining the appliance control module; installing on the local server, the appliance control module for each controllable appliance; providing communication between the local server and the controllable appliances; and accessing the local server with the local controller when the local controller is one of within the local environment and outside the local environment to select one of the installed appliance control modules for controlling the corresponding appliance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A network for controlling appliances within a local environment containing a local server responsive to commands received from a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant having a local controller function, each controllable appliance being controllable by a corresponding appliance control module, comprising:
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means for receiving in response to a request transmitted within the local environment, an address of a remote location maintaining appliance control modules for each controllable appliance; means for obtaining the appliance control module for each controllable appliance by contacting the remote location; means for installing on the local server, an obtained appliance control module for each appliance that is to be controlled; means for providing communication between the local server and the appliance; and means for accessing the local server with the local controller when the local controller is one of within the local environment and outside the local environment to select one of the installed appliance control modules for controlling the corresponding appliance. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A network for controlling a controllable appliance contained within a local environment, the appliance being controllable by a corresponding appliance control module and having a memory-stored address for providing a location of the corresponding appliance control module, comprising:
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one of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant having a local controller having a wireless transceiver for communicating with the appliance and for receiving the memory-stored address from the appliance, the memory-stored address being used to locate the appliance control module; a local server in communication with said local controller for receiving an address of a remote location maintaining the appliance control module for each controllable appliance in response to a request for appliance control modules for each controllable appliance;
obtaining the appliance control module for each controllable appliance by contacting the remote location maintaining the appliance control module;
storing the located appliance control module; and
, communicating with said local server when said local controller is one of within the local environment and outside the local environment for controlling the appliance corresponding to the located appliance control module. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A mobile terminal for controlling appliances controllable by corresponding appliance control modules within a local environment, comprising:
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means for sending a request for appliance control modules to each appliance; means for receiving an address from each controllable appliance of a remote location maintaining the appliance control module for each controllable appliance in response to the request;
said received remote location address being used to obtain a corresponding appliance control module for each controllable appliance by contacting the remote location maintaining the appliance control module;means for allowing the input of user instructions and for generating output signals for controlling select controllable appliances; and means for communicating said output signals to a local server having said corresponding appliance control modules for controlling select ones of said controllable appliances. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. An appliance having a corresponding appliance control module for controlling said appliance in a local environment;
- comprising;
means for storing an address in the appliance at which said appliance control module can be obtained from a remote location; means for communicating said stored address in response to a request from a mobile terminal for locating said appliance control module, said stored address being used to obtain said corresponding appliance control module by contacting the remote location maintaining the appliance control module; and means responsive to commands from a local server in the local environment having said located appliance control module for controlling said appliance.
- comprising;
Specification