Distributed control scheme for remote control and monitoring of devices through a data network

• US 9,462,041 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SmartThings, Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hawkinson, Alexander, Hagins, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tseng, Leon Y
• Application Number:
  US13/838,630
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• 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 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A device automation system for providing automatic control of one or more devices in an environment includes a hub in communication with the one or more devices and with a data network where the hub is configured to issue commands to the devices and receive data from the devices; and a central server in communication with the hub through the data network where the central server is configured to install one or more automation applications in the hub or on the central server for handling events generated at the devices. Each of the automation applications responds to an event and issuing an action in response. The central server is configured to determine that a first set of the events is to be handled at the hub while a second set of events is to be handled at the central server.

Claims

1. A device automation system for providing automatic control of one or more devices in an environment, the system comprising:

a hub in communication with the one or more devices and with a data network, the hub being configured to execute event handlers to issue commands to the devices and to receive data from the devices in response to events and actions specified in the event handlers; and

a central server in communication with the hub through the data network, the central server being configured to receive a selection of one or more automation applications, each automation application comprising one or more event handlers, each event handler specifying an event and an action, and being arranged to issue the specified action in response to the specified event,

the central server being further configured to determine, for each event handler of each automation application, on an event handler by event handler basis, whether the event handler is to be installed at the central server or the hub based, at least in part, on the action specified by the event handler and a configuration of the hub and the one or more devices; and

the central server being further configured to cause the installation of each of the event handlers in the one or more automation applications in the hub or on the central server for handling events generated at the devices in accordance with the event handler installation determination.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server analyzes configuration data associated with the one or more devices and the hub to determine whether to install an automation application including an event handler at the hub or at the central server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a first event handler is configured to monitor or control one or more devices or to invoke a second event handler in response to a specified event in the first event handler.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server is configured to install an automation application by installing one or more event handlers of the automation application at the hub to handle events at the hub, or by installing one or more handlers of the automation application at the central server to handle events at the central server, or by installing a first subset of event handlers of the automation application at the hub and a second subset of event handlers of the automation application at the central server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server comprises:

a hub interface configured to communicate with the hub over the data network;

an event processing and routing module configured to process events generated at the one or more devices and to route events within the central server;

an application execution module configured to execute automation applications or event handlers of the automation applications; and

a memory for storing automation applications.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a first event handler installed at the hub comprises an event wiring describing direct connections between an event and an action to be taken at a device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a first event handler installed at the hub comprises event handler software codes, the hub executing the software codes to generate an action to be taken at a device.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein in response to an event handler being installed at the central server, the central server executes the event handler and generates a command for a target device, the command being sent to the hub through the data network, the hub forwarding the command to the target device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a first automation application responds to an event and generates another event in response to the event or invoke another event handler in response to the event.

10. A device automation system as recited in claim 1 wherein for at least some automation applications, one or more of the associated event handlers is installed at the central server and one or more other of the associated event handlers is installed at the hub.

11. A device automation system as recited in claim 1 wherein the event handler installation determination is based, at least in part, on one or more of:

whether the automation application requires a web service call; and

whether all the devices associated with the automation application are paired with the same hub.

12. A device automation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the central server is configured to determine whether a selected event handler requires a web service call and when the selected event handler is determined to require a web service call, the selected event handler is installed at the central server.

13. A device automation system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the central server is configured to determine whether all of the devices needed for execution of a selected event handler are associated with one of the hubs; and

when it is determined that all of the devices needed for execution of the event handler are associated with one of the hubs, the selected event handler is installed at such hub.

