Server-managed, triggered device actions

• US 10,467,531 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Greborio, Pierre P. N., Rao, Yogananda
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitiriche, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US13/920,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20140372359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,331 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

In some scenarios, devices may execute applications that are configured to monitor a set of conditions (e.g., geographic coordinates detected by global positioning system (GPS) receivers), and to execute actions upon detecting the fulfillment of the conditions. However, in such architectures, each application may be responsible for polling the sensors of the device to detect condition fulfillment, and it may be difficult to specify rules in a hardware-independent manner involving multiple applications and/or devices. Presented herein are techniques for configuring devices to perform actions by receiving a rule set from a rule server; registering a set of condition tests for respective conditions of a rule with the sensors of the device; upon being notified by the sensor that a condition test has been fulfilled, evaluating the conditions of the rule; and upon determining a fulfillment of the conditions, executing one or more actions (optionally involving multiple devices and/or applications).

Claims

1. A method of configuring devices to perform actions, the method involving a rule server having a processor, the processor executing instructions configured to:

send, by the rule server, a rule set to a device, the rule set including at least one rule comprising;

at least one condition under which the at least one rule is triggered, wherein the at least one condition is specified in a manner that does not require a particular sensor of the device to be used to detect fulfillment of the condition;

at least one condition test to evaluate the at least one condition of the at least one rule, wherein the at least one condition test specifies a first sensor type of the device for evaluating the at least one condition; and

at least one action to be executed upon fulfillment of the at least one condition;

receive a request for an alternative condition test based on a determination that the at least one condition test is indeterminable by the device using the first sensor type, wherein the alternative condition test is determinable by the device using a second sensor type of the device; and

cause the alternative condition test to be registered to the second sensor type on the device prior to the fulfillment of the at least one condition;

wherein the at least one rule relates to tasks for a plurality of applications on the device, wherein a service of the device monitors fulfillment of conditions respectively associated with the at least one rule, and wherein the service does not require the plurality of applications to be executing during the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the rule server has access to at least two devices; and

sending the rule set to the device further comprises;

sending the rule set to the at least two devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the rule set to the respective devices further comprises:

identifying a subset of the rule set applicable to the device; and

sending to the device the subset of the rule set that is applicable to the device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the rule set comprises at least one rule comprising:

at least one condition test to be registered with a sensor of a first device; and

at least one action to be executed by a second device upon fulfillment of the conditions of the rule.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further configured to, upon receiving an update of the rule set, synchronize the update of the rule set among the at least two devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule server selects the alternative condition test based on the list of sensors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request for an alternative condition test comprises receiving a description of the device, the description indicating available sensors of the device.

8. A computer-readable storage device not consisting of a propagated data signal, the computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed on a processor of a device having access to at least one sensor, perform actions by:

receiving, by the device, a rule set from a rule server, the rule set including a rule comprising;

at least one condition under which the rule is triggered, wherein the at least one condition is specified in a manner that does not require a particular sensor of the device to be used to detect fulfillment of the condition,

at least one condition test for evaluating at least one condition of the rule, wherein the at least one condition test specifies a first sensor type of the device for evaluating the at least one condition, and

at least one action to be executed upon fulfillment of the at least one condition;

using an evaluation process of the device to evaluate whether the at least one condition test is determinable using the first sensor type;

upon detecting the at least one condition test is indeterminable using the first sensor type, requesting from the rule server an alternative condition test that is determinable using the first sensor type; and

causing the alternative condition test to be registered with at least one sensor corresponding to the first sensor type;

wherein the rule relates to tasks for a plurality of applications on the device, wherein a service of the device monitors fulfillment of conditions respectively associated with the at least one rule, and wherein the service does not require the plurality of applications to be executing during the monitoring.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, further comprising:

sending to the rule server at least one of;

a model identifier of a model of the device;

a sensor manifest of the sensors accessible to the device; and

a list of capabilities achievable by the sensors accessible to the device; and

receiving from the rule server a rule set comprising condition tests that are respectively determinable by the sensors accessible to the device.

10. A method of performing actions responsive to conditions detected by a device having a processor and access to a first sensor, the method comprising:

receiving, by the device, a rule set from a rule server, the rule set comprising one or more rules relating to tasks for a plurality of applications on the device, the one or more rules respectively comprising;

a condition under which a respective rule is triggered, wherein the condition is specified at a hardware-independent level for the device, a service of the device monitors fulfillment of the condition, and the service does not require the plurality of applications to be executing during the monitoring;

a condition test for evaluating the condition, wherein the condition test specifies the use of a second sensor not accessible to the device; and

an action;

using a sensor evaluation process of the device to determine the condition test is indeterminable by the second sensor;

in response to determining the condition test is indeterminable by the second sensor, requesting from the rule server an alternative condition test that is determinable by the first sensor;

causing the alternative condition test to be registered with the first sensor;

upon receiving from the first sensor a notification that the alternate condition test has been fulfilled, evaluating the at least one condition associated with the condition test; and

if the at least one condition is fulfilled, executing the action of the rule.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the notification from the first sensor further comprises:

refraining from polling the first sensor to detect the fulfilled condition test.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the rule set from the rule server further comprises:

sending to the rule server a sensor manifest of the sensors accessible to the device; and

receiving from the rule server a rule set comprising condition tests that are respectively determinable by the sensors accessible to the device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one selected action further comprises an execution of an application; and

executing the selected action further comprises;

invoking the application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one action of at least one rule comprises sending data to a service.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to:

for the respective actions of the rule set, determine whether the device stores at least one application executable to perform the action; and

upon identifying a selected action for which the device does not store an application executable to perform the action, retrieve an application executable to perform the action.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first sensor is provided by a second device in communication with the device; and

registering the respective condition tests further comprises;

requesting the second device to register the condition test with the first sensor.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first sensor is provided by a second device in communication with the device; and

receiving the notification further comprises;

receiving the notification of the fulfilled condition from the second device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the device is in communication with a second device; and

the instructions are further configured to, upon receiving from the second device a request to register a condition test with a sensor of the device;

register the condition test with the sensor; and

upon receiving from the sensor a notification of a fulfilled condition test, notify the second device of the fulfilled condition test.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising, based upon determining that the second sensor is not capable of accepting a registration for the at least one condition test, polling the second sensor to determine whether the at least one condition test is fulfilled.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the device receives a rule set comprising one or more rules relating to tasks for a plurality of applications on the device, wherein a service of the device monitors fulfillment of conditions respectively associated with the one or more rules, and wherein the service does not require the plurality of applications to be executing during the monitoring.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein requesting from the rule server an alternative condition test that is determinable by the first sensor comprises determining operational capabilities of the device, and selecting the alternative condition test based on the determined operational capabilities of the device.