Alert suspension for home automation system

• US 9,967,614 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: McCarthy, III, Bernard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imperial, Jaycee
• Application Number:
  US14/584,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 725 80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

Systems and methods for suspending alert notifications at an electronic device may include receiving an instruction to suspend alerts for an event at the electronic device. The electronic device may access a separate information source including information associated with the event. The electronic device may also determine from the accessed information a time at which the event will end, and suspend alert notifications until the determined time.

Claims

1. A method of suspending alerts, the method comprising:

receiving a first instruction at an electronic device to suspend a first set of alerts for a first type of event corresponding to a television program received via a television receiver or content received from an additional device, wherein the electronic device comprises a hub for home automation at a home, wherein the electronic device receives updates from home automation components associated with the electronic device and located throughout the home, and wherein the first set of alerts relate to the first type of event identified by the home automation components occurring at the home;

receiving a second instruction to suspend a second set of alerts for a second type of event corresponding to a calendar event listed on an electronic calendar, wherein the second set of alerts relate to the second type of event identified by the home automation components occurring at the home, wherein the second type of event is different from the first type of event;

detecting an event based on one or more of the updates received from the home automation components;

determining whether the event detected corresponds to the first type of event or the second type of event;

when the event is determined to correspond to the first type of event;

accessing a first separate information source including first information associated with the event, the first separate information source corresponding to the television receiver or the additional device;

calculating a first remaining time of the event based on the first information accessed with the first separate information source, and determining, based on the calculated remaining time, a time at which the event will end; and

suspending alert notifications corresponding to the first set of alerts until the determined time; and

when the event is determined to correspond to the second type of event;

accessing a second separate information source including second information associated with the event, the second separate information source corresponding to the electronic calendar, wherein the second separate information source and the second information are different from the first separate information source and the first information;

calculating a second remaining time of the event based on the second information accessed with the second separate information source to determine a second time at which the event will end; and

suspending alert notifications corresponding to the second set of alerts until the second time;

wherein the accessing, the calculating, and the determining operations are performed by the electronic device without additional user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises:

presenting an alert to a user during the event, wherein the alert comprises a toggle to suspend alerts for a remainder of the event; and

receiving a selection of the toggle from the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an additional toggle provides access to an advanced options menu including a list of alerts available to be suspended.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the advanced options menu comprises at least one user specific suspensions profile.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the advanced options menu comprises at least two subsets of grouped alerts available to be suspended, and wherein the at least two subsets are grouped by notification type or location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first instruction and the second instruction is associated with an event that will occur at a future time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first instruction is specific to a first device, and wherein the first set of alerts is continued to a second device separate from the first device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises at least one of a live television broadcast, a pre-recorded television event, or a calendar event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the event comprises a live television broadcast, and wherein the first separate information source comprises an electronic programming guide list of broadcast events.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the event comprises a pre-recorded television event, and wherein the first separate information source comprises a data file associated with the event including a time allocated to the event.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the event comprises the calendar event, and wherein the electronic calendar of the second separate information source comprises a personal calendar.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspending the alert notifications corresponding to the first set of alerts comprises:

receiving an alert after the first instruction is received;

adding the alert to a log file; and

subsequent to the determined time, outputting the log file to a display device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a television receiver.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a first input component configured to receive multimedia data;

a second input component configured to receive user input;

at least one output component communicatively coupled with at least one display device;

one or more processors; and

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 updates from associated home automation components for a home, wherein the electronic device comprises a hub for home automation at the home;

receive a first instruction to suspend a first set of alerts for a first type of event corresponding to a television program received via a television receiver or content received from an additional device, wherein the first set of alerts relate to the first type of event identified by the associated home automation components occurring at the home;

receive a second instruction to suspend a second set of alerts for a second type of event corresponding to a calendar event listed on an electronic calendar, wherein the second set of alerts relate to the second type of event identified by the associated home automation components occurring at the home, wherein the second type of event is different from the first type of event;

detecting an event based on one or more of the updates received from the associated home automation components;

determining whether the event detected corresponds to the first type of event or the second type of event;

when the event is determined to correspond to the first type of event;

access a first separate information source including first information associated with the event, the first separate information source corresponding to the television receiver or the additional device;

calculate a first remaining time of the event based on the first information accessed with the first separate information source to determine a first time at which the event will end; and

suspend notifications corresponding to the first set of alerts until the first time; and

when the event is determined to correspond to the second type of event;

access a second separate information source including second information associated with the event, the second separate information source corresponding to the electronic calendar, wherein the second separate information source and the second information are different from the first separate information source and the first information;

calculate a second remaining time of the event based on the second information accessed with the second separate information source to determine a second time at which the event will end; and

suspend notifications corresponding to the second set of alerts until the second time;

wherein the accessing, the calculating, and the determining operations are performed by the electronic device without additional user input.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the event comprises at least one of a live television broadcast, a pre-recorded television event, or a calendar event.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the event comprises a live television broadcast, and wherein the first separate information source comprises an electronic programming guide list of broadcast events.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the event comprises a pre-recorded television event, and wherein the first separate information source comprises a data file associated with the event including a time allocated to the event.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the event comprises the calendar event, and wherein the electronic calendar of the second separate information source comprises a personal calendar.

19. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the first instruction or the second instruction is specific to a first device, and wherein additional alerts are transmitted to a second device separate from the first device during the event.

20. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a television receiver.