System and method of interacting with home automation systems via a set-top box device

• US 20090249428A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cansler, James L., White, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,413,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method of interacting with home automation systems via a set-top box device is disclosed and includes receiving data at a set-top box device from one of a plurality of home automation systems communicating with the set-top box device. The data indicating that a triggering event has been detected at the home automation system. The method also includes sending an alert to a display device coupled to the set-top box device indicating that the triggering event has occurred.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with home automation systems, the method comprising:

receiving data at a set-top box device from one of a plurality of home automation systems via a residential gateway, the set-top box device adapted to communicate with each of the plurality of the home automation systems via the residential gateway, wherein the data indicates that a triggering event has been detected at the home automation system; and

sending an alert to a display device coupled to the set-top box device indicating that the triggering event has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user settings at the set-top box device, wherein the user settings specify the triggering event and to indicate that the set-top box device is to alert the user of the triggering event.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising accessing the user settings before sending the alert to the display device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending an input interface to the display device in response to the triggering event and receiving user input via the interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying based on the user settings, user input, or any combination thereof, a response that is to be implemented in response to the triggering event, the response including alteration of at least one device associated with the home automation system; and

sending data to the home automation system in response to the triggering event, the data including an instruction to alter the at least one device.

6. A method of interacting with home automation systems, the method comprising:

receiving data at a set-top box device from one of a plurality of home automation systems via a residential gateway, the set-top box device adapted to communicate with each of the plurality of the home automation systems via the residential gateway, wherein the data indicates that a triggering event has been detected at the home automation system;

receiving video content from a camera associated with the home automation system; and

automatically sending an alert to a display device coupled to the set-top box device indicating that the triggering event has occurred, wherein the alert includes the video content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the camera is a web camera.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the video content is displayed in a picture-in-picture display at the display device.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending data to the home automation system instructing the home automation system to send the video content to the set-top box device.

10. A set-top box device, comprising:

a residential gateway interface to receive data from one of a plurality of home automation systems via a residential gateway, the data indicating that a triggering event has been detected at the home automation system;

processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to send an alert to a display device coupled to the set-top box device indicating that the triggering event has occurred.

11. The set-top box device of claim 10, wherein the set-top box device communicates with each of the plurality of home automation systems via the residential gateway.

12. The set-top box device of claim 10, wherein the alert includes video, audio, text, graphics, or any combination thereof.

13. The set-top box device of claim 10, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to provide at least one application programming interface to the display device and to receive user settings related to one or more triggering events via the at least one application programming interface.

14. The set-top box device of claim 10, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to receive video content from a camera associated with the home automation system and wherein the alert includes the video content.

15. The set-top box device of claim 14, wherein:

the home automation system is a child monitoring system;

the triggering event is a detection of at least one noise characteristic by the child monitoring system; and

the camera is a web camera at a child'"'"'s location.

16. A computer-readable medium including processor-readable instructions that are executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving settings data from a set-top box device at a home automation system via a residential gateway, the settings data specifying a triggering event;

detecting the triggering event at the home automation system; and

sending data indicating that the triggering event has been detected to the set-top box device via the residential gateway.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises receiving an instruction from the set-top box device to alter a device associated with the home automation system and altering the device according to the instruction.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the home automation system includes an environmental system, a lighting system, a security system, an in-home monitoring system, or any combination thereof.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the triggering event includes detection of a noise having a noise characteristic and wherein the method further comprises sending video content from a web camera associated with the home automation system to the set-top box device after the triggering event is detected by the home automation system.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises receiving settings data from the set-top box device, the settings data indicating the triggering event and indicating that the video content is to be sent to the set-top box device after the triggering event is detected at the home automation system.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the triggering event includes a computing device accessing the Internet.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the home automation system is adapted to communicate with the residential gateway via a home automation controller and is adapted to not communicate with a network that is external to a location of the set-top box device.

23. A computer-readable medium including processor-readable instructions that are executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

detecting a triggering event at a set-top box device, wherein the triggering event includes a selection of a channel, a television program, a type of television program, or any combination thereof;

accessing user settings in response to the triggering event;

determining based on the user settings that the set-top box device is to implement a response to the triggering event, wherein the response includes alteration of at least one device associated with at least one home automation system communicating with the set-top box device via a residential gateway; and

sending instructions to the at least one home automation system via the residential gateway to alter the at least one device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the home automation system is a lighting system and wherein the response includes alteration of at least one light.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the home automation system is a phone system and wherein the response includes silencing at least one phone.