Patent Publication Number: US-2015081568-A1

Title: Dealer portal device enrollment

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/846,483, filed on Jul. 15, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present application generally relates to an enrollment system and in particular, a dealer portal enrollment system. Enrollment systems may be structured to operate in various ways. Some existing systems have various shortcomings relative to certain applications. Accordingly, there remains an interest for further contributions in this area of technology. 
     SUMMARY 
     One embodiment of the present invention is a unique enrollment system. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for an enrollment system. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The description herein makes reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing device. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic flow diagram for an exemplary process. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic flow diagram for an exemplary process. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of exemplary sensors and/or actuators. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
     The present application generally relates to a system for allowing a dealer to remotely access and/or control a device in a customer&#39;s home.  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a system  100  for registering and/or providing control over one or more sensors and/or actuators  102  in a building  104  such as a home. The system  100  includes one or more sensors/actuators  102  that measure and/or regulate or control various parameters in the building  104 . The sensors/actuators  102  may be located in various spaces in and around the building  104  such as in bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms, living rooms, kitchens, basements, dining rooms, outside patio, garage, yard, driveway, common area, and the like. The sensors/actuators  102  may include light controls, electronic locks, thermostats, cameras, and the like as seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     The sensors/actuators  102  may form a network in the building  104 . The network may be a Z-Wave wireless mesh network, a Zigbee wireless mesh network, an 802.11 wireless network, TCP/IP over Ethernet, a proprietary radio protocol, a proprietary wired communication protocol, the Trane Comfort Link II wired communication protocol, the Internet, NFC, Bluetooth, or any other suitable communication channel. 
     The sensors/actuators  102  may be configured and/or controlled remotely. For example, the system  100  includes a communication channel  106  for transferring information (either one-way or bi-directionally) from the sensors/actuators  102  to a cloud service  108  and from the cloud service  108  to the sensors/actuators  102 . The communication channel  106  may be the Internet or any other appropriate communication channel. The sensors/actuators  102  may communicate with the cloud service  108  over the Internet or any other communication channel via, e.g., a bridge and/or router (not shown), to receive settings and/or report information. Moreover, the sensors/actuators  102  include appropriate circuitry and/or firmware/software that allows the sensors/actuators  102  to communicate with the cloud service  108  via, e.g., a bridge and/or router. The cloud service  108  provides various services for controlling and managing the sensors/actuators  102 . The cloud service  108  includes a server and database  110  to store customer opt-in information, dealer registration information, control rules, and/or sensor/actuator settings, among other settings. 
     The server  110  may also include one or more applications  112  that provide a customer account module  114  and/or a dealer portal module  116 . Generally, the customer account module  114  may provide a graphical user interface that provides the customer with information and allows the customer to interact with the customer account module  114  to manage, monitor, set-up and/or control sensors/actuators  102  at the building  104 . Generally, the dealer portal module  116  allows dealers to diagnose and correct any problems with a customer&#39;s sensor/actuator  102  remotely rather than the dealer driving to the customer&#39;s building (e.g., a home) to configure or install the sensor/actuator or investigate complaints. The dealer may use the dealer portal module  116  where the dealer will be able to view and/or control live system information remotely after the sensor/actuator  102  (e.g., a thermostat) has been properly authorized by the owner for viewing by that dealer. 
     A customer at the building  104  may use a computer  118  that may include an application  120  for controlling the sensor/actuators  102  at the building  104 . The application  120  may communicate with the customer account module  114  at the cloud service  108  to monitor and/or control the sensors/actuators  102  through the communication channel  106  or any other communication channel. A mobile device  122  may communicate with the customer account module  114  at the cloud service  108  to monitor and/or control the sensors/actuators  102  over a wireless network and/or the Internet. 
     A dealer at a dealer site  124  may use a computer  126  that includes an application  128  for communicating with the dealer portal module  116  at the cloud service  108  via a communication channel  129  such as the Internet or any other appropriate communication network. Generally, the dealer portal module  116  may provide a graphical user interface that provides the customer with information to monitor and/or control the sensors/actuators  102  at the customer site  104 . A mobile device  130  may communicate with the dealer portal module  116  at the cloud service  108  to monitor and/or control the sensors/actuators  102  over a wireless network and/or the Internet. 
     Generally, the application  112 , including customer account module  114  and dealer portal module  116 , provides that dealers can only see data for sensors/actuators  102  for which the dealer has installed and the customer has authorized the dealer to view. In addition, the customer may verify which dealer has access, limit access to a single dealer or multiple dealers, and/or provide temporary access to the dealer for making remote modifications to the sensor/actuator  102 . 
