AUTOMATIC TRANSITIONS IN AUTOMATION SETTINGS

• US 20180062870A1
• Filed: 08/30/2017
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level Home, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dwelo, Inc. (Level Home, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rovito, Michael Andrew, Reinbach, Greg William, Martin, Isaac Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 10,848,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/02 Access control comprising means for the enrolment of users
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• 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 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Various aspects and embodiments of automation in tenancy transitions are described. Among other aspects or features of the embodiments, a computing device in an automation or gateway hub receives and stores automation settings from an automation management service environment over time. The automation settings can include different settings for various states of occupancy of a rental unit or dwelling. For example, the automation settings can include a first set of tenant-defined automation settings, which can be defined by a tenant while the dwelling is occupied by the tenant, and a second set of property-manger-defined vacancy automation settings for use after the tenant vacates the dwelling. The automation or gateway hub can determine whether a transition in tenancy has occurred for the dwelling (e.g., when the tenant moves out) and, in response to the transition, load the vacancy automation settings into one or more home automation devices of the dwelling.

Claims

1. A method for automating occupancy transitions, comprising:

receiving and storing, by a computing device in an automation hub, vacancy automation settings during a period of tenancy of a dwelling;

determining, by the computing device, that a transition in tenancy has occurred for the dwelling; and

in response to the transition in tenancy, loading the vacancy automation settings into a home automation device at the dwelling.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vacancy automation settings comprise automation settings associated with a period of vacancy for the dwelling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vacancy automation settings include at least one of a start date of the vacancy, an end date of the vacancy, an access credential for maintenance or service personnel during the vacancy, and an access credential for a resident of the dwelling after the vacancy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the vacancy automation settings into the home automation device comprises:

removing, by the computing device, a first access credential from an automated door lock device of the dwelling; and

loading, by the computing device, a second access credential into the automated door lock device of the dwelling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the vacancy automation settings into the home automation device comprises loading, by the computing device, at least one of a personal identification credential into a door lock or a thermostat setting into an automated thermostat device of the dwelling.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transition in tenancy has occurred comprises identifying an interruption in network communications with an automation environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to the transition in tenancy, broadcasting, by the computing device, an ad-hoc network access identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

authenticating, by the computing device, a peer device on the ad-hoc network; and

receiving and storing, by the computing device, automation settings from the peer device.

9. A home automation hub, comprising:

a memory device to store computer readable instructions thereon; and

a computing device configured, through execution of the computer readable instructions, to;

receive and store vacancy automation settings during a period of tenancy of a dwelling;

determine that a transition in tenancy has occurred for the dwelling; and

in response to the transition in tenancy, load the vacancy automation settings into a home automation device at the dwelling.

10. The home automation hub of claim 9, wherein the vacancy automation settings comprise automation settings associated with a period of vacancy for the dwelling.

11. The home automation hub of claim 9, wherein the vacancy automation settings include at least one of a start date of the vacancy, an end date of the vacancy, an access credential for maintenance or service personnel during the vacancy, and an access credential for a resident of the dwelling after the vacancy.

12. The home automation hub of claim 9, wherein, to load the vacancy automation settings into the home automation device, the computing device is configured to:

remove a first access credential from an automated door lock device of the dwelling; and

load a second access credential into the automated door lock device of the dwelling.

13. The home automation hub of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured to broadcast an ad-hoc network access identifier in response to the transition in tenancy.

14. The home automation hub of claim 13, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

authenticate a peer device on the ad-hoc network; and

receive and store automation settings from the peer device.

15. A method for automating automation devices, comprising:

receiving and storing, by a computing device in an automation hub, tenant-defined automation settings and secondary automation settings;

loading at least one of the tenant-defined automation settings into a home automation device.

determining, by the computing device, whether a transition event has occurred; and

in response to the transition event, loading the secondary automation settings into the home automation device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the secondary automation settings include at least one of an access credential for maintenance or service personnel or an access credential for a new resident.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein loading the secondary automation settings into the home automation device comprises:

removing, by the computing device, a first access credential from an automated door lock device of the dwelling; and

loading, by the computing device, a second access credential into the automated door lock device of the dwelling.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether the transition event has occurred comprises identifying an interruption in network communications with an automation environment.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising in response to the transition event, broadcasting, by the computing device, an ad-hoc network access identifier.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

authenticating, by the computing device, a peer device on an ad-hoc network; and

receiving and storing, by the computing device, automation settings from the peer device.