SYSTEM AUTOMATION VIA AN ALARM SYSTEM

• US 20130035774A1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NICE North America LLC, Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 2GIG Technologies Incorporated (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Warren, Jeremy Bruce, Santiago, Todd Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/567,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20130035774A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

Methods, devices, systems, and computer program products for automating a system based on weather data are disclosed. A method may comprise receiving weather related data and modifying at least one system rule at least partially based on the received weather related data. The method may also include conveying one or more commands to at least one system control based at least partially on the at least one modified system rule. Further, the method may include operating the at least one system in response to the one or more commands.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving forecast weather data at an alarm system controller from a weather data source; and

controlling at least one system via the alarm system controller based on the forecast weather data.

2. The method of claim 1, the receiving forecast weather data comprising receiving at least one of a forecast maximum and minimum temperature data, forecast cloud cover data, forecast humidity data, forecast precipitation data, and forecast wind data.

3. The method of claim 1, the controlling at least one system comprising controlling at least one of an HVAC system, a sprinkler system, a lighting system, and a swimming pool system.

4. The method of claim 1, the controlling at least one system comprising conveying one or more control signals to the at least one system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information indicating a status of the system.

6. The method of claim 1, the controlling at least one system comprising conveying one or more control signals to a system control for controlling the at least one system.

7. The method of claim 1, the controlling at least one system comprising conveying one or more commands from a remote computing device to the at least one system via the alarm system controller.

8. An alarm system control panel, comprising:

a system automation module to receive weather forecast data from a weather data source and manage one or rules for a remote system; and

an interface configured to transmit one or more commands for controlling the remote system according to the one or more rules.

9. The alarm system control panel of claim 8, further comprising a user interface for receiving local commands for defining the one or more rules.

10. The alarm system control panel of claim 8, the interface further configured to receive information indicating a status of the remote system.

11. The alarm system control panel of claim 8, the interface further configured to receive one or more remote commands from a remote computing device for defining the one or more rules.

12. The alarm system control panel of claim 8, the interface further configured to convey information indicating a status of the remote system to a remote computing device.

13. A control peripheral device, comprising:

a first interface configured for receiving one or more commands from an alarm system controller and transmitting a status of a system to the alarm system controller; and

a second interface configured for coupling to a system control for controlling the system in response to the one or more commands.

14. The control peripheral device of claim 13, the second interface configured to communicatively interface with the system control via a hard-wired serial interface.

15. The control peripheral device of claim 13, the system status comprising at least one of current setting information, historical runtime information, system control data, and system hardware information.

16. The control peripheral device of claim 13, the second interface further configured for receiving the system status from the system control.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving weather related data;

modifying at least one system rule at least partially based on the received weather related data;

conveying one or more commands to at least one system control based at least partially on the at least one modified system rule; and

operating the at least one system in response to the one or more commands.

18. The method of claim 17, the modifying comprising modifying at least one of a schedule and a setting of the at least one system.

19. The method of claim 17, the receiving weather data comprising receiving at least one of temperature data, wind speed and direction data, precipitation data, humidity data, sunrise and sunset data, air quality data, ozone level data, and cloud cover data.

20. A control system, comprising:

an alarm system controller for receiving weather data from a weather data source and conveying one or more commands for controlling an operation of one or more systems in response to the weather data;

a system control for receiving the one or more commands from the alarm system controller and controlling the one or more systems in response thereto.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a control peripheral device, comprising:

a first interface configured for receiving one or more commands from the alarm system controller and transmitting a status of a system to the alarm system controller; and

a second interface configured for coupling to the system control for controlling the system in response to the one or more commands.

22. The control peripheral device of claim 20, the one or more systems comprising one or more of an HVAC system, a sprinkler system, a lighting system, and a swimming pool system.

23. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform instructions, the instructions comprising:

receiving forecast weather data at an alarm control panel from a weather data source; and

controlling at least one system via the alarm control panel based on the forecast weather data.

24. An alarm system control panel that interfaces with a sprinkler system control, the alarm system control panel comprising:

a wireless interface configured to establish a connection with a sprinkler system control and to transfer sprinkler system related data through the connection, including;

receiving sprinkler status from the sprinkler system control, and

sending one or more sprinkler commands to the sprinkler system control;

a network interface configured to receive weather-related data from a network; and

a sprinkler automation module configured to manage one or more sprinkler zones operated by the sprinkler system control.

25. The alarm system control panel of claim 24, the sprinkler automation module configured for:

receiving the sprinkler status from the sprinkler system control via the wireless interface;

maintaining one or more of at least one sprinkler zone rule and a watering schedule;

modifying one or more of the at least one sprinkler zone rule and the watering schedule based on the weather-related data received from the network; and

sending the one or more sprinkler commands to the sprinkler system control via the wireless interface, the one or more sprinkler commands configured to cause the sprinkler system control to implement the modified at least one sprinkler zone rule or the modified watering schedule.

26. The alarm system control panel of claim 24, wherein the weather related data comprises at least one of past weather data, present weather data, and future weather data.

27. A method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection with a sprinkler system control, the wireless connection established to receive sprinkler status from the sprinkler system control and to send sprinkler commands to the sprinkler system control panel;

defining at least one sprinkler zone rule and developing a watering schedule from the at least one sprinkler zone rule, the watering schedule defining a time period during which at least one sprinkler zone should be active;

receiving weather related data over a network interface, the weather related data including at least a forecast relating to one or more of future temperature, precipitation, or wind conditions;

modifying at least the watering schedule based on the received weather related data, including defining a different time period during which the at least one sprinkler zone should be active to optimize water usage in view of the forecast; and

sending one or more sprinkler commands to the sprinkler system control panel over the wireless connection, the one or more sprinkler commands configured to cause the sprinkler system control panel to activate the at least one sprinkler zone as defined by modified at least the watering schedule.