Home network of connected consumer devices.

(54) Title: HOME NETWORK OF CONNECTED CONSUMER DEVICES.

(54) Title: HOME NETWORK OF CONNECTED CONSUMER DEVICES.

(57) Summary

A consumer product device that has a consumer product, a communication module capable of communicating on a mesh network, and a power connector electrically coupled to the communication module.

(57) Abstract

A consumer product device has a consumer product, a communication module capable of communicating in a mesh network, and a power connector electrically coupled to the communication module.

IMPI

PATENT TITLE No. 353033

<td>Headlines):</td><td>THE PROCTER &amp; GAMBLE COMPANY</td>

<td>Home:</td><td>One Procter &amp; Gamble Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202, USA</td>

<td>D nomination:</td><td>HOME NETWORK OF CONNECTED CONSUMER DEVICES.</td>

<td>Classification:</td><td>CIP: H04L12 / 28; G01S1 / 68; H04W4 / 04 CPC: H04L12 / 2803; H04B10 / 114; HQ4B11 / 00; A61L2209 / 111; H04W4 / 043; H04W84 / 18</td>

Inventor (s):

Number:

MX / a / 2015/000707

RAJ B. ΑΡΤΕ; ERIK JOHN HASENQEHRL; CHRISTOPHER PAULSON

REQUEST ₇j ', Ftcftá to Pr ^ eHtMM ^ n Internacional:; '-X 174e'W «ie'2O13 \ dewá!' '¥ ·; ·.

..... ......,; * -Λ

Number:

13/551,539

Country:

US

Validity: Twenty years

Expiration Date: July 17, 2033

Expedition Date: December 18, 2017

The referenemsecotjrga patent based on articles 1 ° 'HI, and 59 of the Industrial Property Law.

In accordance with article 23 or the Law of Industrial Protection; The present patent has ^ iiha dgencta of twenty Mipjorrogables. counted from the date of presentation effe the international soliatud and this ^^ s ^ eitaW pagódeíaA ^ a páramanttoer vigerrteslc ^ rights.

Who subscribes to the present title iohasexon fundamento en krdisyuesto pprjps aiiaulqt 6 ° fraccione »III y 7^or Hs 2 of the Industrial Property Law (Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) 27/96/1991, -reformed on 02U8 / 19S4, 10/4/1996, 6/12/1997. 5/17/1999 26 / 01/2004, 06/16/2005, 01/25/2006, 06/05 / 2009,06 / 01/2010, 06/16/2010, 06/28/2010/27/01/2012 and 0® / d4 / 2O12) fart¡ &lt;W »1^or, 3 »fraction V subsection a), 4^or and 12th fractions I and III of the Regulations of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (0 OF 14/12/1999, rdfomiafo he 0107/2002, 07/15/2004, 07/28/2004 and 09/07/2007): items 1^or, 3^or, 4°, 5^or fraction V subsection aX-WIcacals ly III and 3Oe ^ 4taMUA ^ anico, 5leMnstitajpWfePddano of Industrial Property (DOF 12/27/1999, amended on 10/10/2002, 07/29/2904 ¢ 4 / () 8/2004 and 09/13 / ^ 007), 1^or, 3^or and 5 ^ ntieq ^ xdet Acardo that delegates powers to the Deputy Directors General, Coordinator, Directors of the Federation, divisional Deputy Directors, Coordinators

Departmental and other subordinates of the Instituto Medican © íW la Píóoiedsé 1n &lt;lustrk »^^^: - W12 / 1999, reformed 04/02/2000, 07/29/2004, 08/04/2004 and 09/13/2007) . '&lt;· -' *

This letter is signed with an advanced electronic signature (FIEL), based on articles 7 BIS 2 of the Industrial Property Law; 3 of its Regulations, and 1 fraction III, 2 fraction V, 26 BIS and 26 TER of the Agreement establishing the guidelines for the use of the Electronic Payment and Services Portal (PASE) of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, in the procedures indicated.

