Internet of Things 2020 Scenarios Based On Patents

Following future scenarios are developed based on disclosures in the IoT (Internet of Things) patents. The scenarios describe possible situations in 2020 that a person will experience in his/her everyday life: home, highway, shopping mall, business meeting and medical emergency situation. Scenarios can provide several IoT business insights including the IoT products/services and application business models development.

In the morning, at home

Alex, married with Janet and has two daughters Alice and Jenny, wakes up at 6 am with the morning call music Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione, one of his favorites. Alex’s smart home system selects the Feels So Good for gloomy Friday morning due to heavy clouds in the sky of Alex’s Boston home. The wake up time and music were selected based on Alex’s personal profile for his favorite music, his yesterday’s busy schedule and current weather condition sensed from his front yard. As Alex stands up, his closet doors are opened and LED lighting from the bottom shins the sox that is match in color with his black coat for an important business meeting in the afternoon.  The smart home system operates the closet doors and lightings depend on Alex’s position and movement. As Alex moves out from his bed room and moves into the living room, smart TV is turned on and automatically changes the TV channel for the traffic information. At that time, Kitchen lights flick to signal to Alex that his breakfast is ready in the rice cooker.  As Alex finishes his breakfast, Roombo, a home serving robot, approaches and asks him whether he had his subscription pills. When Alex has his medicine, he takes the image of the pill and sends the image to his primary care doctor using his smartphone.

Technology Enablers

US20150205623 (Device Configuration for Multiple Users Using Remote User Biometrics; Apple) illustrates a system to provide a personalized entertainment experience for different users exploiting the biometrics (e.g., fingerprint). Personalization of experiences may include providing access and/or not providing access to one or more files or applications, altering the presentation of user interfaces, enabling and/or disabling software and/or hardware components, altering the way that the user interfaces may be interacted with, modifying presentation settings, altering the functionality of software and/or hardware components, organizing storage of files and/or applications, configuring user authentication for content delivery and/or other services, and/or any other aspect of a user's experience with the electronic device.

US20150072674 (Location-Based Device Automation; Apple) illustrates a system for location-based device automation for some smart home applications.  Smart home IoT devices (e.g., lights and appliances) associated with a particular geographic location (e.g., room, office, building) can be automated based on a geographic location of mobile devices. Automation of a device can include activating or deactivating the device, or adjusting the settings of the device. For example, home lighting can be configured to activate or deactivate depending on a day and time.

US20140203972 (PERSONAL ITEMS NETWORK, AND ASSOCIATED METHODS; Apple) illustrates a personal items network, comprising a plurality of items, each item having a wireless communications port for coupling in network with every other item.

US20140195064 (SMART APPARATUS AND HOME NETWORK SYSTEM USING THE SAME; Samsung) illustrates a home network system includes home appliances including a washing machine, a TV, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and an autonomous cleaning device. Further, the home network system includes smart apparatuses that detect operating information regarding operations performed by the home appliances, a home server apparatus that receives the operating information of the home appliances from the smart apparatuses and transmits the operating information of the home appliances a terminal, and the terminal for displaying the operating information of the home appliances on a display screen of the terminal held by the user.

US20150115834 (SMART HOME NETWORK APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF; Samsung) illustrates the network apparatus includes a communication unit configured to perform communication with other devices. A storage unit configured to store information for an illumination device located within a preset distance range from other devices. The storage unit may store light-emitting pattern information for each device, light-emitting pattern information for an event of each device. A controller configured to control a light-emitting state of the illumination device located within the preset distance range from other devices based on the information stored in the storage unit when a preset event occurs in other devices. 

