Devices and methods for interacting with a control system that is connected to a network

• US 10,508,824 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2018
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stoner, Marcus D., Kolavennu, Soumitri, Paine, Brad, Goh, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Application Number:
  US16/175,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20190072290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 11/57 using telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/40 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A building automation system may be controlled in response to a natural language voice message. The natural language voice message may be recorded and then sent to a voice command manager via a network. The natural language voice message is then translated into a command recognizable by a building automation controller of the building automation system. Voice recognition software may be used to create a natural language text based message from the recorded natural voice message, and the natural language text based message may then be translated into the command recognizable by the building automation controller. In response to the command, the building automation controller may perform the desired action.

Claims

1. A system of controlling a network connected building automation system servicing a building, the system comprising:

a network;

a server located outside of the building and connected to the network;

a voice command manager implemented on the server;

a thermostat located inside of the building, wherein the thermostat includes a temperature sensor and a first voice sensor device, wherein the thermostat is in communication with the voice command manager via the network, and wherein the thermostat is configured to receive a plurality of natural language voice commands via the first voice sensor device and to communicate each of the plurality of natural language voice commands received by the first voice sensor to the voice command manager via the network; and

a second voice sensor device in communication with the voice command manager via the network, wherein the second voice sensor device is configured to receive the plurality of natural language voice commands and to communicate each of the plurality of natural language voice commands received by the second voice sensor device to the voice command manager via the network, and wherein the voice command manager is configured to translate each of the plurality of the natural language voice commands received into a respective command understandable by the thermostat, to transmit the respective command associated with each of the plurality of natural language voice commands received to the thermostat for execution, to identify a conflict between a first of the plurality of natural language voice commands received and a second of the plurality of natural language voice commands received, to transmit a query regarding whether the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands, that conflicts with the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands, should override the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands, to receive a response to the query, and to transmit the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands or the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands to the thermostat based on contents of the response.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice command manager is configured to translate both the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands into the respective command and the second of the plurality of natural language voice command into the respective command to determine whether the conflict exists.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the voice command manager is configured to communicate a notification to the thermostat, the second voice sensor device, or both the thermostat and the second voice sensor device identifying the respective command associated with the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands or the respective command associated with the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands that was communicated to the thermostat for execution.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the notification is in a natural language format.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second voice sensor device is a phone.

6. A system comprising:

a voice command manager for a building automation system of a building, wherein the voice command manager includes;

an input port for receiving a plurality of natural language voice commands via a network;

a memory for storing each of the plurality of natural language voice commands received via the network;

a processor configured to translate each of the plurality of natural language voice commands received via the network into a respective translated command understandable by a building automation controller of the building automation system, to determine whether a conflict exists between a first of the plurality of natural language voice commands received and a second of the plurality of natural language voice commands received, to transmit a query regarding whether the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands, that conflicts with the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands, should override the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands, to receive a response to the query, and to use contents of the response to determine which of the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands and the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands to translate and provide to an output port to send to the building automation controller for execution; and

the output port for sending the respective translated command associated with the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands or the respective translated command associated with the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands to the building automation controller for execution; and

the building automation controller configured to execute the respective translated commands associated with the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands or the respective translated command associated with the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands received from the voice command manager.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the voice command manager is implemented in a server outside of the building.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the voice command manager is implemented in a computer inside of the building, wherein the input port is in communication with the network and receives at least one of the plurality of natural language voice commands via the network, and wherein the network is wireless.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the input port receives the at least one of the plurality of natural language voice commands from a voice sensor device located within the building via the network.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the input port receives at least one of the plurality of natural language voice commands from a voice sensor device located within the building.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the voice sensor device is one or more of a thermostat, a security system panel, a sensor module, and a voice reception device.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the input port receives at least one of the plurality of natural language voice commands from a voice sensor device located outside of the building.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the voice sensor device is one or more of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, and a lap top computer.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the building automation system includes at least two sub-systems, and wherein the processor is configured to determine to which of the at least two sub-systems to send the respective translated commands associated with the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands or the respective translated command associated with the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands and to send the respective translated command associated with the first of the plurality of natural language voice commands or the respective translated command associated with the second of the plurality of natural language voice commands to an appropriate one of the at least two sub-systems via the output port.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least two sub-systems include one or more of an HVAC system, a security system, a lighting control system, a water heater system, a refrigerator, a clothes washer, a clothes dryer, and an oven.

16. A method of interfacing with a building automation controller of a building automation system, the method comprising:

receiving a first natural language voice message that includes a first natural language command for the building automation controller;

receiving a second natural language voice message that includes a second natural language command for the building automation controller;

communicating the first natural language voice message and the second natural language voice message to a server that is located remotely from and in operative communication with the building automation controller;

identifying a conflict between the first natural language command and the second natural language command;

transmitting a query regarding whether the second natural language command, that conflicts with the first natural language command, should override the first natural language command;

receiving a response to the query;

translating the first natural language voice message or the second natural language voice message into a translated building controller command understandable by the building automation controller based on contents of the response;

sending the translated building controller command to the building automation controller for execution; and

executing the translated building controller command.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing a verbal communication of an action taken by the building automation controller in response to the translated building controller command.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the building automation controller includes a thermostat.