Detector devices for presenting notifications and supporting context inferences

• US 9,111,221 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kelly, Francis Michael, Kim, Ryan Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US14/453,350
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/539.26, 340/565, 340/286.02, 705/14.66, 726/30, 455/456.1, 706/46, 706/47, 700/19, 700/276
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/043 Distributed expert systems; Blackboards
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19 using infrared-radiation detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices

Abstract

Techniques can relate to generating inferences based on network devices'"'"' measuring of environmental data points and generating notifications or controlling devices based on the inferences. One or more environmental data points can be accessed. Each environmental data point in the one or more environmental data points can include one measured by a detector device and that characterizes a corresponding environmental stimulus. At least one of the environmental data points can be indicative of a light intensity or power usage measured by a first device. An inference can be generated based on the one or more environmental data points. A notification or device control can be identified based on the inference. A communication can be generated and transmitted to a second device. Receipt of the communication can cause the second device to present the notification or to be controlled in accordance with the device control.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, via a sensor at a performing network device, an environmental data point that characterizes an environmental stimulus, wherein the performing network device is located in a first area of a building;

receiving, at the performing network device, one or more other environmental data points from one or more other network devices, wherein;

the environmental data point and at least one of the one or more other environmental data points correspond to measurements of different types of environmental stimuli;

each of the performing network device and the one or more other network devices are part of a same network; and

at least one of the one or more other network devices is located in a second area of the building;

accessing, from a local storage at the performing network device, a rule that relates environmental data inputs to inference outputs, wherein a corresponding rule is also stored at each of the at least one of the one or more other network devices such that each of the at least one of the one or more network devices is enabled to generate an inference output based on environmental data inputs;

generating an inference using the rule and a plurality of environmental data points, wherein the plurality of environmental data points includes the environmental data point and the one or more other environmental data points;

identifying a notification or device control based on the inference; and

generating and transmitting a communication, wherein receipt of the communication causes presentation of the notification or a device operation in accordance with the device control.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising

generating a context variable based on the plurality of environmental data points, wherein the inference is generated based on the context variable.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first area corresponds to a first room and the second room.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the inference includes inferring a presence of a person, and wherein receipt of the communication causes a presentation of a stimulus indicative of a detection of the person.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a set of historical environmental data points, wherein each of the set of historical environmental data points was measured by a network device associated with the plurality of environmental data points;

accessing a set of historical inputs corresponding to the set of historical environmental data points; and

generating the rule based on a learning algorithm, the historical environmental data points and the historical inputs.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the inference includes performing a clustering technique using the plurality of environmental data points.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is present in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a device setting associated with the particular person.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is moving through in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a device setting associated with the movement.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is present in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a notification corresponding to the particular person.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receipt of the communication causes a light to turn on or off.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating and transmitting the communication includes transmitting the communication to a network device that is part of the same network, wherein the network device is different than each network device in the one or more other network devices.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating and transmitting the communication includes transmitting the communication to a network device in the at least one of the one or more network devices.

13. A system comprising:

a sensor;

one or more data processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform actions including;

detecting, via the sensor, an environmental data point that characterizes an environmental stimulus;

receiving one or more other environmental data points from one or more other network devices, wherein;

the environmental data point and at least one of the one or more other environmental data points correspond to measurements of different types of environmental stimuli;

each of the system and the one or more other network devices are part of a same network;

the system is located in a first area of a building; and

at least one of the one or more other network devices is located in a second area of the building;

locally accessing a rule that relates environmental data inputs to inference outputs, wherein a corresponding rule is also stored at each of the at least one of the one or more other network devices such that each of the at least one of the one or more network devices is enabled to generate an inference output based on environmental data inputs;

generating an inference using the rule and a plurality of environmental data points, wherein the plurality of environmental data points includes the environmental data point and the one or more other environmental data points;

identifying a notification or device control based on the inference; and

generating and transmitting a communication, wherein receipt of the communication causes presentation of the notification or a device operation in accordance with the device control.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the actions further include generating a context variable based on the plurality of environmental data points, and wherein the inference is generated based on the context variable.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first area corresponds to a first room and the second room.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is present in or moving through a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a device setting associated with the particular person or motion.

17. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is present in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a notification corresponding to the particular person.

18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein receipt of the communication causes the second device to turn a light on or off.

21. The detector device as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the inference includes inferring a presence of a person, and wherein receipt of the communication causes a presentation of a stimulus indicative of a detection of the person.

22. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the actions further include:

accessing a set of historical environmental data points, wherein each of the set of historical environmental data points was measured by a network device associated with the plurality of environmental data points;

accessing a set of historical inputs corresponding to the set of historical environmental data points; and

generating the rule based on a learning algorithm, the historical environmental data points and the historical inputs.

23. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein generating the inference includes performing a clustering technique using the plurality of environmental data points.

24. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is moving through in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a device setting associated with the movement.

25. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the generating and transmitting the communication includes transmitting the communication to a network device that is part of the same network, wherein the network device is different than each network device in the one or more other network devices.

26. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the generating and transmitting the communication includes transmitting the communication to a network device in the at least one of the one or more network devices.

19. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:

accessing an environmental data point measured via a sensor at a performing network device that characterizes an environmental stimulus;

receiving one or more other environmental data points from one or more other network devices, wherein;

the environmental data point and at least one of the one or more other environmental data points correspond to measurements of different types of environmental stimuli;

each of the performing network device and the one or more other network devices are part of a same network;

the performing network device is located in a first area of a building; and

at least one of the one or more other network devices is located in a second area of the building;

locally accessing a rule that relates environmental data inputs to inference outputs, wherein a corresponding rule is also stored at each of the at least one of the one or more other network devices such that each of the at least one of the one or more network devices is enabled to generate an inference output based on environmental data inputs;

generating an inference using the rule and a plurality of environmental data points, wherein the plurality of environmental data points includes the environmental data point and the one or more other environmental data points;

identifying a notification or device control based on the inference; and

generating and transmitting a communication, wherein receipt of the communication causes presentation of the notification or a device operation in accordance with the device control.

20. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein:

the actions further include generating a context variable based on the plurality of environmental data points; and

the inference is generated based on the context variable.

27. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the first area corresponds to a first room and the second room.

28. The-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein generating the inference includes inferring a presence of a person, and wherein receipt of the communication causes the second device to present a stimulus indicative of a detection of the person.

29. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the actions further include, prior to accessing the plurality of environmental data points:

accessing a set of historical environmental data points, wherein each of the set of historical environmental data points was measured by a detector device associated with the plurality of environmental data points;

accessing a set of historical inputs corresponding to the set of historical environmental data points; and

generating the rule based on a learning algorithm, the historical environmental data points and the historical inputs.

30. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein generating the inference includes performing a clustering technique using the plurality of environmental data points.

31. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is present in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a device setting associated with the particular person.

32. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is moving through in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a device setting associated with the movement.

33. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the generating the inference includes inferring that a particular person is present in a setting, and wherein the identifying the notification or device control includes identifying a notification corresponding to the particular person.

34. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein receipt of the communication causes a light to turn on or off.

35. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the generating and transmitting the communication includes transmitting the communication to a network device that is part of the same network, wherein the network device is different than each network device in the one or more other network devices.

36. The computer-program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the generating and transmitting the communication includes transmitting the communication to a network device in the at least one of the one or more network devices.