U.S. patent application number 14/627248 was filed with the patent office on 2018-05-10 for appliance monitoring systems and methods.
The applicant listed for this patent is Whirlpool Corporation. Invention is credited to Scott Andrew Horstemeyer, Martin Kelly Jones.
Application Number | 20180130028 14/627248 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56693115 |
Filed Date | 2018-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180130028 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Horstemeyer; Scott Andrew ;
et al. |
May 10, 2018 |
Appliance Monitoring Systems and Methods
Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring
appliances at a site, such as a household, business office, etc.
The appliances can include, for example but not limited to, an
electric oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, laundry washer, freezer,
pool controller, light bulb, microwave oven, computer, motor
vehicle, television, telephone, etc. In many of the embodiments,
the appliance has a computer based architecture or a controller
that enables communication of data concerning the electronic
appliance. In some embodiments the appliance is an apparatus with a
radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or other passive device
that can be interrogated for information concerning the
appliance.
Inventors: |
Horstemeyer; Scott Andrew;
(Atlanta, GA) ; Jones; Martin Kelly; (Vancouver,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Whirlpool Corporation |
Benton Harbor |
MI |
US |
|
|
Prior
Publication: |
|
Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160247128 A1 |
August 25, 2016 |
|
|
Family ID: |
56693115 |
Appl. No.: |
14/627248 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13761636 |
Feb 7, 2013 |
8981930 |
|
|
14627248 |
|
|
|
|
61595931 |
Feb 7, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0631 20130101;
H04L 67/125 20130101; H04L 12/2825 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101;
G06Q 10/20 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 10/00 20060101
G06Q010/00; H04L 29/08 20060101 H04L029/08; G06Q 30/06 20060101
G06Q030/06 |
Claims
1. A computer system communicatively coupled to one or more
appliances at a site, the computer system comprising: means for
monitoring health data concerning an appliance or an appliance
part; means for determining that the appliance or appliance part
exhibits a maintenance issue based upon the health data; means for
accessing a remote computer system over the Internet; means for
receiving one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase, or
seek repair for the appliance or appliance part from the remote
computer system; means for producing a notification regarding the
maintenance issue, the notification including the one or more
suggestions and price information pertaining to each of the
suggestions; and means for enabling a user to select and purchase
the one or more suggestions, based at least in part upon the
price.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification is a message
sent to a personal communication device (PCD) associated with the
user or a remote computer system designated by the user and wherein
the message includes an identification of the appliance or
appliance part and detail concerning the maintenance issue.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the health data is a battery
condition associated with a battery that provides power to the
appliance or appliance part.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: means for initiating
a notification communication session with a personal communication
device (PCD); and means for communicating a report during the
notification communication session indicative of the maintenance
issue.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the PCD is associated with any of
the following: a vendor, a repair service entity, a replacement
service entity, a manufacturer, or an information provider.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: means for maintaining
a database having maintenance information pertaining to a plurality
of appliances or appliance parts; means for storing in the database
a first type of maintenance information pertaining to a first type
of appliance or appliance part; and means for storing in the
database a second type of maintenance information pertaining to a
second type of appliance or appliance part, the second type being
different than the first type.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for
automatically, by operation of the computer system, turning off the
appliance or appliance part or disabling one or more functions
associated with the appliance or part, after determining that the
maintenance issue exists and is a hazard.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for providing a
user interface to enable the user to input maintenance information
pertaining to the appliance or appliance part, the maintenance
information used, at least in part, in determining when the
appliance or appliance part exhibits the maintenance issue.
9. The system of claim 1, further comprising: means for engaging in
a communication session over the Internet with a computer system
associated with a repair or replacement service business; and means
for, during the communication session, requesting service in
connection with the appliance or appliance part.
10. A computer system communicatively coupled with one or more
appliances at a site, the computer system comprising: means for
determining that the appliance or appliance part exhibits a
maintenance issue comprising; means for accessing reference data,
the reference data comprising a first numerical array, the first
numerical array comprising a first collection of related successive
signal sample values that represent a first time varying
environmental signal; means for receiving appliance condition data,
the appliance condition data comprising a second numerical array,
the second numerical array comprising a second collection of
related successive signal sample values derived from a second time
varying environmental signal sensed by a transducer means at the
site; means for comparing the first and second numerical arrays in
the time domain, frequency domain, or both; and means for
initiating a notification regarding the maintenance issue, when
determined, based at least in part upon the comparison.
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a means for
producing one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase, or
seek repair for the appliance or appliance part.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising: means for providing
price information pertaining to each of the one or more
suggestions; and means for enabling a user to select and purchase
one of the one or more suggestions.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for comparing the
first and second numerical arrays is designed to compare a
correlation output and a predefined threshold in order to determine
when the appliance or appliance part exhibits the maintenance
issue.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the transducer means is a
microphone, and the environmental signal is an audio signal
produced by the appliance or appliance part.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for determining that
the appliance or appliance part exhibits the maintenance issue
makes this determination based at least in part upon a lifespan
expectancy and a length of time in which the appliance or the
appliance part has been in service or in use.
16. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for initiating the
notification comprises: means for initiating a notification
communication session with a personal communication device (PCD);
and means for causing communication of a report during the
notification communication session indicative of the maintenance
issue.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the PCD is associated with any
of the following: an owner or user of the appliance, a vendor, a
repair service entity, a replacement service entity, a
manufacturer, or an information provider.
18. The system of claim 10, further comprising: means for
maintaining a database having maintenance information pertaining to
a plurality of appliances or appliance parts; means for storing in
the database a first type of maintenance information pertaining to
a first type of appliance or appliance part; and means for storing
in the database a second type of maintenance information pertaining
to a second type of appliance or appliance part, the second type
being different than the first type.
19. The system of claim 10, further comprising code that causes the
appliance or appliance part to be turned off or that disables one
or more functions associated with the appliance, after determining
that the maintenance issue exists.
20. The system of claim 10, further comprising a means for enabling
a party to input maintenance information pertaining to the
appliance or appliance part, the maintenance information used, at
least in part, in determining when the appliance or appliance part
exhibits the maintenance issue.
21. A computer system communicatively coupled with one or more
appliances at a site, the computer system comprising: means for
determining that the appliance or appliance part exhibits a
maintenance issue; and means for initiating a communication session
with a remote computer system associated with a manufacturer,
vendor, or insurance company and communicates claim information in
connection with an insurance policy or warranty associated with the
appliance or appliance part.
22. The system of claim 21, further comprising: means for receiving
appliance identification information from the appliance or
appliance part; and means for initiating a communication session
with the remote computer system associated with the manufacturer,
vendor, or insurance company and communicates the information so
that a claim can be later made in connection with the insurance
policy or warranty associated with the appliance or appliance
part.
