Abstract:
A method of controlling operation of cataloged smart devices includes generating an image of an item using a camera of a mobile computing device, the item corresponding to a smart device, identifying the item in the image, establishing a link to the smart device in response to identifying the item in the image, and controlling the smart device using the mobile computing device after establishing the link to the smart device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a method of controlling smart devices, and more particularly, to a method of intuitively controlling smart devices by quickly identifying the smart devices that a user wishes to control. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Along with the prevalence of smart devices in the home or business, many ways of controlling the smart devices have been developed. One popular method of controlling smart devices relies on applications (apps) written for mobile phones or tablet computers. These apps may be limited to only being able to control smart devices manufactured by the same company that creates the corresponding apps. If a user has smart devices made by several different companies, the user may need to have several apps installed in order to be able to control all installed smart devices. Switching between apps adds extra steps to the control method, which can cause inconvenience to the user. 
     Also, within a given app, locating the smart device the user wishes to control can sometimes a long time since the user may need to navigate through many menus in the app or through lists of smart devices that the user has installed. Only once the correct smart device has been selected can the user begin to control the selected smart device. Consequently, the industry is in need of a more intuitive control method for allowing users to quickly and conveniently control smart devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one of the primary objectives of the claimed invention to provide a method of controlling smart devices in an intuitive manner. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the claimed invention, a method of controlling operation of cataloged smart devices is disclosed. The method includes generating an image of an item using a camera of a mobile computing device, the item corresponding to a smart device, identifying the item in the image, establishing a link to the smart device in response to identifying the item in the image, and controlling the smart device using the mobile computing device after establishing the link to the smart device. 
     It is an advantage that the present invention provides a way for intuitively selecting and linking to a smart device that the user wishes to control. The user is able to point the mobile computing device right at the smart device the user wishes to control, thereby avoiding the need to go through extensive menus or lists in order to select the smart device that the user wishes to control. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a mobile computing device that is used for executing an application for selecting and controlling smart devices. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates using the camera of the mobile computing device to create an image corresponding to a room. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a one-dimensional bar code associated with the switch. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a two-dimensional bar code associated with the switch. 
         FIG. 5  is a functional block diagram illustrating interaction between the mobile computing device and a smart device via a network. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a table containing fields in the ID code. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a table containing fields in the UID number. 
         FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  are diagrams illustrating control buttons corresponding to a smart device corresponding to the identified switch. 
         FIG. 10  shows a user controlling a smart lamp in another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart describing a method of controlling smart devices according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates identifying a smart device using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a mobile computing device  10  that is used for executing an application (app)  22  for selecting and controlling smart devices. To provide a descriptive name for the app, the app will be referred to below as the Intuitive Control app. 
     The mobile computing device  10  comprises a display  12  that is preferably a touchscreen, a camera  14 , a processor  16 , a wireless transceiver  18  such as a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transceiver, and a storage device  20 . The storage device  20  stores the Intuitive Control app  22  as well as app data  24  that is used in conjunction with the Intuitive Control app  22 . The storage device  20  is preferably a non-volatile memory such as flash memory. The mobile computing device  10  may be any mobile device having both a display and a camera, such as a tablet computer or a smartphone, but other devices such as a notebook computer can be used as well. 
     A description of using the Intuitive Control app  22  will be given below. Please refer to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  illustrates using the camera  14  of the mobile computing device  10  to create an image  32  corresponding to a room  30 . The image  32  can be created in one of several different ways. First, the image  32  can be created when a user of the mobile computing device  10  takes a picture with the camera  14 . The resulting picture file can be used as the image  32 . Second, the image  32  can be created when the user of the mobile computing device  10  captures a video with the camera  14  to create a video file. A screenshot from the video file can be used as the image  32 . Third, the image  32  can be created when a user generates a preview image with the camera  14 . The preview image is created for allowing the user to view a picture in a virtual “view finder” before the user takes a picture or captures a video with the camera  14 . 
     The image  32  is shown on the display  12  of the mobile computing device  10 , and the image shows a switch  40  that corresponds to a smart device. In this example, the smart device could be a light in the room  30 , and the switch  40  is used for controlling the light. When the switch  40  appears in the image  32 , the Intuitive Control app  22  identifies the switch  40 , and a link between the Intuitive Control app  22  and the smart device corresponding to the switch  40  is established. Once the link between the Intuitive Control app  22  and the smart device corresponding to the switch  40  has been established, the Intuitive Control app  22  is then able to control the smart device. 