US20150224640 (COMPANION ROBOT FOR PERSONAL INTERACTION; iRobot) illustrates a home serving  robot for interacting with a resident in the resident's home. The robot may include a sensor capable of monitoring the resident when the robot is in the resident's home and the resident is within range of the sensor, a controller connected to monitor surveillance data from the sensor, a transmission control routine configured to enable a transmission of surveillance data from the sensor outside the resident's home if the resident grants permission for the transmission, and an override routine configured to enable a transmission of surveillance data from the sensor outside the resident's home (i) in an emergency condition detected by the robot or (ii) after an authorized remote caregiver sends to the robot an authorization previously permitted by the resident and an emergency condition indication. The robot may also carry on a dialogue with the resident, reinforce compliance with medication.

US20150213231 (METHOD, SERVER, AND USER DEVICE FOR PROVIDING USER'S PERSONAL MEDICINE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SERVICE BETWEEN THE SERVER AND THE USER DEVICE; Samsung) illustrates a system of managing a personal medicine information management service by a user device and a server includes obtaining a medicine image captured by photographing appearance of a user medicine; transmitting the obtained medicine image to the server as a request for recognition of the user medicine; and receiving medicine quantity information and personal medicine information from the server based on a result of the recognition of the user medicine. The personal medicine information includes an image of the user medicine of which recognition training is performed by the server.

On the way to shopping mall

On her way to nearby shopping mall, Janet hears a voice massage that she needs to exit at the next to buy milk. The onboard screen in her car shows a map for nearby shops with milk price if a shop is on sale. When Janet dozes off at the wheel, the automated vehicle monitoring system changes her car to a self-driving mode. As Janet drives her car at 75 mph at 55 mph speed limit highway, her car smart control system automatically slows down. About 5 miles before the shopping mall, her car slows down to a complete stop because her car receives an accident notice from a car drives in the opposite direction.  About 3 miles before the shopping mall, Janet hears a traffic congestion voice massage near the shopping mall exit.  The onboard screen in her car shows a map for alternative route to the shopping mall.  As Janet approaches the shopping mall, smart LED lights detects available parking spaces, then directs her to them. When Janet enters into the shopping mall, her smartphone receives indoor navigation guide maps, product information, and promotional advertisements. At a gift shop, Janet buys Alex’s birthday gift and pays using her smartphone.

Technology Enablers

US20150237470 (Personal Geofence; Apple) illustrates a system for providing location-based services triggered by a personal geofence . A mobile device can determine that a venue located at a geographic location and frequently visited by the mobile device in the past is associated with a particular item, service, or activity. Upon receiving a query about the item, service, or activity, the mobile device can create a temporary geofence around the venue. Using past behavior patterns and a current location, the mobile device can determine a condition to trigger execution of an application program or display of certain content. The condition can be personalized to match a life style of a user of the mobile device.

US20150149059 (AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROLLABLE VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SPEED THEREOF; Hyundai Mobis) illustrates an automatic speed controllable vehicle exploiting vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication system. The vehicle collects vehicle information and transmitted collected vehicle information to the road side equipment (RSE). The RSE receives vehicle information from each vehicle within a management section and transmits again, to each vehicle, information required for each vehicle to adjust a speed. The vehicle receiving information required to adjust the speed may adjust the speed of the vehicle based on the received information and may display a warning notification for a driver.

US20150170522 (METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING TRAFFIC INFORMATION USING VEHICLE TO VEHICLE COMMUNICATION; Hyundai Motor Company) illustrates a method for transmitting traffic information using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system. A first vehicle communication terminal detects an occurrence event and transmits the traffic information message through V2V communication. A second vehicle communication terminal, which drives in an opposite direction as compared to the first vehicle terminal, receives and analyzes the traffic information.

US 20150054659 (COOPERATIVE VEHICLE COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM; Fujitsu) illustrates a vehicular communication systems enable vehicles to wirelessly communicate with each other to exchange traffic information and generate safety warnings depending on the traffic information exploiting V2X (V2V and V2I) communication system.

