Technical Field

This invention is classified as messaging technology involving network control issue of smart home, especially the controlling module and method to manage smart home appliance via IM communication channel. Background Art

Human will enter the smart home era, in light with the development of mobile internet and Internet-of-Things(IOT), people will be able to interact with their won smart home appliance at anytime and anywhere.

The concept, methods, technology and products of smart home robot arises in recent years for the smart home appliances. They are mainly a newly added module in smart hardware or appliances; used to managing smart home appliances. Nevertheless This type of control still uses the command line interface, interaction message is very simple, And the smart feature just means to add all types of sensors to the appliances, like thermal sensor and proximity sensor.

Following the adoption of FM, it would be un-doubtfully convenient for the user if FM can be used to manage smart home appliances.

At the moment in integrating FM and smart home appliances, Tencent Holdings Limited released WeChat hardware industry solution, and the FM solution of ShenZhen(China) SoBen Skysafe Hi-Tech Develepment CO., LTD, the latter utilizing the concept of "FM client - Smart AP(Access Point) - Smart home appliances" control flow. In the 2 solutions mentioned, there is no modification to the smart home appliances, as long as it has network connection capability.

Thus the control itself is still based on simple interaction and simple feedback messages, the interactive experience and management capability does not have fundamental improvement.

If smart home appliances can interact like a real human, for example, using the personalized interaction with smart home robot based on EVI communication channel, it will be un-doubtfully efficient, highly effective and full of imagination.

This invention discloses a type of humanized smart home network gateway and access method, which will able to combine human and smart home appliances.

By using a type of smart home network gateway that has built-in support EVI client for multiple users, this method enables every smart home appliances have their own respective EVI user account, therefore able to interact in EVI conversation with users like a real person. User can manage smart home appliances through means of EVI interactions. This type of humanized interaction concept, method, technology, and product, is very creative by these measurements.

The features of the method consisting of:

(1) Every smart home appliance has their respective EVI user account, the smart home appliance can have EVI interaction with the user like human,

(2) Smart home appliance itself doesn't need to go through major modifications, able to maximize the adaptation to the current smart home development level, only require network connection to smart home network gateway.

Disclosure of Invention

The objective of the invention is that, in light of the rapid development on mobile internet, Internet-of-Things(IOT)and smart home, design a smart home appliance control method which is based on EVI.

Through integrated EVI client in the smart home network gateway mentioned in the invention, it can help user to establish the smart home control network, whether it is in the home, or in the office environment, to control the smart home appliances via network, in a convenient but effective way. By adopting the design, the smart home appliance can interact with the user like human, taking the command, and actively feedback its status.

This invention, a type of smart home management method based on EVI, the features of the method consisting of:

SI : Register all authorized users and smart home appliances;

S2: Smart home appliance authenticates the validity of the user;

S3 : User added smart home appliances to the contact list, create Peer-to-peer(P2P) or group EVI;

S4: User send out control messages to smart home appliance, or smart home appliance automatically sense information from user status;

S5: Smart home appliance to operate according to control massages or sensed messages;

S6: Smart home appliance feedback operating status to user.

Referring to SI on registering all authorized users and smart home appliances, are consisting the following steps:

Sl l : Register all user identification and respective EVI user account at smart home gateway; S12: Through smart home network gateway, to register an EVI user account for each respective smart home appliance; S13 : Smart home network gateway to register all identification and respective EVI user account of all smart home appliances.

S14: Smart home appliances connects to smart home network gateway, automatically login to EVI server using respective EVI user account, become an online EVI member.

The mentioned smart home network gateway is the hub for user to manage smart home appliance, user interact with the smart home appliance through the network gateway, the network gateway integrates EVI client, and the EVI client support login and running multiple EVI user account simultaneously;

The mentioned user utilizes mobile smart terminal that integrates EVI client, to interact with EVI member represented by smart home appliance using EVI method.

Referring to S2 on the mentioned smart home appliance authenticates the users, are consisting the following steps:

S21 : User requests all the smart home appliances to be friends in contact list;

S22: EVI member that represents smart home appliance receives the friend request from user;

S23 : EVI member that represents smart home appliance reads the identification and EVI user account information of the user; S24: EVI member that represents smart home appliance will verify the user information of the respective user with the registered user information from smart home network gateway;

S25: If the verification successful, then proves that the user is valid, the IM member that represents smart home appliance agrees to become a friend in the user's contact list; S26: If the verification failed, then proves that the user is invalid, the EVI member that represents smart home appliance denied becoming a friend in the user's contact list; Referring to S3 on before the mentioned user adds the smart home appliance, the EVI user account of respective smart home appliance and the user must be in friend relationship.

