SYSTEM AND METHOD OF COMMUNICATION

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The invention generally relates to systems and methods for monitoring multiple electronic appliances and more particularly to systems and methods of communication while monitoring multiple electronic appliances.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Over the last few years  there has been a growing demand for home electronic devices  such as entertainment devices  home network devices  security devices  and automation control devices. There are more and more such devices and systems installed within homes and buildings.

[0003] A host is used to control the operation of these electronic devices. In such a communication system where the host is coupled to multiple electrical or electronic devices  for the host to know the state of inputs of each of the electrical/electronic device  the host is configured to poll the electronic device for information on any input that needs action. This is repeated at a predetermined frequency. The polling is performed due to randomness in variation in the input.

[0004] Therefore  the functionality of the host is affected as significant amount of host’s time is spent on performing the polling.

[0005] Hence  there exists a need for an efficient system and method for facilitating communication between a host and an associated device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The above-mentioned shortcomings  disadvantages and problems are addressed herein which will be understood by reading and understanding the following specification.

[0007] In one embodiment  a system of communication is provided. The system comprises at least one control device  the control device configured for operating an appliance  a host device coupled to each of the control device  the host device configured for communicating with the control device for controlling the operation of the appliance and an interfacing device configured for interfacing the control device with the host device. Further  the control device is configured for asynchronously communicating data with the host device.

[0008] In one embodiment  a method of communication is provided. The method comprising steps of interfacing a control device with a host device via an interfacing device and asynchronously communicating data between the control device and the host device.

[0009] In yet another embodiment  a method of communication is provided. Tthe method comprises steps of monitoring data using a sensing unit  sensing a change in monitored data and asynchronously transmitting monitored data to a host device in response to sensing the change in the monitored data.

[0010] Systems and methods of varying scope are described herein. In addition to the aspects and advantages described in this summary  further aspects and advantages will become apparent by reference to the drawings and with reference to the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system of communication as described in an embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a method of communication as described in an embodiment; and

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a method of communication as described in another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] In the following detailed description  reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof  and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments  which may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments  and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical  mechanical  electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is  therefore  not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0015] The invention is directed to provide a system and method of controlling electronic appliances coupled to home network and transmitting text  audio  video  control data between a main control unit (host) and at least one control device via serial interface.

[0016] Accordingly  in one embodiment as shown in FIG. 1  a system 100 of communication is provided. The system 100 comprises at least one control device 102  104 and 106  the control device 102  104 and 106 configured for operating an appliance 110  112 and 114  a host device 108 coupled to each of the control device 102  104 and 106  the host device 108 configured for communicating with the control device 102  104 and 106 for controlling the operation of the appliance 110  112 and 114 and an interfacing device 116 configured for interfacing the control device 102  104 and 106 with the host device 108.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1  the system 100 as illustrated includes a plurality of control devices 102  104 and 106 that are capable of text  image  video  audio  and control communication. The system 100 may further comprise at least one user input device coupled to the host device 108. The user input device configured for setting  operating and programming the host device 108. The host device 108 is capable of enabling a user to set  program  and control the system 100  receiving various data from at least one control device 102  104 and 106 or from one of user input devices  and sending the control data to at least one control device 102  104 and 106. In one embodiment  a control device 102  104 and 106 may be added or deleted based on the discretion of the user.

[0018] Each of the control devices 102  104 and 106 is coupled to the host device 108 via a serial interface. The control device 102  104 and 106 receives data or control signals from the host device 108 via a communication network that at least in part comprises a serial interface.

[0019] The system 100 further comprises an interfacing device 116 that is capable of transmitting various data including text  image  voice  and control data between the host device 108 and at least one control device 102  104 and 106. The interfacing device 116 is configured for interfacing the control device 102  104 and 106 with the host device 108 via a serial interface.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment  the serial interface comprises one of RS232  RS422  RS423 and RS485 interface. Skilled artisans shall however appreciate that other serial communication interfaces such as I2C (Inter Integrated Chip)  SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface)  USB (Universal Serial Bus)  Firewire  Ethernet and DMX512 can as well be used for facilitating communication between the host device 108 and the control device 102  104 and 106.