23. A computer system communicatively coupled with one or more
appliances at a site, the computer system comprising: means for
receiving appliance identification information from the appliance
or appliance part; and means for initiating a communication session
with the remote computer system associated with the manufacturer,
vendor, or insurance company and communicates the information so
that a claim can be later made in connection with the insurance
policy or warranty associated with the appliance or appliance
part.
24. The system of claim 23, further comprising: means for receiving
an insurance or warranty registration request from the appliance or
appliance part and that prompts the communication session with the
remote computer system.
25. A computer system communicatively coupled with one or more
appliances at a site, the computer system comprising: means for
receiving identification information regarding an appliance or
appliance part that is derived by interrogating the appliance or
appliance part over the one or more networks; means for receiving
contact information for a personal communication device (PCD)
associated with a user of the appliance or appliance part; means
for generating a lifespan expectancy corresponding to when the
appliance or appliance part is expected to exhibit a maintenance
issue, based upon an occurrence of maintenance issues in other like
appliances or appliance parts; means for determining a length of
time that the appliance or appliance part has been in existence or
in operation; means for, when the length of time approaches the
lifespan expectancy, engaging in a communication session with the
PCD of the user; and means for, during the communication session,
communicating one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase,
or seek repair for the appliance or appliance part and price
information pertaining to each of the suggestions.
26. The system of claim 25, further comprising: means for enabling
the user to select and purchase the one or more suggestions.
27. The system of claim 25, wherein the lifespan expectancy is
generated by averaging longevities of the other like appliances or
appliance parts.
28. The system of claim 25, further comprising: means for
determining a location of the appliance or appliance part; and
means for determining the lifespan prediction based at least in
part upon the location.
29. The system of claim 28, further comprising: means for
determining weather information associated with an environment in
which the appliance or appliance part is exposed; and means for
determining the lifespan prediction based at least in part upon the
weather information.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of
application Ser. No. 13/761,636, filed Feb. 7, 2013, now U.S. Pat.
No. ______, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/595,931, filed Feb. 7, 2012, all of
the foregoing of which are entirely incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to systems, methods, and
apparatus for monitoring appliances at a site, such as a household,
business office, etc.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A home network connects various digital home appliances so
that the user can always enjoy convenient, safe, and economic life
services inside or outside the house. Refrigerators or washing
machines called "white home" appliances have been gradually
digitalized due to the development of digital signal processing
techniques, home appliance operating system techniques, and high
speed multimedia communication techniques integrated on the digital
home appliances. Furthermore, new information home appliances have
been developed, to improve the home network.
[0004] Home networks can take many forms and can be classified as
follows, by types of services they provide: a data network, an
entertainment network, and a living network. The data network
connects computers and peripherals, and typically provides Internet
service. The entertainment network connects AN (audio/video)
devices, such as televisions, audio equipment, etc. The living
network connects and controls home appliances, such as an electric
oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, laundry washer, freezer, lights,
etc. In the past, systems have been invented for recording
diagnostic and statistical information associated with household
appliances. This information is recorded and can be used by a
service person to monitor functionality and the wear status of such
appliances. An example of such a system is described in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,853,291, which is incorporated herein by reference. Another
example of such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,336,192,
which is also incorporated herein by reference.
[0005] A conventional home network system includes a master device
which is an electric device for controlling an operation of the
other electric devices or monitoring a status thereof, and a slave
device which is an electric device having a function of responding
to the request of the master device and a function of notifying a
status change according to characteristics of the electric devices
or other factors. Exemplary electric devices include home
appliances for the living network service, such as a washing
machine and a refrigerator, home appliances for the data network
service and the entertainment network service, and products such as
a gas valve control device, an automatic door device and an
electric lamp.
[0006] However, the conventional arts do not suggest a general
communication standard for providing functions of controlling and
monitoring electric devices in a home network system. Also, a
network protocol in the conventional art home network system does
not suggest an effective method for receiving and transmitting a
packet. However, U.S. patent application no. 2008/0164980, which is
incorporated herein by reference, describes a control protocol that
can be used to communicate among the various electric appliances
associated with the data network, the entertainment network, and
the living network.
[0007] Although significant strides have been made to fully
automatic the home network, the foregoing prior art systems are not
user friendly, and the art remains in a state of infancy. Better,
more intelligent, monitoring systems and systems for taking
automatic action, perhaps based on user preferences, are
needed.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0008] Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring
appliances at a site, such as a household, business office, etc.
The appliances can include, for example but not limited to, an
electric oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, laundry washer, freezer,
pool controller, light bulb, microwave oven, computer, motor
vehicle, television, telephone, etc. In many of the embodiments,
the appliance has a computer based architecture or a controller
that enables communication of data concerning the electronic
appliance. In some embodiments the appliance is an apparatus with a
radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or other passive device
that can be interrogated for information concerning the
appliance.
[0009] One embodiment, among others that are disclosed, is a
computer system associated with a site having one or more
appliances. The computer system comprises: means for monitoring
health data concerning an appliance or an appliance part; means for
determining that the appliance or appliance part exhibits a
maintenance issue based upon the health data; means for accessing a
remote computer system over the Internet; means for receiving the
one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase, or seek repair
for the appliance or appliance part from the remote computer
system; means for producing a notification regarding the
maintenance issue, the notification including the one or more
suggestions and price information pertaining to each of the
suggestions; and means for enabling a user to select and purchase
the one or more suggestions, based at least in part upon the price.
An embodiment of a related method, among others that are disclosed,
involves performing a combination of steps that correspond
respectively with the functionality recited each of the foregoing
means elements.
[0010] Another embodiment, among others that are disclosed, is a
computer system communicatively coupled with one or more
appliances. The computer system comprises: means for determining
that the appliance or appliance part exhibits a maintenance issue
comprising; means for accessing reference data, the reference data
comprising a first numerical array, the first numerical array
comprising a first collection of related successive signal sample
values that represent a first time varying environmental signal;
means for receiving appliance condition data, the appliance
condition data comprising a second numerical array, the second
numerical array comprising a second collection of related
successive signal sample values derived from a second time varying
environmental signal sensed by a transducer means at the site;
means for comparing the first and second numerical arrays in the
time domain, frequency domain, or both; and means for initiating a
notification regarding the maintenance issue, when determined,
based at least in part upon the comparison. An embodiment of a
related method, among others that are disclosed, involves
performing a combination of steps that correspond respectively with
the functionality recited each of the foregoing means elements.
