WEATHER BASED NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HOME AUTOMATION

• US 20150325096A1
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hatch, Brandon Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 9,765,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/71 responsive to temperature changes, rain, wind or noise
• 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 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• 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 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for generating weather related notices using features of a home automation system. According to at least one embodiment, an apparatus for generating weather related notices with a home automation system includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions are executable by the processor to receive weather data about current weather conditions, receive status information about at least one barrier of a property monitored by the home automation system, and generate at least one notice based at least in part on the weather data and the status information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating weather related notices with a home automation system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

receive weather data about current weather conditions;

receive status information about at least one barrier of a property monitored by the home automation system; and

generate at least one notice based at least in part on the weather data and status information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the status information about one or more barriers includes information about an open state of the one or more barriers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the weather data includes a probability of a weather event occurring.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein generating the at least one notice occurs if the probability of the weather event exceeds a threshold probability level.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one notice includes one of a displayed message and an audible message that the at least one barrier should be opened or closed.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the weather data includes at least one of a temperature, a wind speed, and a chance of precipitation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

automatically open or close the at least one barrier based on the weather data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive status information about at least one appliance of a property monitored by the home automation system; and

automatically adjust operation of the at least one appliance based on the weather data.

9. A computer-program product for generating weather condition-based notices with a home automation system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to:

receive periodic weather notices;

receive status information concerning at least one barrier or at least one appliance of a building; and

generate a notice providing a recommended change in status of the at least one barrier or at least one appliance based at least in part on the weather notices.

10. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

automatically operate the at least one barrier or the at least one appliance based at least in part on the weather notices.

11. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

display the notice on a control panel of the home automation system.

12. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

transmit the notice to a remote handheld device.

13. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the notice includes at least one of a graphic, a sound, a light indicator, or a vibration.

14. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the periodic weather notices are routed through a backend server to a control panel of the home automation system.

15. A computer-implemented method for processing weather information with a home automation system, comprising:

receiving weather information at a control panel of the home automation system; and

generating recommendations for changing at least one condition of a property monitored by the home automation system based at least in part on the weather information and at least one predetermined rule.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the weather information is received from a backend server of the home automation system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one condition is at least one of an open state of at least one barrier of the property, an operation state of a sprinkler system of the property, and an operation state of an HVAC system of the property.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one predetermined rule includes one of a threshold temperature and a threshold chance of precipitation.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving weather information includes receiving weather information from at least one of a remote weather database and at least one local weather sensor.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

delivering the recommendations to at least one user of the property.