Referring to S3 on the mentioned establishing P2P or group EVI, are consisting the following steps: (1) P2P EVI conversation established between a user and a smart home appliance;

(2) Group EVI conversation established between a user and 2 or more smart home appliances; (3) EVI conversation established between 2 or more users and a smart home appliance;

(4) EVI conversation established between 2 or more users and 2 or more smart home appliances; Referring to S4 on mentioned user send out control messages to smart home appliance, is referring to user sends EVI message in natural language, including text and voice message to the EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance. Referring to S4 on mentioned smart home appliance automatically sense information from user status, is referring to the EVI member that represents the respective smart home appliance to automatically receive relevant messages in group EVI, including:

(1) Sensing the positioning information of the user

(2) Sensing the information in the EVI conversations among users.

Referring to S5 on mentioned smart home appliance operates according to according to control massage or sensed messages, including: S51 : EVI member that represent the respective smart home appliance to analyze control message or sensing messages, convert into commands;

S52: Smart home network gateway relays the commands to smart home appliance;

S53 : Smart home appliance performs operation as command.

Referring to S6 on mentioned smart home appliance feedback operating status to user, including: S61 : Smart home appliance sends its operational status data after operation to smart home network gateway;

S62: Smart home network gateway relays the data to EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance.

S63 : EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance will feedback to user through natural language in text or voice message.

Smart home appliance sends its operational status data after operation to smart home network gateway;

Smart home network gateway relays the data to EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance.

EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance will feedback to user through natural language in text or voice message.

The significance of this invention is: through EVI communication channel, user is able to have humanized management over smart home appliances via means of human to human conversations, and improve the interactive experience between people and smart home, improving the intelligence level of smart home.

EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance will feedback to user through natural language in text or voice message. EVI member that represent the respective smart home appliance to analyze control message or sensing messages, convert into commands;

Smart home network gateway relays the commands to smart home appliance;

Smart home appliance performs operation as command.

Description Of Drawings and Best Mode for Carrying Out The Invention

The following will elaborate further on the diagrams and implementation method of the invention.

FIG. l is the diagram of the invention - smart home management method based on EVI, the features consisting of:

SI : Register all authorized users and smart home appliances;

S2: Smart home appliance authenticates the validity of the user; S3 : User added smart home appliances to the contact list, create Peer-to-peer(P2P) S4: User send out control messages to smart home appliance, or smart home S5: Smart home appliance to operate according to control massages or sensed S6: Smart home appliance feedback operating status to user.

Referring to SI on registering all authorized users and smart home appliances, are consisting the following steps:

Sl l : Register all user identification and respective EVI user account at smart home gateway;

S12: Through smart home network gateway, to register an EVI user account for each respective smart home appliance; S13 : Smart home network gateway to register all identification and respective EVI user account of all smart home appliances. S14: Smart home appliances connects to smart home network gateway, automatically login to EVI server using respective EVI user account, become an online EVI member.

The mentioned smart home network gateway is the key supporting factor for the design and realization of the mentioned smart home management method, is the hub for user to manage smart home appliance, user interact with the smart home appliance through the network gateway, the network gateway integrates EVI client, and the EVI client support login and running multiple EVI user account simultaneously;

The mentioned user utilizes mobile smart terminal that integrates EVI client, to interact with EVI member represented by smart home appliance using EVI method.

Users who manage and use smart home appliances are require mobile smart terminals that integrates EVI client, including smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer and more, in order to interact in EVI with the EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance.

Referring to S2 on the mentioned smart home appliance authenticates the users, are consisting the following steps: S21 : User requests all the smart home appliances to be friends in contact list;

S22: EVI member that represents smart home appliance receives the friend request from user; S23 : EVI member that represents smart home appliance reads the identification and EVI user account information of the user; S24: EVI member that represents smart home appliance will verify the user information of the respective user with the registered user information from smart home network gateway; S25: If the verification successful, then proves that the user is valid, the IM member that represents smart home appliance agrees to become a friend in the user's contact list;

S26: If the verification failed, then proves that the user is invalid, the EVI member that represents smart home appliance denied becoming a friend in the user's contact list;

Referring to S3 on before the mentioned user adds the smart home appliance, the EVI user account of respective smart home appliance and the user must be in friend relationship. After becoming friends, user can freely select smart home appliance to manage.

