System and method for controlling heterogeneous internet of things (IoT) devices using single application

A method for controlling heterogeneous internet of things (IoT) devices from a control device, the method comprising:

• providing a gateway device communicatively connected to the control device through a first network under a first protocol, and communicatively connected to a plurality of authenticated IoT devices, wherein each of the authenticated IoT devices is communicatively connected to the gateway device through a corresponding network under a corresponding protocol;
• receiving, at the gateway device, a first command from the control device through the first network under the first protocol, wherein the first command is directed to a selected IoT device of the authenticated IoT devices;
• selecting, at the gateway device, a corresponding application program interface (API) specific for the selected IoT device from a plurality of APIs, and determining the corresponding network and the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device;
• when the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device is different from the first protocol, converting, by the gateway device, the first command to a second command transmittable under the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device, and sending the second command from the gateway device to the selected IoT device using the corresponding API through the corresponding network under the corresponding protocol;
• when the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device is identical to the first protocol, sending the first command, without converting the first command, from the gateway device to the selected IoT device using the corresponding API through the corresponding network under the corresponding protocol;
• in response to discovery of a new IoT device, generating, by the gateway device, an notification corresponding to the new IoT device being discovered, and sending the notification from the gateway device to the control device through the first network under the first protocol;
• receiving, by the gateway device, an approval command to approve authentication of the new IoT device being discovered, or a rejection command to reject authentication of the new IoT device being discovered from the control device through the first network under the first protocol;
• and
• in response to receiving the approval command to approve authentication of the new IoT device being discovered, storing information of the corresponding API, the corresponding network and the corresponding protocol specific for the new IoT device being discovered in a data store as configuration data of the new IoT device being discovered, and authenticating the new IoT device being discovered to become one of the authenticated IoT devices;
• wherein the control device is a mobile device storing an IoT control application which, when executed at a processor of the mobile device, is configured to:
• provide a user interface to display information of the authenticated IoT devices;
• receive, through the user interface, a first input to identify one of the authenticated IoT devices as the selected IoT device;
• receive, through the user interface, a second input corresponding to the selected IoT device to identify an action for the selected IoT device to perform;
• in response to receiving the second input corresponding to the selected IoT device, generate, based on the second input, the first command directed to the selected IoT device;
• and
• send the first command to the gateway device through the first network under the first protocol.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable code, wherein the computer executable code, when executed at a processor of a gateway device, is configured to:

• receive, from a control device through a first network under a first protocol, a first command directed to a selected internet of things (IoT) device of a plurality of authenticated IoT devices, wherein the gateway device is communicatively connected to the control device through the first network under the first protocol, and communicatively connected to the plurality of authenticated IoT devices, wherein each of the authenticated IoT devices is communicatively connected to the gateway device through the corresponding network under the corresponding protocol;
• select, from a plurality of application program interfaces (APIs), a corresponding API specific for the selected IoT device, and determine the corresponding network and the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device;
• when the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device is different from the first protocol, convert the first command to a second command transmittable under the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device, and send the second command to the selected IoT device using the corresponding API through the corresponding network under the corresponding protocol;
• when the corresponding protocol for the selected IoT device is identical to the first protocol, send the first command, without converting the first command, to the selected IoT device using the corresponding API through the corresponding network under the corresponding protocol;
• in response to discovery of a new IoT device, generate an notification corresponding to the new IoT device being discovered, and send the notification to the control device through the first network under the first protocol;
• receive, from the control device through the first network under the first protocol, an approval command to approve authentication of the new IoT device being discovered, or a rejection command to reject authentication of the new IoT device being discovered;
• and
• in response to receiving the approval command to approve authentication of the new IoT device being discovered, store information of the corresponding API, the corresponding network and the corresponding protocol specific for the new IoT device being discovered in the data store as the configuration data of the new IoT device being discovered, and authenticate the new IoT device being discovered to become one of the authenticated IoT devices;
• wherein the control device is a mobile device storing an IoT control application which, when executed at a processor of the mobile device, is configured to:
• provide a user interface to display information of the authenticated IoT devices;
• receive, through the user interface, a first input to identify one of the authenticated IoT devices as the selected IoT device;
• receive, through the user interface, a second input corresponding to the selected IoT device to identify an action for the selected IoT device to perform;
• in response to receiving the second input corresponding to the selected IoT device, generate, based on the second input, the first command directed to the selected IoT device;
• and
• send the first command to the gateway device through the first network under the first protocol.