IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,667,502
Granted Patent B2
US 9,667,502 · App. 14/938,871 · Granted May 30, 2017

Home network of connected consumer devices

Inventors: Raj B. Apte (Palo Alto, CA); Erik John Hasenoehrl (Loveland, OH); Christopher Paulson (Livermore, CA)
Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
H04L41/14H04L12/28H04L12/2807H04W4/043H04W64/00H04W84/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,667,502
App. No.
14/938,871
Granted
May 30, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of associating a function to a room within a home, includes forming a mesh network in the structure with a plurality of nodes, each node having a communication module, segmenting the nodes into rooms based upon the time of flight, obtaining an identity for at least one node in a room; and using the identity to assign a purpose to the room.

Claims (34)

1. A method of associating a room purpose to a room within a home, the method comprising:

forming a wireless network in the home with a plurality of nodes, each node having a communication module capable of broadcasting a signal; providing a computing device capable of receiving the signal from at least one of the plurality of nodes; the computing device:

receiving and analyzing the signal from the at least one of the plurality of nodes;

segmenting the nodes into rooms based on the signal from the at least one of the plurality of nodes;

obtaining an identity for at least one node in a room; and

using the identity to assign a purpose to the room.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a time of flight between at least two of the plurality of nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the identity for at least one node in a room comprises accessing a database of identifiers using an identifier for the at least one node.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein obtaining the identity for at least one node in a room comprises accessing a second database using the identifier and refining the assigned purpose to the room.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identity of the at least one node comprises one of a stock keeping unit, a network address, a bar code, and a presumed identity.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing a list of the nodes in each room based upon the segmenting.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the storing occurs in storage remote from the home on an external network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the identity occurs on an external network.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the identity comprises:

acquiring an identifier for the at least one node;

accessing a database populated by consumers; and

using information in the database to determine the purpose of the room.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of: forming a wireless network in the home with a plurality of nodes, each node having a communication module capable of broadcasting a signal, comprises forming a wireless network in the home with a plurality of nodes, each node having a communication module capable of broadcasting a signal consisting of data transmitted using IPV6 Packet protocol.

11. A method of associating a purpose to a room within a home, comprising:

forming a wireless network in the home with a plurality of nodes;

determining a time of flight and signal strength for signals between nodes;

segmenting the nodes into rooms based upon the time of flight and signal strength;

obtaining an identity for at least one node in a room; and

using the identity to assign a purpose to the room based on one or more of a current room list, a historical room list, a current node function list, a historical node function list, current node location data, historical node location data, current sensor data, historical sensor data, user preference data, a external database of room functions, blueprints of the home, and external data related to the home.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein obtaining an identity for at least one node in a room comprises accessing a database of identifiers using an identifier for the at least one node.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identity of the at least one node comprises one of a stock keeping unit, a network address, a bar code, and a presumed identity.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising storing a list of nodes in each room based upon the segmenting.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the storing occurs in storage remote from the home on an external network.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the identity occurs on an external network.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein obtaining the identity comprises:

acquiring an identifier for the at least one node;

accessing a database populated by consumers; and

using information in the database to determine the purpose of the room.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of: forming a wireless network in the home with a plurality of nodes, each node having a communication module capable of broadcasting a signal, comprises forming a wireless network in the home with a plurality of nodes, each node having a communication module capable of broadcasting a signal consisting of data transmitted using IPV6 Packet protocol.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 14511190 · Oct 10, 2014
Continuation 13551558 · Jul 17, 2012
Related Publication 20160065412A1 · Mar 3, 2016