Patent ID: 9544120
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: H04B,H04L,H04W

Claim:
1. A method for communicating to connected devices in a local environment, the method comprising: receiving, at a head end controller service comprising a software application executed on a remote server on the Internet, a command intent, the command intent indicating that a control signal for controlling an operation of a local connected device should be sent to the local connected device; detecting a plurality of pathways through which the control signal could potentially be sent and relayed, the pathways comprising a plurality of virtual-gateway-enabled personal communication devices, determining a best path through which to send and relay the control signal, wherein determining the best path comprises: sending, via an Internet or cellular data connection, the control signal from the head-end controller service to one of the virtual-gateway-enabled personal communication devices; receiving the control signal at the one of the virtual-gateway-enabled personal communication devices; and relaying the control signal from the one of the virtual-gateway-enabled personal communication devices to the local connected device via the one or more local radio frequency communication protocols,