METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING SMART ENVIRONMENT DEVICES VIA APPLICATION PROGRAM INTERFACES

• US 20150373149A1
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lyons, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,838,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/48 prior to normal operation, e.g. pre-heating or pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/61 using timers
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 : based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• 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 12/2829 : involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 : Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 : Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• 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 67/30 : Profiles
• 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: H04M 1/72415 : for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 : in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Systems and Methods disclosed herein relate to an application programming interface (API) server that receives, from an API client device connected to the system, one or more requests to perform an activity. The activity includes reading, editing by making additions, deletions, modifications or any combination thereof, or both reading and editing, to at least one portion of a data model comprising information related to one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both; perform the activity based upon the one or more requests; log the activity, by storing a responsible party for the activity, based upon a vendor, user, or other party or entity associated with the API client device; and present at least a portion of the log.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an application programming interface (API) server, comprising an API processor, configured to;

receive, from an API client device connected to the system, one or more requests to perform an activity, comprising;

reading,

editing by making additions, deletions, modifications or any combination thereof, or

both reading and editing, to at least one portion of a data model comprising information related to one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both;

perform the activity based upon the one or more requests;

log the activity, by storing a responsible party for the activity, based upon a vendor, user, or other party or entity associated with the API client device; and

present at least a portion of the log.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data model comprises a multi-level structure wherein information pertaining to the one or more smart-devices are in a devices level and are referenced in a sub-level of a smart-device environment structure level where information pertaining to the smart-device environment structure is stored.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the API processor is configured to log the activity at the devices sub-level of the data model.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the API processor is configured to log the activity at the smart-device environment structure level of the data model.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the API processor is configured to log the activity at a level above the smart-device environment structure level of the data model.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the API processor is configured to log a client responsible for the activity.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the API processor is configured to log a vendor responsible for the activity.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the API processor is configured to:

receive, from a requesting computer, a request for at least a subset of logged activity;

compile the at least a subset of logged activity; and

provide the at least subset of logged activity to the requesting computer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the API processor is configured to:

determine the at least subset of logged activity by limiting the at least subset of logged activity to logged activity that has occurred within a predetermined time period.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the API processor is configured to:

log the activity, by storing the responsible party in a javascript object notion (JSON) document.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the JSON document comprises:

an events attribute that indicates whether the logged activity is a data put or a subscription to read data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the JSON document comprises:

a value attribute that indicates a value that was written to the data model when the events attribute comprises the data put.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the JSON document comprises:

a type attribute that indicates a type of the events attribute.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein when the events attribute comprises the data put, the type attribute indicates that the data put is either a merge, overwrite, or both.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the JSON document comprises:

an old value attribute that indicates a previous value that existed prior to the data model being overwritten.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the JSON document comprises:

a location identifier that indicates where in the data model the activity occurred.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the JSON document comprises:

a structure name, structure identifier, or both associated with the smart-device environment structure.

18. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising instructions to:

receive, from an API client device connected to the system, one or more requests to perform an activity, comprising;

reading,

making additions, deletions, modifications or any combination thereof, subscription, or

or any combination thereof, to at least one portion of a data model comprising information related to one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures, or both;

perform the activity based upon the one or more requests; and

log the activity, by storing a responsible party for the activity, based upon a vendor, user, or other party or entity associated with the API client device, by storing;

an events attribute that indicates whether the logged activity is a data write, data read, or a subscription;

a value attribute that indicates a value that was written to the data model when the events attribute comprises the data put;

a type attribute that indicates a type of the events attribute, wherein when the events attribute comprises the data put, the type attribute indicates that the data put is either a merge, overwrite, or both;

an old value attribute that indicates a previous value that existed prior to the data model being overwritten;

a location identifier that indicates where in the data model the activity occurred; and

a structure name, structure identifier, or both associated with the smart-device environment structure.

19. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from an API client device connected to the system, one or more requests to perform an activity, comprising;

reading,

making additions, deletions, modifications or any combination thereof, or

both, to at least one portion of a data model comprising information related to one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device structures comprising the one or more smart-devices, or both;

performing the activity based upon the one or more requests; and

logging the activity, by storing a responsible party for the activity, based upon a vendor, user, or other party or entity associated with the API client device.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the logging the activity comprises logging a set of attributes comprising:

an events attribute that indicates whether the logged activity is a data put or a subscription to read data;

a value attribute that indicates a value that was written to the data model when the events attribute comprises the data put;

a type attribute that indicates a type of the events attribute, wherein when the events attribute comprises the data put, the type attribute indicates that the data put is either a merge, overwrite, or both;

an old value attribute that indicates a previous value that existed prior to the data model being overwritten;

a location identifier that indicates where in the data model the activity occurred; and

a structure name, structure identifier, or both associated with the smart-device environment structure;

wherein the set of attributes is attainable based at least upon the one or more requests to perform the activity.