THE DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OF PATENTS

NAHANNY CANAL REYES

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Original string:

NAHANNY MARISOL CANAL REYES | 00001000000403252793 | Administration Service

Tax | 1695 || MX / 2018/1110 | MX / a / 2015/000707 | PCT patent title | 1223 | GAGV | Page (s) | V2dkXFc1 / Xtqbx9GJqiMwJDTY5c =

Digital Seal: q7jx6ynClgNLXOQjwODYtG6t7XlwTIVbh8ITz4wrcc / OKYx2gLpqz4TPVyzH4wRU + b5p8bUgilcK6P8IYDVtnNcmXf PoDhtRpmtnq7U5mdRxlO / 2ETOHR34M2TSfNOC1 / kjf2BcX68dh + kpxEDrM7Yyoz3TZQ6u3fW9svYMdepKSBP6O + OVP 3j6cOblTJs9kDo2zUqXKBPO4 + epdtfuX84P / zmo + Uv45Qoc89sipk0dHQ5egNKGCqGxVB2Xyylu3eyi / ZFM / aWCNp + gpd0kiSoMHI5w + zNMQI + EpoyvCv4toP6UYQC2wBft6yGjrfPUYJslxUIE / 8RRgJWS + BCSS + Q ==

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MX / 2018/1110 $ 015) 767

HOME NETWORK OF CONSUMER DEVICES

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Low power personal area networks, such as ZigBee, Z-Wave, Insteon, JenNet-IP, X10 or the like, are becoming more prevalent. Currently, household appliances, lighting, heating and cooling devices, security and monitoring systems, entertainment systems, communications, lawn sprinklers, etc. They include control microprocessors and wireless communication devices to allow wireless connection to the home network. This allows control of these devices to reside on smartphones, PDAs, laptops, desktops, or other devices where there is an easy-to-use software control interface, or the control may reside in the cloud. internet, with a single local interface.

There are several different ways to organize and configure these networks. Existing technologies can associate home devices into groups based on the ability to communicate using visible light, ultrasound, infrared light, radio frequency, and other communications technologies, allowing devices to be organized into groups based on limited space in the they reside, as well as the type of device they represent. Integrating a microprocessor in each of the devices allows them to receive programming that gives the user a high degree of flexibility. However, the sheer number of settings available can be overwhelming for the typical user.

Most of the network technologies used in these cases are relatively complicated and difficult for a consumer to use. Add, authenticate and²

IKSi MEXICAN NUTO DE LA EHúHíDa »configuring new devices and types may involve hiring cTe'un '^ tecnic ^³'trained to carry out the installation. As the cost of ~ ”microprocessors, memories, displays, radio transmitters and receivers, and line-of-sight communications decreases, the cost of adding these capabilities to cheap and even disposable consumer products has become possible. This leads to a new series of challenges in terms of consumers and networks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a consumer product device.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of a communications portion of a device on a network.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a lighting device.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a lighting device.

Figure 5 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a structure that has multiple potential nodes in a wireless ad hoc network.

Figure 6 shows a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for creating a list of rooms.

Figure 7 shows a flow chart of one embodiment of a method for assigning a function to a room.

Figure 8 shows a flowchart of one mode of a method for determining and executing an action based on a configuration of a wireless ad hoc network.

<img file="MX353033B_D0004.tif" />

IMPI

Figure 9 shows a flow diagram of a u

INDUSTRIAL to develop a three-dimensional representation of a house.

Figure 10 shows an example of a three-dimensional representation of nodes in a structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MODALITIES OF THE INVENTION

General node and non-lighting device

Figure 1 shows a mode of a consumer product device that has network capacity. Device 10 has a receiver or adapter 12 that contains a consumer product. The consumer product may be one of several products. For example, the consumer product may consist of a consumer product dispenser that doses or supplies some type of consumer product, such as shaving cream, environmental modifier, toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, cotton swabs, shaving, tissues, etc. The consumer product may consist of non-electrically powered implements such as a razor, a toothbrush, a duster, a broom, a mop, a scrub brush, a toilet brush, etc. The consumer product may consist of electrically powered devices, such as a coffee maker or other kitchen device, such as a toaster oven, a television, a hair dryer, a vacuum cleaner, an air purifier, a humidifier, etc. These are only intended to be examples of electrically powered and non-electrically powered products, without in any way limiting or inferring any limitations on a particular product or configuration. Consumer products, as defined in this description, do not have any network communication capabilities. In these devices, communication only takes the form of local communications, such as user interfaces, warning lights, etc.

