Granted Patent B2

US 8,725,845 · App. 11/686,875 · Granted May 13, 2014

Inventors: Seale Moorer (Westerville, OH); Eric Eichensehr (Westerville, OH)

Assignee: Exceptional Innovation LLC

Abstract

Claims (90)

1. A convergence and automation system (CAS), comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) based network; and

hardware comprising:

a plurality of devices connected to the network to communicate with each other via the network, each device being configured to perform at least one operation;

one or more sources, each source configured to provide data to at least one of the plurality of devices;

at least one client connected to the network and configured to receive a user input related to configuration of the CAS, wherein the configuration comprises data on components, an association group, script commands, a menu, schedule and a trigger;

a configuration tool integrated in the CAS and that resides on a service provider, the configuration tool generating a graphical user interface with a plurality of screens; and

the service provider storing and executing instructions related to configuration of the hardware, the instructions comprising:

instructions for operating the hardware according to a Web Service for Devices (WSD) protocol to enable communication among the plurality of devices and the at least one client via the network regardless of a difference thereamong in at least one of a proprietary language and communication protocol;

instructions for receiving a user input related to a configuration of the CAS; and

instructions for configuring the CAS in accordance with the user input to the configuration tool, wherein the WSD protocol comprises:

a first communication layer configured to logically interface the at least one client;

a second communication layer configured to physically interface the plurality of devices; and

a service provider layer comprising one or more components provided corresponding to one or more device categories, respectively, each component comprising at least one of the plurality of devices of the same device category, wherein each component comprises:

 one or more Web Services provided corresponding to one or more of the plurality of devices of the corresponding device category, respectively, each Web Service configured to function as a Web Service host for the corresponding device;

 one or more device bridges provided corresponding to the one or more Web Services, respectively, each device bridge configured to translate communication between the corresponding Web Service and device; and

 a controller configured to communicate with the one or more of the plurality of devices of the corresponding device category,

wherein the instructions for configuring the CAS in accordance with the user input to the configuration tool comprise:

instructions for creating a configuration according to the WSD protocol;

instructions for loading a configuration according to the WSD protocol;

instructions for editing a configuration according to the WSD protocol;

instructions for saving a configuration according to the WSD protocol;

instructions for activating a configuration according to the WSD protocol;

instructions for recovering a configuration according to the WSD protocol;

and

instructions for deleting a configuration according to the WSD protocol;

wherein the instructions for editing the configuration comprise:

instructions for adding a trigger to the configuration, editing a trigger in the configuration, and deleting a trigger of the configuration;

instructions for creating a menu and editing a menu, the menu comprising at least one of a main menu, a room menu, a sub menu, a global menu and a Media Center Environment menu; and

instructions for creating a schedule, editing a schedule and deleting a schedule, wherein the instructions for editing the schedule comprise instructions for selecting a script for the schedule.

2. The CAS of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for configuring the CAS further comprise instructions for copying a configuration to the service provider.

3. The CAS system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for editing the configuration comprise at least one of:

instructions for adding a component to the configuration;

instructions for editing a component in the configuration; and

instructions for deleting a component from the configuration.

4. The CAS system of claim 3 , wherein the instructions for editing the component comprise at least one of:

instructions for adding a zone to the component;

instructions for editing a zone in the component; and

instructions for deleting a zone of the component.

5. The CAS system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more components comprise at least one of an audio component and a security component, and

the instructions for editing the component further comprise instructions for discovering a zone for at least one of the audio component and the security component.

6. The CAS system of claim 3 , wherein the instructions for editing the configuration further comprise at least one of:

instructions for adding a source to the configuration;

instructions for changing a source in the configuration; and

instructions for deleting a source of the configuration.

7. The CAS system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more components comprise an audio component, and

the instructions for editing the component comprises instructions for adding a source to the audio component.

8. The CAS system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for editing the configuration comprise at least one of:

instructions for adding a device to the configuration;

instructions for editing a device in the configuration; and

instructions for deleting a device of the configuration.

9. The CAS system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for editing the configuration comprise at least one of:

instructions for adding a control group to the configuration;

instructions for editing a control group in the configuration; and

instructions for deleting a control group of the configuration.

10. The CAS system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for editing the configuration comprise at least one of:

instructions for adding a device association group to the configuration;

instructions for editing a device association group in the configuration; and

instructions for deleting a device association group of the configuration.

11. The CAS system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for discovering one or more devices.

12. The CAS system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for editing the configuration comprise at least one of:

instructions for adding a script to the configuration;

instructions for editing a script in the configuration; and

instructions for deleting a script of the configuration.

13. The CAS system of claim 12 , wherein the script is a user-editable script.

14. A process for configuring a convergence and automation system (CAS) comprising hardware, the hardware comprising a plurality of devices, at least one source, at least one client and a service provider, wherein each device is connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) based network and configured to perform at least one operation, each source is configured to provide data to at least one of the plurality of devices, the least one client is connected to the network and configured to receive a user input related to configuration of the CAS, and the service provider stores and executes instructions related to configuration of the hardware, the process comprising:

operating the plurality of devices according to a Web Service for Devices (WSD) protocol to enable communication among the plurality of devices and the at least one client regardless of a difference thereamong in at least one of a proprietary language and communication protocol;

generating a configuration tool integrated in the CAS and that resides on a service provider, the configuration tool generating a graphical user interface with a plurality of screens;

receiving a user input related to configuration of the CAS with the configuration tool, wherein the configuration comprises data on components, an association group, script commands, a menu, schedule and a trigger; and

configuring the CAS according to the user input received by the configuration tool,

wherein the configuring the CAS comprises creating a configuration according to the WSD protocol, loading a configuration according to the WSD protocol, editing a configuration according to the WSD protocol, saving a configuration according to the WSD protocol, activating a configuration according to the WSD protocol, recovering a configuration according to the WSD protocol, and deleting a configuration according to the WSD protocol, and wherein the WSD protocol comprises:

a first communication layer configured to logically interface the at least one client;

a second communication layer configured to physically interface the plurality of devices; and

a service provider layer comprising one or more components provided corresponding to one or more device categories, respectively, each component comprising at least one of the plurality of devices of the same device category, wherein each component comprises:

one or more Web Services provided corresponding to one or more of the plurality of devices of the corresponding device category, respectively, each Web Service configured to function as a Web Service host for the corresponding device;

one or more device bridges provided corresponding to the one or more Web Services, respectively, each device bridge configured to translate communication between the corresponding Web Service and device; and

a controller configured to communicate with the one or more of the plurality of devices of the corresponding device category,

wherein the editing the configuration with the configuration tool comprises:

adding a device to the configuration;

editing a device in the configuration; and

deleting a device from the configuration;

wherein the editing the configuration comprises:

adding a trigger to the configuration, editing a trigger in the configuration and deleting a trigger of the configuration;

creating a menu and editing a menu; and

creating a schedule, editing a schedule and deleting a schedule, wherein the editing the schedule comprises selecting a script for the schedule.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the configuring the CAS comprises copying a configuration to a service provider.

16. The process of claim 14 , wherein the editing the configuration comprises at least one of

adding a component to the configuration;

editing a component in the configuration; and

deleting a component of the configuration.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (15)