Patents can provide insights regarding
technical details for the operation of smart home applications. Followings
illustrate the technical details for the Samsung SmartThings based on the
related Samsung patents’ disclosures.
Hub
Samsung patent application US20150192939
describes technical details regarding the SmartThings Hub. The 100 includes a
communication interface 110, a sensor 120, a storage device 130, and a
controller 140 as illustrated in the following figure.
The communication interface 110 is configured
to perform communication with various types of external IoT devices according
to various types of communication methods. For example, the communication
interface 110 can be a wired or wireless interface, and can include multiple
interfaces configured to communicate according to the different communication
methods. The communication interface 110 receives user request information from
the user terminal apparatus (smartphone). Further, the communication interface
110 can receive/send information from/to an external server through home
gateway (internet modem/router). The user request information is information
used for driving various devices to set an environment of the home to a user's
desired environment. That is, the user request information may include a
desired temperature, desired humidity, a user arrival time, a washing start
time, a washing completion time, an operation time of a multimedia content
reproduction apparatus, and/or a content name to be reproduced, etc.
The sensor 120 is configured to collect
characteristic information of an environment.
For example, when the SmartThings Hub 100 is
located inside a home, the environment includes an environment inside the home
and an environment outside the home. In such a case, the sensor 120 includes
multiple sensors placed throughout the inside of the home and/or throughout the
outside of the home to collect data on the characteristic information. The
characteristic information includes various pieces of information indicating a
characteristic inside the home and/or a characteristic outside the home. For
example, the characteristic information includes an internal temperature of the
environment, internal humidity of the environment and/or road traffic condition
information, etc. That is, the sensor 120 includes various kinds of sensors
such as a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or a luminance sensor, and
sense the internal temperature, internal humidity, internal luminance, or the
like of the environment.
The storage device 130 is configured to store
various software modules, data, or the like for driving the SmartThings Hub 100.
For example, software including a base module, a sensing module, a
communication module, and a service module are stored in the storage device
130. The storage device 130 can store control information for controlling a IoT
device using the controller 140. For example, the storage device 130 can
calculate an operation start time and an operation duration of a heating and
cooling device, which are used to control an internal temperature of the home
that is sensed by the sensor 120 to be a desired temperature received from the
user terminal apparatus 200, and store the calculated result. That is, the
storage device 130 may store the operation start time and the operation
duration of the heating and cooling device, and the controller 140 transmits
the information stored in the storage device 130 to the user terminal apparatus
200 at a preset time.
The controller 140 is configured to control
an overall operation of the SmartThings Hub 100. The controller 140 can predict
a driving condition for driving IoT devices in a home network so that the
characteristic information collected in the sensor 120 matches the user request
information received through the communication interface 110. For example, in
response to receiving a desired temperature and a user arrival time from the
user terminal apparatus 200 through the communication interface 110, and
sensing an internal temperature of the home through the sensor 120, the
controller 140 can calculate the operation start time and the operation
duration of the heating and cooling device, which are necessary for the
internal temperature of the home to be the desired temperature at the user
arrival time, and predict the driving condition. The controller 140 transmits
the predicted driving condition to the user terminal apparatus 200 through the
communication interface 110. In response to receiving a confirm command for the
driving condition from the user terminal apparatus 200 through the communication
interface 110, the controller 140 controls the heating and cooling device 310
in the home according to the driving condition stored in the storage device 130
so that the home is at the desired temperature when the user arrives home.
App
Following figure is a view illustrating the user
terminal apparatus 200.
The user terminal apparatus 200 includes a
display 210, a communication interface 220, a storage device 230, and a
controller 240. The display 210 is configured to display multimedia content and
various user interfaces (UIs). In particular, the display 210 can display
information received from the SmartThings Hub 100, and display a UI for
controlling the IoT devices in a home network. That is, through the UI for
performing communication with the SmartThings Hub 100 and the home network
displayed in the display 210, the user terminal apparatus 200 receives the user
request information, and display the environment information and the driving
condition received from the SmartThings Hub 100. The display 210 can display a
notification window configured to notify the driving condition received from
the SmartThings Hub 100 every preset period.
The communication interface 220 is configured
to perform communication with various types of external apparatuses according
to various types of communication methods. The communication interface 220 performs
communication with the SmartThings Hub 100. The communication interface 220 can
transmit the received user request information to the SmartThings Hub 100. The
communication interface 220 receives the environment information such as the
internal temperature of the home from the SmartThings Hub 100. The storage
device 230 is configured to store various software modules and data for driving
the user terminal apparatus 200 (App).
IoT Devices
Device identification can be based on device
media access control (MAC) addresses, unique identifiers (e.g., names), unique
IP addresses, unique web addresses, and so on, as well as various generally
identifying information, such as non-unique device types, non-unique device
classes, locations, etc.
Samsung patent application US20140355588
describes technical details regarding the performing of the predetermined
operation by the home appliances. Following figure shows a control flow of the
washing machine.
The washing machine 300-4 includes a washing
machine manipulator 320-4 to receive an operation command for the washing
machine 300-4, a washing machine display 330-4 to display operation information
of the washing machine 300-4, and a washing machine communicator 370-4 to
communicate with the SmartThings Hub. A user inputs a control command for the
washing machine 300-4 through the portable terminal. For example, if the user
who operates the washing machine 300-4 while going out, desires to allow the
washing machine 300-4 and the portable terminal possessed by the user to
display a message indicating that the washing of laundry is finished when the
user returns home, the user inputs a control command indicating the above
contents into the washing machine 300-4 through the washing machine manipulator
320-4 and the portable terminal. Accordingly, the washing machine 300-4
performs a washing operation on the laundry to be washed. Thereafter, the user
enters the home, and as the portable terminal connects to the SmartThings Hub,
the SmartThings Hub receives identification information of the portable
terminal to identify the portable terminal, and notifies the washing machine 300-4,
of the connection of the portable terminal. Upon notified that the portable
terminal is connected to the SmartThings Hub, the washing machine 300-4 outputs
alarming sound through the washing machine sound output 390-4, indicates
through the washing machine display 330-4 that the washing is finished, and
sends through the SmartThings Hub the portable terminal a message stating that
the washing operation is finished. Accordingly, the portable terminal indicates
that the washing operation is finished.
Future
Samsung SmartThings is the first fully
integrated smart home system. As the technology innovations for the internet of
things (IoT) are advanced, it is expected that fully performing smart home
system that can provide more diverse value added services will be
developed. Followings
summarize future potential improvements of the current smart home system.
·
The smart home system will determine how
to solve user’s problem or perform for a specific situation without constant
guidance from the user.
·
The smart home system will adapt to
changing situation/environment.
·
The smart home product system will react
properly to the changing situation/environment in accordance with the
performance objectives.
·
The smart home system will adapt the
overall energy efficiency of the home to the comfort and quality of life.
·
The smart home system will proactively
act for caring the user under the environment/situation on behalf of the user.
·
The smart home system will provide UI/UX
depend on the user context.
·
The smart home system will provide personalize entertainment
to the user.
·
The smart home will provide should exploit semantic information regarding the
home entertainment devices.
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