US 6,275,166 B1 · RF remote appliance control/monitoring system

Abstract

A system for managing a distributed array of appliances includes a headend computer having a low power main transceiver and a distributed array of relay units. Each relay unit includes a low power satellite transceiver, a microcomputer connected to the satellite transceiver, the satellite transceiver being controlled by relay program instructions for detecting communications directed by the headend computer relative to the same relay unit and directing communications to the headend computer relative to the same relay unit, and for retransmitting communications to other relay units. At least some of the relay units are appliance controllers and include an appliance interface for communicating with the appliance, the microcomputer being also connected to the appliance interface and having program instructions for directing communication between the satellite transceiver and the appliance interface. Each of the relay units has a unique address associated therewith, occurrences of the unique address being detected in communications from the headend computer. Each of the transceivers has an effective range of not less than approximately 60 feet or more depending on the frequency, which can be between 66 KHz and 2.6 GHz. The transceiver can selectively operate on one of at least 16 carrier frequencies, or one of several spread spectrum channels. Also disclosed is a method for controlling a distributed array of appliances from the headend computer.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An appliance controller for a distributed appliance system having a headend computer, a multiplicity of appliances, and a plurality of relay units, one of the relay units being the appliance controller and comprising:

(a) a low power satellite radio transceiver having a range being less than a distance to at least some of the appliances;
(b) an appliance interface for communicating with the at least one local appliance;
(c) a microcomputer connected between the satellite radio transceiver and the appliance interface and having first program instructions for controlling the satellite transceiver and second program instructions for directing communication between the satellite transceiver and the appliance interface;
(d) the first program instructions including detecting communications directed by the headend computer relative to the same appliance controller, signaling receipt of the directed communications, and directing communications to the headend computer relative to the same appliance controller;
and
(e) the second program instructions including detecting relay communications directed between the headend computer and a different relay unit, transmitting the relay communications, detecting a reply communication from the different relay unit, and transmitting the reply communication to the headend computer,
wherein at least some of the relay units communicate with the headend computer by relay communications using at least two others of the relay units.

4 more elements

A system for controlling a distributed array of appliances, comprising:

(a) a headend computer having a low power main radio transceiver interfaced thereto, the main radio transceiver having a range being less than a distance to at least some of the appliances;
and
(b) a distributed array of relay units, each relay unit comprising:
(i) a low power satellite radio transceiver having a range being less than the distance to at least some of the appliances;
(ii) a microcomputer connected to the satellite radio transceiver and relay program instructions for controlling the satellite transceiver;
(iii) The relay program instructions including first instructions for detecting communications directed by the headend computer relative to the same relay unit and directing communications to the headend computer relative to the same relay unit, and second instructions for retransmitting communications to other relay units;
(c) at least some of the relay units being appliance controllers, each of the appliance controllers being located proximate at least one of the appliances and further comprising:
(i) an appliance interface for communicating with the at least one appliance;
and
(ii) the microcomputer being also connected to the appliance interface and having destination program instructions for directing communication between the satellite transceiver and the appliance interface,
wherein at least some of the appliance controllers communicate with the headend computer by relay communications using at least two others of the relay units.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

RF remote appliance control/monitoring system

Life of this patent

RF remote appliance control/monitoring system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17