User identification and location determination in control applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9204291-B2
Application number	US-201314053537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 12, 2012
Publication date	Dec 1, 2015
Grant date	Dec 1, 2015

Abstract

A system in which a portable electronic device communicates with an external device to determine a location. Upon determining its location, the portable electronic device transmits this information as well as identifying information to a control processor. The control processor controls one or more controllable devices according to the location and identifying information. The portable electronic device may determine the location via NFC tag or via one or more RF beacons transmitting information according to the Bluetooth 4.0 protocol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing individualized control, the system comprising:
(a) one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting a control processor ID and a beacon ID, wherein each of the one or more RF beacons is further configured for periodically broadcasting an application identifier;
(b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising:
(i) receiving from at least one of the one or more RF beacons, the control processor ID and the beacon ID of each RF beacon via the first network interface of the portable electronic device,
(ii) estimating a distance to at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon,
(iii) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to at least one of the one or more RF beacons,
(iv) establishing communication with a control processor corresponding to the control processor ID,
(v) transmitting the location of the portable electronic device and the user ID to the control processor,
(vi) receiving the application identifier from at least one of the one or more RF beacons, and
(vii) opening a control application on the portable electronic device corresponding to the application identifier; and

(c) a control processor comprising a network interface, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising
(i) receiving the location of the portable electronic device and the user ID, and
(ii) executing a default control action according to the location and the user ID.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device comprises a second network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the control processor and wherein the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising transmitting the location, the user ID and to the control processor via the second network interface.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the portable electronic device is further identified by a device ID and the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising transmitting the location, the user ID and the device ID to the control processor via the second network interface.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more RF beacons is configured for receiving the location and the user ID from the portable electronic device and transmitting the location and the user ID to the control processor.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the one or more RF beacons are configured for bi-directional communication according to Bluetooth RF communication protocols.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more RF beacons is configured for broadcasting according to Bluetooth 4.0 low energy protocols.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the RF beacons is configured for transmitting the broadcast signal strength of the RF beacon.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the beacon ID is a network address of the RF beacon.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the beacon ID is a location of the RF beacon.

10. A system for providing individualized control, the system comprising;
(a) one or more RF beacons configured for periodically broadcasting a control processor ID and a beacon ID;
(b) a portable electronic device identified by a user ID and comprising a first network interface, a display, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising:
(i) receiving from at least one of the one or more RF beacons, the control processor ID and the beacon ID of each RF beacon via the first network interface of the portable electronic device,
(ii) estimating a distance to at least one of the one or more RF beacons according to a detected signal strength of the RF beacon,
(iii) determining a location of the portable electronic device based on the distance to at least one of the one or more RF beacons,
(iv) establishing communication with a control processor corresponding to the control processor ID, and
(v) transmitting the location of the portable electronic device and the user ID to the control processor; and

(c) a control processor comprising a network interface, a memory encoding one or more processor-executable instructions and a processor configured to load the one or more processor-executable instructions when encoded from the memory wherein the one or more processor-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause acts to be performed comprising:
(i) receiving the location of the portable electronic device and the user ID, and
(ii) executing a default control action according to the location and the user ID;

wherein:
(a) the memory of the portable electronic device encodes one or more project files, each of the one or more project files associated with a control processor; and
(b) the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising loading a project file corresponding to the control processor ID with the control application.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising displaying on the display a page of the project file corresponding to the location.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the page of the project file comprises one or more selectable visual items representing one or more control functions of a controllable device.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the page of the control application comprises one or more selectable visual items representing one or more controllable environmental aspects of the location.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a second network interface configured for enabling communication between the portable electronic device and the control processor and wherein the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed comprising transmitting the location, the user ID and to the control processor via the second network interface.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the portable electronic device is further identified by a device ID and the one or more processor executable instructions encoded from the memory of the portable electronic device when executed by the processor cause acts to be performed further comprising transmitting the location, the user

Assignees

• Crestron Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jackson Daniel
• Bargetzi Fred
• Donlan Brian

Classifications

• G08C2201/91

  Remote control based on location and proximity · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/1985

  Creation of lighting zones or scenes · CPC title

• H04W4/043

  Electricity · mapped topic