Aggregating user routines in an automated environment

• US 10,416,625 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marti, Lukas M., McLaughlin, Kevin P., Mathias, Arun G., Huang, Ronald Keryuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Saad M
• Application Number:
  US14/856,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20160132030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 700275
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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 12/2829 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Automated behaviors in an environment can be implemented based on aggregation of individual user routines. For example, mobile devices used by users in the environment can provide information about the users'"'"' behavior patterns to a coordinator device that can be located in the environment. The coordinator device can analyze the information to detect an aggregate pattern that involves multiple mobile devices and/or multiple users. Based on a detected aggregate patterns, the coordinator can identify behaviors to automate.

Claims

1. A method of using a coordinator device in an automated environment that includes a plurality of accessories controllable, via accessory interactions, by a plurality of mobile devices belonging to a plurality of users who frequent the automated environment, the method comprising:

receiving, at the coordinator device, respective pattern results from each of two or more of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the pattern results from the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices represents a first pattern of using a first mobile device to control a first subset of the plurality of accessories and a second pattern of using a second mobile device to control a second subset of the plurality of accessories;

analyzing, by the coordinator device, the received pattern results;

detecting an aggregate pattern across the users of the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the aggregate pattern comprises the pattern results from the first mobile device being used to control the first subset of the plurality of accessories in relation to pattern results from the second mobile device being used to control the second subset of the plurality of accessories, and wherein the aggregate pattern includes a correlation between locations of the users of the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices and an accessory interaction;

identifying, by the coordinator device, an operational behavior of one or more of the plurality of accessories to automate based on the aggregate pattern that is detected; and

automating the operational behavior of the one or more of the plurality of accessories in accordance with the detected aggregate pattern across the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automating the operational behavior includes:

presenting a suggestion to a first user of the users to automate the operational behavior; and

automating the operational behavior in response to the first user accepting the suggestion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received pattern results include a location pattern result indicating when a first user of a first mobile device routinely leaves the automated environment and when the first user routinely arrives at the automated environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received pattern results include activity information characterizing an activity that a first user of a first mobile device routinely performs while in the automated environment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the activity includes interacting with one or more of the plurality of accessories.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the activity that the first user of the first mobile device routinely performs while in the automated environment includes sleeping.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the coordinator device, accessory interaction information from the plurality of accessories about accessory interactions of accessories with the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate pattern includes a correlation between an accessory interaction and a transition in an occupancy state of the automated environment from an occupied state to an unoccupied state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate pattern includes a correlation between an accessory interaction and a transition in an occupancy state of the automated environment from an unoccupied state to an occupied state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate pattern includes a correlation between an accessory interaction and presence in the automated environment of a particular subset of the users of the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein automating the operational behavior includes:

establishing an automation rule that includes;

a triggering condition detectable by the coordinator device, and

an accessory action to be initiated in response to detecting the triggering condition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering condition is based on a specific subset of the users being present in the automated environment, and wherein the coordinator device determines which of the users are currently in the automated environment based on signals from the plurality of mobile devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the aggregate pattern includes identifying a time period during which the automated environment is routinely unoccupied.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the operational behavior to automate includes setting a target temperature of a thermostat to a conservation temperature during the time period and setting the target temperature of the thermostat to a comfortable temperature for times outside the time period.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the operational behavior to automate further includes selecting the comfortable temperature based on which of the users are present in the automated environment.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the aggregate pattern includes:

identifying an accessory interaction that a first user of the users routinely performs when the first user is alone in the automated environment but does not routinely perform when another user is present in the automated environment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational behavior to automate includes performing the accessory interaction when the first user is alone in the automated environment.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated environment is a home environment.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is controlled by a first user and the second mobile device is controlled by a second user that is different from the first user.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of the plurality of accessories and the second subset of the plurality of accessories include a same one or more accessories.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein a location of a user corresponds to an area in the automated environment that is occupied by the user.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with a plurality of accessories in an automated environment and to communicate with a plurality of mobile devices associated with a plurality of users who frequent the automated environment, the plurality of accessories controllable by the plurality of mobile devices; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to;

receive respective pattern results from each of two or more of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the pattern results from the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices represents a first pattern of using a first mobile device to control a first subset of the plurality of accessories and a second pattern of using a second mobile device to control a second subset of the plurality of accessories;

analyze the received pattern results;

detect an aggregate pattern across the users of the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the aggregate pattern comprises the pattern results from the first mobile device being used to control the first subset of the plurality of accessories in relation to the pattern results from the second mobile device being used to control the second subset of the plurality of accessories, and wherein the aggregate pattern includes a correlation between locations of the users of the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices and an accessory interaction;

identify an operational behavior of one or more of the plurality of accessories to automate based on the aggregate pattern that is detected; and

automate the operational behavior of the one or more of the plurality of accessories in accordance with the detected aggregate pattern across the two or more of the plurality of mobile devices.