Mobile application for controlling outdoor grill

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022232117-A1
Application number	US-202217658018-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2022
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to controlling an electronically-controlled appliance using a software application and providing a user interface for controlling an electronically-controlled appliance. In one scenario, a computer system receives an indication from a remote computing system indicating that an electronically-controlled appliance is communicably connected to the remote computing system. The computer system provides a notification in the software application indicating that the electronically-controlled appliance is available to receive instructions, and receives a user input at the software application indicating that certain functions are to be performed by the electronically-controlled appliance. The computer system further generates instructions configured to control the electronically-controlled appliance based on the functions specified in the received user input, and sends the generated instructions to the electronically-controlled appliance to perform the specified functions. These functions are then interpreted and carried out on the electronically-controlled appliance via the hardware controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A smoker, comprising:
a hopper; a combustion area, wherein the hopper is configured to provide combustible pellets to the combustion area; and a controller comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the smoker to:
receive permission information from a mobile computing device to establish network communication with one or more remote computing systems;
establish network communication with the one or more remote computing systems;
receive control information from the one or more remote computing systems, the control information originating from the mobile computing device; and
responsive to receiving the control information, adjust at least one cooking characteristic of the smoker.

2 . The smoker of claim 1 , wherein the permission information is received through a direct connection between the smoker and the mobile computing device.

3 . The smoker of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller of the smoker to establish an initial connection with the mobile computing device prior to receiving the permission information from the mobile computing device.

4 . The smoker of claim 3 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller of the smoker to, responsive to establishing network communication with the one or more remote computing systems, terminate the initial connection with the mobile computing device.

5 . The smoker of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller of the smoker to receive the permission information over a direct connection between the smoker and the mobile computing device.

6 . A cloud computing system for communicating with and controlling operation of a smoker comprising a hopper configured to provide combustible pellets into a combustion area of the smoker, the cloud computing system comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the cloud computing system to:
establish a wireless connection with the smoker after the smoker has been configured to communicate with the cloud computing system;
receive, from a mobile computing device, control information for controlling an operation of the smoker; and
transmit the control information to the smoker.

7 . The cloud computing system of claim 6 , wherein the smoker is authorized to communicate with the cloud computing system based on configuration information received by the smoker from the mobile computing device over direct connection between the smoker and mobile computing device.

8 . The cloud computing system of claim 6 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the cloud computing system to, responsive to establishing a wireless connection with the smoker, transmit an indication to the mobile computing device indicating that the wireless connection with the smoker has been established.

9 . The cloud computing system of claim 8 , wherein the cloud computing system transmits the indication to a dedicated software application executed on the mobile computing device.

10 . The cloud computing system of claim 6 , wherein in the control information is received from a dedicated software application executed on the mobile computing device.

11 . The cloud computing system of claim 6 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the cloud computing system to receive usage information from the smoker.

12 . The cloud computing system of claim 11 , wherein the usage information comprises information related to a locally adjusted cooking characteristic.

13 . The cloud computing system of claim 12 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the cloud computing system to transmit the information related to a locally adjusted cooking characteristic to the mobile computing device.

14 . The cloud computing system of claim 12 , wherein the adjusted cooking characteristic comprises a locally adjusted cooking temperature of the smoker.

15 . A method for controlling a smoker using a software application on a remote device, the smoker comprising at least one hardware controller and a hopper for providing combustible pellets into a combustion area of the smoker, the method comprising: transmitting a communication to the smoker, the communication containing configuration information for the smoker to establish network communication with the one or more remote computing systems.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the configuration information is transmitted from the remote device to the smoker over a direct connection between the remote device and the smoker.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the communication is transmitted from the remote device.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the communication authorizes the smoker to establish network communication with the one or more remote computing systems.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of transmitting an indication to the remote device indicating that the smoker has established network communication with one or more remote computing systems.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of receiving a request from the smoker for permission to establish network communication with the one or more remote computing systems.

Assignees

• Traeger Pellet Grills Llc

Inventors

• Colston Michael Virgil

Classifications

• H04W68/005

  Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  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 · CPC title

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• H04L12/2834

  Switching of information between an external network and a home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856) · CPC title

• A47J37/06

  Roasters; Grills; Sandwich grills · CPC title