     The Intuitive Control app  22  is not limited to only identifying the switch  40  or other switches for smart devices. Instead, other ways of identifying a smart device can be used. Please refer to  FIGS. 3 and 4 .  FIG. 3  illustrates a one-dimensional bar code  42  associated with and located near the switch  40 .  FIG. 4  illustrates a two-dimensional bar code  44  associated with and located near the switch  40 . Both the one-dimensional bar code  42  and the two-dimensional bar code  44  work in the same way. When the camera  14  of the mobile computing device  10  creates an image containing the one-dimensional bar code  42  or the two-dimensional bar code  44 , the Intuitive Control app  22  scans the bar code, identifies the corresponding smart device, and establishes the link between the Intuitive Control app  22  and the corresponding smart device. The Intuitive Control app  22  is then able to control the smart device corresponding to the one-dimensional bar code  42  or the two-dimensional bar code  44 . 
     Besides using the one-dimensional bar code  42  or the two-dimensional bar code  44 , other methods could be used to identify a smart device and to establish a link between the Intuitive Control app  22  and the corresponding smart device. For example, near field communication (NFC) technology could be used. A smart device could have an NFC tag or an NFC device that, when scanned by the mobile computing device  10 , allows the Intuitive Control app  22  to identify the smart device and then to establish a link to the smart device. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology could be used in the same way, as well as any other technology that provides a link or allows the user to key in a link to thereby connect to a smart device. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  is a functional block diagram illustrating interaction between the mobile computing device  10  and a smart device  94  via a network  90 . The mobile computing device  10  is preferably connected to the network  90  wirelessly, and may use the wireless transceiver  18  to establish this wireless connection. The network  90  can be connected to the smart device  94  either wirelessly or through a wired connection. A cloud database  92  is used to store information used to help identify the items corresponding to the smart device  94 . For instance, in  FIGS. 3 and 4  above, the cloud database  92  would store data corresponding to the one-dimensional bar code  42  and the two-dimensional bar code  44 , and would also store linking information for the smart device  94  corresponding to the one-dimensional bar code  42  or the two-dimensional bar code  44 . That is, the cloud database  92  reads data when scanning either the one-dimensional bar code  42  or the two-dimensional bar code  44 , compares this read data with a plurality of predefined data entries stored in the cloud database  92 , and identifies the corresponding one-dimensional bar code  42  or two-dimensional bar code  44  when the read data matches one of the plurality of predefined data entries stored in the cloud database  92 . 
     When the one-dimensional bar code  42  or the two-dimensional bar code  44  are not used, such as the example shown in  FIG. 2  in which the switch  40  is identified, environmental features surrounding the switch  40  are used for identifying the switch  40 . In this case, the environmental features surrounding the switch  40  in the image  32  are analyzed to generate an environmental code. The generated environmental code is then compared with a plurality of predetermined environmental codes stored in the cloud database  92 , and the switch  40  is identified when the generated environmental code matches one of the plurality of predetermined environmental codes stored in the cloud database  92 . 
     Besides storing information about how to identify the switch  40 , the one-dimensional bar code  42 , or the two-dimensional bar code  44 , the cloud database  92  also stores descriptive information about each smart device to be controlled. In the cloud database  92 , the descriptive information may include an identification (ID) code assigned to each type of smart device. Each of the fields in the ID code can be independently searchable in the event the user wishes to search for the smart device in the future. Please refer to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  illustrates a table containing fields in the ID code. The table contains an “item type code” identifying the category type of the smart device as “A0001”, a “brand code” corresponding to the brand of the smart device is “ABCDEFG”, and a “product ID code” corresponding to the product ID indicating the model of the smart device “HIJKLMNO”. The ID code is the same for any given model smart device. For example, if a user has matching smart devices on either side of a bed, both of these smart devices would have the same ID code. 
     In addition to being assigned an ID code, each smart device in the Intuitive Control app  22  will be assigned its own unique identification (UID) number that is also stored in the cloud database  92 . Please refer to  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  illustrates a table containing fields in the UID number. Each UID number will contain series of codes according to the location and the type of the smart device. For example, the smart device having the ID code shown in  FIG. 6  can be assigned the following codes. The UID number contains the following information: a “country code” corresponding to the country where the smart device is located is “886”, a “user code” corresponding to the user cataloging the smart device is “ABCDEFGHIJ”, a “room code” corresponding to the room where the smart device is located is “001”, a “container code” corresponding to the storage unit where the smart device is located is “00A”, the “item type code” identifying the category type of the smart device is “A0001”, the “brand code” corresponding to the brand of the smart device is “ABCDEFG”, the “product ID code” corresponding to the product ID indicating the model of the smart device is “HIJKLMNO”, an “item serial number” identifying the smart device using a unique serial number is “0001”, and a “check code” used as a checksum for the rest of the codes in the UID is “9”. In the Intuitive Control app  22 , each unique smart device will be given a UID number. Even two identical smart devices in the same room would have different UID numbers since the smart device serial numbers would be different for each smart device. 