<img file="MX353033B_D0005.tif" />

IMPI

Receiver 12 is snap-fastened onto device ^ j ^^^ pi that the consumer device is mechanically connected in_ any other way, and possibly electrically, to the consumer product device 10. For electrically powered devices, Receiver 12 may include a standard 2-prong or 3-prong receiver, such as can be seen on electrical outlets.

The consumer product device further includes at least one communications hub or module 14. The communications hub may comprise a communications module or several communications modules, each with a different type of communications technology. For example, the communications module may consist of a communications module limited to the room. “Limited to the room” means that the communication medium of this device uses signals that generally do not cross barriers, such as walls, floors and ceilings. Examples include visual line signals, such as optical and acoustic signals. In addition, the communication modules may consist of, or include, a transparent communication module for the room. "Transparent to the room" means that the device's communication medium is not limited by walls and floors. These barriers can attenuate the signal, but generally do not interrupt it. Communications hub 14 may contain one of these types of modules, or both, and may contain more than one of each type, such as two modules limited to rooms and one transparent to the room, etc. each with its own ability to connect to other devices on an ad hoc mesh architecture network.

Network capacity allows devices that would not otherwise have this capacity to enter and leave an ad hoc mesh network and communicate with other devices that also do not possibly have that capacity.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE

When these devices and products are provided with ^r'fa /' 'caFpacidíd * 3C ^ communicate and coordinate with other devices, the user can manage many aspects of the home.

The consumer product device may further include a power connector 17 electrically coupled to the communication module. The power connector can take many forms, but typically consists of a standard 2-prong or 3-prong plug. The power connector provides power to the communications module and can additionally provide power to the device portion of the consumer product.

Other variants and modifications of the device of the consumer product are possible. For example, a sensor 18 may allow the user to track a level of the consumer product within receiver 12. For example, if the consumer product consists of a dispenser of some type, the sensor may be a light sensor. The light sensor could be positioned in such a way that the light to the sensor is blocked by the consumer product. When the consumer product runs out, the light will reach the sensor and indicate that the dispenser is almost empty. Other types of sensors may include heat sensors, weight sensors, accelerometers, diagnostic sensors, air quality sensors, VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) sensors, etc. Using the network capacity of the device, detecting the status of the consumer product can initiate actions that will be described in detail later.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the communications module 14 that provides the network capacity. The module may contain a transparent module 26 for the room. The transparent room module may be radio equipment, in which case it may have an associated antenna 22. Radio equipment can communicate

<img file="MX353033B_D0006.tif" />

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IWTITUTO MEXICANO) using one of many different types of protocols, but very pro ^ Ke'mwite a packet-based protocol, such as the IP protocol. Even more particularly, the protocol can be one of IP version 6 (IPv6), such as IPv6 over low-power wireless personal area networks (6L0WPAN) or the Neighborhood Exchange Protocol.

Figure 2 shows a transparent communications module for the room and one limited to the room, and it is understood that only one is necessary to provide network capacity. As mentioned above, the room-limited communication module generally consists of a light from a visual communication module, such as infrared light, visible light, and ultrasonic or other acoustic signals, etc. When a receiver is not within the transmitter's vision, the receiver will not receive the signal. The line of sight communication module may have an emitter, such as emitter 24, coupled to it.

Typically, the communication module 14 receives power from an outlet or a battery through the power connector 16. However, the power connector 16 may further consist of a wireless power receiver. In some cases, a base device can transmit a signal to a receiver that can convert the signal into power for the receiver. Currently, these types of receivers have very limited functionality due to the limited amount of energy they receive, and limited range due to losses in the signal carrying the energy. However, solutions to these problems may be envisioned in the future, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to direct power connections. Additionally, the device can include both types of power connectors. The device can be configured such that the communication modules have extended range when connected to power.

