Methods and apparatus for using smart environment devices via application program interfaces

• US 10,075,828 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Horton, David, Tan, Leon, Urman, Andrew, Daniels, Melissa
• Primary Examiner(s): Mudrick, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US15/158,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 719328
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/48 prior to normal operation, e.g. pre-heating or pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 : Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 : based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 : Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 : involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 : Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 : Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 : for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 : in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/196 : characterised by user interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 : using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Systems and Methods disclosed herein relate to providing control of smart devices via data provided from or to a doorbell, via an application programming interface (API). The data provided by the doorbell may be submission data related to the doorbell, while received data may be reception data related to one or more smart devices, a smart-device environment structure hosting the smart devices, or both. Based upon the reception data and/or the submission data, a status of the doorbell and/or of the smart devices may be modified.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an application programming interface (API) client device, comprising a doorbell, the doorbell comprising a processor configured to;

provide submission data to an application programming interface (API), wherein the submission data comprises information about the doorbell to be processed by a data model associated with the API;

receive reception data from the API;

or both, wherein the reception data comprises information about one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices;

wherein a doorbell status of the doorbell is modified based upon the reception data, wherein a smart-device status is modified based upon the submission data, or both; and

wherein the data model comprises information related to the one or more smart-devices, the one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the data model comprises a single JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) document describing the one or more smart-device environment structures, the one or more smart-devices, or both, and the one or more smart-devices comprise;

a thermostat, a hazard detector, or any combination thereof;

the processor is configured to provide the submission data, receive the reception data, or both by providing a request to a representational state transfer (REST) host, a subscription-based application programming interface (API) host, or both; and

the REST host receives REST-based messages and the subscription-based API host receives messages in accordance with a standard of the subscription-based API host.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the doorbell comprises a light indicator;

and wherein the doorbell status is modified by controlling the light indicator to illuminate based upon the reception data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the reception data comprises an active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices;

and

wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a light pattern, a light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the reception data comprises a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices;

and

wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a light pattern, a light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the reception data is determined to be the historical hazard indication by determining whether the hazard was detected while an occupancy status of the one or more smart-device environment structures indicates that the one or more smart-device environment structures was not occupied.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the reception data is determined to be the historical hazard indication by determining whether an occupancy status transitioned from indicating that the one or more smart-device environment structures was not occupied to indicating that the one or more smart-device environment structures is occupied, after the hazard is no longer detected.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the reception data comprises;

an active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices;

a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices;

or both;

wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a first light pattern, a first light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication; and

wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a second light pattern, a second light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first light color comprises red, the first light pattern comprises flashing, or both;

and

wherein the second color comprises yellow, the second light pattern comprises flashing, or both.

10. The system of claim 3,

comprising a household appliance;

wherein the one or more smart-devices comprise the household appliance;

wherein the reception data comprises an active appliance indication that indicates that the household appliance is on; and

wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a light pattern, a light color, or both based upon the active appliance indication.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit the light pattern, the light color, or both based upon occupancy information about the one or more smart-device environment structures that indicates no occupancy within the one or more smart-device environment structures.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the household appliance comprises an oven, a television, a microwave, or any combination thereof.

13. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising machine-readable instruction to:

provide submission data to an application programming interface (API), from a doorbell that is an API client device, wherein the submission data comprises information about the doorbell to be processed by a data model associated with the API;

receive reception data from the API;

or both, by the doorbell, wherein the reception data comprises information about one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both; and

wherein a doorbell status of the doorbell is modified based upon the reception data, a smart-device status is modified based upon the submission data, or both; and

wherein the data model comprises information related to the one or more smart-devices, the one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 13, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

control a light indicator of the doorbell to illuminate based upon the reception data.

15. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 13, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

upon reception of an active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices, control the light indicator to emit a first light pattern, a first light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication; and

upon reception of a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices, control the light indicator to emit a second light pattern, a second light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication;

wherein the first light pattern is different than the second light pattern, the first light color is different than the second light color, or both.

16. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 15, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

upon reception of an active appliance indication that indicates that a household appliance is on, control the light indicator to emit a third light pattern, a third light color, or both based upon the active appliance indication.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 16, wherein the third light pattern is different than the first and second light pattern, the third light color is different than the first and second light color, or both.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 16, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

control the light indicator to emit the third light pattern, the third light color, or both based upon the active appliance indication only when a non-occupancy indication regarding the one or more smart-device environment structures is present.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 15, comprising machine-readable instructions to:

control the light indicator to emit the second light pattern, the second light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication only when the hazard was detected when a non-occupancy indication regarding the one or more smart-device environment structures was present.

20. A processor-implemented method, comprising:

providing submission data to an application programming interface (API), from a doorbell that is an API client device, wherein the submission data comprises information about the doorbell to be processed by a data model associated with the API;

receiving reception data from the API;

or both, by the doorbell, wherein the reception data comprises information about one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both; and

wherein a doorbell status of the doorbell is modified based upon the reception data;

wherein a smart-device status is modified based upon the submission data;

or

both; and

wherein the data model comprises information related to the one or more smart-devices, the one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.

21. The processor-implemented method of claim 20, comprising:

upon reception of an active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices, control a light indicator of the doorbell to emit a first light pattern, a first light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication; and

upon reception of a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices, control the light indicator to emit a second light pattern, a second light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication; and

upon reception of an active appliance indication that indicates that a household appliance is on, control the light indicator to emit a third light pattern, a third light color, or both based upon the active appliance indication;

wherein the first light pattern, second light pattern, and third light pattern are different, the first light color, second light color, and third light color are different, or both.

22. The processor-implemented method of claim 21, comprising:

when a non-occupancy indication regarding the one or more smart-device environment structures is present and the doorbell is pushed, implement an occupancy simulation in the one or more smart-device environment structures.

23. The processor-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the occupancy simulation is implemented by:

operating one or more audio devices within the one or more smart-device environment structures;

operating one or more smart shades in the one or more smart-device environment structures;

operating one or more lights within the one or more smart-device environment structures;

or

any combination thereof.

24. The processor-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the occupancy simulation is implemented by:

after a random time delay from the doorbell being pushed, operating the one or more audio devices, the one or more smart shades, the one or more lights, or any combination thereof.

25. The processor-implemented method of claim 24, wherein the random time delay is within a predetermined range of time.