[0011] Another embodiment, among others that are disclosed, is a
computer system communicatively coupled with one or more appliances
at a site. The computer system comprises: means for determining
that the appliance or appliance part exhibits a maintenance issue;
and means for initiating a communication session with a remote
computer system associated with a manufacturer, vendor, or
insurance company and communicates claim information in connection
with an insurance policy or warranty associated with the appliance
or appliance part. An embodiment of a related method, among others
that are disclosed, involves performing a combination of steps that
correspond respectively with the functionality recited each of the
foregoing means elements.
[0012] Another embodiment, among others that are disclosed, is a
computer system communicatively coupled with one or more appliances
at a site. The computer system comprises: means for receiving
appliance identification information from the appliance or
appliance part; and means for initiating a communication session
with the remote computer system associated with the manufacturer,
vendor, or insurance company and communicates the information so
that a claim can be later made in connection with the insurance
policy or warranty associated with the appliance or appliance part.
An embodiment of a related method, among others that are disclosed,
involves performing a combination of steps that correspond
respectively with the functionality recited each of the foregoing
means elements.
[0013] Another embodiment, among others that are disclosed, is a
computer system communicatively coupled with one or more appliances
at a site. The computer system comprises: means for receiving
identification information regarding an appliance or appliance part
that is derived by interrogating the appliance or appliance part
over the one or more networks; means for receiving contact
information for a personal communication device (PCD) associated
with a user of the appliance or appliance part; means for
generating a lifespan expectancy corresponding to when the
appliance or appliance part is expected to exhibit a maintenance
issue, based upon an occurrence of maintenance issues in other like
appliances or appliance parts; means for determining a length of
time that the appliance or appliance part has been in existence or
operation; means for, when the length of time approaches the
lifespan expectancy, engaging in a communication session with the
PCD of the user; and means for, during the communication session,
communicating one or more suggestions on where to order, purchase,
or seek repair for the appliance or appliance part and price
information pertaining to each of the suggestions. An embodiment of
a related method, among others that are disclosed, involves
performing a combination of steps that correspond respectively with
the functionality recited each of the foregoing means elements.
[0014] Other systems, methods, apparatus, features, and advantages
of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with
skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and
detailed description. It is intended that all such additional
systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this
description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be
protected by the accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with
reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings
are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.
Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate
corresponding parts throughout the several views.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an appliance
monitoring system in accordance with the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the host
computer system of FIG. 1 in which the appliance monitoring system
is implemented.
[0018] FIG. 3A is a flow chart of a first set of embodiments of the
appliance monitoring system of FIG. 2.
[0019] FIG. 3B is a flow chart of a second set of embodiments of
the appliance monitoring system of FIG. 2.
[0020] FIG. 3C is a flow chart of a third set of embodiments of the
appliance monitoring system of FIG. 2.
[0021] FIG. 3D is a flow chart of a fourth set of embodiments of
the appliance monitoring system of FIG. 2.
[0022] FIG. 3E is a flow chart of a fifth set of embodiments of the
appliance monitoring system of FIG. 2.
[0023] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of a database that
can be employed in the appliance monitoring system of FIG. 2.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an insurance business method that
can be employed in connection with the appliance monitoring system
of FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of an event
detection engine that can be employed in the appliance monitoring
system of FIG. 2 for identifying events (changes in environmental
conditions) at the site of FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the appliance
monitoring system of FIG. 2 that utilizes the event detection
engine of FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] The present invention provides systems, methods, and
apparatus for monitoring appliances at a site, such as a household,
business office, etc. The appliances can include, for example but
not limited to, an electric oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, laundry
washer, freezer, pool controller, light bulb, microwave oven,
computer, motor vehicle, television, telephone, etc. The appliance
can be anything that can be electronically monitored at the site in
connection with the various embodiments that will be described
hereafter. In many of the embodiments, the appliance has a computer
based architecture or a controller that enables communication of
data concerning the electronic appliance. In some embodiments the
appliance is an apparatus with a radio frequency identification
(RFID) tag or other passive device that can be interrogated for
information concerning the appliance. The appliance can even be a
nonelectrical apparatus that has an RFID tag or other passive
device.
A. HOST COMPUTER SYSTEM
[0028] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an appliance
monitoring system 10 in a host computer system 12 for monitoring
one or more appliances 11 situated at or near a site 14, such as a
household, business office, etc. The appliance monitoring system 10
can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
In the preferred embodiments, the appliance monitoring system 10 is
implemented as software that is executed by a host computer system
12 situated at or near the site 14. Furthermore, in some
embodiments, the host computer system 12 can implemented as part of
a wireless access point (WAP) or router.
[0029] The appliance 11 is communicatively coupled to the host
computer system 12 via one or more networks 16, which are wired,
wireless, or a combination, depending upon the implementation.
Nonlimiting examples are IEEE 802.11 (WiFi), Ethernet, infrared
(IR), short distance wireless radio, CEBus, Lonworks, and X10 (over
power lines).
[0030] U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,734, which is incorporated herein by
reference, describes a system for home network communications over
existing cable TV wires that can be employed in embodiments of the
present disclosure, if desired, as the network(s) 16.
[0031] U.S. patent application no. 2008/0164980, which is
incorporated herein by reference, describes a control protocol that
can be used to communicate among the various electric appliances
associated with a data network(s), an entertainment network(s), and
a living network(s), all of the foregoing of which would constitute
the network(s) 16.
[0032] U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,736, which is incorporated herein by
reference, describes a home network that can be employed by various
embodiments of the present disclosure as the network(s) 16. This
home network is based on the IEEE 802.11 networking standard
expanded to encompass home phone line media communications and/or
home power line media communications.
[0033] The host computer system 12 is equipped with a suitable
transceiver(s) (TX/RX) for enabling communication via the
network(s) 16. The specific design of the TX/RX(s) depends upon the
network design.
[0034] The overall system may be designed so that the one or more
appliances 11 push data to the host computer system 12,
intermittently or on a periodic basis. The overall system may be
designed so that the host computer system 12 solicits, or pulls,
the data from the appliances 12.
[0035] Optionally, the host computer system 12 may be designed to
enable the host computer system 12 to communicate with one or more
remote computer systems 18 and/or personal communications devices
(PCDs) 19 via one or more networks 20. The PCDs 19 may be a
smartphone, etc. During these communication sessions, the host
computer system 12 may, for example, request health data pertaining
to an appliance 11, advise a service provider of a maintenance
issue, etc.
[0036] An example of the architecture of the host computer system
12 is shown in FIG. 2 and will be described immediately hereafter.