<img file="MX353033B_D0007.tif" />

IN

Of course, other optional components are possible. For example, memory 20 may reside within the communications hub, within each communications module, elsewhere in the device, or be remote or networked memory, as is common in cloud computing. There may additionally be a controller 20 separate from the communications module, each module may have its own controller, with a central device controller separate therefrom, or a networked controller.

In addition to sensors configured to detect the status of consumer products, there may be other types of sensors in the device, or the sensor may reside on its own node. The sensor can be a security sensor, a radio frequency identification tag, a barcode reader or an environmental sensor, motion sensor, sound sensor, odor sensor, smoke detector, airborne particulate sensors , dust and pollen sensor, air purification system, metrology, airborne biological agent sensor, virus and bacteria sensors, surface contaminant sensors, sanitary sensors, water quality sensors, humidity sensors, etc. Environmental sensors can detect air quality, light level, temperature, and air flow. For example, a sensor that detects air quality can determine that the room needs to be renewed and can send a signal through the network to the environmental modifier to cool the air. For lighting applications, the sensor could send information about the light level that would cause one or more lighting devices to turn on. Lighting devices such as nodes will be described in detail later.

Referring to Figure 1, the communications module may also have an optional direct connect communications port, such as a USB or IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port 17. This may give the user the ability to connect the device to

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INSTITUTE ΜΕΧΧ-'ΛΜ. DttA μ · πε * αρ &lt;^v------ a computing device for initial setup or programming, updating * firmware or software, as well as allowing the device to connect directly to a consumer device that has a similar port, such as audio equipment or a television. Port 17 may additionally allow connection to a network access point or access point to provide connection to an external network, such as the internet.

Lighting Products

Until now, the description has focused on consumer products that are not lighting products, which include both light bulbs, which are any kind of lighting item that is screwed into a socket to receive power when it is turned on and may include the bulbs traditional incandescents, LED bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL), etc. and other lighting products, such as lamps. In addition, new forms of light that can obtain energy through alternative means, such as batteries, induction, sonics, etc. Figure 3 shows one embodiment of an adapter 30 for use with a light bulb. Communications module 14 is part of a housing where the housing has a light emitting receptacle 32 configured to accept a light bulb. This allows the use of typical household light bulbs instead of bulbs that already include expensive adapters in them, referred to herein as fully integrated light bulbs, or specialized plugs having centrally controllable processors and other adapters. Fully integrated light bulbs with lists and room identifiers.

Alternatively, the light emitting receptacle 32 could take the form of a plug in an outlet-like adapter, as shown in Figure

Four. In this mode, the back side of the adapter would resemble the back side of the

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IMPI

INSTITUTO MEXICANO Ot LA PKOFUDAO adapter shown as 16 in Figure 1. The communications module'TT will have one of the communications module limited to the room or the transparent communications module for the room, or both, described in detail above. The light emitting receptacle could accept a light bulb, a light or lamp that has a power cord, or a light that has a built-in power connector, such as that seen in emergency lights, for example.

Similar to the non-lighting adapter described above, the lighting device may further include a sensor. The sensor will typically consist of a light sensor, but may also consist of a temperature sensor, a smoke detector, etc. The sensor can communicate with a resident controller in adapter 30 or can communicate with a controller located in other lighting devices or that are not lighting in the ad hoc network. The controller can control the power connection, enable or disable power switching on the light emitter as dictated by sensor inputs combined, possibly with user inputs on desired lighting levels for particular times of day or specific activities .

The lighting device can form a mesh ad hoc network, in which devices enter and leave the network at will, and all devices on the network can communicate with any device and with all devices within range. While there may be a central controller, each device may also have its own controller. Instead of a central controller, a device can be designated as a master node and provide control signals to the other nodes. In accordance with known protocols for mesh ad hoc networks, a node can designate itself as a master node, typically based on its ability to connect the mesh ad hoc network to other networks. In the absence of such a node, the nodes will arbitrate which is the master.

