Device communication, monitoring and control architecture and method

8,667,100

12/831600

July 07, 2010

A communication interface and a device control, management and monitoring system are provided to enable the networking of and communication between a multiple devices operating under different protocols. The communication interface may act as a translator or protocol converter that reformats transmissions from one protocol to another based on protocol compatibility between the recipient and transmitting devices. The device control and monitoring system may store predefined rules that are triggered when specified conditions associated with the networked devices are detected. The rules may specify an action to take such as transmitting a discount offer to a user or turning off a light. According to one or more arrangements, the communication interface may act as an intermediary between the networked devices and the device control system so that the device control system is not required to understand or be compatible with the various other protocols used by the networked devices.

Dixon, Christopher (Merion Station, PA, US); Poder, James (Cheltenham, PA, US)

Comcast Interactive Media, LLC (Philadelphia, PA, US)

1. A method comprising: receiving, at a user premises device management system, a first signal from a first user premises device indicative of a condition associated with the first user premises device; receiving, at the user premises device management system, a second signal from a second user premises device indicative of a condition associated with the second user premises device; determining, by the user premises device management system, a rule based on the condition associated with the first user premises device and the condition associated with the second user premises device, wherein the rule associates the condition indicated in the first signal and the condition indicated in the second signal to a modification to an operation parameter of a third user premises device different from the first user premises device and the second user premises device, wherein the modification to the operation parameter of the third user premises device is different from the condition associated with the first user premises device and is different from the condition associated with the second user premises device; accessing device permissions for the third user premises device, wherein the device permissions specify whether the operation parameter of the third user premises device is modifiable by other devices; and generating and transmitting, by the user premises device management system, a third signal to the third user premises device, wherein the third signal comprises an instruction to modify the operation parameter of the third user premises device in accordance with the rule.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third user premises device comprises a multimedia presentation device and wherein modifying the operation parameter of the third user premises device comprises modifying a manner in which a content item is presented.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third user premises devices are located remotely from the user premises device management system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the condition associated with the first user premises device indicates at least one of a presence of an occupant in a user premises and a location of an occupant in a user premises.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first signal and the third signal are provided using the same protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and third user premises devices communicate using different protocols and wherein the first signal is received from a protocol conversion system and the third signal is transmitted to the third user premises device through the protocol conversion system.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protocol conversion system is co-located with at least one of the first, second, and third user premises devices and wherein the user premises device management system is located remotely from the protocol conversion system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to receiving the first signal, the method further comprises: receiving, at the user premises device management system, registration information for the first user premises device; and receiving, at the user premises device management system, information defining the rule based on the condition associated with the first user premises device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the registration information comprises a designation of the first user premises device as at least one of: a sender device configured to send signals to the user premises device management system and a receiver device configured to receive signals from the user premises device management system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the condition indicated by the first signal comprises a user premises being devoid of occupants and wherein the instruction carried in the third signal specifies at least one of: lowering a temperature and raising the temperature of the user premises.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third user premises device comprises a mobile device, and wherein the modification to the operation parameter of the third user premises device comprises displaying a message that prompts a user to take action.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message indicates an incentive for the user to take action.

13. A method comprising: receiving, at a user premises device management system, device registration information for a first user premises device, a second user premises device, and a third user premises device; assigning, by the user premises device management system, the first user premises device and the second user premises device a role comprising at least one of: a sender device configured to send signals to the user premises device management system and a receiver device configured to receive signals from the user premises device management system; assigning, by the user premises device management system, device permissions for the third user premises device, wherein the device permissions specify whether an operation of the third user premises device is modifiable by other devices; and receiving and registering a user specified rule defining an action to take upon detection of a condition associated with the first user premises device and a condition associated with the second user premises device, wherein the action comprises transmitting an instruction to the third user premises device different from the first user premises device and the second user premises device to modify the operation of the third user premises device, wherein the operation of the third user premises device to be modified is different from the condition associated with the first user premises device and the condition associated with the second user premises device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising: assigning device permissions for the first user premises device and the second user premises device, wherein the device permissions specify at least one of device information that is accessible by other devices and device functionality that is accessible by other devices.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the device permissions are defined by a user.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the device registration information comprises a protocol in which the first user premises device communicates.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first and third user premises devices communicate using different protocols and wherein the device registration information is received from a protocol conversion system different from each of the first and third user premises devices and the user premises device management system.

18. A method comprising: receiving, at a communication interface system, a first signal from a first device, wherein the first signal is formatted according to a first protocol and indicates an operational change of the first device; receiving, at a communication interface system, a second signal from a second device, wherein the second signal is formatted according to a second protocol and indicates an operational change of the second device; converting the first signal into a third protocol different from the first protocol; converting the second signal into the third protocol different from the second protocol; transmitting, from the communication interface system, the first signal and the second signal to a device management system according to the third protocol, wherein the device management system is located remotely from a user premises and is configured to determine a modification to an operation of a user premises device, different from the first device and the second device, based on the operational change of the first device and the operational change of the second device, wherein the modification to the operation of the user premises device is different from the operational change associated with the first device and the operational change associated with the second device; receiving a third signal from the device management system in response to the first signal and the second signal, the third signal comprising an instruction to perform the modification to the operation of the user premises device, wherein the third signal is transmitted based on accessed device permissions for the user premises device, the accessed device permissions specifying whether the modification to the operation of the user premises device is modifiable by other devices; converting the third signal from the third protocol to a fourth protocol; and transmitting the third signal to the user premises device according to the fourth protocol.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: receiving, at the communication interface system, a fourth signal from the user premises device, the fourth signal communicated according to the fourth protocol; converting the fourth signal into the third protocol; and transmitting the fourth signal to the device management system in the third protocol.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: transmitting device registration information for each of the first device, second device, and user premises device to the device management system; and transmitting, to the device management system, a rule specifying the modification to the operation of the user premises device to be performed when the operational change of the first device is detected.

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edspgr.08667100