14. A method for providing automatic control of one or more devices in an environment, the method comprising:

connecting the one or more devices to a hub, the hub being in communication with a central server through a data network and being configured to execute event handlers to issue commands to the devices and receive data from the devices in response to events and actions specified in the event handlers;

retrieving a physical graph describing the devices and the hub in the environment;

receiving a selection of an automation application, the automation application responding to an event and issuing an action in response, wherein the automation application comprises one or more event handlers, each event handler specifying an event and an action, and wherein an event handler is executed to issue the specified action on one or more devices in the environment in response to the specified event;

retrieving configuration information for devices specified by the automation application;

receiving a selection of devices meeting a specification of the automation application; and

determining a deployment strategy for the automation application on an event handler by event handler basis, including, determining for each event handler whether the event handler is to be installed at the hub to handle events at the hub or at a central server to handle events at the central server based, at least in part, on a configuration of the hub and the devices in the environment, and the action specified by the event handler,

for each event handler determined to be installed at the hub, installing the event handler at the hub to be executed at the hub to issue commands to the devices and/or receive data from the devices in the environment in response to a first set of events; and

for each event handler determined to be installed at the central server, installing the event handler at the central server to be executed at the central server to issue commands to the devices and/or receive data from the devices in the environment in response to a second set of events, the first set of event handlers being different from the second set of event handlers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a first event handler is configured to monitor or control one or more devices or to invoke a second event handler in response to a specified event in the first event handler, and wherein determining a deployment strategy for the automation application further comprises:

installing one or more event handlers of the automation application at the hub to handle events at the hub, or installing one or more handlers of the automation application at the central server to handle events at the central server, or installing a first subset of event handlers of the automation application at the hub and a second subset of event handlers of the automation application at the central server.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving configuration preferences selecting one or more of the devices in the environment meeting the specification of the automation application; and

determining the deployment strategy for the automation application based on the selected devices.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining deployment strategy for the automation application comprises:

analyzing the automation application, the configuration information of the devices and the configuration preferences to determine whether the automation application including an event handler should be installed at the hub or at the central server.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether the automation application includes a web service call; and

in response to the automation application including a web service call, installing the automation application at the central server.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether the devices selected by the configuration preferences are associated with the same hub; and

in response to the devices being associated with the same hub, installing the automation application at the hub.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether the hub is capable of handling execution of the automation application; and

in response to the hub being capable of handling execution of the automation application, installing the automation application at the hub.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein a first event handler is installed at the hub and the method further comprises:

storing the first event handler in the hub in a look-up table, the first event handler being associated with a first event on a source device;

receiving the first event generated from the source device;

retrieving the first event handler from the look-up table in response to the first event; and

executing the first event handler to issue action to a target device.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein a first event handler is installed at the hub and the method further comprises:

storing event wiring as the first event handler, the event wiring including direct connections between a first event on a source device and an action to be taken at a device;

receiving the first event generated from the source device;

retrieving the event wiring from the look-up table in response to the first event; and

issuing action to a target device associated with the event wiring.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein a second event handler is installed at the central server to handle events at the central server and the method further comprises:

executing the second event handler in response to an event;

generating a command for a target device;

sending the command to the hub through the data network; and

forwarding the command to the target device.

24. A system for providing automatic control of one or more devices in an environment, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

connect the one or more devices to a hub, the hub being in communication with a central server through a data network and being configured to execute event handlers to issue commands to the devices and receive data from the devices in response to events and actions specified in the event handlers;

retrieve a physical graph describing the devices and the hub in the environment;

receive a selection of an automation application, the automation application responding to an event and issuing an action in response, wherein the automation application comprises one or more event handlers, each event handler specifying an event and an action, and wherein an event handler is executed to issue the specified action on one or more devices in the environment in response to the specified event;

retrieve configuration information for devices specified by the automation application;

receive a selection of devices meeting a specification of the automation application; and

determine a deployment strategy for the automation application on an event handler by event handler basis, including, determining for each event handler whether the event handler is to be installed at the hub to handle events at the hub or at a central server to handle events at the central server based, at least in part, on a configuration of the hub and the devices in the environment, and the action specified by the event handler;

for each event handler determined to be installed at the hub, installing the event handler at the hub to be executed at the hub to issue commands to the devices and/or receive data from the devices in the environment in response to a first set of events; and

for each event handler determined to be installed at the central server, installing the event handler at the central server to be executed at the central server to issue commands to the devices and/or receive data from the devices in the environment in response to a second set of events.