Method and apparatus for a distributed home-automation-control (HAC) window

A method for remotely controlling home-automated-systems and appliances at a user's premise, comprising steps of:

• providing an interactive display at a first web site, comprising a software-control module for enabling a user to monitor and control home-automated-systems and appliances;
• authenticating the user at the web site to activate the interactive display;
• establishing Internet communication from the first web site to a base station at the user's premise, the base station in communication with sensing and actuating subsystems associated with individual ones of the home-automated-systems and appliances via radio frequency technology;
• and
• communicating with the sensing and actuating subsystems through a plurality of control units, comprising a wiring interface portion, a RF section comprising a redundancy-based networking protocol, an input-output section, and a microcontroller comprising control code, wherein the control units are in communication with the base station via the RF section and in communication with the sensing and actuating subsystems via the wiring interface or the RF section;
• such that the control units produces control outputs for a particular home-automated-system or appliance in response to input from sensing subsystems associated with the particular home automated-system or appliance and in response to other sensors associated with other home automated-systems or appliances as determined by the software-control module and the control code and wherein the redundancy-based networking protocol comprises a state wherein if one control unit is out of communication range with the base station another control unit intercepts communication on behalf of the out-of range control unit and retransmits to the out-of range control unit.

An internet-enabled control system for monitoring and controlling home-automated-systems and appliances at a user's premise, comprising:

• an actuating subsystem;
• a sensing subsystem;
• a base station comprising a microcontroller, memory portion, communication port, and a RF communicating section in communication with the sensing and the actuating subsystems associated with individual ones of the home-automated systems and appliances via radio frequency technology;
• a first internet-connected server comprising a software-control module for enabling a user to monitor and control home-automated-systems and appliances communicating with the base station;
• and
• a plurality of control units comprising a microcontroller comprising control code, an input-output section, a memory portion, a wiring interface portion and a RF communicating section comprising a redundancy-based networking protocol wherein the control units are in communication with the base station via the RF section and in communication with the sensing and actuating subsystems via the wiring interface or the RF section;
• such that the control units produce control outputs for a particular home automated-system or appliance in response to input from sensing subsystems associated with the particular home automated-system or appliance and in response to other sensors associated with other home automated-systems or appliances as determined by the software-control module and the control code and wherein the redundancy-based networking protocol comprises a state wherein if one control unit is out of communication range with the base station another control unit intercepts communication on behalf of the out-of range control unit and retransmits to the out-of range control unit.

An Internet-enabled control system for monitoring and controlling home-automated-systems and appliances at a user's premise, comprising:

• a base station with Internet connection at the user's premise, the base station in communication with sensing subsystems and actuating subsystems at individual ones of the home-automated systems and appliances via radio frequency technology;
• a plurality of control units comprising a wiring interface portion, an input-output section, a microcontroller comprising control code, and a RF communicating section comprising a redundancy-based networking protocol wherein the control units are in communication with the base station via the RF section and in communication with the sensing and actuating subsystems via the wiring interface or the RF section;
• first Internet-connected server communicating over the Internet with the base station, the first Internet-connected server monitoring the sensing subsystems and actuating subsystems and providing actuating commands to the actuating subsystems through the base station;
• an interactive display at the Internet-connected base station providing a set of services to the user related to the control and monitoring of the home-automated systems and appliances;
• and
• an interactive control interface presentable on the interactive display by the first Internet-connected server, providing a control interface to the user, enabling the user to access settings, view conditions, and issue commands to the home automated systems and appliances over the Internet to the base station and the systems and appliances themselves such that the control units produces control outputs for a particular home automated-system or appliance in response to input from sensing subsystems associated with the particular home automated-system or appliance and in response to other sensors associated with other home automated-systems or appliances as determined by the software-control module and the control code and wherein the redundancy-based networking protocol comprises a state wherein if one control unit is out of communication range with the base station another control unit intercepts communication on behalf of the out-of range control unit and retransmits to the out-of range control unit.