Node having functionality that is inoperable unless the node is registered to a user account at a remote site

• US 9,332,057 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rezvani, Babak, Kalin, Edward B., Chen, Jack L., Jalili, Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US14/678,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/505, 340/10.1, 340/3.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 705/80, 705/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/02 Mechanical actuation of the alarm, e.g. by the breaking of a wire
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 : Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 : Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 : Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 : for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 : characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 : Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 : Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 : providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 : Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 : Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 : for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 : Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• 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 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 : using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing registration at a remote site that may include, for example, a monitoring module that may communicate with a remote site. A registration protocol may be used by the monitoring module and the remote site in generating the messages communicated during the registration process. The monitoring module may gather and generate various identification information to be included in the registration protocol messages. The registration information provided by the monitoring module maybe stored at the remote site in a database server having a database. A confirmation message may be communicated from the remote site to the monitoring module that may either acknowledge successful registration or report that an error occurred during the registration process.

Claims

1. A node, comprising:

processing components;

communications components for outputting information that is received at a remote site or receiving information that is generated at the remote site; and

software being configured to be executable by the processing components of the node, the software being configured to cause at least some functionality of the node to be inoperable unless the node has been registered at the remote site, wherein the node is registered at the remote site if registration information of the node is associated with a user account maintained by the remote site, wherein the registration information of the node includes an identifier that identifies the node, wherein the node is located remote from the remote site.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least some functionality is that of a device of the node.

3. The node of claim 2, wherein the registration information of the node includes a device identifier that identifies the device.

4. The node of claim 2, wherein the device of the node comprises:

a sensor being configured to sense information related to a condition of a location;

an audio output device being configured to output audible information;

a display being configured to display visual information related to a setting of the node and information sensed by the sensor;

or

a user-input component being configured to receive user input.

5. The node of claim 2, wherein the device of the node is a thermostat, a camera, a radio, a smoke or fire detector, a contact sensor, a light switch, an audio device, a video device, a display device, a washer, a dryer, a microwave oven, a cooking range, a car alarm, a plant watering device, a sprinkler, a carbon monoxide detector, a humidistat, or a rain gauge.

6. The node of claim 2, wherein at least some of the processing components, the communications components, or the software of the node are operatively coupled to the device of the node.

7. The node of claim 1, wherein the node and the remote site are communicatively coupled to each other and to a client device.

8. The node of claim 7, wherein the client device is a cellular mobile device or a system controller.

9. The node of claim 7, wherein the client device includes a client application being configured to:

display a user interface for receiving user input;

detect use by a user of the user interface;

determine that the detected use of the user interface corresponds to an instruction to perform an operation involving the at least some functionality of the node;

transmit, for receipt by the node, the instruction to perform the operation.

10. The node of claim 7, wherein the client device includes a client application being configured to:

obtain from a sensor of the node information that is related to a condition of a location; and

display, via a user interface, the sensed information that is related to the condition of the location.

11. A method, comprising:

causing, by software of a node, at least some functionality of the node to be inoperable unless the node has been registered at a remote site that is located remote from the node, wherein the node is registered at the remote site if registration information of the node is associated with a user account maintained by the remote site, wherein the registration information of the node includes an identifier that identifies the node.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the software of the node, an instruction to perform an operation involving the at least some functionality of the node; and

permitting, by the software of the node, the operation if the node has been registered at the remote site.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least some functionality is that of a device of the node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the registration information of the node includes a device identifier that identifies the device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the device of the node comprises:

a sensor being configured to sense information related to a condition of a location;

an audio output device being configured to output audible information;

a display being configured to display visual information related to a setting of the node and information sensed by the sensor;

or

a user-input component being configured to receive user input.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the device of the node is a thermostat, a camera, a radio, a smoke or fire detector, a contact sensor, a light switch, an audio device, a video device, a display device, a washer, a dryer, a microwave oven, a cooking range, a car alarm, a plant watering device, a sprinkler, a carbon monoxide detector, a humidistat, or a rain gauge.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the node and the remote site are communicatively coupled to each other and to a client device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the client device is a cellular mobile device or a system controller.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the client device includes a client application being configured to:

display a user interface for receiving user input;

detect use by a user of the user interface;

determine that the detected use of the user interface corresponds to an instruction to perform an operation involving the at least some functionality of the node;

transmit, for receipt by the node, the instruction to perform the operation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the client device includes a client application being configured to:

obtain from a sensor of the node information that is related to a condition of a location; and

display, via a user interface, the sensed information that is related to the condition of the location.