System and method for using data collected from internet-of-things (IoT) sensors to disable IoT-enabled home devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10816944-B2
Application number	US-201514590700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A platform, apparatus and method for disabling IoT-enabled home devices. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN), and an IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel; the IoT device comprising a sensor to measure a local condition affected by a local device in a user's home, the local device being potentially hazardous if accidentally left on, the IoT device communicating one or more measurements of the local condition to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel; control logic on the IoT hub to receive the one or more measurements of the local condition from the sensor and to evaluate the one or more measurements to determine whether the local device has been accidentally left on, the control logic to general a signal to turn off the local device in response to a determination that the local device has been accidentally left on.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN), and
an IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel;
the IoT device comprising a sensor to measure a local condition affected by a local device in a user's home, the local device being separate from the IoT device and potentially hazardous if accidentally left on, the IoT device communicating one or more measurements of the local condition to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel;
control logic on the IoT hub to receive the one or more measurements of the local condition from the sensor and to evaluate the one or more measurements to determine whether the local device has been accidentally left on, the control logic to generate a first signal to the IoT device to cause the IoT device to turn off the local device and a second signal to one or more other IoT devices to cause the one or more other IoT devices to turn off all power and/or gas in the user's home in response to a determination that the local device has been accidentally left on;
wherein the IoT hub is further configured to notify the IoT service that the local device has been accidentally left on and to automatically provide a current detected location of the user to the IoT service in response to the determination that the local device has been accidentally left on, the IoT service to transmit a first notification to a data processing device of the user to notify the user that the local device has been accidentally left on if the current detected location of the user indicates that the user is not home;
wherein the second signal is generated by the control logic after the user is notified that the local device has been accidentally left on and in response to user input on the data processing device.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the local condition comprises a temperature and wherein the control logic determines that the local device has been accidentally left on if the temperature is above a first specified threshold for longer than a specified amount of time.

3. The system as in claim 2 wherein the local device comprises a stove.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein the IoT device is to turn off the stove by cutting a source of electricity or gas provided to the stove.

5. The system as in claim 3 wherein the IoT device is to turn off the stove by wirelessly transmitting a signal to the stove.

6. The system as in claim 5 wherein the wireless signals comprises an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) signals generated from a blaster on the IoT device.

7. The system as in claim 2 wherein the control logic determines that the local device has been accidentally left on if the temperature ever rises above a second specified threshold regardless of amount of time.

8. The system as in claim 2 wherein the local device comprises an electric or gas heater.

9. The system as in claim 1 wherein the data processing device comprises an app or browser-executable code to display the notification and provide the user with the ability to control the local device.

10. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the IoT hub and the IoT service are to communicate at periodic intervals over the WAN.

11. The system as in claim 10 , wherein responsive to a detection of a loss of connection between the IoT hub and the IoT service, the IoT service is to transmit a second notification to the data processing device of the user to notify the user of the loss of connection.

12. A method comprising:
providing an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN),
providing an IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a wireless communication channel, the IoT device comprising a sensor to measure a local condition affected by a local device in a user's home, the local device being separate from the IoT device and potentially hazardous if accidentally left on, the IoT device communicating one or more measurements of the local condition to the IoT hub over the wireless communication channel; and
receiving by control logic on the IoT hub the one or more measurements of the local condition from the sensor and to evaluate the one or more measurements to determine whether the local device has been accidentally left on, the control logic to generate a first signal to the IoT device to cause the IoT device to turn off the local device and a second signal to one or more other IoT devices to cause the one or more other IoT devices to turn off all power and/or gas in the user's home in response to a determination that the local device has been accidentally left on;
wherein the IoT hub is configured to notify the IoT service that the local device has been accidentally left on and to automatically provide a current detected location of the user to the IoT service in response to the determination that the local device has been accidentally left on, the IoT service to transmit a notification to a data processing device of the user to notify the user that the local device has been accidentally left on if the current detected location of the user indicates that the user is not home;
wherein the second signal is generated by the control logic after the user is notified that the local device has been accidentally left on and in response to user input on the data processing device.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the local condition comprises a temperature and wherein the control logic determines that the local device has been accidentally left on if the temperature is above a first specified threshold for longer than a specified amount of time.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the local device comprises a stove.

15. The method as in claim 14 wherein the IoT device is to turn off the stove by cutting a source of electricity or gas provided to the stove.

16. The method as in claim 14 wherein the IoT device is to turn off the stove by wirelessly transmitting a signal to the stove.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein the wireless signals comprises an infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) signals generated from a blaster on the IoT device.

18. The method as in claim 13 wherein the control logic determines that the local device has been accidentally left on if the temperature ever rises above a second specified threshold regardless of amount of time.

19. The method as in claim 13 wherein the local device comprises an electric or gas heater.

20. The method as in claim 12 wherein the data processing device comprises an app or browser-executable code to display the notification and provide the user with the ability to control the local device.

Assignees

• Afero Inc

Inventors

• Britt Joe
• Matsumura Shin
• Forood Houman
• Zimmerman Scott
• Myles Phillip
• Zawicki Sean
• Kutami Daisuke

Classifications

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• H04L12/2816

  Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• H04W4/80

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