Methods and apparatus for using smart environment devices via application program interfaces

• US 9,491,571 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Karp, Igor, Stesin, Lev, Pi-Sunyer, Carles, McBride, Mark Andrew, Dubman, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Mudrick, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US14/722,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328
• 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: H05B 47/196 : characterised by user interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 : using handheld communication devices
• 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 providing a message to an application programming interface (API). The message includes a request for data from a data model, a submission of data to the data model, or both; and a host selection between: a representational state transfer (REST) host and a subscription-based application programming interface (API) host, wherein the REST host receives REST-based messages and the subscription-based API host receives messages in accordance with a standard of the subscription-based API host; wherein the request for data, the submission of data, or both are configured to create, delete, modify, or any combination thereof data related to a smart-device environment structure, a thermostat, a hazard detector, or any combination thereof stored in a data model accessible by the API.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

provide a message to an application programming interface (API), wherein the message comprises;

a request for data from a data model, a submission of data to the data model, or both; and

a host and protocol selection indication, the host and protocol selection indication providing an indication between;

a representational state transfer (REST) host, and

a subscription-based application programming interface (API) host,

wherein the REST host receives REST-based messages and the subscription-based API host receives messages in accordance with a standard of the subscription-based API host; and

receive a response message from the API via;

the REST host, when the host and protocol selection comprises the REST host;

or

the subscription-based API host, when the host and protocol selection comprises the subscription-based host;

wherein the data model comprises information related to one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising the data model, wherein the data model comprises a single JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) document describing the smart-device environment structure, the smart-devices, or any combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising an API server that hosts the API, wherein a processor of the API server is configured to:

provide the request for data, the submission of data, or both to a device service that maintains the data model.

4. The system of claim 3, comprising the device service, wherein the device service maintains the data model in hierarchical structure comprising a first element related to the smart-device environment structure at a first level, a second element related to the one or more smart-devices, and a third element comprising a reference to the one or more smart-devices at a second level subordinate to the first level.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the device service is configured to maintain the data model using a subscription-based approach.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising an electronic device configured to subscribe to updates to the data model.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is configured to:

establish a session with a device service that maintains the data model;

sleep after a period of session inactivity; and

wake to receive data based upon a subscription associated with the message.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more smart-devices comprise a thermostat, hazard detector, or any combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide one or more data changes to a device service that maintains the data model, wherein the data changes are stored in the data model.

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

establish a session with the device service; and

upon the one or more data changes occurring at the electronic device, providing the one or more data changes to the device service.

11. The system of claim 10, comprising the device service, wherein the device service is configured to:

receive the one or more data changes; and

provide the received one or more data changes to subscribers of a subscription affected by the one or more data changes.

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

provide a message to an application programming interface (API), wherein the message comprises;

a request for data from a data model, a submission of data to the data model, or both; and

a host selection indication, the host and protocol selection indication providing an indication between;

a representational state transfer (REST) host, and

a subscription-based application programming interface (API) host,

wherein the REST host receives REST-based messages and the subscription-based API host receives messages in accordance with a standard of the subscription-based API host; and

receive a response message from the API via;

the REST host, when the host and protocol selection comprises the REST host;

or

the subscription-based API host, when the host and protocol selection comprises the subscription-based host;

wherein the request for data, the submission of data, or both are configured to create, delete, modify, or any combination thereof data related to a smart-device environment structure, a thermostat, a hazard detector, or any combination thereof stored in a data model accessible by the API.

13. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the host selection comprises a selection of the REST host.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the host selection comprises a selection of the subscription-based API host.

15. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions are created using one or more client libraries provided to a client developer.

16. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the message comprises the submission of data to the data model and the submission of data is configured to affect a control of the operation of the smart-device environment structure, the thermostat, the hazard detector, or any combination thereof.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a message to an application programming interface (API), wherein the message comprises;

a request for data from a data model, a submission of data to the data model, or both;

a host and protocol selection indication, the host and protocol selection indication providing an indication between;

a representational state transfer (REST) host; and

a subscription-based application programming interface (API) host,

wherein the REST host receives REST-based messages and the subscription-based API host receives messages in accordance with a standard of the subscription-based API host; and

receiving a response message from the API via;

the REST host, when the host and protocol selection comprises the REST host;

or

the subscription-based API host, when the host and protocol selection comprises the subscription-based host;

wherein the data model comprises information related to one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the one or more smart-devices comprise:

a thermostat, a hazard detector, or any combination thereof; and

wherein the data comprises one or more device operation status parameters received from the thermostat, the hazard detector, or any combination thereof.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the data model comprises a single JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) document describing the one or more smart-device structures, the one or more smart-devices, or both.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, comprising:

determining that the request should be delayed; and

holding the request until an appropriate time for implementation of the request.