System and method for server based control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12177301-B2
Application number	US-202418418285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2024
Priority date	Jan 9, 2012
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating multiple actuators in response to captured human voice data, for use with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) network, for use with a controlled device that comprises a second actuator, and for use with a client device configured to communicate with the controlled device and with an Internet-connected server device over the WLAN, the method comprising:
capturing, by a microphone in the client device, first and second human voice data;
sending, by the client device to the server via the WLAN over the Internet, the captured first and second human voice data;
receiving, by the server device from the client device over the Internet, the sent captured first and second human voice data;
processing, by the server device, the received captured first and second human voice data;
producing, by the server device, first and second commands in response to the processing;
sending, by the server device to the client device over the Internet, the first command;
receiving, by the client device from the server device, the sent first command;
operating, by the client device, a first actuator in the client device in response to the received first command;
sending, by the server device to the controlled device over the Internet, the second command;
receiving, by the controlled device from the server device, the sent second command; and
operating, by the client device, the second actuator in response to the received second command.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the processing comprises performing a voice recognition algorithm for identifying a voice of a specific person.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
producing, by a sensor in the client device, sensor data that responds to a physical phenomenon; and
sending, by the client device to the server device via the WLAN over the Internet, the sensor data,
wherein the first or second command is sent by the server device in response to the sensor data.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises a thermoelectric sensor that responds to a temperature or to a temperature gradient of an object using conduction, convection, or radiation, or wherein the sensor comprises a photoelectric sensor that responds to a visible or an invisible light or gamma rays.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second actuators is configured for directly or indirectly affecting, changing, producing, or creating a physical phenomenon.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the physical phenomenon comprises temperature, humidity, pressure, audio, vibration, light, motion, sound, proximity, flow rate, electrical voltage, electrical current, or any combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the client device comprises multiple microphones, and wherein the capturing comprises capturing, by the multiple microphones in the client device, the first and second human voice data.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the multiple microphones are arranged as a directional microphones array operative to estimate a number, magnitude, frequency, Direction-Of-Arrival (DOA), distance, or speed of a phenomenon impinging the microphones array.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the microphone is an omnidirectional, unidirectional, or bidirectional microphone that is based on sensing an incident sound-based motion of a diaphragm or a ribbon, or wherein the microphone comprises a condenser, an electret, a dynamic, a ribbon, a carbon, or a piezoelectric microphone.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the client device is addressable in the WLAN or in the Internet using an address stored in a volatile or non-volatile memory for uniquely identifying the respective device in the WLAN.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the address is a Media Access Control (MAC) layer address that is MAC-48, Extended Unique Identifier (EUI) EUI-48, or EUI-64 address type or wherein the address is a layer 3 address and is static or dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) address that is IPv4 or IPv6 type address.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the client device and the controlled device are in a building, and wherein the server device is external to the building.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the WLAN is according to, or base on, IEEE 802.11-2012, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, or IEEE 802.11ac.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the WLAN uses a wireless communication over an unlicensed radio frequency band, that is an Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) radio band.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the WLAN uses a wireless communication over a licensed radio frequency band.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled device is integrated in, is part of, or is entirely included in, a household appliance having a primary function.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the primary functionality of the appliance is associated with food storage, handling, or preparation.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the primary function of the appliance is heating food, and wherein the appliance is a microwave oven, an electric mixer, a stove, an oven, or an induction cooker.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the appliance is a refrigerator, a freezer, a food processor, a dishwasher, a food blender, a beverage maker, a coffeemaker, or an iced-tea maker.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the primary function of the appliance is associated with environmental control, and the appliance is part of a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the primary function of the appliance is associated with temperature control, and wherein the appliance is an air conditioner or a heater.

22. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the primary function of the appliance is associated with cleaning, wherein the appliance primary function is associated with clothes cleaning and the appliance is a washing machine, or wherein the appliance is a vacuum cleaner.

23. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the appliance is an answering machine, a telephone set, a home cinema system, a High Fidelity (HiFi) system, a Compact Disc (CD) or Digital Video Disc (DVD) player, an electric furnace, a trash compactor, a smoke detector, a light fixture, or a dehumidifier.

24. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is an electric light source for converting electrical energy into light that emits visible or non-visible light for illumination or indication, and the non-visible light is infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, or gamma rays.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the electric light source comprises a lamp, an incandescent lamp, a gas discharge lamp, a fluorescent lamp, a Solid-State Lighting (SSL), a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an Organic LED (OLED), a polymer LED (PLED), or a laser diode.

26. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is a motion actuator that causes linear or rotary motion.

27. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is a sounder for converting an electrical energy to omnidirectional, unidirectional, or bid

Assignees

• May Patents Ltd

Inventors

• Binder Yehuda
• Maytal Benjamin

Classifications

• G08G1/00

  Traffic control systems for road vehicles (arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 {; automatic vehicle control B62D}) · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G06Q2240/00

  Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking · CPC title

• B60Y2200/90

  Vehicles comprising electric prime movers · CPC title

• B60Y2200/50

  Aeroplanes, Helicopters · CPC title