Generally, in terms of hardware architecture, as shown in FIG. 2,
the host computer system 12 includes a processor 30, a memory 32,
and optional input and/or output (I/O) devices 34 (or peripherals)
that are communicatively coupled via a local interface 36. The
local interface 36 can be, for example but not limited to, one or
more buses or other wired or wireless connections, as is known in
the art. The local interface 36 may have additional elements, which
are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches),
drivers, repeaters, and receivers, to enable communications.
Further, the local interface may include address, control, and/or
data connections to enable appropriate communications among the
aforementioned components.
[0037] The processor 30 is a hardware device for executing
software, particularly that stored in memory 32. The processor 30
can be any custom made or commercially available processor, a
central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several
processors associated with the host computer system 12, a
semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or
chip set), a macroprocessor, or generally any device for executing
software instructions.
[0038] The memory 32 can include any one or combination of volatile
memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM,
SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM,
hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Moreover, the memory 102 may
incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of
storage media. Note that the memory 32 can have a distributed
architecture, where various components are situated remote from one
another, but can be accessed by the processor 30.
[0039] The software in memory 32 may include one or more separate
programs, each of which comprises an ordered listing of executable
instructions for implementing logical functions. In the example of
FIG. 2, the software in the memory 32 includes, among other things,
a graphical user interface (GUI; an optional feature) 38 for
generating and driving display screens and exchanging other
information with a display 34, the appliance monitoring system 10,
algorithms 40 (an optional feature) situated in the appliance
monitoring system 10 for use in connection with triggering events,
and a suitable operating system (O/S) 42. The O/S 42 essentially
controls the execution of other computer programs, such as the
appliance monitoring system 10, and provides scheduling,
input-output control, file and data management, memory management,
and communication control and related services.
[0040] The I/O devices 34 may include input devices, for example
but not limited to, a keypad, keyboard, finger pad, mouse, scanner,
microphone, transducers (sensors), etc. Furthermore, the I/O
devices 34 may also include output devices, for example but not
limited to, a printer, display, speaker, etc. Finally, the I/O
devices 34 may further include devices that communicate both inputs
and outputs, for instance but not limited to, a
modulator/demodulator (modem; for accessing another device, system,
or network), a radio frequency (RF) or other transceiver (TX/RX), a
telephonic interface, a bridge, a router, etc.
[0041] A TX/RX 46 is provided in the host computer system 12 to
enable the system 12 to communicate to the one or more remote
computer systems 18 (FIG. 1). The specific design of the TX/RX 46
to be utilized depends upon the type of network(s) 20 that is
utilized. The network(s) 20 can include one or more of any suitable
networks, for example but not limited to, a wireless, wired,
analog, digital, packetized, nonpacketized, cellular, Internet,
WiFi, etc.
[0042] U.S. patent application no. 2002/0021465, which is
incorporated herein by reference, describes a home network gateway
that can be used in connection with many embodiments of the present
disclosure as an interface between the networks 16, 20, where the
network 20 is a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network.
[0043] The host computer system 12 may also be equipped with other
TX/RXs and related software to enable the host computer system 12
to communicate with appliances 11 and/or a PCD associated with the
site owner or user. In some embodiments, the site owner or user can
be advised of appliance use information and/or maintenance issues
associated with an appliance or appliance part.
[0044] When the host computer system 12 is in operation, the
processor 30 is configured to execute software stored within the
memory 32, to communicate data to and from the memory 32, and to
generally control operations of the host computer system 12
pursuant to the software. The appliance monitoring system 10 and
the O/S 42, in whole or in part, but typically the latter, are read
by the processor 30, perhaps buffered within the processor 30, and
then executed.
[0045] The appliance monitoring system 10 (as well as any other
software of the present disclosure) can be stored on any
non-transitory computer readable medium for use by or in connection
with any computer related system or method. In the context of this
document, a computer readable medium is an electronic, magnetic,
optical, or other physical device or means that can contain or
store a computer program for use by or in connection with a
computer related system or method. The appliance monitoring system
10 can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in
connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or
device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing
system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the
instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the
instructions. In the context of this document, a "computer-readable
medium" can be anything that can store the program for use by or in
connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or
device. The computer readable medium can be, for example but not
limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic,
infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or
propagation medium. More specific examples (a nonexhaustive list)
of the computer-readable medium would include the following: a
portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM)
(electronic), a read-only memory (ROM) (electronic), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory)
(electronic), an optical fiber (optical), and a portable compact
disc read-only memory (CDROM) (optical).
[0046] Optionally, the host computer system 12 may be equipped with
a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 48 for producing and
updating GPS data 204 (FIG. 4) that is stored in memory 32.
Optionally, the host computer system 12 may also be provided with
map data 205 (FIG. 4), which can be stored in memory 32 and/or
downloaded and updated via a remote computer system 18. The GPS
data 204 can be used to determine the location of the host computer
system 12, and generally, the location of the site 14, and the
location can be correlated with the map data 205. Thus, the
location data and/or map data 205 can be used by the appliance
monitoring system 10 to, among other things, assist with diagnosing
and repairing an appliance. As an example, if it is known that the
site 14 is an outdoor but at a ski resort, then an algorithm(s) 201
(FIG. 4) associated with the appliance monitoring system 10 may
reduce the lifespan of the appliance because of the extra wear that
the appliance would bear due to the harsh weather conditions.
[0047] Optionally, a user preferences database 203 (FIG. 4) for
storing preferences that are input, selected, or otherwise preset
by a party may be associated with the appliance monitoring system
10 of the host computer system 12. This database 203 will be
described in more detail later in this disclosure. The user can
store the user preferences, for example, by interacting with the
host computer system 12 via the GUI 38.
B. APPLIANCE MONITORING SYSTEM
1. First Set of Embodiments
[0048] A first set of embodiments of the appliance monitoring
system 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) will now be described with reference to
FIG. 3A. In this first set, denoted by reference numeral 100, the
appliance monitoring system 10 includes at least the following
program code (or logic): program code 101 for monitoring health
data concerning an appliance 11, program code 102 for determining
that the appliance 11 exhibits a maintenance issue based upon the
health data, and program code 103 for producing a notification
regarding the maintenance issue. As nonlimiting examples, the
maintenance issue can be any one or more of the following: a need
for replacement of the appliance 11 or a component thereof, a need
for repair of the appliance 11 or a component thereof, a need for
battery recharging, lifespan expired, lifespan below a predefined
threshold, power inadequacy, appliance inoperability for intended
purpose, inoperability of one or more functions (electrical and/or
mechanical), network connectivity failure, the appliance 11 or a
part thereof poses a hazard, etc. The health data can be any type
of data for enabling assessment of the health, or proper
functioning, of the appliance 11, for example but not limited to,
statistical information, an indication that one or more parts are
nonfunctioning, diagnostic information, electrical information
(e.g., power, voltage, current, and/or impedance of or at appliance
circuit elements, etc.), length of service of the appliance 11 or
parts thereof, age of the appliance 11 or parts thereof, an event
that is detected by the event detection engine 215 (FIG. 6), etc.
