Multi-source smart-home device control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11316709-B2
Application number	US-201816154466-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2018
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

Various arrangements for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices are presented. Registration information may be received for a first and second smart-home device that are controlled using different cloud-based server systems. A determination may be made that that the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device share a common function. The first smart-home device and the second smart-home device may be assigned to a common operating characteristic group based on the common function being shared by the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device. A control element may be provided that allows for control of smart-home devices with the common operating characteristic group. The control element may control the common function at the first smart-home device via the first cloud-based server system and at the second smart-home device via the second cloud-based server system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices, the method comprising:
receiving, by an application being executed by a mobile device, a first set of smart-home device registration information for a first smart-home device, wherein:
at least one function of the first smart-home device is controlled via communication with a first cloud-based server system; and
a first third-party manufacturer that provides the first smart-home device operates the first cloud-based server system;

receiving, by the application being executed by the mobile device, a second set of smart-home device registration information for a second smart-home device, wherein:
at least one function of the second smart-home device is controlled via communication with a second cloud-based server system distinct from the first cloud-based server system; and
a second third-party manufacturer that provides the second smart-home device operates the second cloud-based server system, the second third-party manufacturer being distinct from the first third-party manufacturer and the second cloud-based server system being distinct from the first cloud-based server system;

determining, by the application being executed by the mobile device, that the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device share two common functions;
assigning the first smart-home device controlled via communication with the first cloud-based server system and the second smart-home device controlled via communication with the second cloud-based server system to a common operating characteristic group based on a first common function being shared by the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device; and
generating, within a touchscreen control interface of the application being executed by the mobile device, a first selectable control element and a second selectable control element that control smart-home devices within the common operating characteristic group, wherein:
the first selectable control element and the second selectable control element are presented concurrently as part of the touchscreen control interface;
the touchscreen control interface is configured such that the selectable control element that controls smart-home devices within the common operating characteristic group is selected via a touch-based user input;
the first selectable control element, when selected, controls the first common function of the two common functions at the first smart-home device via the first cloud-based server system and at the second smart-home device via the second cloud-based server system; and
the second selectable control element, when selected, controls a second common function of the two common functions at the first smart-home device via the first cloud-based server system and at the second smart-home device via the second cloud-based server system.

2. The method for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 1 , further comprising: providing separate controls for the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device.

3. The method for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 1 , further comprising: providing a third selectable control element concurrently with the first selectable control element that controls a third function that is only performed at one of the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device.

4. The method for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving, by the application being executed by the mobile device, the first set of smart-home device registration information for the first smart-home device comprises receiving, by the application, from a user, a user-defined name.

5. The method for integrating control of the multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 4 , wherein determining that the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device share the common function comprises:
comparing the user-defined name to database of function-specific terms; and
determining the function of the first smart-home device based on comparing the user-defined name to the database of function-specific terms.

6. The method for integrating control of the multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 5 , wherein determining that the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device share the common function comprises:
determining the function of the first smart-home device that was determined based on the user-defined name matches the function of the second smart-home device.

7. The method for integrating control of the multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 6 , wherein:
the first smart-home device is a smart outlet plug; and
receiving the first set of smart-home device registration information for the first smart-home device comprises receiving the user-defined name that includes a term meaning “light.”

8. The method for integrating control of the multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 7 , wherein the first smart-home device that is the smart outlet plug is assigned to a lighting group.

9. The method for integrating control of the multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 1 , wherein the first set of smart-home device registration information comprises an indication of a location and the second set of smart-home device registration information comprises the indication of the location.

10. The method for integrating control of the multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 9 , wherein assigning the first smart-home device controlled via communication with the first cloud-based server system and the second smart-home device controlled via communication with the first cloud-based server system to the common operating characteristic group is further based on the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device being mapped to the location.

11. A system for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices, the system comprising:
an application executed by a mobile device, wherein the application causes one or more processors of the mobile device to:
receive a first set of smart-home device registration information for a first smart-home device, wherein:
at least one function of the first smart-home device is controlled via communication with a first cloud-based server system; and
a first third-party manufacturer that provides the first smart-home device operates the first cloud-based server system;

receive a second set of smart-home device registration information for a second smart-home device, wherein:
at least one function of the second smart-home device is controlled via communication with a second cloud-based server system distinct from the first cloud-based server system; and
a second third-party manufacturer that provides the second smart-home device operates the second cloud-based server system, the second third-party manufacturer being distinct from the first third-party manufacturer and the second cloud-based server system being distinct from the first cloud-based server system;

determine that the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device share two common functions;
assign the first smart-home device controlled via communication with the first cloud-based server system and the second smart-home device controlled via communication with the second cloud-based server system to a common operating characteristic group based on a first common function being shared by the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device; and
output, for presentation, within a control interface of the application presented on a touchscreen display, a first contro

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Brown Benjamin
• Huang Da
• Conover Christopher
• Williams Lisa
• Chung Henry

Classifications

• H04L12/2809

  indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network (monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51) · CPC title

• H04L2012/2847

  characterised by the type of home appliance used · CPC title

• H04L12/282 Primary

  based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• G06F16/24573

  using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata · CPC title

• H04L12/2814 Primary

  Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08) · CPC title