U.S. patent application number 12/804187 was filed with the patent office on 2010-11-18 for internet/intranet-connected apparatus.
Invention is credited to Richard Anthony Bishel.
Application Number | 20100293241 12/804187 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42332726 |
Filed Date | 2010-11-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100293241 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bishel; Richard Anthony |
November 18, 2010 |
Internet/intranet-connected apparatus
Abstract
A method and apparatus that uses the Internet protocol, TCP/IP,
for a home control network. The invention also provides embedded
servers, email clients at the electrical boxes. The invention
integrates the Internet to the electrical outlet, switch, or
appliance boxes using a low cost embedded web server.
Inventors: |
Bishel; Richard Anthony;
(Beaverton, OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Richard A. Bishel
16020 NW Ridgetop Lane
Beaverton
OR
97006
US
|
Family ID: |
42332726 |
Appl. No.: |
12/804187 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10214086 |
Aug 6, 2002 |
7761555 |
|
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12804187 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/206 ; 702/24;
709/230 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 12/2814 20130101;
H04L 67/125 20130101; H04L 67/06 20130101; H02J 3/00 20130101; Y02B
70/30 20130101; G05B 15/02 20130101; H04L 12/2818 20130101; H04L
2012/2843 20130101; H04L 69/161 20130101; Y04S 40/18 20180501; H04L
12/2816 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; Y04S 20/20 20130101; H04L
51/046 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/206 ;
709/230; 702/24 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16; G01N 33/00 20060101 G01N033/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for selectively energizing an electrical load, the
apparatus comprising: a relay coupled between current leads for
controlling a flow of current from the relay to the electrical
load; a controller programmed to enable the relay; a standard
Internet/Intranet network interface coupled with the controller to
allow Internet/Intranet access; and a housing having a form
conforming to an electrical box, wherein the housing contains the
controller and the Internet network interface.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relay comprises a
thyristor.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to a TCP/IP
protocol.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to an UDP/IP
protocol.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is
selected from the group consisting of an embedded controller, an
embedded computer, a microcontroller, and a microcomputer.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller
executes one or more programs.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more
programs comprises a web server.
8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more
programs comprises a Simple Transport Mail Protocol program [.
9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more
programs comprises a File Transport Protocol program.
10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said one or more
programs comprises an instant messaging program.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is
selected from a group consisting of an outlet box, a switch box, a
ceiling box, a wiring junction box, an electrical junction box, a
wall box, and a receptacle box.
12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wired
technology.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wireless
technology.
14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical load
is an AC electrical load.
15. An apparatus for selectively analyzing one or more sensors, the
apparatus comprising: a sensor to detect an environmental or user
condition; a computer programmed to receive information from the
sensor; a standard Internet/Intranet network interface coupled to
the computer to allow Internet/Intranet access; and a housing
mountable within an electrical junction box, wherein the housing
contains the sensor, the computer, and the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface.
16. An apparatus according to claim 15, where the sensor is
selected from a group consisting of a current sensor, temperature
sensor, motion sensor, switch, smoke detector, camera, microphone
and an environmental sensor.
17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to a TCP/IP
protocol.
18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to an UDP/IP
protocol.
19. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein computer is
selected from the group consisting of an embedded controller, an
embedded computer, a microcontroller, and a microcomputer.
20. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the computer has
one or more programs.
21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more
programs comprises a web server.
22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more
programs comprises a Simple Transport Mail Protocol program.
23. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more
programs comprises a File Transport Protocol program.
24. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one or more
programs comprises an instant messaging program.
25. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the housing is
selected from the group consisting of electrical junction box is
selected from a group comprising an outlet box, a switch box, a
ceiling box, a wiring junction box, a wall box, and a receptacle
box.
26. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wired
technology.
27. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface communicates using a wireless
technology.
28. An apparatus for controlling one or more electrical loads, the
apparatus comprising: a controller; a driver to control one or more
electrical loads; a standard Internet/Intranet network interface
coupled with said controller to allow Internet/Intranet access; and
a housing mountable within an electrical box, wherein the housing
contains the controller and the standard Internet/Intranet network
interface.
29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the controller is
selected from the group consisting of an embedded controller, an
embedded computer, a microcontroller, and a microcomputer.
30. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the driver is
selected from the group consisting of a relay driver, a triac
driver, a transistor driver, and an integrated circuit driver.
31. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said one or more
electrical loads are selected from the group consisting of a motor,
an appliance, a heater, and a light.
32. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to a TCP/IP
protocol.
33. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the standard
Internet/Intranet network interface operates according to an UDP/IP
protocol.
34. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the housing is
selected from a group consisting of an outlet box, a switch box, a
ceiling box, a wiring junction box, a wall box, an electrical
junction box, and a receptacle box.
35. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said one or more
electrical loads are AC electrical loads.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a division of application Ser. No. 10/214,086, filed
on Aug. 6, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,761,555 granted on Jul. 20,
2010.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to home networks and more
particularly to TCP/IP-enabled electrical boxes for controlling and
monitoring lighting, outlets, and sensors via the home Intranet or
Internet.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] Current home or industrial networking technologies have two
separate networks. One network connects the PCs to the Internet via
a dial-up phone, cable, xDSL, or Ethernet connection, and another
network such as CEBus.TM., LonWorks.TM., or X-10.TM. controls
appliances or equipment. CEBus.TM. was developed by the Electronic
Industries Association, LonWorks.TM. was developed by Echelon Corp.
of California, and X-10.TM. components are manufactured by X-10
Limited of Hong Kong. When one wants to remotely control the
appliance via the Internet, one needs a converter, a specialized
gateway, or software in a computer to interface between the
Internet and the other networks.
[0004] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,862 shows one popular
protocol called X-10.TM. used in homes to control lights and
appliances. It uses dedicated transmitters at various locations in
the home to control slave receivers that are designed to plug into
the electrical outlets or designed to replace existing switches or
outlets. The protocol is very restrictive and cannot handle very
much data since it transmits 120 data bits/s over the existing
power lines. To communicate on the Internet, a PC or similar device
with proprietary software is needed to convert information and
control data from the X-10.TM. system to the Internet. Similarly,
LonWorks.TM. and CEBus.TM. are two other networks that are being
used in the home to control lights and appliances.
[0005] U.S. Patent Application 2001/0034754 A1 defines a
specialized gateway between CEBus.TM., LonWorks.TM., or X-10.TM.
and the Internet as an attempt to solve the issue of remotely
controlling the lights and appliances.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,779 discusses remotely controlling home
electrical outlets and appliances by the CEBus.TM. protocol and
proprietary BAN, Broadband Access Network. A converter is needed to
link the two systems. U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0002627 A1
describes a scheme to control devices remotely, but uses a home
protocol as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,795, and a specialize
gateway called emGateWay.TM.. U.S. Patent Application No.
2002/0027504 A1 describes an embodiment that allows devices
attached to the Internet to communicate to dedicated sensors via a
site controller that translates the wireless sensors information to
the Internet. This also is a dedicated proprietary device that
requires specialized software.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,448 B1 describes a process device, which
is attached to a process communication network and then to the
Internet via a process communicator. The process communication
network is one of the following types: low-speed Fieldbus protocol
(H1), high-speed Fieldbus protocol (H2), or similar types. The
process communicator converts the process communication protocol
from each node link, which contains Internet address information to
Ethernet data network, which connects to the Internet. Similarly,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,057 B1 describes an electronics meter, which
incorporates a TCP/IP protocol suite and an HTTP server to provide
direct access to the meter data via the Internet. However, it too
relies on a specialized gateway to a non-TCP/IP network such as
CEBus.TM..
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,487 talks about incorporating a web
access in a wide variety of devices including office equipment,
home-based equipment, and lab equipment, as well as a variety of
other types of devices commonly that provide device specific user
interface functions. Office equipment devices typically include
printers and copiers. Home-based devices include home entertainment
equipment such as televisions, video recorders, and audio players
as well as security systems, and appliances. Lab equipment includes
measurement devices such as oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers.
Web server functionality embedded in the device allows a web
browser to access user interface functions for the device through a
web page. These types of devices have the computing power, or can
be easily added to the device, to provide web server functionality.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,487 further describes devices that control the
user interface to the device but does not describe control of house
lighting and electrical outlets or control of power to the device.
In fact, every home appliance or home entertainment equipment must
have this web server functionality to control its operation via the
Internet. This would limit such control to devices with this web
server functionality and would not allow control of existing home
appliances or home entertainment equipment.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,198, 479 B1 describes a home network with
browser-based command and control for TV or audio equipment that
uses a software agent. A software agent is executed on the client
device to cause a user interface to be displayed on the client
device. The devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,479 B1 are
entertainment equipment, and the home network is the Intranet
within the home which connects PCs. The control of home
entertainment equipment would be limited to devices with this
specialized software agent and would not allow control of existing
home appliances or home entertainment equipment.