Furthermore, the notification can be anything that advises a
person, device, or computer system of the maintenance issue,
including but not limited to, a display of text on a local display
screen, a message in an email sent to a local or remote computer, a
text message, a local flashing light, a communication to a remote
computer system 18 or PCD 19, a sound, etc.
[0049] The program code 102 for determining that the appliance 11
exhibits a maintenance issue may be designed with logic that, among
other things, compares the health data that is detected/received
from the appliance 11 with stored health data (reference), and then
determines that the maintenance issue exists based upon the
comparison. As shown in FIG. 4, the detected health data 202A and
reference health data 202B are stored in a database 200. In some
implementations, the reference health data 202B is obtained from a
remote computer system 18 or PCD 19. One or more algorithms 201
FIG. 4 can be implemented for assisting in the determination, and
they can be simple or complex. As an example of a simple algorithm
201, the reference health data 202B could be lifespan expectancy
data for the appliance 11 and the detected health data received
from the appliance 11 could be indicative of a length of time in
which the appliance 11 has been in service or in use, or when it
was manufactured. The algorithm 201 could be implemented to compare
the received health data with the lifespan expectancy data, and
when the received health data exceeds the lifespan expectancy, then
the algorithm 201 would signal a maintenance issue.
[0050] Another example of an algorithm 201, which is more complex,
performs the foregoing steps but performs the additional step of
averaging lifespan expectancy data pertaining to several appliance
brands in order to produce a resultant reference health data for
the aforementioned comparisons. The appliance monitoring system 10
may be further designed with program code for engaging in a
communication session over the Internet with one or more remote
computer systems 18 (FIG. 1) for obtaining the brand data or
reference data.
[0051] Yet another example, of an algorithm 201 involves using
local weather data 206 measured with a local transducer (sensor)
situated at or near the site 14 for affecting the maintenance issue
determination. The weather data 206 may be indicative of
temperature, humidity, pressure, averages of the foregoing
measurements over a time period, etc. More specifically, the
algorithm 201 may be designed to adjust the reference health data
202B to compensate for harsh conditions. For instance, if the
reference health data 202B is a lifespan expectancy, then the
algorithm 201 may be designed to perform the comparison(s)
mentioned previously but, in addition, lower the reference health
data 202B by twenty five percent (25%) when the average temperature
has been over ninety (90) degrees Fahrenheit for the last 8
months.
[0052] The appliance monitoring system 10 may be further designed
with program code for initiating a notification communication
session with a PCD 19 (FIG. 1) and for communicating a report
during the notification communication session indicative of the
maintenance issue. The PCD 19 can be associated with any of the
following (all of which are denoted by reference numeral 17 in FIG.
1 for simplicity): an appliance manufacturer, an appliance vendor,
a repair service entity, an appliance replacement service, an
appliance information provider, etc.
[0053] The appliance monitoring system 10 can be designed with
program code to engage in a communication session over the Internet
with a remote computer system 18 (FIG. 1) associated with an
appliance manufacturer, an appliance vendor, a repair service
entity, a replacement service entity, or an appliance information
provider, and during the communication session, to request service,
replacement, information, etc., in connection with the appliance
11.
[0054] The appliance monitoring system 10 can be designed with
program code to store, maintain, update, and monitor the health
data 202 (FIG. 4) for a plurality of different appliances 11. In
this case, the system 10 can store different types of maintenance
information pertaining to the different types of appliances 11. For
example, the health data that is monitored in connection with a
light bulb might be its life (which is compared with its expected
lifespan or a percentage thereof to determine if a maintenance
issue exists), whereas the health data that is monitored in
connection with an appliance battery might be a power level when
current is sourced from the battery (which is compared with a
minimum threshold to determine if a maintenance issue exists).
[0055] The appliance monitoring system 10 can be designed with
program code to turn off an appliance 11 with electronic
functionality or disable one or more electrical functions
associated with an appliance 11 based upon health data 202. This
may be desirable, for example, in cases where the appliance 11 may
be a hazard if not turned off or disabled in some manner.
[0056] The appliance monitoring system 10 can be designed with
program code to provide a user interface to enable a party to input
maintenance information (stored in user preferences database 203 of
FIG. 4) pertaining to the appliance 11. This maintenance
information can be used, at least in part, in determining when the
appliance 11 exhibits a maintenance issue.
2. Second Set of Embodiments
[0057] A second set of embodiments of the appliance monitoring
system 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2), denoted by reference numeral 110, will
now be described with reference to FIG. 3B. In this second set, the
appliance monitoring system 10 includes at least the following
program code (or logic): program code 111 for monitoring health
data concerning an appliance 11; program code 112 for comparing the
health data with stored health data; program code 113 for
determining that the appliance 11 exhibits a maintenance issue
based upon the comparison; and program code 114 for requesting
service in connection with the appliance 11.
3. Third Set of Embodiments
[0058] A third set of embodiments of the appliance monitoring
system 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) will now be described with reference to
FIG. 3C and is denoted by reference numeral 120. In this third set,
the appliance monitoring system 10 includes at least the following
program code (or logic): program code 121 for identifying a
plurality of appliances 11 that are connected to a network 16, such
as a wireless network 16; program code 122 for storing an identity
207 for each of the appliances 11; program code 123 for receiving
health data concerning an appliance 11 of the plurality; and
program code 124 for determining that the appliance 11 exhibits a
maintenance issue based upon the health data.
[0059] In some embodiments, the appliance monitoring system 10 may
be designed with program code to pull appliance identities by
broadcasting a registration request to the appliances 11 via the
network, receiving a response communication from one or more of the
appliances, and determining, or detecting, the identity of the one
or more appliances 11 based upon the response. The program code may
further be designed to assign an ID to an appliance 11 that is
different than the ID information pulled from the appliance 11.
[0060] The appliance monitoring system 10 can be designed with
program code to receive a registration request that has been pushed
to it from one or more of the appliances 11, and to determine the
identity of the one or more appliances 11 based upon the
registration request. Again, the program code may further be
designed to assign an ID to an appliance 11 that is different than
the ID information pulled from the appliance 11. A nonlimiting
example of such registration scheme that can be employed is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,372,004, which is incorporated herein
by reference.
[0061] U.S. patent application no. 2003/0149757, which is
incorporated herein by reference, describes an identification (ID)
code management system for a home network that can be implemented
by various embodiments of the present disclosure in order to manage
various appliances 11. The ID codes can be assigned during the
appliance registration process.