     Once a sensor/actuator  102  is authorized for dealer data access, customers have the option of granting temporary control rights to the dealer via the customer account module  114  so that the dealer can remotely adjust the sensor/actuator  102  (e.g., a thermostat) via the dealer portal module  116  during a defined period of access rights. The system  100  may be preconfigured for passive opt-in by default so that the customer does not have proactively look up the specific dealer for granting access. In addition, during the initial installation before a customer account is created, a dealer may gain temporary remote access to the sensor/actuator  102  for initial setup and troubleshooting. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a computing device  200 . The computing device  200  is one example of a sensor/actuator, computer, server/database, and/or mobile device which may be utilized in connection with the sensor/actuators  102 , computers  118 ,  126 , the server and/or database  110 , and/or mobile devices  122 ,  130  shown in  FIG. 1 . Computing device  200  includes a processing device  202 , an input/output device  204 , memory  206 , and operating logic  208 . Furthermore, computing device  200  may communicate with one or more external devices  210 . 
     The input/output device  204  may be any type of device that allows the computing device  200  to communicate with the external device  210 . For example, the input/output device  204  may be a transceiver (e.g., Z-Wave, Zigbee, WIFI, NFC, Bluetooth), network adapter, network card, interface, or a port (e.g., a USB port, serial port, parallel port, an analog port, a digital port, VGA, DVI, HDMI, FireWire, CAT 5, or any other type of port or interface). The input/output device  204  may be comprised of hardware, software, firmware, and/or state machines. It is contemplated that the input/output device  204  may include more than one transceiver, network adapter, network card, or port. 
     The external device  210  may be any type of device that allows data to be inputted to or outputted from the computing device  200 . For example, the external device  210  may be a control device, transceiver, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), an accessory, a reader device, equipment, a handheld computer, a diagnostic tool, a controller, a computer, a server, a processing system, a sensor, a printer, a display, an alarm, an illuminated indicator such as a status indicator, a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch screen display. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the external device  210  may be integrated into the computing device  200 . For example, the computing device  200  may be a mobile phone, controller, a handheld diagnostic tool, a smartphone, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer in which case the display would be an external device  210 , but the display is integrated with the computing device  200  as one unit, which is consistent with the general design of mobile phones, handheld diagnostic tools, smartphones, laptop computers, tablet computers, and the like. It is further contemplated that there may be more than one external device in communication with the computing device  200 . 
     Processing device  202  can be a programmable type, a dedicated, hardwired state machine; or a combination of these; and it can further include multiple processors, Arithmetic-Logic Units (ALUs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), or the like. Processing devices  202  with multiple processing units may utilize distributed, pipelined, and/or parallel processing. Processing device  202  may be dedicated to performance of just the operations described herein or may be utilized in one or more additional applications. In the depicted form, processing device  202  is of a programmable variety that executes algorithms and processes data in accordance with operating logic  208  as defined by programming instructions (such as software or firmware) stored in memory  206 . Alternatively or additionally, operating logic  208  for processing device  202  is at least partially defined by hardwired logic or other hardware. Processing device  202  can be comprised of one or more components of any type suitable to process the signals received from input/output device  204  or elsewhere, and provide desired output signals. Such components may include digital circuitry, analog circuitry, or a combination of both. 
     Memory  206  may be of one or more types, such as a solid-state variety, electromagnetic variety, optical variety, or a combination of these forms. Furthermore, memory  206  can be volatile, nonvolatile, or a mixture of these types, and some or all of memory  206  can be of a portable variety, such as a disk, tape, memory stick, cartridge, or the like. In addition, memory  206  can store data that is manipulated by the operating logic  208  of processing device  202 , such as data representative of signals received from and/or sent to input/output device  204  in addition to or in lieu of storing programming instructions defining operating logic  208 , just to name one example. As shown in  FIG. 2 , memory  206  may be included with processing device  202  and/or coupled to the processing device  202 . 
     As described above, the system  100  includes one or more modules  114 ,  116  that may be part of one or more processing devices  202  (server and/or database  110  in the cloud service  108 ) or be standalone computing devices. A module may be implemented in operating logic  208  as operations by software, hardware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, or any combination thereof, or at least partially performed by a user or operator. In certain embodiments, modules represent software elements as a computer program encoded on a computer readable medium, wherein a computer performs the described operations when executing the computer program. A module may be a single device, distributed across devices, and/or a module may be grouped in whole or in part with other modules or devices. The operations of any module may be performed wholly or partially in hardware/software or by other module. The presented organization of the modules is exemplary only, and other organizations, configurations and arrangements are contemplated. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary process  300  for a customer to grant a dealer access to a sensor and/or actuator. Operations illustrated for all of the processes in the present application are understood to be examples only, and operations may be combined or divided, and added or removed, as well as re-ordered in whole or in part, unless explicitly stated to the contrary. 