[0010] All previous art describes systems that require a
specialized converter or gateway to translate the home control
network such as CEBus.TM., X-10.TM., and LonWorks.TM. to the TCP/IP
protocol of the home Intranet network or requires that the TCP/IP
protocol be incorporated in the appliance or home device. The major
disadvantage of the current approaches is that there are too many
different types of home networks. Each type of network has
specialized controllers to control the electrical load. The
proprietary converters or gateways require specialized software for
the different networks, and this specialized software needs to be
updated with new software when new devices are added to these home
control networks. The consumer may be overwhelmed with what
equipment to purchase, and in many cases a specialist would be
required to install and verify the proper operation. Also, with
TCP/IP embedded in the home appliance or equipment, the existing
home appliances and equipment could not be controlled over the home
Intranet. Therefore, there exists a need for an apparatus that
incorporates the TCP/IP protocol into the home electrical boxes so
as to have the same home Intranet that connects PCs, printer, and
other web appliances to be used for control over existing home
appliances, entertainment equipment, and electrical loads. Using a
standardized TCP/IP protocol for the home control network would
allow the use of standardized web browsers such as Microsoft
Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator to view the electrical
load status or to control the AC electrical load without using a
dedicated controller or a web-based home appliance or
equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0011] Certain embodiments described herein are capable of solving
the problems cited above. One example embodiment is an apparatus
that uses a common communication standard for information, such as
the TCP/UDP/IP protocol, to control electrical loads and/or
sensors, to monitor a house or other dwelling or structure using
sensors, and to provide numerous other capabilities when attached
to the Internet or Intranet. The apparatus is mountable within an
electrical box, in particularly, a standard AC electrical box.
[0012] Certain embodiments may integrate the TCP/UDP/IP protocol in
the electrical outlets, switches, and other electrical boxes. With
this capability, the home Intranet used to connect Internet
appliances such as PCs, printers, and others can be used also for
controlling and monitoring the electrical connections in the
electrical boxes.
[0013] Certain embodiments may incorporate a web server in the
electrical box to monitor and control items attached or connected
to the electrical box via a web browser. This web browser can be
executing on, for examples, a local PC connected to the home
Intranet or a remote PC connected to the World Wide Web, the
Internet. The web browser can request information from the
apparatus called AC power circuit using the HTTP protocol. The
apparatus within the electrical box can respond with an HTML or XML
formatted web page. The web page may contain CGI or other
server-controlled capabilities to allow control of an attached
electrical load, to change information on the web page, or to alter
the monitoring sensor characteristics.
[0014] Certain embodiments may provide an e-mail capability in the
electrical box to send e-mail upon activation of a light switch, a
motion sensor, or any other attached sensors, or programmed
conditions. One can monitor the electrical power status of the
light, HVAC system, or attached appliance, and send e-mail if the
attached device is not working or consuming too much electrical
power. In addition, one can send e-mail to the electrical box to
turn an electrical load ON or OFF, to update stored information
such as a software program attached to the e-mail, or to accomplish
a number of other tasks associated with e-mail capability. With a
camera sensor designed within the AC power circuit, one can send
e-mail with attached picture to indicate the presence of school
children, for example.
[0015] Certain embodiments can control lights, outlets, and
electrical boxes via a connection to the Internet or Intranet
whether the connection is within the home or remote. An application
program on a device such as the PDA, PC, laptop, or web-enabled
phone may communicate directly to the electrical box via a protocol
such as TCP/IP or UDP/IP. Each AC power circuit within each
electrical box may have a unique IP number by which any device
using an instant messaging protocol can control the electrical
box's AC power to its electrical load, can check the sensor
incorporated within or attached to the electrical box, or can
transmit a voice message. In one embodiment, the electrical box is
controlled using the Internet protocol and instant messaging
capability. Any Internet-connected devices with an instant
messaging protocol such as AOL instant messaging, Microsoft instant
messaging protocol, or some other instant messaging scheme can
control the attached appliance to the electrical box. A web browser
is not needed to display a web page in this particular
configuration. The AC power circuit within the electrical box can
send status information upon an instant messaging request from the
Internet-connected device. This allows Internet-controlled devices
with small screens such a web-enable phones, PDAs, or web-enabled
pagers to control the lights and appliances in the home.
