US 10,897,374 B2Granted

Scalable smart environment for controlling a plurality of controlled apparatuses using a connection hub to route a processed subset of control data received from a cloud computing resource to terminal units

AssigneeComputime, Ltd.

InventorsHung Bun Choi, Wai-Leung Ha, Leung Yin Chan, Yau Wai Ng, Chi Chung Liu, Luke Li, Tsz Kin Lee, Chi Lung Chan, Hamza Yilmaz

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Abstract

Building blocks for a smart device such as a thermostat include a user interface (UI) unit and a terminal (TML) unit. A UI unit may support one or more input data from a user and/or sensors and/or one or more control terminals. The UI unit may process each input datum or a combination of the input data, generate a control signal to one or more control terminals based on the processing, and send the control signal to one or more control terminals over a communication channel. A terminal unit, which may consist of one or more control terminals, transforms the received control signal into one or more controls to one or more associated environmental generators. One or more UI units may control one or more controlled apparatuses in conjunction with a mobile app to allow a unified user experience.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A scalable smart thermostatic control system for controlling a plurality of controlled thermostatic apparatuses, the system comprising:

first and second user-interface (UI) units;
a first terminal unit is configured to control a first controlled thermostatic apparatus;
a second terminal unit is configured to control a third controlled thermostatic apparatus;
a cloud interface;
when the first UI unit receives first information, the first UI unit is configured to send the first information to the first terminal unit and to control the first controlled thermostatic apparatus via the first terminal unit;
when the second UI unit receives second information, the second UI unit is configured to send the second information to the first terminal unit and to control the first controlled thermostatic apparatus via the first terminal unit;
when the first UI unit receives third information, the first UI unit is configured to directly control a second controlled thermostatic apparatus, wherein the second controlled thermostatic apparatus is different from the first controlled thermostatic apparatus;
the first UI unit is configured to receive fourth information;
the first UI unit is configured to send a subset of the fourth information to a cloud computing resource through the cloud interface;
in response to the sending the subset, the first UI unit is configured to receive, from the cloud computing resource through the cloud interface, a returned processed subset of the fourth information;
the first UI unit is configured to send the returned processed subset of the fourth information to the second terminal unit;
and
the second terminal unit is configured to control the third controlled thermostatic apparatus from the returned processed subset of the fourth information.

10 more elements

An apparatus for controlling at least one controlled apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a first user-interface (UI) unit comprising a cloud interface;
a first terminal unit;
the first terminal unit configured to control a first controlled apparatus;
when the first UI unit receives first information, the first UI unit is configured to send the first information to the first terminal unit and to control the first controlled apparatus via the first terminal unit;
when the first UI unit receives second information, the first UI unit is configured to send the second information to a second UI unit to control a second controlled apparatus via a second terminal unit;
the first UI unit is configured to receive third information;
the first UI unit is configured to send a subset of the third information to a cloud computing resource through the cloud interface;
in response to the sending the subset, the first UI unit is configure to receive, from the cloud computing resource through the cloud interface, a processed subset of the third information;
and
the first UI unit is configured to send the processed subset of the third information to a third terminal unit to control a third controlled apparatus.

7 more elements

A method for controlling at least one controlled apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first user-interface (UI) unit, first information;
sending, by the first UI unit, the first information to a first terminal unit to control a first controlled apparatus;
receiving, by the first UI unit, second information;
sending, by the first UI unit, the second information to a second UI unit to control a second controlled apparatus;
receiving, by the first UI unit, third information;
sending, by the first UI unit, a subset of the third information to a cloud resource;
in response to sending the subset, receiving, by the first UI unit, a processed subset of the third information from the cloud resource;
and
controlling a third controlled apparatus in accordance with the processed subset of the third information.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/037,140Filed 17 Jul 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 6 Nov 2017
Published: US 2019/0140856 A19 May 2019
Granted: 19 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04L 12/2814
Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network: exchanging control software or macros for controlling…
G05B 15/02
Systems controlled by a computer: electric
G05B 19/042
Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers: using digital processors
H04L 12/28
Data switching networks: characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]