IP Library Granted Patent US 9,477,299
Granted Patent B2
US 9,477,299 · App. 14/302,058 · Granted Oct 25, 2016

Systems and methods for facilitating device control, device protection, and power savings

Inventor: Geoffrey Thompson (Keighley, GB)
Assignee: EchoStar UK Holdings Limited
G06F1/3293G06F1/3215H01R13/6675G06F1/266H01R13/6666H01R13/68H01R24/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,477,299
App. No.
14/302,058
Granted
Oct 25, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control are provided. A first device controller may be adapted to be disposed within a power connector, in series with conductors of the power connector. The power connector may be adapted to provide power from a power source to a device. The first device controller may include two terminals to electrically couple the first device controller with the conductors of the power connector. The first device controller may further include a power component to power the first device controller. The first device controller may be configured to monitor one or more conditions of the device, control one or more functions of the device, and wirelessly communicate with a system controller that is remote from the power connector and the device. The power connector may correspond to a power plug and/or a terminal block.

Claims (78)

1. A system to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control, the system comprising:

a device controller adapted to be disposed within a power connector in series with conductors of the power connector, the power connector adapted to provide power from a power source to a device, the device controller:

comprising two terminals to electrically couple the device controller with the conductors of the power connector;

comprising a power component to power the device controller; and

configured to:

monitor one or more conditions of the device;

based at least in part on the monitoring, store a plurality of data recordings corresponding to operations of the device over a period of time;

create reporting data based at least in part on the stored plurality of data recordings;

control one or more functions of the device; and

wirelessly communicate with a system controller that is remote from the power connector and the device, wherein the communicating comprises transmitting the reporting data to the system controller;

wherein the power connector corresponds to a power plug and/or a terminal block.

2. The system to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 1 , wherein the device controller is further configured to:

provide overcurrent protection for the device to protect the device from overload.

3. The system to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 1 , further comprising:

the system controller, wherein the system controller is configured to:

wirelessly communicate with a set of one or more device controllers, the set of one or more device controllers comprising the device controller; and

monitor the set of one or more device controllers.

4. The system to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 3 , wherein the system controller is further configured to:

control the set of one or more device controllers.

5. The system to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 4 , wherein:

the system controller is further configured to:

process an indication of a trigger event;

select a configuration from a set of system configurations based at least in part on the indication of the trigger event; and

transmit a command to at least one device controller of the set of one or more device controllers to cause the at least one device controller to control the device in conformity with a first operational mode, the at least one device controller comprising the device controller; and

the device controller is further configured to:

in response to the command, control the device in conformity with the first operational mode at a first time.

6. The system to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 5 , the device controller is further configured to:

control the device in conformity with a second operational mode at a second time after the first time.

7. The system to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 5 , wherein the configuration corresponds to a power savings configuration.

8. A method to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control, the method comprising:

adapting a device controller to be disposed within a power connector, in series with conductors of the power connector, the power connector adapted to provide power from a power source to a device, the device controller comprising:

two terminals to electrically couple the device controller with the conductors of the power connector; and

a power component to power the device controller; and

configuring the device controller to:

monitor one or more conditions of the device;

based at least in part on the monitoring, store a plurality of data recordings corresponding to operations of the device over a period of time;

create reporting data based at least in part on the stored plurality of data recordings;

control one or more functions of the device; and

wirelessly communicate with a system controller that is remote from the power connector and the device, wherein the communicating comprises transmitting the reporting data to the system controller;

wherein the power connector corresponds to a power plug and/or a terminal block.

9. The method to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 8 , further comprising:

configuring the device controller to provide overcurrent protection for the device to protect the device from overload.

10. The method to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 8 , further comprising:

configuring the system controller to:

wirelessly communicate with a set of one or more device controllers, the set of one or more device controllers comprising the device controller; and

monitor the set of one or more device controllers.

11. The method to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 10 , further comprising:

configuring the system controller to control the set of one or more device controllers.

12. The method to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 11 , further comprising:

configuring the system controller to:

process an indication of a trigger event;

select a configuration from a set of system configurations based at least in part on the indication the of the trigger event; and

transmit a command to at least one device controller of the set of one or more device controllers to cause the at least one device controller to control the device in conformity with a first operational mode, the at least one device controller comprising the device controller; and

configuring the device controller to:

in response to the command, control the device in conformity with the first operational mode at a first time.

13. The method to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 12 , further comprising:

configuring the device controller to control the device in conformity with a second operational mode at a second time after the first time.

14. The method to facilitate wireless device monitoring and control of claim 12 , wherein the configuration corresponds to a power savings configuration.

15. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices, facilitates wireless device monitoring and control, causing the one or more processing devices to:

monitor one or more conditions of a device via a device controller adapted to be disposed within a power connector in series with conductors of the power connector, the power connector adapted to provide power from a power source to the device;

based at least in part on the monitoring, store a plurality of data recordings corresponding to operations of the device over a period of time;

create reporting data based at least in part on the stored plurality of data recordings;

control one or more functions of the device via the device controller; and

wirelessly communicate, via the device controller, with a system controller that is remote from the power connector and the device, wherein the communicating comprises transmitting the reporting data to the system controller;

wherein the power connector corresponds to a power plug and/or a terminal block.

16. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 15 , the instructions further causing the one or more processing devices to:

provide overcurrent protection for the device to protect the device from overload.

17. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 15 , the instructions further causing the one or more processing devices to:

wirelessly communicate information to the system controller to facilitate monitoring of the device by the system controller.

18. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 17 , the instructions further causing the one or more processing devices to:

process a set of one or more commands received from the system controller to control the device controller; and

cause the device controller to act in conformity with the set of one or more commands.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 17 , the instructions further causing the one or more processing devices to:

transmit an indication of a trigger event to the system controller;

process a command from the system controller; and

responsive to the command, control the device in conformity with a first operational mode at a first time.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 19 , the instructions further causing the one or more processing devices to:

control the device in conformity with a second operational mode at a second time after the first time.

Assignments (7)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2021
From: DISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION; DISH NETWORK L.L.C.; DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
To: U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058295/0293 →
CONVERSION Recorded Aug 7, 2018
From: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
To: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 046737/0610 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 12, 2018
From: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
To: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 046860/0734 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2017
From: ECHOSTAR UK HOLDINGS LIMITED
To: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041672/0080 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2017
From: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
To: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 041674/0954 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2014
From: ELDON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
To: ECHOSTAR UK HOLDINGS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 034650/0050 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2014
From: THOMPSON, GEOFFREY
To: ELDON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 033080/0902 →
Continuity (1)
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