[0016] Certain embodiments can collect information on an attached
sensor or electrical load and store it within its memory until a
pre-programmed time interval, pre-programmed amount of data, or
some other event that indicates the AC power circuit to transmit
the information to some server for data collection or requested to
do so by a web client or Internet-connected device. With this
capability, the AC power circuit can monitor such things as the
amount of electrical power consumed by the attached device, the
number of activations of a switch, the number of times a room is
occupied, the number of times an electrical outlet is used, the
temperature of the room, the number of times an appliance is being
used and at what times. With this information, people can determine
the amount of electrical power consumed by the household and what
appliances are the major users. Homeowners or occupants can
determine which rooms are being heated or cooled, and which rooms
are occupied. By examining this information, one can determine the
efficiency of the HVAC system. Other information can be collected
to help the home occupants live a better life.
[0017] Certain embodiments can use wired and wireless home Intranet
technologies as the network interfaces of the AC power circuit.
Wired technologies such as phone lines, Ethernet (CAT 5 cable), and
powerline communication technology are a few of the current types.
Phone line technology utilizes the existing telephone networks to
transmit data. Ethernet wired technology uses a dedicated cable
such as CATS. Newer homes are being built with CAT5 cabling
throughout the homes. PCs, printers, and the electrical boxes
described herein may be connected via a hub. Powerline technology
uses the existing electrical wires to transmit data.
[0018] Wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (known as wireless
Ethernet), HomeRF.TM. (developed by HomeRF Working Group), and
Bluetooth.TM. (Bluetooth Signal, Inc.) are some of the current
types that can also be used.
[0019] Some embodiments may utilize single-wire connection or
dual-wire connection to the AC power circuit. Using single-wire AC
power circuit allows for incorporating the TCP/IP capability in
older homes using wireless or powerline communication
technologies.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit of one
example embodiment showing the basic circuit blocks.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view showing an
installation of the AC power circuit of FIG. 1 in the electrical
box attached to the AC power lines and the Intranet/Internet.
[0022] FIG. 3 is an overall diagram of electrical boxes and loads
connected wirelessly via the home Intranet and the AC electrical
power, according to one embodiment.
[0023] FIG. 4 is an overall diagram of electrical boxes and loads
connected with the AC electrical power and the wired home
Intranet.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit
controlling electrical loads.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit
controlling an electrical load in a series AC configuration.
[0026] FIG. 7 is a diagram of the Internet Stack using UDP and TCP
as the transport protocols, the IP as the network protocol, and
illustrating the data link layer protocol such as Ethernet, PPP,
and the application layer such as HTTP server, or SMTP e-mail.
[0027] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit showing
some possible application programs run on the microcontroller that
control some electrical loads and/or receive information from
sensors.
[0028] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit showing
that the TCP/IP stack in the network interface block and attached
to the home Intranet via phone lines.
[0029] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit connected
to the home Intranet via power lines.
[0030] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit connected
to the home Intranet using a wired Ethernet connection.
[0031] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit connected
to phone lines and controlling an electrical load.
[0032] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit connected
wirelessly to the home Intranet using Bluetooth.TM..
[0033] FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the AC power circuit connected
wirelessly to the home Intranet using wireless Ethernet, IEEE
802.11.
[0034] FIG. 15 is a schematic of one implementation of the AC power
circuit that is connected to the home Intranet via a wired Ethernet
connection.
[0035] FIG. 16 is a schematic of an implementation of the AC power
circuit that is connected to the phone lines and controls an
electrical load in series with the circuit.
[0036] FIG. 17A is an installation of the integrated AC power
circuit with an electrical switch within an electrical box with a
wireless connection to the home Intranet.
[0037] FIG. 17B is an installation of the AC power circuit and an
electrical switch within an electrical box with a wireless
connection to the home Intranet.
[0038] FIG. 18A is an installation of the integrated AC power
circuit with an electrical switch within an electrical box with a
wired connection to the phone or Ethernet.
[0039] FIG. 18B is an installation of the AC power circuit with an
electrical switch within an electrical box with a wired connection
to the phone or Ethernet cable.
[0040] FIG. 19A is an installation of the integrated AC power
circuit with an electrical receptacle within an electrical box and
is connected with a wired connection to a home Intranet.
