Methods, systems, and products for enhanced location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10194279-B2
Application number	US-201615234034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

Location may be determined based on electrical outlets in a home or business. One or more of the electrical outlets may wirelessly communicate with a mobile device, thus updating a database with the location of the mobile device. As the mobile device moves within the home or business, a current location of the mobile device may be continually logged by passing one of the electrical outlets. Rules and operations may then be performed, based on the current location.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable product for use in conjunction with an electrical outlet, the portable product comprising:
a transceiver associated with an electrical outlet;
a memory device that stores an algorithm; and
a processor that executes the algorithm to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, via the transceiver, a near field wireless signal transmitted from a mobile device, the near field wireless signal comprising a device identifier associated with the mobile device;
generating, by the processor, an outlet message that includes the device identifier and an outlet identifier associated with the electrical outlet, the outlet identifier identifying the electrical outlet as an indoor location of the mobile device; and
transmitting, by the processor, the outlet message via a wireless local area network to a network device, the outlet message enabling an electronic logging of the outlet identifier as the indoor location of the mobile device.

2. The portable product of claim 1 , further comprising enclosing the transceiver, the memory device, and the processor in an enclosure.

3. The portable product of claim 1 , further comprising receiving electrical power via the electrical outlet.

4. The portable product of claim 1 , further comprising wirelessly transmitting the outlet message via the transceiver.

5. The portable product of claim 1 , further comprising time stamping the outlet message.

6. The portable product of claim 1 , further comprising adding information representing a textual description to the outlet message, the textual description associated with the outlet identifier and textually describing the indoor location.

7. A system, comprising:
a hardware processor; and
a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving an outlet message transmitted via a wireless local area network from a portable product, the outlet message including a device identifier and an outlet identifier, the device identifier identifying a mobile device communicating via near field communication with a transceiver associated with an electrical outlet, and the outlet identifier identifying the electrical outlet as an indoor location of the mobile device; and
adding an entry to an electronic database of locations associated with the mobile device, the electronic database of locations logging the outlet identifier as the indoor location of the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise time stamping the outlet message.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise wirelessly receiving the outlet message.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise adding information representing a textual description to the outlet message, the textual description textually describing the indoor location.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise querying a luminary database for the outlet identifier to determine a luminaire at the indoor location.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise activating the luminaire.

13. A memory device storing code that when executed causes a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a near field wireless signal via a transceiver associated with an electrical outlet, the near field wireless signal comprising a device identifier associated with a mobile device passing within a near field communication to the electrical outlet;
generating an outlet message that specifies the device identifier and an outlet identifier, the outlet identifier identifying the electrical outlet as an indoor location associated with the mobile device; and
transmitting the outlet message via a wireless local area network to a network device, the outlet message enabling an electronic logging of the outlet identifier as the indoor location associated with the mobile device.

14. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the electrical outlet comprises a luminaire.

15. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the electrical outlet comprises a lighting fixture.

16. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise time stamping the outlet message.

17. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise sending a command in response to the outlet identifier identifying the electrical outlet.

18. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a temperature associated with the outlet identifier.

19. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a zone associated with the outlet identifier, the zone associated with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Kingsmill Kirk
• Johnston Robert
• Russell Jeffery

Classifications

• H04M1/72533

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/04 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04M1/72572

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M1/7253

  Electricity · mapped topic