US 20150158499 (VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEM: Magna Electronics) illustrates an automated vehicle monitoring system that includes a central processor operable to receive vehicle inputs from multiple vehicles. The vehicle inputs are indicative of driving conditions of the vehicles. The central processor is operable to receive, for each vehicle of the multiple vehicles, an environment input indicative of the environment at that vehicle.

US20150215744 (SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INDOOR POSITIONING, NAVIGATION AND LOCATION SPECIFIC SERVICES; GE) illustrates the LED visible light communication (VLC) for the smart home/building positioning applications. The indoor positioning system includes modulating the light output of LED lamps installed throughout the structure. The LED light can be modulated at a fast rate that is imperceptible to the human eye. This modulation can be detected by suitably configured cameras. The modulation can include positioning data of the LED lamp. A digital camera on a handheld device in conjunction with an application can discern the modulated data. The modulation requires the placement of a microchip controller at each LED lamp undergoing modulation. The microchip, in conjunction with software, controls the fast rate modulation.

At the business meeting

Alex has a business meeting with John at Financial Building located in the Boston downtown. As Alex arrives in front of Financial Building, he receives a welcoming message of an access information service of Financial Building (displayed on his smartphone). Alex then moves on to Conference Room 313 by being provided with a WiFi signal based location guidance through his smartphone. While Alex is moving to Conference Room 313, automatic authentication of all doors located along the path may be realized, thereby allowing Alex to pass through all doors in order to reach Conference Room 313. When Alex enters Conference Room B, lights and lamps installed in the conference room are automatically turned on, and operation of a ventilation system is initiated.  When John enters Conference Room 313, a projector is turned on, blinders of the conference room windows are shut down, and the lights are turned off. Alex discusses with John regarding the adoption of the smart inventory system that utilizes the 3D printing system in John’s warehouse.

Technology Enablers

US20150230167 (Method and System for Providing Service Based on Space; KAIST) illustrates a system for providing a service based on space are disclosed herein. The method includes registering multiple smart access points respectively included in multiple spaces--each of the access points are connected to at least one Internet of Things (IoT) device that is further included in the corresponding space, providing first service control information to a first smart access point, in accordance with a request of the first smart access point, the first smart access point being accessed by a terminal of a user, among multiple access points, and providing second service control information to a second smart access point in accordance with a request of the second smart access point, when the terminal of the user accesses the second smart access point, among the multiple access points, and when the second smart access point recognizes a movement of the user.

US20140244017 (DETERMINING ITEMS TO BUILD BASED ON AN INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) NETWORK INVENTORY AND BUILDING THE DETERMINED ITEMS USING A 3D PRINTER; Qualcomm) relates to determining items to build based on inventory in an Internet of Things (IoT) network and using a 3D printer to build the determined items. In particular, inventory in the IoT network may be monitored to predict replacement needs associated with certain items in the IoT network inventory and determine further inventory needs. In response to determining that additional inventory items may be needed in the IoT network, licenses and 3D printer blueprints to build the items may be obtained and 3D printing may be scheduled to build the items in which the items may be added to the IoT network inventory when the 3D printer completes 3D print jobs to produce the items.

Medical Emergency

Alice, a college student, is not feeling well, suffering from severe nasal congestion and cold symptoms for several days. She realizes she should seek care, but finds it frustrating to schedule an appointment with her primary care physician. She recently became aware of a medical kiosk in her neighborhood grocery store, and decides to drive to the store a few minutes from her home to see if she can get a walk-in appointment. Once checked-in, the medical attendant escorts Alice into the medical kiosk. The medical assistant also fits a blood pressure cuff on Alice, connects the blood pressure cuff to the medical kiosk, and then begins the vital capture process for Alice. During the vitals capture process, the weight and temperature of Alice is also collected. The Patient Application provides information to Alice on how to proceed with the vitals capture process. Once the vital capture process is completed, Alice presses a button that she is ready to proceed with the teleconference with the medical provider. The medical provide then appears on the Provider Screen in the medical kiosk and Alice appears on the screen being used by the medical provider. The medical provider then questions and examines Alice during the teleconference.