[0041] FIG. 19B is an installation of the AC power circuit and an
electrical receptacle within an electrical box and is connected
with a wired connection to a home Intranet.
[0042] FIG. 20A is an installation of the integrated AC power
circuit with an electrical receptacle within an electrical box with
a wireless connection to a home Intranet.
[0043] FIG. 20B is an installation of the AC power circuit with an
electrical receptacle within an electrical box with a wireless
connection to a home Intranet.
[0044] FIG. 21 is an installation of the AC power circuit with a
camera sensor installed in the electrical box and is connected
wirelessly to a home Intranet.
[0045] FIG. 22 is an overall diagram showing the home network
attached to the electrical boxes with a wired connection and also
connected to the world wide Internet.
[0046] FIG. 23 is an overall diagram showing the home network
attached to the electrical boxes with a wireless connection and
also connected to the world wide Internet.
[0047] FIG. 24 is an overall diagram showing a wireless home
network attached to electrical boxes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0048] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematic of an AC power circuit
40 in which AC power from AC source leads 118a and 118b is applied
to the AC power circuit 40, which is connected to the
Internet/Intranet 50 via a communication connection 114. The AC
power circuit 40 includes a power network 80, a microcontroller 30,
and a network interface 34. The power network 80 provides low
voltage through line 82 to operate the microcontroller 30 and
network interface circuitry 34. The microcontroller 30 contains an
Internet protocol stack 31 and an application program 33. The
microcontroller 30 is connected to the network interface 34 via a
connection 84. The microcontroller 30 runs one or more application
programs 33 that can respond to a web browser request or an
internet request, send e-mail, collect data, control an attached
appliance via the Internet/Intranet, receive sensor information
from attached sensors, or accomplish a number of different
tasks.
[0049] The AC power circuit 40 is installed in an electrical box 48
as shown in FIG. 2. The AC power is provided via lines 118a and
118b. The communication connection 114 to the Internet/Intranet can
be wired or wireless as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0050] FIG. 3 shows a wireless attachment to the Internet via a
modem/router/hub 150. The wireless Intranet communication
connections are via antennas 152, 153, 155, 156, 157, and 158.
Electrical boxes 100, 102, 104, and 106 are connected via the AC
electrical wires 118. The electrical boxes 100, 102, 104, and 106
contain the AC power circuit 40, which can control the lights 160,
161, and any attached appliances such as a TV 162 or a Personal
Computer 164. Each AC power circuit 40 can be controlled via local
control such as a switch, or the PC 164 via the home Intranet, or
by remote control via the Internet connection 115. The wireless
communication can be HomeRF.TM., IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth.TM., or any
other wireless Internet technology.
[0051] FIG. 4 shows a wired attachment to the Internet via the
modem/router/hub 154. The wired Intranet communication connection
117 may be via phone lines, fiber, coax, or Ethernet cable. The
electrical boxes 122, 124, and 126 contain the AC power circuit 40,
which can control the light 160, and any attached appliances such
as the TV 162 or PC 164 via local control such as a switch or local
intranet PC 164 or by remote control via the Internet connection
115. The wired communication technology can be Ethernet,
HomePNA.TM. (HomePNA Working Group) or any other wired
Internet/Intranet technology. Also, the wired attachment to the
Intranet can use the same wires as the electrical power. This
communication technology is known as powerline communication.
[0052] FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematic of an AC power circuit
41 in which AC power from AC source 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d is
applied to the AC power circuit 41 and electrical loads 60 and 61.
The AC power circuit 41 is connected to the Internet/Intranet 50
via a communication connection 114. In addition to the power
network 80, the microcontroller 30, and network interface 34, the
microcontroller 30 via lines 58 and 59 controls relays 56 and 57,
which supply AC power to an electrical load 60 via a line 116c and
to an electrical load 61 via a line 116d. In this embodiment, the
AC power circuit 41 can control the electrical loads 60 and 61 by
the Internet/Intranet 50. The AC power circuit 41 could be
incorporated in an electrical box that uses parallel connections to
the AC power source lines 118a and 118b which connects to lines
116a and 116b, respectively, of the AC power circuit 41. Typical
applications for the AC power circuit 41 are a switch box with both
power lines available or an electrical outlet box.
