Systems and methods for home automation scene control

• US 10,025,463 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shearer, Wade
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, Rinna
• Application Number:
  US14/489,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20150082225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for providing a graphical user interface suitable for viewing and modifying home automation, home security, and/or energy management devices. In some embodiments, the graphical user interface may include a scene selection list displaying multiple selectable items representing various scenes. In certain instances, control and monitoring of one or more devices may at least be accessed through a transitory user interface element such as, for example, a drawer control, a pullable view, or the like. Multiple device states may be set in accordance with a scene definition associated with a selectable list item in a scene selection list displayed in the transitory user interface element. The contents of the scene selection, in certain embodiments, may be determined in part based on a detected application context, user context, or both.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for viewing and modifying property automation, property security, and energy management devices produced by an application program operating on a computing device having a display, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the one or more programs comprising the application program stored in the memory to produce the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:

a transitory user interface element;

a displayable scene selection list comprising a plurality of selectable items wherein;

the plurality of selectable items represent various scenes;

the displayable scene selection list is displayable in the transitory user interface element,

the displayable scene selection list comprising standard scenes and custom scenes;

each of the plurality of selectable items are configured to activate a scene represented based at least in part on a user selection;

a first selectable item of the represented scene is associated with one or more property automation device settings associated with the user selection;

a second selectable item of the represented scene is associated with one or more security system device settings, wherein availability of the first selectable item and the second selectable item is determined based at least in part on an application context, or a user location context, or a combination thereof;

a custom scene associated with the user location context added to the displayable scene selection list by a user,

wherein upon determining that the user is located within a threshold distance away from the property, the application program includes an available first and second selectable items for activation based at least in part on determining that the user will arrive at the property within a threshold time; and

wherein upon determining that the user is located at least the threshold distance away from the property, the application program modifies the user location context and includes an available first and second selectable items for activation based at least in part on the modified user location context.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the transitory user interface element is a drawer control.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the transitory user interface element is a pullable view control.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a pullable view control at least accessible from the transitory user interface element, wherein a summary list is displayed in the pullable view control.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein inclusion of one or more selectable items in the displayable scene selection list is based, at least in part, on a current application context.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein at least one selectable scene is associated with an energy management device setting.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a scene summary view directly accessible from the transitory user interface element.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a portable electronic device with a touch screen display.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with the standard scene; and

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with the custom scene.

10. A graphical user interface for viewing and modifying property automation, property security, and energy management devices produced by an application program operating on a computing device having a display, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the one or more programs comprising the application program stored in the memory to produce the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:

a transitory user interface element;

a displayable security activation state indicator; and

a scene selection list comprising a plurality of selectable items wherein the plurality of selectable items represent various scenes;

the displayable security activation state indicator is displayed coincident with the transitory user interface element;

at least a portion of the scene selection list is displayed within an area defined by the transitory user interface element, the portion of the scene selection list comprising standard scenes and custom scenes;

each of the plurality of selectable items are configured to activate a scene represented based at least in part on a user selection;

at least one selectable item of the represented scene is associated with one or more property automation device settings associated with the user selection, wherein availability of the at least one selectable item is based at least in part on an application context, or a user location context, or a combination thereof;

a custom scene associated with the user location context added to the scene selection list by a user,

wherein upon determining that the user is located within a threshold distance away from the property, the application program includes an available selectable item for activation based at least in part on determining that the user will arrive at the property within a threshold time; and

wherein upon determining that the user is located at least the threshold distance away from the property, the application program modifies the user location context and includes an available selectable item for activation based at least in part on the modified user location context.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the transitory user interface element is a drawer control.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein:

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with the standard scene; and

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with the custom scene.