Systems and methods for rules-based automations and notifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768784-B2
Application number	US-201414561675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for improved graphical user interfaces suitable for monitoring and controlling home automation, security, and/or energy management systems. In some embodiments, rules of different types may be displayed in, and controlled from, a list view. The graphical user interface may display a list of rules associated with generic automation rules and context-associated automation rules. List items may be associated with suggested automation rules, notification rules, or both. The list of rule items may include items associated with a property context or an external condition context. Items may be included in the list based, at least in part, on the current property context, the current external condition context, or both. In some instances, the system may be communicatively coupled to a third-party information service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A home automation control device, comprising:
a display;
memory associated with the display;
one or more processors configured to execute one or more programs stored in the memory;
a context template configured to store one or more context associated rules;
a context configuration that controls an availability, an execution, or both of the at least one context-associated rule based on an existence of an alert, the context configuration based at least in part on a location context of a home automation system; and
a graphical user interface produced by an application program operating on the home automation control device, the graphical user interface configured to detect at least one selection event associated with at least one remote device of the home automation system and generate, on the display:
a list of displayed rule types, including: a generic rule type, a context-associated rule type, a suggested rule type, a notification rule type, and a custom rule type; and
a plurality of rule item lists associated with the at least one remote device of the home automation system, each rule item list comprising one or more home automation rules displayed as rule items, with at least one rule item lists comprising a plurality of rule items, each rule item list categorized into and displayed together with a respective one of the plurality of displayed rule types, and each rule item comprising a toggle element for activating or deactivating the rule item's home automation rule, wherein:
the home automation rules for the rule item list categorized into the generic rule type are each associated with at least one component of the home automation system;
the rule items categorized into the context-associated rule type include a rule item for the at least one context-associated home automation rule, wherein the at least one context-associated home automation rule is based at least in part on the location context of the home automation system and is triggered when the alert is detected;
the rule items categorized into the suggested rule type include at least one rule item whose toggle element and home automation rule has been automatically activated by the home automation system based at least in part on a series of two or more events associated with the home automation system the accepted rule item comprising a natural language description of the activated rule item's home automation rule;
the home automation rules for the rule items categorized into the notification rule type each generate a notification based at least in part on an event detected by one of the remote devices associated with the home automation system;
the home automation rules for the rule items categorized into the custom rule type are generated based at least in part on input received at the at least one remote device of the home automation system; and
a feature controller configured to control the at least one remote device based on a selection of the at least one of the plurality of displayed home automation rules.

2. The home automation control device of claim 1 , wherein the suggested home automation rule comprises a learned automation rule.

3. The home automation control device of claim 1 , wherein at least one context-associated home automation rule is further associated with a property context.

4. The home automation control device of claim 3 , wherein the property context is a property location.

5. The home automation control device of claim 1 , comprising a computing device that is a portable electronic device with a touch screen display.

6. The home automation control device of claim 1 , wherein at least one context-associated automation rule is further associated with an external condition context.

7. A computer-implemented method for home automation, the method comprising:
generating a plurality of rule item lists associated with at least one remote device of a home automation system, the plurality of rule item lists comprising
a generic rule item list with at least one rule item associated with a selectable generic automation rule that is associated with at least one component of the home automation system,
a context-associated rule item list with at least one rule item associated with a selectable context-associated automation rule that is based at least in part on a location context of the home automation system,
a suggested rule item list with at least one rule item associated with a suggested rule that has been automatically activated by the home automation system based at least in part on a series of two or more events associated with the home automation system and comprising natural language describing the suggested rule,
a notification rule list with at least one rule item associated with a notification rule that generates a notification based at least in part on a condition of the home automation system, and
a custom rule list with at least one rule item associated with a custom rule, the custom rule based at least in part on input received at the at least one remote device of the home automation system,

displaying the plurality of rule item lists, each rule item list displayed together with a respective label describing a category for the rule item list, each rule item comprising a toggle element for activating or deactivating the rule item;
controlling an availability, an execution, or both of the context-associated rule items based on a context configuration based on an existence of an alert, the context configuration based at least in part on the location context of the home automation system;
and
controlling the at least one remote device based on the toggle element and the selectable context-associated automation rule.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining one or more current contexts;
retrieving a pre-defined list of context-associated rules from a memory;
determining if the one or more current contexts correspond to one or more of the context-associated rules in the pre-defined list of context-associated rules; and
generating the context-associated rule item list of based, at least in part, on the results of determining if the one or more current contexts correspond to one or more of the context-associated rules in the pre-defined list of context-associated rules.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein at least one context-associated rule is further associated with an external condition context.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein at least one context-associated rule is further associated with a property context.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more current contexts comprises a property location.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the suggested automation rule further comprises a learned automation rule.

13. A computer program product for a rule-based automation and notification system, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
code for generating a plurality of rule item lists associated with a plurality of devices of a home automation system, the plurality of rule item lists comprising
a generic rule item list with at least one rule item associated with a selectable generic automation rule that is associated with at least one component of the home automation system,
a suggested rule item list with at least one rule item associated with a suggested rule that has been automatically activated by the home automation system based at least in part on a series of two or more events associated with the home automation system and and comprising na

Assignees

• Vivint Inc

Inventors

• Shearer Wade
• Warner Michael

Classifications

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04L12/2816

  Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• H04L67/025

  for remote control or remote monitoring of applications · CPC title

• H04L12/2823

  Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network (device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• H04L12/2803

  Home automation networks · CPC title