[0053] FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematic of an AC power circuit
42 in which AC power from AC source 118a and 118c is applied to the
AC power circuit 42 and the electrical load 60. The AC power
circuit 42 is connected to the Internet/Intranet 50 via
communication connection 114. The AC power circuit 42 contains the
power network 80, the microcontroller 30, the network interface 34,
and the relay 56. The AC power circuit 42 is attached to the AC
power lines 118a and 118c in series with the electrical load 60 via
line 116c. Typical applications for the AC power circuit 42 are in
switch boxes that only have series connections to the electrical
load. This is common in older homes.
[0054] The microcontroller 30 in the AC power circuits 40, 41, and
42 has the Internet stack (TCP/UDP/IP) 31 and application programs
33. FIG. 7 shows the software layers that illustrate the Internet
stack 31 and application programs 33 contained in the
microcontroller 30. FIG. 7 also shows the network interface and
some possible communication protocols such as Ethernet, PPP (phone
line), powerline, IEEE 802.11, HomeRF.TM., and Bluetooth.TM.. The
microcontroller 30 can contain one or more possible applications
such as Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server, File Transport
Protocol (FTP) capability, Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP)
capability, and others. The microcontroller 30 can contain the
TCP/IP stack or UDP/IP stack, or a combination depending on the
application program as illustrated in FIG. 7.
[0055] FIG. 8 shows a block diagram schematic of the possible
configurations to an AC power circuit 45. The AC power circuit 45
can control different electrical loads such as a light 62, a heater
64, an electrical motor 66, or any other electrical appliance
60.
[0056] The microcontroller 30 that is contained in the AC power
circuit 45 can run an e-mail application program 37 that sends out
information upon some condition. For example, if the motion sensor
72 detects some movement in an area, or if the smoke detector 76
indicates a fire, an e-mail can be sent to alert the proper agency
for assistance.
[0057] The microcontroller 30 can run a web server application 139
with a web page 39. The web server application 139 receives HTTP
commands through the network interface 34 that specifies a
predetermined Internet Protocol (IP) number for the AC power
circuit 45. Web clients to read information from the AC power
circuit 45, such as the status of the AC power to the electrical
load, may use the HTTP commands. HTTP commands may also be used to
transfer information to the AC power circuit 45 such as information
that controls the electrical load or sensors.
[0058] In response to an HTTP request, the AC power circuit web
server application 139 generates a web page 39 that specifies
interactions to the attached electrical load and sensors. The web
page 39 is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) formatted page or an
eXtensive Markup Language (XML) formatted page. The network
interface 34 transfers the web page 39 to the web client that
requested the information via the Internet/Intranet 50.
[0059] FIG. 8 also shows various connected sensors to the
microcontroller 30 such as a current sensor 90 for monitoring the
electrical power used by the electrical load, a temperature sensor
70 for indicating the indoor or outdoor temperature of a room, a
motion sensor 72 to detect movement within the room, a switch 74
for locally activating the AC power to the load, a smoke detector
76 to detect the presence of a fire, a camera 92 to provide
observations in the room, a microphone 94 to monitor the audio
within the room, and many other types of sensors 71. The
microcontroller 30 can be programmed to communicate to other AC
power circuits in other electrical boxes to allow multiple actions
to occur upon a sensor detecting a condition. For example, the
microcontroller 30 can be programmed to detect movement within the
room by the motion sensor 72 in one electrical box to activate
lights in other electrical boxes within the house via the home
Intranet. In addition, the microcontroller 30 can be programmed to
send an e-mail to the owner or monitoring company that someone is
present in the home.
[0060] In another embodiment, the network interface 34 contains the
TCP/IP and UDP/IP stacks instead of the microcontroller 30. FIG. 9
shows an embodiment of an AC power circuit 47 with TCP/IP contained
in the network interface 34. This embodiment uses a commercially
available integrated chip 180 that is denoted as S-7600A made by
Seiko Instruments, Inc. The power network 80 provides the necessary
low voltage power for supplying the various integrated circuits. In
this embodiment, the AC power circuit 47 is attached to the home
Intranet via phone lines 119a and 119b. The Internet modem chipset
182 and 184 that communicates between the integrated chip 180 to
the phone lines are from Silicon Laboratories, and are denoted as
Si2400 and Si3015. The modem chipset 182 and 184 provide connect
rates of up to 2400 bps, full duplex over the telephone lines 119a
and 119b. Other modem chipsets can provide higher data rates. Block
186 provides the necessary circuits to interface to the phone lines
according to FCC part 68 specifications.