Referring to S3 on the mentioned establishing P2P or group EVI, are consisting the following steps: (1) P2P EVI conversation established between a user and a smart home appliance;

(2) Group EVI conversation established between a user and 2 or more smart home

(3) EVI conversation established between 2 or more users and a smart home appliance;

(4) EVI conversation established between 2 or more users and 2 or more smart home appliances;

Here is a few scenarios of user and smart home appliance establishing group EVI, supporting the one-to-one control of a single user and single smart home appliance; the many-to-one or one-to-many control of multiple users and single appliance or single user and multiple appliance, as well as multi-to-multi control of multiple users and multiple smart home appliance. Referring to S4 on mentioned user send out control messages to smart home appliance, is referring to user sends EVI message in natural language, including text and voice message to the EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance.

Referring to S4 on mentioned smart home appliance automatically sense information from user status, is referring to the EVI member that represents the respective smart home appliance to automatically receive relevant messages in group EVI, including:

(1) Sensing the positioning information of the user

(2) Sensing the information in the EVI conversations among users.

Referring to S5 on mentioned smart home appliance operate according to according to control massage or sensed messages, including:

S51 : EVI member that represent the respective smart home appliance to analyze control message or sensing messages, convert into commands;

S52: Smart home network gateway relays the commands to smart home appliance;

S53 : Smart home appliance performs operation as command.

Referring to S6 on mentioned smart home appliance feedback operating status to user, including:

S61 : Smart home appliance sends its operational status data after operation to smart home network gateway;

S62: Smart home network gateway relays the data to EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance. S63 : EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance will feedback to user through natural language in text or voice message.

FIG.2 is the deployment diagram of the invention - smart home management method based on EVI.

Here we take a typical family adapting the current method to establish smart home management network as example, to describe the deployment process, there are 3 key elements stated below:

(A) A few family member, consisting User A and User B, they use their own mobile phone or tablet computer, registered their respective EVI user account to manage smart home appliances; (B) A few smart home appliances in a family, there are smart television, smart air- conditioner and smart lighting;

(C) A smart home network gateway User A is responsible in managing the smart home network gateway. According to the invention method, the deployment processes are as follows:

(1) First step SI : Register all authorized users and smart home appliances; the processes are divided into 4 steps consisting:

Sl l : Register all user identification and respective EVI user account at smart home gateway;

S12: Through smart home network gateway, to register an EVI user account for each respective smart home appliance; S13 : Smart home network gateway to register all identification and respective EVI user account of all smart home appliances.

S14: Smart home appliances connects to smart home network gateway, automatically login to EVI server using respective EVI user account, become an online EVI member.

User A configures the smart home network gateway first, to record the identifications(for example: Names or serial number)of User A and B, as well as their EVI user account information;

by using the EVI client on the smart home network gateway to register 3 EVI user account on EVI server, bind the EVI account respectively to the 3 smart home appliance in the family, namely: smart television, smart air-conditioner and smart lighting;

Subsequently completely record the information of the 3 smart home appliances, including names, media access control(MAC) address and EVI user account information;

Lastly, turn on the 3 smart home appliances, connect them to smart home network gateway and login to EVI server, becoming 3 online EVI members.

To further clarify, the EVI client of User A, User B, and smart home network gateway should be an client application belonging to the same EVI system. User A, User B, smart home network gateway, smart television, smart air-conditioner and smart lighting,

(2) Second step

S2: Smart home appliance authenticates the validity of the user;

Specifically, this step require user to establish trust with the smart home appliances before managing them, known as the friend relationship in EVI, to ensure the security of smart home appliance management.

In this scenario, User A and User B are required to have friend relationship with the EVI member representing the respective smart television, smart air-conditioner and smart lighting, assuming User A and User B are already has friend relationship.

