Internet Enabled Mobile Device for Home Control of Light, Temperature, and Electrical Outlets

Abstract

Ubiquitous wall electrical sockets, switches, sensors, and other similar devices may be turned into intelligent units capable of being controlled by a mobile device and functioning smartly within an intelligent local or wide area network. Existing electrical outlets/switches could have an intelligent plug-in module to turn these hitherto passive outlets into active intelligent outlets and switches. An embedded RF controller may be extended to other sensors that would sense such things as light, temperature, and pressure, smoke, to name a few. The radio frequency controller consists of the transmit/receive function and the control function which includes the ability to turn the switch on and off. It is possible to assign a unique identification to each electrical outlet and each electrical switch to uniquely address and control these units using the mobile device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a wireless enabled electrical switch comprising: a housing, wherein the housing provides a plug point for a electrical appliance; a connection in the housing to A/C electrical power outlet; a wireless transmit and receive unit; wherein the electrical switch is identified by a unique identifier;   and wherein the electrical switch is configured for control by a software application stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to run by a mobile device which comprises a touch sensitive display, a processor, a memory, and a wireless transmit and receive unit for wireless local area network (WLAN) and Internet Protocol communication.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application is configured to control one or more electrical switches; wherein the application provides an option to turn an electrical switch on or off; and wherein the electrical switch is further configured to accept a control message from the application running on the mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application sends to the electrical switch a command to turn the power on the electrical switch outlet on or off. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical switch is configured for remote access using Internet Protocol. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical switch and mobile device are configured to communicate using a local home wireless LAN. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the switch is accessible using a wireless LAN network utilizing a home airwave. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the switch is accessible using a public spread spectrum airwave. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile device sends a request to change the state of the electrical outlet using a local wireless area network. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical switch is programmable with configuration settings. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical switch is programmable with configuration settings including a default or built-in set of options stored in a memory housed in the electrical switch. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a server, wherein the server tracks the state of each electrical switch by identification number, wherein the server is configured to accept multiple connections from a plurality of mobile devices, and wherein the server sends to the mobile devices the current on/off state of the switch. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrical switch configured with at least one sensor, wherein the sensor is enabled to sense one or more of the following including light, temperature, pressure, or smoke. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical switch is modular, wherein the electrical switch contains two or three prongs, wherein the electrical switch may plug in to an electrical outlet, and wherein the electrical switch may be removed from a fixed position wall electrical outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical switch is integrated into a fixed position wall outlet. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a multichannel multiplexing transmit and receive device (MMTR) or access point (AP), wherein the electrical switch is configured to communicate to the mobile device using a MMTR or Access Point. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a wireless enabled electrical switch comprising: a housing configured with a plug point for an electrical device; a processor; a programmable logic component; an antenna integrated into the housing; a radio integrated into the electrical switch, wherein the radio is communicatively coupled to the processor, and wherein the radio is configured send a signal stream using the integrated antenna; and wherein the electrical switch is a separate modular switch that may be plugged into a fixed positioned wall outlet; and wherein the electrical switch is configured to receive a control message from a mobile device.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the electrical switch further comprises at least two prongs, and wherein the electrical switch may be connected to the wall outlet by the prongs plugged into a fixed position wall outlet. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the antenna is configured to send the signal stream to a multichannel multiplexing transmit and receive (MMTR) or access point device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a portable electronic phone device, wherein the portable electronic phone device communicates data using a local server, wherein the portable electronic phone device communicates data to the electrical switch using Internet Protocol over a local wireless network. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the portable electronic phone device receives the identification information for an electrical switch, wherein the portable electronic phone device sends to the electrical switch a control message via a server, wherein the control message comprises an on or off command, and wherein the electrical switch changes the on or off state of the power based on the received command message from the portable electronic phone device.