System, device, and method of multi-path wireless communication

1. A method comprising:

(a) constructing in an electronic device of a user, a control message indicating a user command intended to be performed by a Home Automation Device (HAD) of said user;

wherein the constructing comprises: inserting into the control message a unique Message-Identifier;

(b) transmitting said control message, from said electronic device of the user, to said HAD of the user, concurrently via at least two different wireless communications channels which comprise at least: (i) a first wireless communication channel that includes passage of traffic through the Internet, and (ii) a second wireless communication channel in which no traffic passes through the Internet;

wherein the method comprises:

checking whether an acknowledgement message is received back at said electronic device from said HAD within N seconds of said transmitting of the message, wherein N is a positive number;

if the checking result is negative, then: (I) performing re-transmission of said control message towards said HAD using a first re-transmission scheme via said first wireless communication channel, and also, concurrently, (II) performing re-transmission of said control message towards said HAD using a second, different, re-transmission scheme via said second wireless communication channel;

wherein the first re-transmission scheme, which is used for the first wireless communication channel, defines a first number of re-transmissions to be attempted and defines a first timeout period for re-transmissions;

wherein the second re-transmission scheme, which is used for the second wireless communication channel, defines a second, different, number of re-transmissions to be attempted and defines a second, different, timeout period for re-transmissions.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said unique Message-Identifier, which is comprised in said control message, enables said HAD to determine whether or not said control message is a duplicate re-transmission of said control message.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein step (b) comprises:

transmitting from said electronic device to said HAD, the control message having therein said unique Message-Identifier, concurrently via a Bluetooth communication channel and via an HTTPS communication channel and via an MQTT communication channel.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting an Infra-Red signal from the HAD to a controlled appliance,

wherein the IR signal indicates to the controlled appliance to modify an operational property of said controlled appliance.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a Radio Frequency signal from the HAD to a controlled appliance,

wherein the RF signal indicates to the controlled appliance to modify an operational property of said controlled appliance.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a wireless signal from the HAD to a controlled appliance,

wherein the wireless signal indicates to the controlled appliance to modify an operational property of said controlled appliance;

wherein the wireless signal that transports said wireless signal from the HAD to the controlled appliance, is transported in accordance with a wireless communication protocol that is different from a wireless communication protocol utilized for transporting the control message from the electronic device to the HAD.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting an Infra-Red signal from the HAD to a ceiling fan,

wherein the IR signal indicates to the ceiling fan to modify an operational property of said ceiling fan.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a Radio Frequency signal from the HAD to a ceiling fan,

wherein the RF signal indicates to the ceiling fan to modify an operational property of said ceiling fan.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a wireless signal from the HAD to a ceiling fan,

wherein the wireless signal indicates to the ceiling fan to modify an operational property of said ceiling fan;

wherein the wireless signal that transports said wireless signal from the HAD to the ceiling fan, is transported in accordance with a wireless communication protocol that is different from a wireless communication protocol utilized for transporting the control message from the electronic device to the HAD.

10. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the HAD is integrally built-in within a ceiling fan;

wherein step (b) comprises:

transmitting said control message, from said electronic device of the user, to said HAD that is integrally built-in within said ceiling fan, concurrently via at least said two different wireless communications channels.

11. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said control message comprises at least a command to modify an operational property of a ceiling fan that is implemented as a separate unit from said HAD.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a Radio Frequency (RF) signal from the HAD to a Motorized Window Shades unit,

wherein the RF signal indicates to the Motorized Window Shades unit to modify an operational property of said Motorized Window Shades unit;

wherein said control message comprises at least a command to modify an operational property of said Motorized Window Shades unit that is implemented as a separate unit from said HAD.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a Radio Frequency (RF) signal from the HAD to a Fireplace unit, wherein the RF signal indicates to the Fireplace unit to modify an operational property of said Fireplace unit;

wherein said control message comprises at least a command to modify an operational property of said Fireplace unit that is implemented as a separate unit from said HAD.

14. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein said controlled appliance is a device selected from the group consisting of:

a garage door, a kitchen appliance, an air conditioning unit, a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit, a fan, a ceiling fan, motorized window shades, motorized window blinds, an electric fireplace unit, a gas-based fireplace unit, a doorbell system, a doorbell system equipped with a camera, a doorbell system connected to a camera, a smoke detector, a fire detector, a Carbon Monoxide detector, a humidifier device, an air purifier device, a security camera.

15. The method of claim 5 ,

wherein said controlled appliance is a device selected from the group consisting of:

a garage door, a kitchen appliance, an air conditioning unit, a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit, a fan, a ceiling fan, motorized window shades, motorized window blinds, an electric fireplace unit, a gas-based fireplace unit, a doorbell system, a doorbell system equipped with a camera, a doorbell system connected to a camera, a smoke detector, a fire detector, a Carbon Monoxide detector, a humidifier device, an air purifier device, a security camera.

16. A method comprising: (a) constructing in an electronic device of a user, a control message indicating a user command intended to be performed by a Home Automation Device (HAD) of said user; wherein the constructing comprises: inserting into the control message a unique Message-Identifier; (b) transmitting said control message, from said electronic device of the user, to said HAD of the user, concurrently via at least two different wireless communications channels which comprise at least: (i) a first wireless communication channel that includes passage of traffic through the Internet, and (ii) a second wireless communication channel in which no traffic passes through the Internet; wherein step (b) comprises: transmitting from said electronic device to said HAD in a Bluetooth transmission, a first copy of said control message having therein said unique Message-Identifier; transmitting from said electronic device to said HAD in an HTTPS transmission, a second copy of said control message having therein said unique Message-Identifier; transmitting from said electronic device to said HAD via an MQTT transmission, a third copy of said control message having therein said unique Message-Identifier; wherein said control message comprises said same unique Message-Identifier in each one of: the Bluetooth transmission, the HTTPS transmission, and the MQTT transmission, wherein the MQTT transmission is performed in a time-slot that is at least partially overlapping with a time slot of at least one of: the Bluetooth transmission, the HTTPS transmission.

17. The method of claim 16 ,

wherein said unique Message-Identifier, which is comprised in said control message, enables said HAD to determine whether or not said control message is a duplicate re-transmission of said control message.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting an Infra-Red signal from the HAD to a controlled appliance,

wherein the IR signal indicates to the controlled appliance to modify an operational property of said controlled appliance.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a Radio Frequency signal from the HAD to a controlled appliance,

wherein the RF signal indicates to the controlled appliance to modify an operational property of said controlled appliance.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

based on the control message received at the HAD from said electronic device, generating and transmitting a wireless signal from the HAD to a controlled appliance,

wherein the wireless signal indicates to the controlled appliance to modify an operational property of said controlled appliance;

wherein the wireless signal that transports said wireless signal from the HAD to the controlled appliance, is transported in accordance with a wireless communication protocol that is different from a wireless communication protocol utilized for transporting the control message from the electronic device to the HAD.

21. The method of claim 18 ,

wherein said controlled appliance is a device selected from the group consisting of:

a garage door, a kitchen appliance, an air conditioning unit, a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit, a fan, a ceiling fan, motorized window shades, motorized window blinds, an electric fireplace unit, a gas-based fireplace unit, a doorbell system, a doorbell system equipped with a camera, a doorbell system connected to a camera, a smoke detector, a fire detector, a Carbon Monoxide detector, a humidifier device, an air purifier device, a security camera.

22. The method of claim 19 ,

wherein said controlled appliance is a device selected from the group consisting of:

a garage door, a kitchen appliance, an air conditioning unit, a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit, a fan, a ceiling fan, motorized window shades, motorized window blinds, an electric fireplace unit, a gas-based fireplace unit, a doorbell system, a doorbell system equipped with a camera, a doorbell system connected to a camera, a smoke detector, a fire detector, a Carbon Monoxide detector, a humidifier device, an air purifier device, a security camera.