S2 are divided into the few steps consisting: S21 : User requests all the smart home appliances to be friends in contact list;

S22: EVI member that represents smart home appliance receives the friend request from user;

S23 : EVI member that represents smart home appliance reads the identification and EVI user account information of the user; S24: EVI member that represents smart home appliance will verify the user information of the respective user with the registered user information from smart home network gateway;

S25: If the verification successful, then proves that the user is valid, the IM member that represents smart home appliance agrees to become a friend in the user's contact list;

S26: n°the verification failed, then proves that the user is invalid, the EVI member that represents smart home appliance denied becoming a friend in the user's contact list; The execution of step 2 will continue until User A and User B added all smart home appliances to become friend.

(3) Step 3

S3 : User added smart home appliances to the contact list, create Peer-to-peer(P2P) respective smart home appliance and the user must be in friend relationship before adding smart home appliance. After becoming friends, user can freely select smart home appliance to manage.

This kind of control is realized by user having IM interaction with the IM member representing the respective smart home appliance. The EVI interaction can be P2P EVI, as well as group EVI.

In this scenario: (A) P2P IM: User A or User B to have P2P interaction with smart television, smart air-conditioner or smart lighting;

(B) Group FM: Either User A or User B or both of them, can establish FM group to have group EVI with either the smart television, smart air- conditioner or smart lighting, or either 2 or more of them.

(4) Step 4

S4: User send out control messages to smart home appliance, or smart home appliance automatically sense information from user status;

After establishing P2P or group EVI, user can send out control message to smart home appliances, actually the user sends EVI message in natural language, including text and voice message to the EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance. For example, User A can send this type of control message to smart air-conditioner, he mentioned in EVI: "I'm feeling a bit hot, turn on air-conditioner, set temperature to 26°C".

On the other hand, smart home appliances can automatically sense information from user status. The EVI member that represents the respective smart home appliance to automatically receive relevant messages in group EVI, including:

(A) Sensing the positioning information of the user. (B) Sensing the information in the EVI conversations among users.

For example: smart lighting automatically turns on the lights when User B enters the room;

Or when User A and User B having EVI conversation, they mentioned: "Let's watch CCTV news" and "Alright", when the smart television sees it then will automatically turn on the television and tune in to CCTV1 channel.

(5) Step 5 S5: Smart home appliance to operate according to control massages or sensed messages;

This step is the smart home appliance to operate according to control massages or sensed messages, divided into the few steps consisting:

S51 : IM member that represent the respective smart home appliance to analyze control message or sensing messages, convert into commands;

S52: Smart home network gateway relays the commands to smart home appliance;

S53 : Smart home appliance performs operation as command.

For example, User A send control message to smart air-conditioner, he mentioned in EVI: m feeling a bit hot, turn on air- conditioner, set temperature to 26°C", subsequently the EVI member representing the respective smart air-conditioner will analyze and understand the meaning of message sent by User A, convert it to commands to control smart air-conditioner, for example: "Turn on air-conditioner, cool mode, temperature set at 26°C";

Smart home network gateway will relay this control command to smart air- conditioner, and then the smart air-conditioner will perform relevant operation according to this command.

(6) Step 6

S6: Smart home appliance feedback operating status to user.

This step is the smart home appliance feedback operating status to user after completing the operation.

S61 : Smart home appliance sends its operational status data after operation to smart home network gateway;

S62: Smart home network gateway relays the data to EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance. S63 : EVI member representing the respective smart home appliance will feedback to user through natural language in text or voice message.

Continuing on the example in step 5, the smart air-conditioner performs relevant operations according to the following command: "Turn on air-conditioner, cool mode, temperature set at 26°C";

next the smart air-conditioner will send message to smart home network gateway mentioning: "Air-conditioner is on, cool mode, temperature set at 26°C"; and then the smart home network gateway will relay the message to the EVI member that represent the respective smart air-conditioner;

Lastly, the EVI member will use natural language to send a message to User A: "Master, I've activated cool mode, setting the temperature at 26°C, please let me know if you still feel hot!". The above illustrates the invention by means of examples. The deployment methods illustrated in the example are suited for the disclosure of this invention, but does not limit to this disclosure, technical personnel relevant to this technical field can have different variations that doesn't differ from the essence and scope of the current disclosure; thus all equivalent technical solutions falls under the category of the current disclosure, the scope of patent protection of current disclosure reserve the rights to demand for restriction.