MODIFICATION OF AUTOMATED ENVIRONMENT BEHAVIOR BASED ON USER ROUTINE

• US 20160091872A1
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marti, Lukas M., Mayor, Robert W., Huang, Ronald Keryuan, Mathias, Arun G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,496,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• 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 12/282 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 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

An automated environment can include an accessory device that operates according to an automation rule, to take a prescribed action when a triggering condition occurs. A controller device for the automated environment can determine a user'"'"'s regular routine and can detect when the user is deviating from the regular routine. The controller device can communicate with accessory devices in the automated environment to modify their behavior relative to the automation rules.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a mobile device, a deviation from an established user routine;

determining, by the mobile device, that the deviation should result in modifying an operational behavior of an accessory in an automated environment, wherein the accessory is operated in accordance with an automation rule that specifies a triggering condition and an action to be taken in response to the triggering condition, and wherein the operational behavior is to be modified by overriding the automation rule; and

sending, by the mobile device, instructions to the automated environment to modify the operational behavior of the accessory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, the established user routine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the deviation should result in modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes:

determining that the deviation satisfies a criterion of significance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the deviation should result in modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes:

determining that a particular pattern of the established user routine that is being deviated from correlates with the triggering condition of the automation rule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the deviation should result in modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes:

determining a proposed modification to the operational behavior of the accessory;

presenting a prompt to a user of the mobile device suggesting the proposed modification; and

receiving a user input indicating that the proposed modification is accepted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation includes returning to the automated environment at a delayed time relative to the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes delaying operation of the accessory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation includes returning to the automated environment at an earlier time than the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes rescheduling operation of the accessory based on the earlier time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation includes leaving the automated environment at an earlier time than the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes rescheduling operation of the accessory based on the earlier time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation includes leaving the automated environment at a later time than the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes continuing an operation of the accessory.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the deviation includes traveling for an extended period and modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes suspending an automated operation of the accessory for the extended period.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a coordinator device of an automated environment comprising a plurality of accessories, a notification from a mobile device indicating that a deviation from an established user routine has been detected;

determining, by the coordinator device, that the deviation should result in modifying an operational behavior of an accessory of the plurality of accessories, wherein the accessory is operated in accordance with an automation rule and the operational behavior is to be modified by overriding the automation rule; and

overriding, by the coordinator device, the automation rule for the accessory, thereby modifying the operational behavior of the accessory.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the automation rule specifies a triggering condition and an action to be taken in response to the triggering condition, and wherein overriding the automation rule includes one or more of a group consisting of:

not instructing the accessory to take the action associated with the automation rule even though the triggering condition is satisfied;

sending an instruction message to the accessory to take a different action other than the action specified by the automation rule; and

sending an instruction message to the accessory to take the action specified by the automation rule under a condition different from the triggering condition.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the automation rule specifies a triggering condition and a action to be taken in response to the triggering condition and wherein overriding the automation rule includes sending an override instruction to the accessory, the override instruction including one or more instructions selected from a group consisting of:

an instruction to ignore the triggering condition;

an instruction to substitute an alternative triggering condition for the triggering condition specified by the automation rule; and

an instruction to take an action different from the action in response to the triggering condition specified by the automation rule.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the deviation should result in modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes:

determining that a particular pattern that is being deviated from correlates with a triggering condition of the automation rule.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the deviation should result in modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes:

determining a proposed modification to the operational behavior of the accessory;

sending a prompt to the mobile device suggesting the proposed modification; and

receiving a user input indicating that the proposed modification is accepted.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the deviation includes returning to the automated environment at a delayed time relative to the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes delaying operation of the accessory.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the deviation includes returning to the automated environment at an earlier time than the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes rescheduling operation of the accessory based on the earlier time.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the deviation includes leaving the automated environment at an earlier time than the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes rescheduling operation of the accessory based on the earlier time.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the deviation includes leaving the automated environment at a later time than the established user routine, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes continuing an operation of the accessory.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the deviation includes traveling for an extended period, and wherein modifying the operational behavior of the accessory includes suspending an automated operation of the accessory for the extended period.

21. A mobile controller device comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with one or more accessories in an automated environment; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to;

detect a deviation from an established user routine;

determine that the deviation should result in modifying an operational behavior of an accessory in the automated environment, wherein the accessory is operated in accordance with an automation rule that specifies a triggering condition and an action to be taken in response to the triggering condition, and wherein the operational behavior is to be modified by overriding the automation rule; and

send instructions to the automated environment to modify the operational behavior of the accessory.

22. A coordinator device comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with one or more accessories in an automated environment and to communicate with one or more controller devices; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to;

receive a notification from a mobile device indicating that a deviation from an established user routine has been detected;

determine that the deviation should result in modifying an operational behavior of an accessory of the one or more accessories, wherein the accessory is operated in accordance with an automation rule and the operational behavior is to be modified by overriding the automation rule; and

override the automation rule for the accessory, thereby modifying the operational behavior of the accessory.