Coupling a domestic appliance to a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12034809-B2
Application number	US-202118041578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2021
Priority date	Nov 2, 2020
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A method includes wirelessly coupling a domestic appliance to a mobile device and allocating or assigning a sensor of the domestic appliance as a local apparatus of the mobile device for a function running on the mobile device. A household appliance, a mobile device and a system including a household appliance and a mobile device, are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising steps of:
wirelessly coupling a household appliance to a mobile device as a Bluetooth input apparatus; and
allocating a sensor of the household appliance, as a local appliance of the mobile device, to a function running on the mobile device, the sensor being made available by an operating system of the mobile device as a virtual device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
using the sensor to sample an area of the household appliance and to provide a sensor value; and
transmitting the sensor value to the mobile device to supply the sensor value to the function.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises allocating the sensor in dependence upon a predetermined guideline.

4. The method according to claim 3 , which further comprises allocating the sensor to the function as controlled by a user of the mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 3 , which further comprises obtaining the predetermined guideline from a central point.

6. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises controlling a sampling criterion of the sensor according to the function.

7. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
using the mobile device to receive a message;
transmitting an indication of the received message from the mobile device to the household appliance; and
using the household appliance to provide the indication to a user.

8. The method according to claim 7 , which further comprises carrying out the transmission in dependence upon a predetermined guideline.

9. The method according to claim 7 , which further comprises adapting a transmitted content in dependence upon a predetermined guideline.

10. The method according to claim 7 , which further comprises automatically carrying out the coupling when an indication is to be transmitted.

11. A household appliance, comprising:
a sensor;
a communication facility for wireless communication; and
a processing facility configured to wirelessly couple the household appliance to a mobile device as a Bluetooth input apparatus;
said sensor acquiring a sensor value to be supplied to the mobile device and said sensor being made available by an operating system of the mobile device as a virtual device.

12. A mobile device, comprising:
a communication facility for wireless communication; and
a processing facility configured to wirelessly couple a household appliance to the mobile device as a Bluetooth input apparatus, the household appliance having a sensor and being configured to allocate the sensor as a local appliance to a function running on the mobile device, the sensor being made available by an operating system of the mobile device as a virtual device.

13. A system comprising:
a household appliance according to claim 11 ; and
a mobile device including a communication facility for wireless communication, and a processing facility configured to wirelessly couple the mobile device to the household appliance having said sensor and configured to allocate the sensor as a local appliance to a function running on the mobile device.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Grimminger Jochen
• Kleinlein Philipp
• Koene Philip
• Schaefer Frank

Classifications

• H04L12/12

  Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof · CPC title

• H04M1/72415

  for remote control of appliances · CPC title

• H04L67/125 Primary

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

• H04W4/38 Primary

  for collecting sensor information · 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