     Once the smart device  94  is identified, control information for the smart device  94  is obtained in the Intuitive Control app  22 . This control information can be downloaded from the cloud database  92  via the network  90  or the control information can be stored in advance in the app data  24  within the storage device  20  of the mobile computing device  10 . The control information may be used to show control buttons in the Intuitive Control app  22 . Please refer to  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  are diagrams illustrating control buttons corresponding to a smart device corresponding to the identified switch  40 . After the switch  40  is identified using the Intuitive Control app  22 , the user may be given the opportunity to confirm that the switch  40  is the correct item that the user wishes to select. On the image  32  shown on the display  12  of the mobile computing device  10 , the switch  40  is shown within the image  32 . Once the switch  40  is identified, a control menu pops up on the image  32  containing a reproduced image  52  of the switch  40  having an outline  50 . If other identified items are also shown in the image  32 , outlines corresponding to the other identified items can be shown as well. When a user wishes to select one of the identified items, the user simply needs to tap on the reproduced image  52  shown within the outline  50 . The outline  50  can then change appearance to give the user visual feedback that this item has been selected. Once the reproduced image  52  and outline  50  have been selected, the Intuitive Control app  22  establishes a link to the smart device that corresponds to the switch  40  and a corresponding control button  54  appears. The user of the Intuitive Control app  22  can then control the smart device corresponding to the switch  40  by moving the control button  54  up or down. Moving the control button  54  up, as shown in  FIG. 8 , will turn on the smart device. Moving the control button  54  down, as shown in  FIG. 9 , will turn off the smart device. If the smart device is a light, this simple kind of control button  54  may be sufficient for controlling all functions of the light. If the smart device has more complicated control functions, such as that of a smart television or a smart thermostat, then other control buttons or control menus will appear for allowing the user to fully control the smart device. Please note that instead of using the Intuitive Control app  22  for controlling all smart devices, the Intuitive Control app  22  can also provide links for opening other dedicated apps that are used for controlling certain smart devices. 
     Instead of the user selecting an identified item before establishing a link to the smart device corresponding to the item, a link to the smart device can be directly established once the item has been identified if there is only one item that was identified. When two or more items were identified, the user should select an item before a link is established. On the other hand, when only one item is identified, the link can be made directly without any prior selection being needed. 
     In  FIGS. 8 and 9 , another smart device is also present in the room  30 , namely a smart lamp  64 . However, the smart lamp was not shown in the image  32 , and was therefore not available for the user to select. Please refer to  FIG. 10 .  FIG. 10  shows a user controlling the smart lamp  64  in another embodiment of the present invention. Camera  14  of the mobile computing device  10  creates an image  62  corresponding to the room  30 . The smart lamp  64  is shown in the image  62 , and once the smart lamp  64  is identified based on its appearance, the Intuitive Control app  22  links to the smart lamp  64  and a control button  66  appears next to the smart lamp  64  in the image  62 . The user is then given the opportunity to control the smart lamp  64  using the control button  66 . Differing from the previous embodiment, the smart lamp  64  itself appears in the image  62  shown on the display  12  of the mobile computing device  10 . The image  62  does not identify a switch corresponding to the smart lamp  64 , and instead identifies the smart lamp  64  directly. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 11  is a flowchart describing a method of controlling smart devices using the Intuitive Control app  22  according to the present invention. Steps in the flowchart will be explained as follows. 
     Step  100 : Start. 
     Step  102 : Generate an image of an item. For example, generate the image  32  containing the switch  40 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Step  104 : Identify the item. For example, the switch  40  is identified. 
     Step  106 : Establish a link to a smart device corresponding to the item. For example, a link is established to a smart device corresponding to the switch  40 . 
     Step  108 : Control the smart device using the mobile computing device. 
     Step  110 : End. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 12 .  FIG. 12  illustrates identifying a smart device using an RFID tag according to another embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 12  shows the smart lamp  64  now having an RFID tag  70  affixed to it for uniquely identifying the smart lamp  64 . An RFID scanner  80  can then be used to scan the RFID tag  70  for identifying the smart lamp  64  and allowing the user to quickly control the smart lamp  64  using the Intuitive Control app  22 . Preferably the RFID scanner  80  is a handheld RFID scanner. As a non-limiting example, the RFID scanner  80  illustrated in  FIG. 12  is a shown as being a racquet-shaped RFID scanner. 
     In summary, the present invention provides a way for intuitively selecting and linking to a smart device that the user wishes to control. The user is able to point the mobile computing device  10  right at the smart device or an item corresponding to the smart device that the user wishes to control, thereby avoiding the need to go through extensive menus or lists in order to select the smart device that the user wishes to control. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.