Message controlled appliances

• US 10,225,347 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Xiao, Hong, Nasir, Azim, Wang, Dongchen, Turner, Andre R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fiorillo, James N
• Application Number:
  US14/140,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709202, 709213, 709217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• 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 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method, performed by a computer device, may include receiving an event notification of an event type associated with a source device in an appliance network. The method may further include detecting an activity initiated by a user in connection with the event type associated with the source device; generating an activity rule that associates the event type with the detected activity; receiving another event notification for the event type associated with the source device; and executing another activity in response to the received other event notification, based on the generated activity rule.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a computer device, the method comprising:

joining, by the computer device, an appliance network associated with an appliance network key;

receiving, by the computer device, a first event notification of a first event type from a first source device in the appliance network, wherein the first source device is different from the computer device, and wherein the first event notification is received via an appliance network interface configured to communicate with other appliance network interfaces in other devices in the appliance network;

receiving, by the computer device and via the appliance network interface, a second event notification of a second event type from a second source device in the appliance network, wherein the second source device is different from the first source device and from the computer device, and wherein the second event notification and the first event notification occurred within a first time period;

detecting, by the computer device, an activity initiated by a user in connection with the first event type and the second event type within the first time period and a particular number of times over a second time period, wherein the particular number is greater than an activity rule generation threshold that is based on at least one of the first event type, the second event type or a type of activity associated with the detected activity;

generating, by the computer device, a user interface that includes an indication that the activity was detected in connection with the first event type and the second event type and that includes a prompt to generate an activity rule that associates the first event type and the second event type with the detected activity;

receiving, by the computer device, a selection via the user interface to generate the activity rule;

generating, by the computer device, the activity rule that associates the first event type and the second event type with the detected activity, in response to receiving the selection via the user interface;

receiving, by the computer device and via the appliance network interface, a third event notification for the first event type from the first source device and a fourth event notification for the second event type from the second source device, wherein the third event notification and the fourth event notification are received within an amount of time corresponding to a length of the first time period;

executing, by the computer device, another activity in response to the received third event notification and the received fourth event notification, based on the generated activity rule;

receiving, by the computer device, a request to join the appliance network from a new device;

requesting, by the computer device, the appliance network key from the new device;

receiving, by the computer device, the appliance network key from the new device;

assigning, by the computer device, an appliance network device identifier to the new device; and

providing, by the computer device, a list of devices belonging to the appliance network to the new device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a local event;

determining that the local event corresponds to a new event type; and

sending a local event notification to all of the other devices in the appliance network, in response to determining that the local event corresponds to a new event type.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the local event corresponds to a new event type includes:

determining a function call, instruction, or interrupt associated with the local event;

accessing a notification database; and

determining that an event notification entry associated with the function call, instruction, or interrupt does not exist in the notification database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a local event;

accessing a notification database to determine one or more devices in the appliance network which are to receive a local event notification for an event type associated with the local event; and

sending a local event notification to the determined one or more devices.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an activity notification from the one or more devices, wherein the activity notification indicates that a particular one of the one or more devices is no longer to receive notifications for the event type; and

updating the notification database based on the received activity notification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer device, the first source device, and the second source device are located in a same customer premises location, and wherein the first and second event notifications are received via at least one of a wireless local area network connection or Near Field Communication connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer device, the first source device, and the second source device are located in a same customer premises location, and wherein the first and second event notifications are received via a Long Term Evolution wireless connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first source device and the second source device are located in a customer premises location, and wherein executing the other activity based on the generated activity rule includes:

sending an instruction to a destination device located in the customer premises location to perform the other activity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity rule includes:

an instruction to send an activity notification to a destination device, wherein the activity notification informs the destination device that the other activity has been executed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated user interface further includes one or more options to configure the activity rule, wherein the one or more options include at least one of:

an option to select a particular time of day that the activity rule is to be in effect;

an option to select an event parameter associated with the first event type or the second event type that is to be satisfied in order for the activity rule to be executed;

or

an activity parameter that is to be selected in order for the activity rule to be executed.