[0061] In another embodiment, the network interface 34 is connected
to the home Intranet via the power lines. FIG. 10 shows this
embodiment where an AC power circuit 49 connects to the home
Intranet via electrical power lines 118a and 118b. The network
interface 34 contains powerline chipset 200 and 202 from Intellon
and is denoted as INT 5130, an integrated powerline transceiver,
and INT1000, an analog conversion integrated circuit. The powerline
chipset 200 and 202 are connected to the electrical power lines
118a and 118b via an analog front end 204 and a power line coupler
206. The Internet stack is in the microcontroller 30. The
microcontroller 30 in FIG. 10 is a Microchip PIC16F877.
[0062] FIG. 11 shows another embodiment where an AC power circuit
141 is connected to the home Intranet via an Ethernet cable 114. In
this embodiment, the microcontroller 30 is an Atmel 90S815 and has
memory 300 that is external to the microcontroller 30 for storing a
web page. In addition, the microcontroller 30 controls loads 304
via a driver 302. Sensors 71 are connected in this embodiment. The
network interface 34 uses a Realtek Ethernet Controller 310 and
interfaces to the home Intranet cable using 10baseT Interface
312.
[0063] FIG. 12 shows another embodiment where the AC power circuit
142 is connected to the Intranet via phone lines 119a and 119b via
a modem module 337. The modem module 337 is a Cermetek CH1786LC.
The microcontroller 30 is a Microchip PIC16F877 and has software,
which implements the TCP/IP stack. In this embodiment, the
microcontroller 30 is programmed to control the relay 56 to supply
power to an electrical load attached to line 118c. A web client or
device attached to the Intranet/Internet can control the relay 56
via the Intranet/Internet.
[0064] FIG. 13 shows another embodiment where an AC power circuit
143 is connected to the home Intranet via a wireless connection
400. A single-chip Bluetooth.TM. transceiver 339 is the network
interface connection to the home Intranet. The transceiver 339 in
this embodiment is a Broadcom BCM2033 and provides short-range
communication with PCs, laptops, PDAs, peripheral devices, and
embedded devices.
[0065] FIG. 14 shows another embodiment where an AC power circuit
144 is connected to the home Intranet via a wireless connection
510. The wireless chipset 500 and 502 uses a Marvell 88W8200
baseband controller and Marvell 88W8000 transceiver to form an IEEE
802.11 wireless connection.
[0066] FIG. 15 shows another embodiment where an AC power circuit
145 is connected to the home Intranet via a wired Ethernet
connection 616. FIG. 15 is a schematic of the circuitry that
implements this embodiment. The AC power lines 118a and 118b
provide electrical power to the circuit. A capacitor C1 drops the
high voltage AC to low voltage AC. Diodes D1-D4 convert the AC
power to DC power. A capacitor C2 acts as a filter capacitor, and a
diode D5 limits the DC supply. The microcontroller 30 interfaces
with an EEPROM 614 and an Ethernet Controller IC 612. As show in
FIG. 15, the microcontroller 30 in this schematic is a Microchip
PIC16F877 and the Ethernet controller 612 is a Realtek RTL8019. The
microcontroller 30 is programmed to act as a web server with the
web page stored in the EEPROM 614. The microcontroller 30
communicates to the home Intranet and the Internet through the
wired Ethernet connection 616. A coil 610 isolates the home wired
Intranet from the Ethernet controller 612. In this embodiment, the
AC power circuit 145 acts a web server.
[0067] FIG. 16 shows another embodiment where an AC power circuit
146 is connected to the home Intranet via wired phone line
connections 119a and 119b. FIG. 16 is a schematic of the circuitry
that implements this embodiment. In this embodiment, the AC power
circuit 146 controls an electrical load such as a light 62. This is
a single wire connection to the electrical load 62. In this
embodiment, a power network, which is made up of capacitor C1,
resistor R1, diodes D1-D4, capacitor C2, and zener diode D5,
supplies low voltage power to the microcontroller 30 and a modem
module 675. The power network steals a portion of the AC power for
powering the circuitry. A triac 656 controls the power to the
electrical load 62 when activated by the microcontroller 30 via a
triac driver 655.