[0021] Further  the control device 102  104 and 106 is configured for asynchronously communicating data with the host device 108. Asynchronous serial communication describes an asynchronous  serial transmission protocol in which a start signal is sent prior to each byte  character or code word and a stop signal is sent after each code word. The start signal serves to prepare the receiving mechanism for the reception and registration of a symbol and the stop signal serves to bring the receiving mechanism to rest in preparation for the reception of the next symbol. A common kind of start-stop transmission is ASCII over RS-232.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment  the system 100 may comprise a plurality of interfacing devices 116 and each of the control devices 102  104 and 106 may be coupled to a single interfacing device 116 via at least one of a sensor unit and an actuator unit. In yet another alternative embodiment  one or more control devices 102  104 and 106 may be coupled to each of the interfacing devices 116.

[0023] The interfacing device 116 is configured to detect change in the state of input pins in the sensor unit of the at least one associated control device 102  104 and 106 and is further configured to store the monitored data. For this purpose  the interfacing device 116 comprises a processing unit and a memory unit coupled to the processing unit  the memory unit configured for storing monitored data.

[0024] In yet another embodiment  a user may set a predetermined priority level for each of the control devices 102  104 and 106. Hence  in a scenario where there is a change in the input pins of multiple control devices 102  104 and 106  the interfacing device 116 can choose a single control device 102  104 and 106  among multiple control devices 102  104 and 106  to transmit the monitored data to the host device 108 based on the priority set for each of the control devices 102  104 and 106.

[0025] In response to the monitored changes in the input pins of the sensor unit  the host device 108 may generate a control signal for controlling at least one control device 102  104 and 106. The control signals are sent to the actuator unit of the control device 102  104 and 106. The actuator unit consequently operates the appliance 110  112 and 114 associated with the control device 102  104 and 106 based on the received control signals.

[0026] The host device 108 includes a processing module  a memory module and a communication module coupled to the processing unit. In addition  the host device 108 also includes a hard drive that is capable of storing system 100 and application software.

[0027] The processing module is capable of executing instruction stored in the memory module or instructions set by a user. The memory module includes RAM  ROM  and EEPROM. The memory unit of the host device 108 may comprise all of the equipment information  component information  system settings and other data controlled or used by the system 100. Further  the memory unit of the host device 108 may comprise equipment information  component information  system settings of each of the control device 102  104 and 106.

[0028] Further  the hard drive is configured to store operating system 100  various application software  and database for the plurality of control devices 102  104 and 106. The system 100 software is configured to provide operating system 100 services such as job scheduling  task management  hardware control  and memory management. Accordingly  the system 100 software includes one of: DOS  Windows CE  Windows 98/2000/XP  and embedded LINUX.

[0029] In one embodiment  the host device 108 may be coupled to the Internet. Accordingly  the operating system 100 of the interfacing device 116 coupled to the host device 108 can be configured to enable the interfacing device 116 to communicate with the internet based services such as short message service (SMS) and multi media message service (MMS).

[0030] This enables a user to program the host device 108 so as to enable remote monitoring and controlling of the associated one or more control devices 102  104 and 106.

[0031] In yet another embodiment  the operating system 100 of each interfacing device 116 can be configured such that communication between two interfacing devices116 coupled to a single host device 108 may be enabled so as to facilitate communication of monitored data and control signals between the two interfacing devices 116 thereby eliminating the need to mediate through the host device 108.

[0032] The control device 102  104 and 106 comprises at least one of a sensor unit and an actuator unit. The sensor unit is configured for monitoring data associated with the associated appliance 110  112 and 114 and the actuator unit is configured for receiving control data from the host device 108. The control data comprising one or more command signals for operating the appliance 110  112 and 114. The actuator unit typically represents a switching means that comprises one of an electrical relays  TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current) based switching system 100 and SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier) based switching system 100. Switching means are well known in the art and hence will not be described in detail.

