System and method for server-based control

What is this patent about?

’710 is related to the field of environment control networks, specifically systems that manage actuators in buildings or vehicles based on sensor data. Traditionally, these environments relied on local, dedicated hardware gateways to bridge internal sensor networks with external control logic. The background context highlights the shift toward using the Internet and cloud-based infrastructure to replace localized management hardware, aiming to improve scalability and reduce the cost of maintaining complex control systems.

The underlying idea behind ’710 is the offloading of complex control logic and signal processing from local premises to a remote, Internet-connected server. By utilizing a cloud-based architecture, the system can process high-bandwidth or computationally intensive data—such as human voice or video—without requiring high-performance hardware at every local site. This insight allows a single remote server to manage multiple environments, using a simple local router as a transparent bridge between internal wireless networks and the cloud-based controller.

The claims of ’710 focus on a method for operating multiple actuators across different devices within a building based on human voice data captured by a single client device. The process involves a client device capturing voice data via a microphone and transmitting it over a wireless network to an external server. The server processes this data and sends back specific control messages: one to the original client device to trigger a local actuator, and another to a separate controlled device to trigger a second actuator, effectively coordinating a multi-device response to a single voice input.

In practice, the system functions as a distributed closed-loop control mechanism. A user provides a voice command to a client device, which acts as the primary sensor node. This data is relayed through a local router to the cloud server, where voice recognition and logic are applied. The server then issues commands that travel back through the router to the appropriate field units. This architecture supports redundancy by allowing multiple data paths or sensors to ensure the control loop remains functional even if a specific network link or device fails.

This approach differs from prior solutions by eliminating the need for a sophisticated local gateway capable of heavy data processing. Instead, it leverages SaaS (Software as a Service) principles to centralize the control logic, making the system easier to update and more cost-effective to deploy. By using standard protocols like ZigBee or Z-Wave for internal communication and TCP/IP for external links, the invention creates a flexible framework where voice processing and actuator coordination are handled as a remote service rather than a local hardware function.