[0062] Once the appliance IDs are assigned and/or identified, the
appliance monitoring system 10 has program code for storing the
appliance ID data 207 (FIG. 4) in a database 200 in memory 32 (FIG.
2). This ID data 207 is used to manage and track information
associated with the appliance(s) 11.
[0063] In some embodiments, the appliance monitoring system 10 can
have program code to engage in a communication session over the
Internet 20 with a remote computer system 18, to receive appliance
information from the computer system 18, and to determine that the
appliance exhibits the maintenance issue based at least in part on
the information. The information may include the expected life of
the appliance or parts thereof, etc.
[0064] In some embodiments, after appliances 11 have been
identified, the appliance monitoring system 10 can have program
code to engage in an initial communication session over the
Internet 20 with a remote computer system 18, and to provide
registration information (e.g., serial number, information input by
a user via a suitable interface on an appliance 11, etc.) to the
computer system 18 during the initial communication session. The
registration information could be for the purpose of applying for
or perfecting a warranty or insurance policy on the appliance,
registering for future assistance with analyzing health data, etc.
The computer system 18 can also use point of sale (POS)
information, for example but not limited to, scanned bar code
information from the appliance 11, a purchaser name, credit or
debit card information, store member card information, etc., in
combination with information received from an appliance 11 in order
to apply for or perfect a warranty or insurance policy. The
communication session to apply or perfect can be initiated at the
request of the host computer system 12 or the remote computer
system 18.
[0065] The program code may be further designed to receive and
store warranty or insurance confirmation information (warranty data
209 or insurance data 210 in FIG. 4) from the computer system 18
after the registration information is provided. The communication
session can be initiated at the request of the host computer system
12 or the remote computer system 18.
[0066] The appliance monitoring system 10 may be further designed
with program code to engage in a communication session over the
Internet 20 with a remote computer system 18 associated with a
manufacturer or vendor (manufacturer data 211 or vendor data 212 in
FIG. 4) in order to make a claim against an insurance policy or
warranty based upon the maintenance issue. The computer system 18
can also use POS information, for example but not limited to,
scanned bar code information from the appliance 11, a purchaser
name, credit or debit card information, store member card
information, etc., in combination with information received from an
appliance 11 in order to make the claim in connection with the
warranty or insurance policy.
4. Fourth Set of Embodiments
[0067] A fourth set of embodiments of the appliance monitoring
system 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) will now be described with reference to
FIG. 3D and is denoted by reference numeral 130. In this third set,
the appliance monitoring system 10 includes at least the following
program code (or logic): program code 131 for engaging in a
communication session with an appliance 11; program code 132 for
monitoring battery information concerning an appliance 11; and
program code 133 for determining that the appliance 11 exhibits a
problematic battery condition based upon the battery
information.
[0068] The appliance monitoring system 10 can be designed with
program code that identifies one or more, but oftentimes a
plurality, of appliances 11 that are connected to the network 16,
such as a wireless network 16 at the site 14, that stores an
identity for each of the appliances 11 in a database 200 (appliance
ID data 207 in FIG. 4), and that stores the battery information in
the database 200 (battery data 208 in FIG. 4) in relation to the
identity corresponding to the appliance 11.
[0069] The appliance monitoring system 10 may be designed with
program code that pulls the appliance identity information from the
appliances 11 by broadcasting a registration request to the
appliances 11 via the network 16, receiving a response
communication from one or more of the appliances 11, and
determining the identity of the one or more appliances 11 based
upon the response.
[0070] The appliance monitoring system 10 may also be designed with
program code to receive a registration request from one or more of
the appliances 11 that are pushed to it from the appliances 11. The
program code determines the identity of the one or more appliances
11 based upon the registration request.
[0071] Once the appliances are identified, the appliance monitoring
system 10 stores an identity for each of the appliances 11 in the
database 200 (appliance ID data 207 in FIG. 4).
[0072] In some embodiments, the appliance monitoring system 10 can
have program code to engage in a communication session over the
Internet 20 with a remote computer system 18, to receive battery
information from the computer system 18, and to determine that the
appliance 11 exhibits the problematic battery condition based at
least in part on the information. The information may include the
expected life of the battery, acceptable voltage level when a
certain amount of current is sourced to a load, etc.
[0073] In some embodiments, after appliances 11 have been
identified, the appliance monitoring system 10 can have program
code to engage in an initial communication session over the
Internet 20 with a remote computer system 18, and to provide
registration information to the computer system 18 during the
initial communication session. The registration information could
be for the purpose of applying for or perfecting a warranty or
insurance policy on the battery, registering for future assistance
with analyzing battery data, etc. The program code may be further
designed to receive and store warranty or insurance confirmation
information from the computer system 18 after the registration
information is provided. Further note that the communication
session can be initiated at the request of the host computer system
12 or the computer system 18.
[0074] The appliance monitoring system 10 may be further designed
with program code to engage in a communication session over the
Internet 20 with a remote computer system 18 in order to make a
claim against an insurance policy or warranty based upon the
problematic battery condition.
C. APPLIANCE MONITORING SYSTEM DATABASE
[0075] An example of a database 200 that can be maintained and
updated by the appliance monitoring system 10 in the memory 32
(FIG. 2) is illustrated in FIG. 4. Although not limited to this
configuration, the database 200 is preferably a relational
database. As shown, this example database 200 can include, as
applicable, depending upon the embodiment to be practiced: one or
more algorithms 201 that are used for analyzing health data,
battery data, and/or other data; health data 202 (which includes
detected health data 202A and reference health data 202B); user
preferences data 203; GPS data 204; map data 205; weather data 206,
appliance ID data 207, battery data 208, warranty data 209,
insurance data 210, manufacturer data 211, vendor data 212, event
data 213 (which includes detected event data 213A and reference
event data 213B), etc.
D. INSURANCE BUSINESS METHOD
[0076] A method of doing business in connection with insurance is
also provided by this disclosure. The method can be practiced by an
insurance seller in connection with appliances 11 that are
monitored by the appliance monitoring system 10. The steps of the
method can be performed by a person or can be performed, in whole
or in part, by remote computer system 18 (FIG. 1) associated with
an insurance seller. When implemented with a computer system 18,
the steps can be performed by corresponding program code
(logic).
[0077] As shown in FIG. 5, the insurance business method 300
comprises the steps of: at step 301, determining a predicted
longevity of an appliance 11, which could optionally be based at
least in part upon monitored health data; at step 302, offering for
sale insurance based upon the predicted longevity; at step 303
receiving money as payment for the insurance from a payee; and at
step 304, issuing an insurance policy to the payee. As an example,
the predicted longevity can be an average life expectancy of the
appliance 11.
