Systems and methods for controlling appliances via a network

Abstract

A remote control device ( 140, 600 ) controls the operation of an appliance. The remote control device ( 140, 600 ) includes a receiver ( 320 ) or transceiver ( 620 ), a controller ( 330, 630 ), and a transmitter ( 350, 650 ). The receiver ( 320 ) or transceiver ( 620 ) receives a network packet that includes at least one command. The controller ( 330, 630 ) analyzes the network packet to determine whether the packet is intended for the remote control device ( 140, 600 ). The transmitter ( 350, 650 ) outputs a signal to control operation of the appliance based on the command when the controller ( 330, 630 ) determines that the packet is intended for the remote control device ( 140, 600 ).

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A control device comprising:
 a receiver coupled to a network and configured to receive from an originating device over the network a network packet having a destination address and including at least one command, the at least one command for controlling operation of an appliance;   a storage device configured to store information corresponding to a capability of the control device, the capability of the control device including a set of predetermined commands; and   a controller configured to analyze the destination address of the network packet to determine whether the network packet is intended for the control device, wherein the controller identifies the at least one command from the network packet and compares the at least one command with the set of predetermined commands to determine whether the at least one command can be performed by the control device; and   a transmitter which transmits a signal to the appliance to control operation of the appliance based on the at least one command when the network packet is determined to be intended for the control device.   
     
     
         35 . The control device of  claim 34 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the destination address included in the network packet with a network address corresponding to the control device to determine whether the network packet is intended for the control device. 
     
     
         36 . The control device of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a transceiver configured to receive the network packet and acknowledge receipt of the network packet.   
     
     
         37 . The control device of  claim 34 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a request for information regarding the capability of the control device, and to transmit a reply containing the set of predetermined commands. 
     
     
         38 . The control device of  claim 34 , wherein the receiver includes a radio frequency interface configured to receive the network packet sent via radio frequency technology over the network. 
     
     
         39 . The control device of  claim 34 , wherein the storage device is included in at least one of the receiver, controller, and transmitter. 
     
     
         40 . The control device of  claim 34 , wherein the transmitter includes a wireless interface, and wherein the signal transmitted by the transmitter is a wireless signal that is transmitted via the wireless interface directly to the appliance. 
     
     
         41 . The control device of  claim 40 , wherein the wireless interface includes an infrared (IR) interface, and wherein the signal transmitted by the transmitter is an infrared signal that is transmitted via the infrared interface directly to the appliance. 
     
     
         42 . The control device of  claim 41 , wherein the infrared signal is transmitted to an infrared receiving port of the appliance. 
     
     
         43 . A method comprising:
 receiving at a control system from an originating device over a network a network packet having a destination address and including at least one command, wherein the at least one command is to control operation of a appliance, and wherein the control system includes a storage that contains information corresponding to a capability of the control system, the capability of the control system including a set of predetermined commands;   analyzing the destination address of the network packet to determine whether the network packet is intended for the control system;   identifying the at least one command from the network packet;   comparing the at least one command with the set of predetermined commands to determine whether the at least one command can be performed by the control system; and   transmitting a signal to the appliance to control operation of the appliance based on the at least one command when the network packet is determined to be intended for the control system.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the originating device is one of a user device or a network device. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 acknowledging receipt of the network packet.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the transmitted signal is a wireless signal that is transmitted directly to a wireless receiving port of the appliance. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the wireless signal is an infrared signal, and the wireless receiving port of the appliance comprises an infrared receiver. 
     
     
         48 . A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor, the instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 43 . 
     
     
         49 . A system comprising:
 an originating device configured to generate a command for controlling one of a plurality of appliances and transmit the command in a packet having a destination address indicating that the command is intended for a target control device having said address; and   a plurality of control devices including the target control device, each of the plurality of control devices having an address and storing a capability comprising a set of known commands, wherein each of the plurality of control devices is configured to:
 receive the packet; 
 determine, based on a correspondence between the destination address of the packet and an address of the control device, whether the control device is the target control device, 
 determine whether the control device can perform the command by comparing the command with the stored set of known commands, 
 generate, based on the determination that the packet is intended for the target control device and the determination that the target control device can perform the command, a control signal based on the command; and 
 transmit the control signal to one of the plurality of appliances to control operation of the one appliance. 
   
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein the originating device includes a graphical user interface to facilitate control of the appliances by a user. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein at least one of the plurality of control devices includes a transceiver configured to acknowledge receipt of the packet. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 49 , wherein the plurality of control devices is coupled to the originating device via a network, and at least one of the plurality of control devices includes a radio frequency interface configured to receive the packet via radio frequency technology over the network. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 49 , at least one of the plurality of control devices includes an infrared interface, and the control signal transmitted to the one appliance is an infrared signal that is transmitted via the infrared interface. 
     
     
         54 . A method comprising:
 sending, via an originating device, a request for information regarding a capability of a control device, wherein the control device is associated with at least one appliance;   receiving, in response to the request, information of said control device, the information including a network address of the control device and the capability of the control device;   providing by the originating device a user interface including an indication of the at least one appliance and the capability of the control device;   receiving an instruction by said originating device, the instruction being for controlling a selected one of the at least one appliance;   determining, based on said instruction, a command and a destination network address associated with the control device associated with the selected appliance;   generating a network packet including the command and the destination network address;   transmitting the network packet to the control device;   analyzing, by the control device, the network packet to determine whether said destination network address matches the network address of the control device;   reading the network packet to identify the command;   comparing the command with a set of known commands stored by the control device to determine if the control device can perform the command; and   transmitting from the control device to the selected appliance, a signal including the identified command.