Jenny, a high school student, witnesses an accident. A man hit by a car lies down on the street. An EMC person wears a glove to transmit haptic feedback to a doctor at the hospital. Smart haptic devices employing tactile feedback technology which recreates the sense of touch can be used for an operator of a surgical instrument or diagnostics of a patient remotely. The haptic glove provides the sense that a doctor can feel a wound remotely.

Technology Enablers

US20150199783 (Medical Kiosk and Method of Use; Healthspot) illustrates a medical kiosk to provide telemedicine services to a user. The medical kiosk equips with apparatus for providing medical services, diagnoses, health advice to individuals.

US9046926 (System and method of dynamically generating a frequency pattern to realize the sense of touch in a computing device; IBM) illustrates a system for providing the sense that a doctor can feel a wound without being co-located with a patient. The system comprises an image processing module capable of extracting a plurality of features from a visual representation of a physical object and a frequency generation module capable of generating a variable frequency pattern corresponding to the extracted features, and sending the variable frequency pattern to a computing device in which the computing device generates the tactile feedback in response to a stimulation applied by a user based on the variable frequency pattern.

US20140336669 (Haptic gloves and surgical robot systems; Samsung) illustrates a haptic glove configured to transmit haptic feedback to an operator of a surgical robot system.

In the evening, at home

As Alex approaches his home the smart home system determines whether his car network system is detected within a radius of 2 miles. When the car network system is detected within the predetermined range, the smart home system transmits parking information. The transmitted parking information is displayed on the display unit in the car. Then, smart home system turns on the light in the front door and changes the living room temperature at Alex’s most comfortable temperature. While Alex is having a good evening time his smartphone notifies him that  his garage door is open and his electric vehicle is not charging. Before goes to bed, Alex writes a check for the monthly utility bill. The smart utility meter in his home communicates service usage data back to a computing server of the public utility department. The computing server receives the service usage data and identifies the smart utility meter that sent the data. The computing server correlates the identity of the smart utility meter with a service address, and the computing server automatically generates the invoice that is sent to the service address. Before goes to bed, Alex also wears a device to monitor his sleep apnea that breathing is interrupted.

Technology Enablers

US20140167983 (INTEGRATION OF VEHICLE WITH HOME-CENTRIC SYSTEM; Zubie) illustrates an integration of the smart home and connected car system. Smart home system includes home smart appliance networks, home smart energy systems, smart lighting system and others. The smart home system can include sensors or components that are physically located at different places throughout the home and are in communication with a central "command center" that consolidates information from each of the sensor/components whether a particular entry door, window, or garage door is opened, or whether a motion sensor has sensed any motion, or whether a particular light or set of lights is off/on or a current temperature of the house

US20120120930 (Vehicle network system interconnecting with a home network; Hyundai Motor Company) illustrates a vehicle network system interconnected with a home network that includes a vehicle information collection unit and a wireless transceiver unit. The vehicle information collection unit detects accident information or management information of a vehicle and the wireless transceiver unit transmits information detected by the vehicle information collection unit to the home network via a wireless communication network and is configured to receive a response signal from the home network.

US20150229654 (SECURED TRANSACTIONS IN INTERNET OF THINGS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS NETWORKS; STMicroelectronics) illustrates a secure network enabled device has a distinct security module and lacks a human user input interface. The security module is formed in an integrated circuit. The security module is initialized. Data is electronically communicated to and from the secure network enabled device via at least one transceiver. The security module is configured to test the integrity of a subset of the data communicated to the secure network enabled device, and the security module is configured to test the integrity of a transaction protocol, which governs the stream of data bits of the data communicated to the secure network enabled device.

US20100256460 (Wearable Monitoring System; GE) illustrates a wearable monitoring system to collect and manage physiological information which is indicative of a condition of a respiration function. This device can be used at home by a doctor remotely to monitor apnea.