[0078] The method may further comprise the steps of receiving an
insurance claim based upon a failure of the appliance 11 and
determining whether payment on the claim should occur based upon
the predicted longevity and a time associated with the failure.
[0079] The method may further comprise the steps of determining a
plurality of predicted longevities based upon the monitored health
data; associating a different monetary purchase amount for
insurance for each of the plurality; and offering for sale a
plurality of insurance options for the electronic appliance, each
having a respective monetary purchase amount.
[0080] The method may further comprise considering geographical
location of purchase of the insurance or of a location of use of
the appliance 11 when determining the longevity or purchase price
of the insurance.
[0081] The method may further comprise considering the type of use
of the appliance 11 when determining the longevity or purchase
price of the insurance. The type could be residential, commercial,
hazardous use or area, etc.
E. DETERMINATION OF APPLIANCE MAINTENANCE ISSUE BASED UPON DETECTED
EVENT
[0082] The appliance monitoring system 10 can be designed to
determine that a maintenance issue exists with respect to an
appliance 11 based upon an event that is detected in the local
environment of the site 14 with an event detection engine 215, an
example of which is illustrated in FIG. 6. In these possible
embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the appliance monitoring system 10
(FIGS. 1 and 2) implements logic 400 in connection with the event
detection engine 215. More specifically, the appliance monitoring
system 10 has logic 401 designed to sense a signal in a local
environment associated with the site 4 using one or more
transducers 34 (FIG. 2); logic 402 designed to convert the sensed
signal to detected health data 201A (FIG. 4); logic 403 designed to
detect that an event has occurred with the event detection engine
215 (FIG. 6) by comparing the sensed data 202A with reference
health data 202B that corresponds to the event; and logic 404
designed to determine whether or not a maintenance issue exists in
connection with an appliance 11 based upon the detected event.
[0083] As an example, the detected event could be a mechanical
problem associated with a dishwasher. In this scenario, the
transducer 34 could be a microphone, as shown in FIG. 6, for
monitoring the sound associated with the dishwasher. When the sound
changes substantially from the norm, the event detection engine 215
can detect this occurrence and cause logic 404 to determine that a
maintenance issue exists in connection with the dishwasher. The
sound change can be detected by comparing current detected sound
data with reference sound data that corresponds with normal
operation, and when they do not match, within predefined limits,
abnormal operation can be concluded.
[0084] In some embodiments, the appliance monitoring system 10 may
be designed with logic for storing identification information
relating to a plurality of events and with logic for enabling the
user to select which of the events will be detected.
[0085] FIG. 6 shows the one or more input devices 34, such as but
not limited to, an audio microphone, etc., for receiving one or
more event signatures (could be detected event data 213A or
reference event data 213B of FIG. 4, depending upon the mode of
operation) that are used to identify environmental events. The
input devices 34 can include any transducer for sensing acoustic,
thermal, optical, electromagnetic, chemical, dynamic, wireless, or
atmospheric conditions, for example but not limited to, an audio
microphone, video camera, Hall Effect magnetic field detector, flux
gate compass, electromagnetic field detector, barometric pressure
sensor, thermometer, ionization detector, smoke detector, gaseous
detector, radiation detector, etc. The detection engine 215 may
also receive reference event signatures from a remote computer 18
via the Internet 20.
[0086] The detection engine 215 stores the one or more reference
signatures in memory 110 (reference event data 213B of FIG. 4) that
are used to identify environmental events, that correlates sensed
environmental signals with the reference signatures, and that
detects occurrences of the environmental events. A nonlimiting
example of such a detection engine 215 is described in U.S. Pat.
No. 7,872,574, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety. The discussion hereafter will describe incorporation of
the latter detection engine 215 in the architecture of the present
invention.
[0087] The event detection engine 215 is designed to be operated in
several modes. The architecture of the event detection engine 215
will be described as each of these modes is described in detail
hereafter.
[0088] 1. First Mode
[0089] In a first mode, the remote computer 18 is connected to a
reference memory array 260 by a switch 250. One or more reference
signatures can be collected by the remote computer 18 and loaded
into the reference memory array 260.
[0090] In this example, when an audio event is being detected, the
event detection engine 215 is designed to transform audio
recordings into suitable numerical arrays to create the reference
signatures for recognition. The frequency range of 0.2 Hz to 20 KHz
is sufficient for many applications. Furthermore, a time interval
of several seconds is normally sufficient.
[0091] The preprocessor 270 extracts the reference signals from the
reference memory array 260 and reformats them to facilitate rapid
correlation. The frequency domain is a preferred format for
sonograms. The preprocessor 270 analyzes each signature by a
sequence of Fourier transforms taken repeatedly over a period of
time corresponding to the duration of the signature. The Fourier
transform is preferably a two-dimensional vector, but a single
measure of amplitude versus frequency is sufficient. In the
preferred embodiment, among many possible embodiments, the event
detection engine 215 processes a 3-dimensional array of amplitude,
frequency, and time. The transformed signature arrays are stored
back into a reference memory array 260 for subsequent rapid
correlation. Preferably, each reference signature array includes an
identifier field associated with the signature. As an example, this
may be the name and picture/image of an appliance 11 associated
with the signature.
[0092] 2. Second Mode
[0093] In a second mode of operation, event detection engine 215
can acquire the reference signature signal directly from the local
environment via an input device 34, for example, the audio
microphone 34, as shown in FIG. 6. Audio signals from the
microphone 34 are amplified and converted to digital signals by
amplifier and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 240. The digital
signal from amplifier and ADC 240 is selected by the user via the
switch 250 and loaded directly into the reference memory array 260.
Preferably, several seconds of signal are collected in this
particular application. Then, the preprocessor 270 reformats the
reference signal for rapid correlation, preferably by Fourier
transform.
[0094] A gain control 241 associated with the ADC 240 can be
controlled by the user to control the range of the microphone 34
(or another input device, if applicable, and depending upon the
application).
[0095] 3. Third Mode
[0096] In a third mode of operation, the event detection engine 215
monitors the environment continuously (at discrete successive short
time intervals due to the computer-based architecture) for signals
that match those stored in the reference memory array 260. To
reduce computational burden, the preprocessor 270 is designed to
monitor the microphone 230 for a preset threshold level of signal
before beginning the correlation process. When the signal exceeds
the preset threshold level, the preprocessor 270 begins executing a
Fourier transform. After several seconds or a period equal to the
period of the reference signatures, the transformed active signal
is stored at the output of the preprocessor 270. Then, array
addressing logic 280 begins selecting one reference signature at a
time for correlation. Each reference signature is correlated by a
correlator 290 with the active signal to determine if the reference
signature matches the active signal from the environment.
