Systems and methods for finding wireless signals sufficient for installation of wireless home automation devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10063641-B2
Application number	US-201615280804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a systems and methods for finding wireless signals sufficient for installation of wireless home automation devices. Before such home automation devices are installed, or during the process of installing such home automation devices, the remote-control device of a wireless home automation hub may detect whether a suitable wireless signal is able to be received from the home automation hub or from a wireless repeater device at various locations on the customer premises and indicate that on the remote-control device. The remote control device may continue to display such an indication regarding the signal, or lack thereof, as the user moves about the customer premises with the remote control. In this manner, the user may find what locations on the customer premises are suitable for installation of home automation devices to communicate wirelessly with the home automation hub.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A remote-control device comprising:
a remote-control device housing;
a system control module within the housing;
a set of input controls positioned on the housing communicatively coupled to the system control module; and
an indicator on the remote-control device housing communicatively coupled to the system control module, the indicator operable to indicate a wireless signal quality between the remote control device and a home automation hub device, and wherein the system control module is configured to:
detect whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from a home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel at a current location of the remote-control device, wherein the remote-control device is a remote-control device of the home automation hub device;
cause the indicator to indicate, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, whether a current location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel;

receive user input at the remote control device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on a television along with a television program being displayed on the television; and
send a remote control command to the home automation hub device to cause the home automation hub device to cause a menu for controlling home automation devices to be displayed on the television along with the television program being displayed on the television.

2. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:
if a wireless signal is not able to be received by the remote-control device directly from the home automation hub device over the wireless communication channel, then search for a wireless signal from a repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub and through which a signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device over the wireless communication channel; and
based on the search, if the wireless signal is found from the repeater device that is connected to the home automation hub and through which a signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device over the wireless communication channel, then cause the indicator to indicate, based on a wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the repeater device, whether a current location of the remote control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the repeater device such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel through the repeater device.

3. The remote-control device of claim 2 wherein the repeater device is another home automation device that the home automation hub device is able to communicate with and control over the wireless communication channel.

4. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:
detect the wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device;
compare the detected wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device to a wireless signal quality threshold; and
cause the indicator to indicate, based on the comparison of the detected wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device to a wireless signal quality threshold, whether the current location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

5. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the indicator is configured to provide indications of different levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device and the system control module is further configured to:
cause the indicator to indicate different levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device based on the detected wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device.

6. The remote-control device of claim 5 wherein the system control module is further configured to:
continuously detect the wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device and continuously cause the indicator to indicate updated levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device based on the continuous detection of the wireless signal quality between the remote control device and the home automation hub device.

7. The remote-control device of claim 6 wherein the continuously causing the indicator to indicate updated levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub includes causing an audible indication to occur to indicate updated levels of wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub.

8. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:
first perform a pairing process between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device before subsequently detecting whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from a home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel and before causing the indicator to indicate, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, whether the current location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the current location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

9. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:
detect whether a wireless signal is able to be received by the remote-control device from the home automation hub device over a wireless communication channel at another location of the remote-control device; and
cause the indicator to indicate, based on the wireless signal quality between the remote-control device and the home automation hub device, whether the other location of the remote-control device is within sufficient wireless signal range of the home automation hub such that if a home automation device were to be installed at the other location of the remote-control device, the home automation hub would be able to communicate with and control the home automation device over the wireless communication channel.

10. The remote-control device of claim 1 wherein the system control module is further configured to:
cause the remote-control device to wirelessly pair with a mobile device of a user; and
cause the mobile device o

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc
• Echostar Tech International Corporation

Inventors

• Mccarthy Iii Bernard A
• Lett David B
• Smith George Horkan
• Bly Jr Allan Richard

Classifications

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04L67/125 Primary

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/6081

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title