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The specific details of these processes are not the central theme of the description.

Until now, the description has focused on providing consumer products with the ability to form ad hoc wireless mesh networks. The degree of intelligence of these consumer products can range from a relatively "dumb" degree, such as light bulbs, sweepers, environmental modifiers, etc., to a high degree of sophistication, such as in consumer electronic and computing devices. Having networks of devices with these capabilities can allow a user to segment network nodes into rooms in the house or structure without any prior knowledge of the house plan.

List of rooms / room identifiers

Figure 5 shows an example of a house floor plan. The techniques used in this case can be applied to any structure, such as an office building or a hospital, that has more than one room. This description, which focuses on consumer products, will use a house as an illustrative structure. This selection is not intended to be limiting nor should any limitation be inferred from it. The nodes in this network reside in rooms, but the user does not need to know or have the floor plan. It is worth mentioning that the user of the techniques and modalities is not necessarily a human consumer. The 'user' may be a computing device used by a human consumer to gather information so that the consumer does not need to.

Figure 6 shows a flow chart of one embodiment of a method for determining the nodes residing in each room. The mesh ad hoc network is formed at 40. This may include distributing the nodes and then causing them to emit signals notifying their presence to any node in the area. The nodes can be products of

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¹¹ IMPI twrrruro mexican os the raomtMp lighting or consumer products, such as those described above meffl5? © or the formation of the network, the nodes can send signals and stop iiinat the prcooncia da. other nodes.

In 42, the signals between the nodes are analyzed where the analysis can take place, in various places, such as the network, the node, the cloud. Relative to the floor plan in Figure 5, some nodes will see nodes that other nodes cannot “see”, where “seeing” a node means detecting the presence of the node. For example, node I can see nodes J, A, and H. However, node J can also see node L and node K. Node K can see node M. By analyzing the signals, it can be determined that node J cannot see node M, so there must be a wall between nodes J and M. Similarly, node I can see node H through the gate , but node I cannot see node G, although node I knows of the existence of node G through the information of node H.

Beyond this analysis, the nodes can also determine the distances between them. A receiving node can determine the time of a transmission from another node, and thereby determine the distance between the nodes, although not necessarily the orientation. By using these two types of analysis, by way of example, one can determine the rooms within a structure. Based on line of sight data, it is possible to segment nodes into rooms. Furthermore, based on the strength of the received signal, the network can determine the approximate dimensions of the rooms. The nodes can have multiple ways of detecting each other, such as optically, electrically, by sensors, etc.

The above analysis only assumes the use of a communications module limited to the room. In some modes, nodes can also use a transparent communications module for the room. In this case, the

Mexicano ^ ι ΐΝΗπντυ Mexican —at m owned * ^ r to industrial nodes can identify each other without relying on communication l¡m¡tada “cTTa room. If these data are combined with the signal data line, the network can identify walls and openings between the nodes and segment the nodes into rooms, at 44. For example, in relation to figure 5, node I can know the existence node C based on the transparent communication module for the room. However, by looking at the signals limited to the room, you would not be able to detect the presence of node C, indicating the presence of a wall or other barrier between them.

Once the nodes are segmented into rooms, the node information is updated to associate that node with that room at 46. One of the network nodes may include nonvolatile memory, or the nonvolatile memory may reside externally. to the network, but in communication with one of the nodes. The list of rooms and nodes associated with the rooms can be stored in this memory. The node over which the nonvolatile memory or has the link to the nonvolatile memory can be a master node, as previously discussed. Since these nodes can be linked to consumer products or involve consumer products that can be moved by a user or be mobile in themselves, this process can be repeated periodically to acquire updated information.

It should be noted that although the previous process focuses on the segmentation of the nodes in the rooms, it is possible to segment the devices, in addition, in other types of segments, such as segmenting them by user, type of device, etc. This discussion concentrates on room segmentation, but the use of other types of segments should be considered within the scope of the modalities presented in this invention.

IMPI

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Once the nodes are segmented into rooms and Toshoaos is

Room target associated with those rooms, the network can determine a target for each room.