     Process  300  begins at operation  302  in which a customer using computer  118  or mobile device  122  enters a view of his or her account through the customer account module  114 . In this view, the customer may enroll a sensor/actuator  102  into the customer&#39;s account by entering a unique identifier (UID) associated with the sensor/actuator  102 . The customer account module  114  may provide other information and options for the customer. 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  302  to operation  304 . At operation  304 , the customer account module  114  provides an interface for the customer to opt-in or opt-out with respect to a dealer having access to the sensor/actuator  102 . The customer account module  114  may display whether the customer has previously selected to opt-in or to opt-out and whether the customer would like to change that selection. If the customer selects opt-out, process  300  proceeds from operation  304  to operation  306  in which the customer account module  114  displays text and/or other information related to the opt-out by the customer. If the customer selects opt-in, process  300  proceeds from operation  304  to operation  308 . At operation  308 , the customer account module  114  displays text and/or other information about the customer&#39;s opt-in. The opt-in may be determined on a sensor/actuator-by-sensor/actuator basis or be determined on an account-by-account basis (e.g., every sensor/actuator associated with the account is opt-in based on one selection). The customer may set these opt-in control rules in the customer account module  114 . 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  308  to operation  310  in which the customer account module  114  determines whether the dealer is registered. The customer account module  114  may make this determination by determining whether a dealer is associated with the particular UID or the customer may search for a particular dealer through the interface provided by the customer account module  114 . If the dealer is not registered, process  300  proceeds from operation  310  to operation  312  in which text and/or other information is displayed relating to the fact that the dealer is not registered. For example, the customer account module  114  may display, “No dealer has registered to provide remote diagnostic services. Contact your dealer for assistance.” 
     If the dealer is registered, process  300  proceeds from operation  310  to operation  314  in which the customer account module  314  displays the dealer information and/or an interface to configure dealer access rights, among other data. For example, the customer account module  114  may display “Click here for dealer contact information,” which when clicked will display the registered dealer&#39;s name, contact information, business logo, and the like. 
     Furthermore, at operation  314 , once a sensor/actuator  102  is authorized for dealer data access, the customer has the option of granting temporary and/or persistent control rights to the dealer via the customer account module  114  so that the dealer can remotely adjust and/or configure the sensor/actuator  102  during the defined period of access rights. Through the interface provided by the customer account module  114 , the customer may click a button to enable dealer control for a defined time period (e.g., between 1 and 24 hours) after which dealer control rights automatically expire. During the time period where dealer control is active, graphic elements are highlighted to remind the customer that the system is currently open for dealer control. 
     In some embodiments, during the initial installation, the dealer may be able to remotely access and control the sensor/actuator  102  while the sensor/actuator  102  is set in a defined installation mode without a customer opting-in. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary process  400  for a dealer to access and/or control one or more sensor/actuators  102  at a customer site  104 . Process  400  begins at operation  402  in which a dealer using computer  126  or mobile device  130  enters a diagnostic view through the dealer portal module  116 . In the dealer view, the dealer portal module  116  provides the dealer with information about the dealer&#39;s various customers. 
     Process  400  then proceeds from operation  402  to operation  404 . At operation  404 , the dealer may enter a UID into the dealer portal module  116  for a particular sensor/actuator  102  installed and/or sold by the dealer. Process  400  then proceeds from operation  404  to operation  406 . At operation  406 , the dealer portal module  116  determines whether the sensor/actuator  102  associated with the UID is currently in installation mode. 
     If the sensor/actuator  102  associated with the UID is currently in installation mode, the process  400  proceeds from operation  406  to operation  408 . At operation  408 , the dealer portal module  116  displays diagnostic data and/or control capabilities for the sensor/actuator  102 . In order to facilitate initial installation, the sensor/actuator  102  is configured such that within the installers menu there is an option to temporarily enable remote diagnostics and control by the registered dealer. In some embodiments, this mode automatically expires after a predetermined period (e.g., 1 to 4 hours) and does not require any type of customer opt-in. During the period where installation services are enabled, the sensor/actuator  102  itself may graphically represent that this mode is active. In addition, during this period, the dealer may configure and/or adjust settings on the sensor/actuator  102 . 