[0097] The comparator 300 compares the magnitude of the output of
the correlator 290 with a threshold to determine a match. When
searching for events in the active signal, such as emergency
signals, the correlator 290 is compared with a fixed threshold. In
this case, the switch 310 selects a fixed threshold 311 for
comparison. If the correlation magnitude exceeds the fixed
threshold 311, then the comparator 300 has detected a match. The
comparator 300 then activates the correlation identifier register
320 and the correlation magnitude register 330. The magnitude of
the comparison result is stored in the correlation magnitude
register 330, and the identity of the source is stored in the
correlation identifier register 320. The fixed threshold 311 can be
predefined by a programmer or the user.
[0098] After event detection by the event detection engine 215, the
process is stopped and the array addressing logic 280 is reset. A
search for new active signals then resumes.
[0099] 4. Fourth Mode
[0100] In a fourth mode of operation, the event detection engine
215 searches for the best match for the sensed signal. In this
case, the correlation magnitude register 330 is first cleared.
Then, the switch 310 selects the output 312 of the correlation
magnitude register 330 as the threshold input to the comparator
300. The array addressing logic 280 then sequentially selects all
stored references of a set for correlation. After each reference in
the set is correlated, the comparator 300 compares the result with
previous correlations stored in the correlation magnitude register
330. If the new correlation magnitude is higher, then the new
correlation magnitude is loaded into the correlation magnitude
register 330, and the respective identifier is loaded into the
correlation identifier register 320.
[0101] In an alternative embodiment, the correlation process can be
performed by an associative process, where the active reference is
associated directly with the stored references in a parallel
operation that is faster than the sequential operation. New device
technologies may enable associative processing. For example,
reference memory array 260 can utilize content addressable memory
devices for associative processing. ASIC devices and devices, such
as the Texas Instruments TNETX3151 Ethernet switch incorporate
content addressable memory. U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,541, entitled
"Optical Associative Identifier with Joint Transform Correlator,"
which is incorporated herein by reference, describes optical
associative correlation.
[0102] This correlation process continues until all stored
reference signatures in the set under analysis have been
correlated. When the correlation process is completed, the
correlation identifier register 320 holds the best match of the
identity of the source of the active signal. The appliance
monitoring system 10 reads the event detection data 321 from this
register 320 and then determines whether or not a maintenance issue
exists. In addition, the identity of the event can also be
displayed as a photo or text description in a display 34, if
desired. If the final correlation magnitude is lower than a
predetermined threshold, then the active signature can be loaded
into the reference memory array 260 as a new unknown source.
F. OTHER VARIATIONS AND/OR MODIFICATIONS
[0103] It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments
of the present invention, particularly, any "preferred"
embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations,
merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the
invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the
above-described embodiment(s) of the invention without departing
substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All
such modifications and variations are intended to be included
herein within the scope of this disclosure.
[0104] With respect to variations, note that although not
specifically described for simplicity, any combination of the
various systems/methods that have been described under headings
above may be employed in connection with battery remediation.
[0105] As another example of a variation, note that the comparing
process that is performed by the detection engine 215 in order to
detect an environmental event associated with an appliance 11 can
be performed in the time domain as opposed to the frequency domain,
and in some cases, this may be the preferred methodology.
[0106] As yet another example of a variation, many of the
embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced in the
architecture described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,575, which is
incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing patent describes a
server platform server that communicates with various appliances as
well as various remote computers. This server platform server with
associated software could be employed as the host computer system
12 (FIG. 1) of the present disclosure.
[0107] As yet another example of a variation, many of the
embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced in the
architecture described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,291, which is
incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing patent describes a
device F with a microcontroller that is designed to capture
statistical and diagnostic information regarding various
appliances. This device F with support circuitry and/or software
can be utilized as the host computer system 12 (FIG. 1) of the
present disclosure.
[0108] As yet another example of a variation, many of the
embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced in the
architecture described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,336,192, which is
incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing patent describes a
monitoring device that communicates with appliances through the
power lines that and also tracks work cycles of appliances, so that
wear status of an appliance can be estimated. The communication
method can be employed in connection with many embodiments of the
present disclosure.
[0109] As yet another example of a variation, the host computer
system 12 can be implemented remotely of the site 14 by utilizing
the Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGI) specification. The OSGI
provides technology to allow management of localized electronics
equipment (such as appliances) by use of an external service
server. The server, located on a wide area network, such as the
Internet, provides management services for the localized
electronics equipment through a gateway into the home or workplace
where the equipment is located.
[0110] As yet another example of a variation, the host computer
system 12 can be implemented entirely within an appliance 11 so
that it is communicatively coupled to the circuitry associated with
the appliance 11 without the need for connectivity via the
network(s) 16.
[0111] As yet another example of a variation, the host computer
system 12 can be implemented as part of a computer based
smartphone. In this embodiment, the smartphone can be interfaced
wirelessly with one or more appliances 11 via, for example, near
field communication (NFC) and/or IEEE 802.11 (WiFI) interfaces, in
terms of software and hardware. In such embodiment, the one or more
appliances 11 would be equipped with a computer system architecture
with an appropriate NFC and/or IEEE 802.11 transceiver(s) and
software drivers, as would the smartphone, in order to enable
communications of data. Moreover, the smartphone can be equipped
with software, such as a downloadable application, that can monitor
use, longevity, or other data associated with appliances 11. This
information can be used to alert a user when the user needs to buy
a new appliance or appliance part. Any of the systems and methods
described in this disclosure in connection with the host computer
system 12 can be implemented in the smartphone.
[0112] As yet another example of a variation, the host computer
system 12 can be implemented remotely from the site 14, or as part
of, or in close association with the remote computer system 18 so
that the functionality of the host computer system 12 and the
functionality of the remote computer system 18 are communicatively
coupled without the need for connectivity via the network(s)
16.
[0113] As yet another example of a variation, the host computer
system 12 can be implemented as part of a WAP or router. The host
computer system 12 can be designed to communicate with computer
based appliances 11 via, for example, an IEEE 802.11 interface.
Moreover, the network interface can be secured or not secured.
[0114] In one embodiment of a secured environment, the host
computer system 12 can be designed to broadcast its username and
password to the appliances 11 during a limited initialization
period, and then stop broadcasting the password, in order to secure
the network.
[0115] In another embodiment of a secured environment, the host
computer system 12 can be designed with a user interface (e.g., a
display, etc.) that outputs the devices that are attempting to log
into the network. The user can then select which devices to allow
so that the user can selectively elect to receive communications
from only the appliances 11.
* * * * *