IP Library Granted Patent US 10,210,950
Granted Patent B2
US 10,210,950 · App. 15/196,365 · Granted Feb 19, 2019

Home automation (HA) system including failed sandboxed bridge reloading and related methods

Inventors: Jonathan Andrew Gould (Raleigh, NC); Daniel Mark Floyd (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: K4CONNECT INC.
G16H10/60G05B15/00G05D23/1931G06F19/00G06F19/3481G06Q50/01G16H20/40G16H40/63G16H50/30H04L12/281H04L12/2803H04L12/2809H04L12/2816H04L12/2818H04L12/2821H04L12/2825H04L12/2834H04L12/2836H04L43/0811H04L61/103H04L61/6022H04L61/6081H04L67/025H04L67/10H04L67/12H04L67/16H04L67/22H04L67/303H04L69/08H04L69/40H04W4/80F24F11/30F24F11/58F24F11/62F24F2110/12H04L2012/2841
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,210,950
App. No.
15/196,365
Granted
Feb 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A home automation (HA) system may include addressable HA devices, and a processor and a memory associated therewith. The processor implements a message queue for generating generic messages for respective ones of the plurality of addressable HA devices and implements sandboxed bridges each configured to convert a generic message from the message queue into a specific message for a given one of the addressable HA devices. Upon a failure of one of the sandboxed bridges, the processor reloads the failed sandboxed bridge while maintaining operational the other sandboxed bridges.

Claims (32)

1. A home automation (HA) system comprising:

a plurality of addressable HA devices; and

a processor and a memory associated therewith and configured to implement

a message queue configured to generate a plurality of generic messages for respective ones of the plurality of addressable HA devices,

a plurality of sandboxed bridges each configured to convert a generic message from said message queue into a specific message for a given one of said addressable HA devices, the specific message comprising at least one of a specific control message and a specific status message for a respective one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges, and

upon a failure of one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges, reloading the failed sandboxed bridge while maintaining operational the other sandboxed bridges.

2. The HA system of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to determine the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication between the plurality of sandboxed bridges and the message queue.

3. The HA system of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to determine the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication therebetween.

4. The HA system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of addressable devices is configured to wirelessly communicate using respective different wireless communications protocols from among a plurality of different wireless communications protocols.

5. The HA system of claim 1 further comprising at least one radio controller coupled to said processor; wherein each of said plurality of addressable devices is configured to wirelessly communicate with said processor via said at least one respective radio controller.

6. The HA system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of addressable devices comprises one of a motion detector, a thermostat, a light switch, an audio controller, a door lock, and a camera.

7. A home automation (HA) controller for an HA system comprising a plurality of addressable HA devices, said HA controller comprising:

a processor and a memory associated therewith and configured to implement

a message queue configured to generate a plurality of generic messages for respective ones of the plurality of addressable HA devices,

a plurality of sandboxed bridges each configured to convert a generic message from said message queue into a specific message for a given one of said addressable HA devices, the specific message comprising at least one of a specific control message and a specific status message for a respective one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges, and

upon a failure of one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges, reloading the failed sandboxed bridge while maintaining operational the other sandboxed bridges.

8. The HA controller of claim 7 wherein said processor is configured to determine the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication between the plurality of sandboxed bridges and the message queue.

9. The HA controller of claim 7 wherein said processor is configured to determine the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication therebetween.

10. A method of maintaining operational a plurality of sandboxed bridges in a home automation (HA) system comprising a plurality of addressable HA devices, the method comprising:

using a processor and a memory associated therewith to

generate, via a message queue, a plurality of generic messages for respective ones of the plurality of addressable HA devices,

convert a generic message from the message queue into a specific message for a given one of the addressable HA devices using the plurality of sandboxed bridges, the specific message comprising at least one of a specific control message and a specific status message for a respective one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges, and

upon a failure of one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges, reload the failed sandboxed bridge while maintaining operational the other sandboxed bridges.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the processor determines the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication between the plurality of sandboxed bridges and the message queue.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the processor determines the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication therebetween.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of addressable devices is configured to wirelessly communicate using respective different wireless communications protocols from among a plurality of different wireless communications protocols.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for maintaining operational a plurality of sandboxed bridges in a home automation (HA) system, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for causing a processor to perform operations comprising

implementing a message queue configured to generate a plurality of generic messages for respective ones of the plurality of addressable HA devices;

implementing a plurality of sandboxed bridges each configured to convert a generic message from the message queue into a specific message for a given one of the addressable HA devices, the specific message comprising at least one of a specific control message and a specific status message for a respective one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges; and

upon a failure of one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges, reloading the failed sandboxed bridge while maintaining operational the other sandboxed bridges.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer executable instructions cause the processor to determine the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication between the plurality of sandboxed bridges and the message queue.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer executable instructions cause the processor to determine the failed one of the plurality of sandboxed bridges based upon communication therebetween.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2022
From: K4CONNECT INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 059778/0569 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2016
From: GOULD, JONATHAN ANDREW; FLOYD, DANIEL MARK
To: K4CONNECT INC.
Reel/Frame 039266/0776 →
Continuity (9)
Provisional Application 62186466 · Jun 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62186480 · Jun 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62186487 · Jun 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62186491 · Jun 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62186501 · Jun 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62186506 · Jun 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62186473 · Jun 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62186469 · Jun 30, 2015
Related Publication 20170005827A1 · Jan 5, 2017