Figure 7 shows a flow chart of one embodiment of a method for assigning a target to the room. Processes 50-56 copy those of Figure 6 with an analysis of the signals similar, if not the same, to the segmentation of the nodes into rooms. The nodes form the network at 50, and the signals between the nodes are analyzed. As mentioned, analysis can occur on each individual node, on a master node if one is designated, on the network, in the cloud, etc. The nodes having been segmented into rooms, the network would then obtain the identity of one of the nodes in the room, at 58.

Obtaining the identity of one of the nodes in the room can take many forms. The nodes themselves can have information that they encode in the signals they transmit, such as a device identifier, a name, etc. The user can install this information on the node when activated, using a USB port or a resident interface on the node. The node will have this information in what will be called 'node data' here. The node data includes any information about the node, such as the type of device on the node, the state of the device, such as full or nearly empty, its power state, what other nodes it is connected to, etc.

In one embodiment, the node data consists of at least one identifier for the device that resides on the node. The node or other node in the network accesses the identifier database and uses the device identifier as an index in the database. The resulting information provides the network with more information about the node. For example, the device may have a SKU (stock keeping unit) as its identifier. Access to the database results in the SKU being identified as

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IMPI iNSTrrrro. Mexican a toothbrush. In addition, there may be other types of ¡dent¡f¡c &amp; yóS ^ r3oE i it can be a barcode, a network address, a presumed identity, based on an analysis of the surrounding devices or information about the environment, etc. Based on this information, the network can assign a room function to the room, at 60, in this example where the toothbrush resides in the bathroom.

The database can also take many forms. It can be a product database with a lot of information or simply a small look-up table, as well as any conceivable option within those extremes. The database may reside in non-volatile memory at a node on the network, or it may reside externally to the network, but be accessible via a link to the external network.

Access to the database can also occur in layers. A first database can identify a particular device, such as a toothbrush, trigger access to a second database that provides more information about the toothbrush, such as a model number or brand. In one modality, the accessed database may consist of a database populated by consumers who have similar networks and may have a better understanding of function allocation in the room.

The database can be organized in many different ways. In one embodiment, it consists of a node table, a room table, and associations between the node table and the room table. In another, it consists of a table of nodes in the wireless network, a table of rooms in the house, a list of room functions and associations between room functions, rooms and nodes.

In one modality, the information contained in the list of rooms

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IMPI nrrTOMíxiCANv can be useful to assign a function to the room. If the lfi ^ ii3 $? Mfe¡ta stores by using the identity to assign a function-to the hohitnnión - it could be based on a list of current rooms. Alternatively, the rooms function could be assigned based on an old or previous list of rooms, a list of current node functions, a list of historical node functions, current node location data, historical node location data , current sensor data, historical sensor data, user preference data, an external database of room functions, home plans, and external home-related data.

Actions

Having identified a target for the room, the network may have the ability to act on the basis of the target of the room and the existing nodes in the room. A modality of this process is illustrated in Figure 8. In one embodiment, at 62, the network has a node associated with a consumer product, such as an air purifier dispenser, it being understood that the node may be associated with any type of consumer product device, as discussed in connection with with Figure 1. Additionally, the network has a node with a computing device, such as node A, which has a link to an internal or external network.

At 62, the consumer product node sends data to the computing device node. This data is node data, discussed above, and may include a node identifier, the status of the consumer product, the power status, etc. Then the computing device could access the database at 64 to collect more data about the node and associate that data with the node data. The computing device can make the determination of an action¹⁶ IMPI ΐΝπτη / το mixjgmmo

MU MKNUOAU to perform relative to node device at 66 and ejedt! Ftffl^r* eea

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68. The action can be internal or external to the network. ——— »

Internal actions can involve altering the function of the node, such as stopping it, slowing it down, reducing usage, etc. It may involve associating devices with the current node whose operation is altered, such as activating another device if one is running out of supply. In addition, it may involve updating an internal database, such as a shopping list to be provided to a user identifying the supplies needed at a particular node, or sending a message to the user within the network.