[0068] FIGS. 17A and 17B show two alternative installations of an
AC power circuit with a electrical switch and both installations
use a wireless connection 710 to the home Intranet and are
installed in an electrical box 48. In FIG. 17A, the switch is
integrated with the AC power circuit and forms a standalone switch
module 700. In FIG. 17B, a switch 720 is not integrated in an AC
power circuit 722. FIG. 17A shows the installation of the switch
module 700 into the electrical box. FIG. 17B shows the installation
of the standard electrical switch 720 and the AC power circuit 722
into the electrical box 48. In both cases the AC electrical power
supply is provided by lines 118a and 118c.
[0069] FIGS. 18A and 18B show two alternative installations of an
AC power circuit with an electrical switch and both installations
use a wired connector 730 to home Intranet and are installed in the
electrical box 48. In FIG. 18A, the switch is integrated with the
AC power circuit and forms a standalone switch module 702. In FIG.
18B, a switch 720 is not integrated in an AC power circuit 725.
FIG. 18A shows the installation of the switch module 702 into the
electrical box 48 and how the switch module 702 attaches to the
home Intranet via connector socket 706. The connector socket 706
slides over the electrical box 48. A home Intranet cable 730
connects to the socket 706. FIG. 18B shows the installation of the
standard electrical switch 720 and the AC power circuit 725 into
the electrical box 48. The home Intranet cable 730 connects to AC
power circuit 725 via the socket 732. In both situations, the AC
electrical power supply is provided by lines 118a and 118c.
[0070] FIGS. 19A and 19B show two alternatives installations of an
AC power circuit with an electrical receptacle into an electrical
box 48. Both installations use wired connections 758 to the home
Intranet. In FIG. 19A, the receptacle is integrated with the AC
power circuit and forms a standalone receptacle module 750. The
connector socket 756 slides over the electrical box 48. The home
Intranet cable connects to the socket 756 with a connector 758.
FIG. 19B shows a receptacle 760 is not integrated in an AC power
circuit 764. FIG. 19B shows the installation of the standard
electrical receptacle 760 and the AC power circuit 764 into the
electrical box. The connector 758 connects to the AC power circuit
764 via the socket 765. In both schemes, the AC electrical power is
provided by lines 118a and 118b.
[0071] FIGS. 20A and 20B show two alternatives installations of an
AC power circuit with an electrical receptacle into an electrical
box 48 and both installations use wireless connections to the home
Intranet. In FIG. 20A, the receptacle is integrated with the AC
power circuit and forms a standalone receptacle module 770. The
wireless Intranet connection is through an antenna 774. FIG. 20B
shows a receptacle 760 is not integrated in an AC power circuit
762. FIG. 20B shows the installation of the standard electrical
receptacle 760 and the AC power circuit 762 into the electrical box
48. The wireless Intranet connection is through an antenna 768. In
both schemes, the AC electrical power is provided by lines 118a and
118b.
[0072] FIG. 21 shows the installation of an AC power circuit 800
into an electrical box 48. In this configuration, the AC power
circuit 800 supports a camera sensor 810 and a wireless Intranet
connection via an antenna 814. This embodiment would allow
monitoring a room via the electrical box 48 installed in the home
via the home Intranet web browsers or remote web browsers. One can
detect an unwanted guest or monitor children after school.
[0073] FIG. 22 shows the connection of many AC power circuits such
as AC power circuit 750 via an electrical box 48 in a home control
and Intranet network 940. A computer 902 can browse the Internet
550 and connect to a web server 910 as is typical of today's
networks, but also can control or monitor the electrical outlets
and switches contain in electrical boxes. The house wiring 930 is
showed connected to a central breaker box or house electrical panel
932. A modem 920 is connected to the Internet 550 via an ISP
provider. The modem 920 may be built inside the AC power circuit in
some embodiments. A remote web browser 900 can also monitor and
control the electrical loads in the home 950 via the Internet
550.
[0074] FIG. 23 shows the connections of many AC power circuits such
as, AC power circuit 770 via an electrical box 48 in a wireless
home control and Intranet network 924. The computer 902 can browse
the Internet 550 and control the home electrical loads in the home
950.
[0075] FIG. 24 shows an embodiment where the home uses the Internet
protocol and is not attached to the World Wide Internet. In this
embodiment, the home wireless Intranet 958 communicates to the
different electrical boxes and personal computer 902. FIG. 24 also
shows an electrical box 48 that contains the AC power circuit
770.
* * * * *