Remote sound generation for a home automation system

• US 9,882,736 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Lett, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US15/189,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20170359188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 340500, 34053922, 340584, 340657
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/005 combined burglary and fire alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various arrangements for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules are presented. A rule definition for a rule may be received that defines a sound event to be remotely output in response to an occurrence of a home automation event. A home automation host system may monitor home automation data received from one or more home automation devices for the home automation event. In response to receiving home automation data indicative of the home automation event, the rule based on the rule definition may be executed. A sound execution message may be transmitted via a low-power wireless network to a sound generator, the message can include an identifier indicative of the sound.

Claims

1. A method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules, the method comprising:

receiving, by a home automation host system, a rule definition for a rule, the rule defining a sound event to be remotely output in response to an occurrence of a home automation event, wherein the sound event indicates a sound;

monitoring, by the home automation host system, home automation data received from one or more home automation devices for the home automation event;

in response to receiving home automation data indicative of the home automation event, executing, by the home automation host system, the rule based on the rule definition;

transmitting, by a low power wireless network interface of the home automation host system, to a sound generation device, a sound execution message comprising an identifier indicative of the sound, wherein;

the sound corresponds to a local audio file stored by the sound generation device; and

the sound generation device stores a data storage arrangement that links the local audio file with the identifier; and

transmitting, by the home automation host system, to the sound generation device, via a low power wireless network, a local disablement indicator as a parameter of the sound execution message, wherein the local disablement indicator defines whether physical user input provided to the sound generation device is permitted to disable output of the local audio file.

2. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the sound generation device, via the low-power wireless network, the sound execution message;

accessing, by the sound generation device, the data storage arrangement to identify the local audio file based on the received identifier present in the sound execution message; and

outputting, using an audio transducer of the sound generation device, the accessed local audio file.

3. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the rule definition, transmitting, by the home automation host system, an audio file of the sound to the sound generation device as part of a storage message, wherein when the recording of the sound is transmitted to the sound generation device the rule has not yet been executed; and

storing, by the sound generation device, the audio file of the sound as the local audio file.

4. The method for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 3, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the recording of the sound, linking the identifier with the local audio file in the data storage arrangement.

5. The method for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, from a user, the rule definition of the rule and a sound recording; and

transmitting, by the mobile device to the home automation host system via a home automation server system, the rule definition of the rule and the sound recording.

6. The method for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the sound generation device, the local disablement indicator as part of the sound execution message;

outputting, by the sound generation device, the sound; and

in accordance with the local disablement indicator, disabling responsiveness to input received via one or more user input components of the sound generation device such that the one or more user input components cannot be actuated by a user to cease output of the local audio file.

7. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, wherein the low-power wireless network is a mesh network and transmitting the sound execution message to the sound generation device from the home automation host system comprises:

relaying, via the low-power wireless network, the sound execution message to the sound generation device via a home automation device.

8. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the home automation host system, a mobile device is outside a threshold distance of a location linked with the home automation host system;

in response to determining the mobile device is outside the threshold distance of the location, setting, by the home automation host system, the home automation host system to a user-away mode; and

in response to the home automation host system being set to the user-away mode, enforcing a set of rules, comprising the rule, which is activated when the home automation host system is set to the user-away mode but not active when the home automation host system is set to a user-present mode.

9. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the home automation host system to the sound generation device, a repeat parameter for the sound event, wherein;

the repeat parameter is defined by the rule and the repeat parameter defines a number of times or a length of time the local audio file is to be output by the sound generation device.

10. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1, wherein the low-power wireless network interface transmits using a transmit power of 0 dBm or less.

11. A home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules, the home automation system comprising:

a home automation host system that comprises one or more processors and a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a rule definition for a rule, the rule defining a sound event to be remotely output in response to an occurrence of a home automation event, wherein the sound event indicates a sound;

monitor home automation data received from one or more home automation devices for the home automation event;

in response to receiving home automation data indicative of the home automation event, execute the rule based on the rule definition;

transmit, to a sound generation device, via a low power wireless network interface, a sound execution message comprising an identifier indicative of the sound, wherein;

the sound corresponds to a local audio file stored by the sound generation device; and

the sound generation device stores a data storage arrangement that links the local audio file with the identifier; and

transmit, to the sound generation device, via the low power wireless network interface, a local disablement indicator as a parameter of the sound execution message, wherein the local disablement indicator defines whether physical user input provided to the sound generation device is permitted to disable output of the local audio file.

12. The home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 11, the home automation system further comprising the sound generation device, comprising an audio transducer and wireless transceiver, the sound generation device configured to:

receive, via a low-power wireless network, the sound execution message;

access the data storage arrangement to identify the local audio file based on the received identifier present in the sound execution message; and

output, using the audio transducer, the accessed local audio file.

13. The home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 11, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

in response to receiving the rule definition, transmit an audio file of the sound to the sound generation device as part of a storage message, wherein when the recording of the sound is transmitted to the sound generation device the rule has not yet been executed.

14. The home automation system for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 11, the home automation system further comprising:

a home automation server system located remote from the home automation host system; and

a mobile device, configured to;

receive, from a user, the rule definition of the rule and a sound recording; and

transmit, to the home automation host system via the home automation server system, the rule definition of the rule and the sound recording.

15. The home automation system for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 11, the home automation system further comprising the sound generation device that comprises an audio transducer and one or more user input components, the sound generation device configured to:

receive the local disablement indicator as part of the sound execution message;

output the sound; and

in accordance with the local disablement indicator, disable responsiveness to input received via the one or more user input components of the sound generation device such that the one or more user input components cannot be actuated by a user to cease auditory output of the local audio file via the audio transducer.

16. The home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 11, wherein the low-power wireless network is a mesh network and the processor-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to transmit the sound execution message to the sound generation device from the home automation host system comprises processor-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

relay, via a low-power wireless network, the sound execution message to the sound generation device via a home automation device.

17. The home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 11, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit, to the sound generation device, a repeat parameter for the sound event, wherein;

the repeat parameter is defined by the rule and the repeat parameter defines a number of times or a length of time the local audio file is to be output by the sound generation device.

18. A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising processor-readable instructions that cause one or more processors to:

receive a rule definition for a rule, the rule defining a sound event to be remotely output in response to an occurrence of a home automation event, wherein the sound event indicates a sound;

monitor home automation data received from one or more home automation devices for the home automation event;

in response to receiving home automation data indicative of the home automation event, execute the rule based on the rule definition;

transmit, to a sound generation device, via a low power wireless network, a sound execution message comprising an identifier indicative of the sound, wherein;

the sound corresponds to a local audio file stored by the sound generation device; and

the sound generation device stores a data storage arrangement that links the local audio file with the identifier; and

transmit, to the sound generation device, via the low power wireless network, a local disablement indicator as a parameter of the sound execution message, wherein the local disablement indicator defines whether physical user input provided to the sound generation device is permitted to disable output of the local audio file.