[0033] Each of the appliances 110  112 and 114 can be selected from a group comprising a heating system  a cooling system  lighting  a water heater  an oven  a refrigerator  a dish washer  a clothes washer and a clothes dryer  a sprinkler control device  a VCR control  a baby watcher  a childcare device  surveillance and security device  a switch control device  a sprinkler control device  an A/C control device  a damper control device  power line phone  power line speaker  door/gate control device  at least one smart appliance plug  at least one audio-video intercom device  at least one audio intercom device  a wireless control device  a RF/wireless phone device and a wireless camera and sensor device. The audio  video  and sensor data are received and transmitted between the host and various control devices via serial interface.

[0034] In another embodiment  as shown in FIG. 2  a method 200 of communication is provided. The method 200 comprises steps of interfacing at least one control device 102  104 and 106 with a host device 108 via an interfacing device 116 (at step 202) and asynchronously communicating data between the control device 102  104 and 106 and host device 108 (at step 204).

[0035] In yet another embodiment  as shown in FIG. 3  a method 300 of communication is provided. The method 300 comprises steps of monitoring data using a sensing unit (at step 302)  sensing a change in monitored data (at step 304) and asynchronously transmitting monitored data to a host device 108 in response to sensing the change in the monitored data (at step 306).

[0036] The method 300 further comprises receiving one or more command signals from the host device 108 at the control device 102  104 and 106 (at step 308) and operating one or more switching units based on the command signals (at step 310).

[0037] A computer program product storing computer readable instructions  for execution by a processor so as to result in the method of communication is provided. The computer program product comprises computer instructions comprising routine for monitoring data using a sensing unit  routine for sensing a change in monitored data and routine for asynchronously transmitting monitored data to a host device in response to sensing the change in the monitored data.

[0038] Further  computer-readable media include both volatile and nonvolatile media  removable and non removable media  and contemplates media readable by a database  a switch  and various other network devices. By way of example  and not limitation  computer-readable media comprise media implemented in any method or technology for storing information. Examples of stored information include computer-useable instructions  data structures  program modules  and other data representations. Media examples include  but are not limited to  information-delivery media  RAM  ROM  EEPROM  flash memory or other memory technology  CD-ROM  digital versatile discs (DVD)  holographic media or other optical disc storage  magnetic cassettes  magnetic tape  magnetic disk storage  and other magnetic storage devices. These technologies can store data momentarily  temporarily  or permanently.
[0039] This written description uses examples to describe the subject matter herein  including the best mode  and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter. The patentable scope of the subject matter is defined by the claims  and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims  or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

CLAIMS

What is claimed is:
1. A system of communication comprising:
at least one control device  the control device configured for operating an appliance;
a host device coupled to each of the control device  the host device configured for communicating with the control device for controlling the operation of the appliance; and
an interfacing device configured for interfacing the control device with the host device;
wherein the control device is configured for asynchronously communicating data with the host device.

2. The system of claim 1  wherein the interfacing device is configured for interfacing the control device with the host device via a serial interface.

3. The system of claim 2  wherein the serial interface comprises one of RS232  RS422  RS423 and RS485 interface.

4. The system of claim 1  wherein the control device comprises at least one of a sensor unit and an actuator unit.

5. The system of claim 4  wherein the sensor unit is configured for monitoring data associated with the appliance.

6. The system of claim 4  wherein the actuator unit configured for receiving control data from the host device  the data comprising one or more command signals for operating the appliance.

7. The system of claim 1  wherein the interfacing device comprises a processing unit and a memory unit coupled to the processing unit  the memory unit configured for storing monitored data.

8. The system of claim 1  wherein the host device is configured for executing an operating system module.

9. A method of communication  the method comprising:
interfacing a control device with a host device via an interfacing device; and
asynchronously communicating data between the control device and host device.

10. A method of communication  the method comprising:
monitoring data using a sensing unit;
sensing a change in monitored data; and
asynchronously transmitting monitored data to a host device in response to sensing the change in the monitored data.

11.The method of claim 10  further comprising:
receiving one or more control signals from the host device at the control device; and
operating one or more switching units based on the control signals.