11. A computer device comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

join an appliance network associated with an appliance network key;

receive a first event notification of a first event type from a first source device in the appliance network, wherein the first source device is different from the computer device, and wherein the first event notification is received via an appliance network interface configured to communicate with other appliance network interfaces in other devices in the appliance network;

receive, via the appliance network interface, a second event notification of a second event type from a second source device in the appliance network, wherein the second source device is different from the first source device and from the computer device, and wherein the second event notification and the first event notification occurred within a first time period;

detect an activity initiated by a user in connection with the first event type and the second event type within the first time period and a particular number of times over a second time period, wherein the particular number is greater than an activity rule generation threshold that is based on at least one of the first event type, the second event type or a type of activity associated with the detected activity;

generate a user interface that includes an indication that the activity was detected in connection with the first event type and the second event type and that includes a prompt to generate an activity rule that associates the first event type and the second event type with the detected activity;

receive a selection via the user interface to generate the activity rule;

generate the activity rule that associates the first event type and the second event type with the detected activity, in response to receiving the selection via the user interface;

receive, via the appliance network interface, a third event notification for the first event type from the first source device and a fourth event notification for the second event type from the second source device, wherein the third event notification and the fourth event notification are received within an amount of time corresponding to the length of the first time period;

execute another activity in response to the received third event notification and the received fourth event notification, based on the generated activity rule;

receive a request to join the appliance network from a new device;

request the appliance network key from the new device;

receive the appliance network key from the new device;

assign an appliance network device identifier to the new device; and

provide a list of devices belonging to the appliance network to the new device.

12. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a local event;

access a notification database to identify one or more devices in the appliance network which are to receive a local event notification for an event type associated with the local event;

send a local event notification to the identified one or more devices;

receive an activity notification from the one or more devices, wherein the activity notification indicates that a particular one of the one or more devices is no longer to receive notifications for the event type; and

update the notification database based on the received activity notification.

13. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the computer device, the first source device, and the second source device are located in a same customer premises location, and wherein the first and second event notifications are received via at least one of a wireless local area network connection or a Near Field Communication connection.

14. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the computer device, the first source device, and the second source device are located in a same customer premises location, and wherein the first and second event notifications are received via a Long Term Evolution wireless connection.

15. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the generated user interface further includes one or more options to configure the activity rule, wherein the one or more options include at least one of:

an option to select a particular time of day that the activity rule is to be in effect;

an option to select an event parameter associated with the first event type or the second event type that is to be satisfied in order for the activity rule to be executed;

or

an activity parameter that is to be selected in order for the activity rule to be executed.

16. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a local event;

determine that the local event corresponds to a new event type; and

send a local event notification to all of the other devices in the appliance network, in response to determining that the local event corresponds to a new event type.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable on one or more processors, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions to join an appliance network associated with an appliance network key;

one or more instructions to receive, at a computer device, a first event notification of a first event type from a first source device in the appliance network, wherein the first source device is different from the computer device, and wherein the first event notification is received via an appliance network interface configured to communicate with other appliance network interfaces in other devices in the appliance network;

one or more instructions to receive, via the appliance network interface, a second event notification of a second event type from a second source device in the appliance network, wherein the second source device is different from the first source device and from the computer device, and wherein the second event notification and the first event notification occurred within a first time period;

one or more instructions to detect an activity initiated by a user in connection with the first event type and the second event type within the first time period and a particular number of times over a second time period, wherein the particular number is greater than an activity rule generation threshold that is based on at least one of the first event type, the second event type or a type of activity associated with the detected activity;

one or more instructions to generate a user interface that includes an indication that the activity was detected in connection with the first event type and the second event type and that includes a prompt to generate an activity rule that associates the first event type and the second event type with the detected activity;

one or more instructions to receive a selection via the user interface to generate the activity rule;

one or more instructions to generate the activity rule that associates the first event type and the second event type with the detected activity, in response to receiving the selection via the user interface;

one or more instructions to receive, via the appliance network interface, a third event notification for the first event type from the first source device and a fourth event notification for the second event type from the second source device, wherein the third event notification and the fourth event notification are received within an amount of time corresponding to a length of the first time period; and

one or more instructions to execute another activity in response to the received third event notification and the received fourth event notification, based on the generated activity rule;

one or more instructions to detect a local event;

one or more instructions to access a notification database to identify one or more devices in the appliance network which are to receive a local event notification for an event type associated with the local event;

one or more instructions to send a local event notification to the identified one or more devices;

one or more instructions to receive an activity notification from the one or more devices, wherein the activity notification indicates that a particular one of the one or more devices is no longer to receive notifications for the event type; and

one or more instructions to update the notification database based on the received activity notification.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

one or more instructions to receive a request to join the appliance network from a new device;

one or more instructions to request the appliance network key from the new device;

one or more instructions to receive the appliance network key from the new device;

one or more instructions to assign an appliance network device identifier to the new device; and

one or more instructions to provide a list of devices belonging to the appliance network to the new device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the generated user interface further includes one or more options to configure the activity rule, wherein the one or more options include at least one of:

an option to select a particular time of day that the activity rule is to be in effect;

an option to select an event parameter associated with the first event type or the second event type that is to be satisfied in order for the activity rule to be executed;

or

an activity parameter that is to be selected in order for the activity rule to be executed.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer device, the first source device, and the second source device are located in a same customer premises location, and wherein the first and second event notifications are received via a Long Term Evolution wireless connection.