     If the sensor/actuator  102  associated with the UID is not currently in installation mode, then process  400  proceeds from operation  406  to operation  410 . At operation  410 , the dealer portal module  116  determines whether the UID is associated with or entered into an active customer account. If the UID is not associated with or entered into an active customer account, then process  400  proceeds from operation  410  to operation  412  in which a status such as “Not Registered,” is displayed. If the UID is associated with or entered into an active customer account, then process  400  proceeds from operation  410  to operation  414 . 
     At operation  414 , the dealer portal module  116  determines whether the sensor/actuator  102  is registered to another dealer based on the UID. If the sensor/actuator  102  is registered to another dealer, then process  400  proceeds from operation  414  to operation  416  in which a status such as “Unavailable,” is displayed. If the sensor/actuator  102  is not registered to another dealer, then process  400  proceeds from operation  416  to operation  418 . 
     At operation  418 , the dealer portal module  116  determines whether the customer has opted-in. If the customer has not opted-in, then process  400  proceeds from operation  418  to operation  420  in which a status such as “Opted-out,” is displayed and no access to data and/or controls is allowed. If the customer opted-in, then process  400  proceeds from operation  418  to operation  422  in which the dealer is allowed access to the data and/or control of the settings of the sensor/actuator  102  associated with the UID. In some embodiments, the UID is placed on the dealer&#39;s dashboard list in the dealer portal module  116  for quick access in the future. Generally, while viewing data for a sensor/actuator  102  fully authorized for data access, the dealer may see graphic elements which allow for the modification of various sensor/actuator  102  settings. These elements may be grayed out or similarly illustrate being non-functional except during the time period while temporary and/or persistent control has been granted. During those periods, the visual appearance on the dealer view will change to indicate control rights are currently active. It is contemplated that any changes that the dealer makes may be automatically logged in the customer view for auditing and review purposes. 
     The various aspects of the processes  300  and  400  in the present application may be implemented in operating logic  208  as operations by software, hardware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, or any combination thereof, or at least partially performed by a user or operator. In certain embodiments, operations represent software elements as a computer program encoded on a computer readable medium, wherein the server  110  performs at least some of the described operations when executing the computer program. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the various types sensors/actuators  102 , including but not limited to, door locks  502 , thermostats  504 , cameras  506 , open/close sensors  508 , temperature/humidity sensors  510 , motion sensors  512 , light sensors  514 , audible and visual enunciators  516 , energy sensors  518 , load controllers  520 , light switches and dimmers  522 , irrigation controls  524 , pool controls  526 , or any other suitable sensor or actuator. It is contemplated that other sensors and/or actuators  102  may be used in the system  100 . 
     One aspect of the present application may include a method, comprising: receiving, at a server, one of an opt-in request and an opt-out request from a customer device, wherein the opt-in request allows a registered dealer device to view and control settings on at least one of a plurality of sensors/actuators at a customer site, wherein the sensors/actuators are part of a home automation system; receiving, at the server, dealer access right configuration data from the customer device, wherein the dealer access right configuration data defines whether the registered dealer device is allowed to view and control settings on at least one of a plurality of sensors/actuators at a customer site; determining, with the server, whether the registered dealer device is allowed to access and control the sensors/actuators at the customer site; in response to determining that the registered dealer device is allowed to access and control the sensors/actuators at the customer site, providing a graphical user interface to the registered dealer device, wherein the graphical user interface is structured to allow the registered dealer device to view and control settings to at least one of the sensors/actuators; receiving, with the server, changes to the settings of at least one of the sensors/actuators from the registered dealer device via the graphical user interface; and changing the settings of at least one of the sensors/actuators with the server. 
     Features of the aspect of the present application may include: wherein the opt-in request may be based on a sensor/actuator-by-sensor/actuator basis or be based on an account-by-account basis; wherein the dealer access right configuration data defines whether the customer device has granted temporary or persistent control rights; wherein the registered dealer device has control rights during an installation mode of at least one of the sensors/actuators. 
     The present invention may be implemented on any type of computer and using a variety of different software. For example, the present application may be implemented using Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, any of Oracle&#39;s database systems, MySQL, custom software modules, custom databases, any other appropriate software or database, or any combination thereof. When the computer or storage system is configured as a database, it is contemplated that the database may be any type of database, such as relational, hierarchical, object-oriented, and/or the like. 
     A computer readable medium may refer to any tangible storage and/or transmission medium that participate in providing instructions to a processing device for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, NVRAM, or magnetic or optical disks. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, magneto-optical medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, a solid state medium like a memory card, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read. A digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.