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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10075828-B2
Application number	US-201615158268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Systems and Methods disclosed herein relate to providing control of smart devices via data provided from or to a doorbell, via an application programming interface (API). The data provided by the doorbell may be submission data related to the doorbell, while received data may be reception data related to one or more smart devices, a smart-device environment structure hosting the smart devices, or both. Based upon the reception data and/or the submission data, a status of the doorbell and/or of the smart devices may be modified.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an application programming interface (API) client device, comprising a doorbell, the doorbell comprising a processor configured to:
provide submission data to an application programming interface (API), wherein the submission data comprises information about the doorbell to be processed by a data model associated with the API;
receive reception data from the API;
or both, wherein the reception data comprises information about one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices;
wherein a doorbell status of the doorbell is modified based upon the reception data, wherein a smart-device status is modified based upon the submission data, or both; and
wherein the data model comprises information related to the one or more smart-devices, the one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the data model comprises a single JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) document describing the one or more smart-device environment structures, the one or more smart-devices, or both, and the one or more smart-devices comprise: a thermostat, a hazard detector, or any combination thereof;
the processor is configured to provide the submission data, receive the reception data, or both by providing a request to a representational state transfer (REST) host, a subscription-based application programming interface (API) host, or both; and
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.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the doorbell comprises a light indicator; and wherein the doorbell status is modified by controlling the light indicator to illuminate based upon the reception data.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reception data comprises an active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices; and
wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a light pattern, a light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reception data comprises a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices; and
wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a light pattern, a light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the reception data is determined to be the historical hazard indication by determining whether the hazard was detected while an occupancy status of the one or more smart-device environment structures indicates that the one or more smart-device environment structures was not occupied.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the reception data is determined to be the historical hazard indication by determining whether an occupancy status transitioned from indicating that the one or more smart-device environment structures was not occupied to indicating that the one or more smart-device environment structures is occupied, after the hazard is no longer detected.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein:
the reception data comprises:
an active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices;
a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices;
or both;

wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a first light pattern, a first light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication; and
wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a second light pattern, a second light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first light color comprises red, the first light pattern comprises flashing, or both; and
wherein the second color comprises yellow, the second light pattern comprises flashing, or both.

10. The system of claim 3 ,
comprising a household appliance;
wherein the one or more smart-devices comprise the household appliance;
wherein the reception data comprises an active appliance indication that indicates that the household appliance is on; and
wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit a light pattern, a light color, or both based upon the active appliance indication.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the light indicator is controlled to emit the light pattern, the light color, or both based upon occupancy information about the one or more smart-device environment structures that indicates no occupancy within the one or more smart-device environment structures.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the household appliance comprises an oven, a television, a microwave, or any combination thereof.

13. A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising machine-readable instruction to:
provide submission data to an application programming interface (API), from a doorbell that is an API client device, wherein the submission data comprises information about the doorbell to be processed by a data model associated with the API;
receive reception data from the API;
or both, by the doorbell, wherein the reception data comprises information about one or more smart-devices, one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both; and
wherein a doorbell status of the doorbell is modified based upon the reception data, a smart-device status is modified based upon the submission data, or both; and
wherein the data model comprises information related to the one or more smart-devices, the one or more smart-device environment structures comprising the smart-devices, or both.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 13 , comprising machine-readable instructions to: control a light indicator of the doorbell to illuminate based upon the reception data.

15. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 13 , comprising machine-readable instructions to:
upon reception of an active hazard indication that indicates that an active hazard is detected by the one or more smart-devices, control the light indicator to emit a first light pattern, a first light color, or both based upon the active hazard indication; and
upon reception of a historical hazard indication that indicates that a hazard was previously detected, but is no longer detected, by the one or more smart-devices, control the light indicator to emit a second light pattern, a second light color, or both based upon the historical hazard indication;
wherein the first light pattern is different than the second light pattern, the first light color is different than the second light color, or both.

16. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 15 , comprising machine-readable instructions to:
upon reception of an active appliance indication that indicates that a household appliance is on, control the light indicator to emit a third light pattern, a third light color, or both based upon the active appliance indication.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 16 , wherein the third light pattern is different than the first and second light pattern, the third light color is different than the first and second light color, or both.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, of claim 16 , comprising machine-readable i

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Horton David
• Tan Leon
• Urman Andrew
• Daniels Melissa

Classifications

• H05B47/105

  in response to determined parameters · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H04L12/2829

  involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered · CPC title

• G05D23/1904

  variable in time · CPC title

• G08B17/10

  Actuation by presence of smoke or gases {, e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means} · CPC title