Appliance capable of advertising needs and responding to needs of other appliances and systems

摘要

A home automation and control system that enables the coordinated performance of household functions by appliances and of shopping for consumables, including shopping for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and other consumables that are needed and used by appliances and their consumer users. The disclosed system comprises one or more networked “smart” appliances and a controlling device such as a smartphone that executes an application configured to interact with the smart appliances. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, at least some of the smart appliances are configured to sense various needs as they arise and to broadcast those needs to the system at large. In addition, at least some of the smart appliances are configured to fulfill those needs advertised by the other appliances within the system and to perform household functions.

主权项

1. A home automation and control system comprising:
a first device, wherein the first device is capable of identifying itself with a first address, and is configured to advertise wirelessly the first address and a first need concurrently with each other, wherein the first device is incapable by itself of fulfilling the first need; and a second device, wherein the second device is capable of identifying itself with a second address, and is configured to:
i) detect information advertised by devices besides the second device, andii) respond to detection of the first need as advertised by the first device such that the first need is at least partially fulfilled; wherein the first device is configured to refrain from transmitting, in conjunction with advertising the first need, any address except for the first address; and wherein the second device is configured to refrain from transmitting, in conjunction with responding to the detection of the first need, any address except for the second address.