External actions may involve sending a text message to a user through a link to a cell phone network, sending an email through an Internet gateway and mail client, access to a e-commerce gateway for ordering more supplies or accessing information about devices residing in a node in an external database.

For example, suppose the node has an air purifier dispenser. The node data includes an identifier that identifies the device as an air purifier and its status, which indicates the amount of purifier remaining in the receptacle. The node transmits the data to the computing device. The computing device has access to a database, internal or external, and determines that, based on the quantity, the enclosure is nearly empty. The database in this case can simply be a list stored in memory. The computing device then identifies different actions on the basis that the receptacle is almost empty. The device can contact the user to notify them of the status. The device can access an e-commerce gateway and order more air purifier. The device can,

<img file="MX353033B_D0015.tif" />

INSTITUTO MMKANU furthermore, stop the air cleaner to prevent the device from wearing off ^ P ^ 'diífi ^ áíQfcÍt'. ______

Selection of the action to be performed may involve input of sensor data, input of user data, preconditions set by the user, etc. For example, a sensor can detect that the air flow through an air filter has dropped below a particular threshold, indicating that the filter needs cleaning or replacement. This information can help the network select the action to take.

In this way, the network gains valuable information about the devices at the network nodes, allowing the network to automatically provide services to the user. The more tasks and services the network can handle, the easier it will be to use the products and the network for the user. Other benefits may also arise from having the existence of a network like that in a structure.

Home Discovery

As previously mentioned in relation to the structure diagram, the user may not have available plans or floor plans to enter data on the network. However, network nodes can 'see' the structure in a different way. A benefit of the network may lie in its ability to develop a three-dimensional representation of the structure.

Figure 9 illustrates an embodiment of a method of performing a 'home discovery' in which the device network generates a three-dimensional representation of the home. In fJO, a network is provided that has at least three nodes. Using three nodes allows one node to triangulate its position relative to the other two nodes. Generally, the communication modules on these nodes will be the modules¹⁸ IMPIAS

MEXIOHL INSTITUTE.

DE IA EKOrtEDAl; ζ »transparent for the room. Having three nodes provides enough^,Tf¹ífSr^li ¥ iaciofr for signal analysis, and since one of the nodes may reside in Olí floor ÜITtJrentSTIóS ”modules limited to the room would not allow another node to see that node.

By using the flight time of the signals between the three nodes, as illustrated in Figure 10, the analysis of the signals can produce a general diagram of the nodes within a structure. In addition to analyzing the signals, there may also be other information. Knowing the type of node and whether the node is mobile can also be useful.

For example, one of the nodes may be attached to a floor sweeper, such as a Swiffer® dust mop. The movement of the floor mop during use provides information on where there are floors without carpet, in addition to providing more triangulation data on the location of the other two nodes. In another example, the node may be attached to a robotic vacuum cleaner, such as a Roomba®. This would allow identifying the carpeted surfaces, as well as possible information on the location of the furniture in the rooms. Of course, other mobile nodes are possible. The user can even use a feather duster or other type of 'rod' structure and map the structure for the network. Still another alternative could involve attaching a node to a pet.

More information results in a more accurate representation of the home. The discussion above focuses on using the transparent communication module for the room as a means of locating the nodes. However, the previous discussions also include the possibility of using modules limited to the room, as well as room segmentation and room objectives that have been previously identified. All this information can be used to generate a three-dimensional representation of the home, as well as signal analysis. This

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Information can be stored within a network or externally '^' Wá ^ peTb ^ s accessible by at least one node.

The above modalities provide a convenient, simple and easy to use way for a user to establish a network of consumer products nodes in a home. The network collects information for the user or it can act more autonomously. The end result is a network of devices that will assist the user to maintain and enjoy their home.

It will be appreciated that several of the above and other features and functions, as well as alternatives to these, can be conveniently combined in many different systems or applications. It will also be appreciated that various alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements thereof, currently not foreseen or anticipated, the object of which is to be included, in addition, in the claims below, may be subsequently carried out by those skilled in the art.

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