Operating-system-level setup for multi-ecosystem smart-home devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12189352-B2
Application number	US-202217838736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2022
Priority date	Oct 20, 2021
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A method of performing a setup of a smart home device may include determining, by an operating system of a control device, that a smart home device is present in an enclosure; receiving, by the operating system, information from the smart home device using a multi-ecosystem protocol, wherein the information identifies a type of device for the smart home device; performing, by the operating system, setup operations for the smart home device based on the type of device; and providing, by the operating system, access to the smart home device for an application operating on the control device after the setup operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of performing a setup of a smart home device, the method comprising:
determining, by an operating system of a control device, that a first smart home device and a second smart home device are present in a structure, wherein the first smart home device is associated with a first smart home ecosystem, and the second smart home device is associated with a second smart home ecosystem;
receiving, by the operating system, information from the first smart home device and the second smart home device via wireless transmissions received through a multi-ecosystem protocol, wherein the information identifies a type of device for the first smart home device and the second smart home device, and the multi-ecosystem protocol comprises an application-layer protocol configured to communicate with smart home devices from a plurality of different smart home ecosystems;
performing, by the operating system, initial setup operations for the first smart home device and the second smart home device to operate on a local network based on the type of device; and
providing, by the operating system, access to the first smart home device and the second smart home device for an application operating on the control device after the initial setup operations.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically detecting a presence of the first smart home device in the structure.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein automatically detecting the presence of the first smart home device comprises receiving a wireless transmission from the first smart home device, wherein the wireless transmission is initiated by bringing the first smart home device within a proximity of a control device and pressing a button on the first smart home device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the first smart home device comprises a first device type.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first device type comprises a thermostat, a hazard detector, a component of a security system, a smart appliance, or a smart doorbell.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises one or more controls for providing commands to the first smart home device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
determining, by an operating system of a control device, that a first smart home device is and a second smart home device are present in a structure, wherein the first smart home device is associated with a first smart home ecosystem, and the second smart home device is associated with a second smart home ecosystem;
receiving, by the operating system, information from the first smart home device and the second smart home device via wireless transmissions received through a multi-ecosystem protocol, wherein the information identifies a type of device for the first smart home device and the second smart home device, and the multi-ecosystem protocol comprises an application-layer protocol configured to communicate with smart home devices from a plurality of different smart home ecosystems;
performing, by the operating system, initial setup operations for the first smart home device and the second smart home device to operate on a local network based on the type of device; and
providing, by the operating system, access to the first smart home device and the second smart home device for an application operating on the control device after the initial setup operations.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise assigning, by the operating system, a standard set of controls to the first smart home device based on the type of the first smart home device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the standard set of controls comprises controls for turning the first smart home device on or off.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the standard set of controls are retrieved from an online database based on the type of the first smart home device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the setup operations comprise connecting the first smart home device to a local Wi-Fi network using the multi-ecosystem protocol.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the setup operations comprise providing credentials for the local Wi-Fi network to the first smart home device using the multi-ecosystem protocol.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the setup operations comprise registering the first smart home device with a smart home ecosystem of the structure, wherein the smart home ecosystem of the structure is provided from a first manufacturer that is different from a second manufacturer of the first smart home device.

14. A control device comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
determining, by an operating system of a control device, that a first smart home device and a second smart home device are present in a structure, wherein the first smart home device is associated with a first smart home ecosystem, and the second smart home device is associated with a second smart home ecosystem;
receiving, by the operating system, information from the first smart home device and the second smart home device via wireless transmissions received through a multi-ecosystem protocol, wherein the information identifies a type of device for the first smart home device and the second smart home device, and the multi-ecosystem protocol comprises an application-layer protocol configured to communicate with smart home devices from a plurality of different smart home ecosystems;
performing, by the operating system, initial setup operations for the first smart home device and the second smart home device to operate on a local network based on the type of device; and
providing, by the operating system, access to the first smart home device and the second smart home device for an application operating on the control device after the initial setup operations.

15. The control device of claim 14 , wherein the control device comprises a smart phone or an electronic home assistant, and the instructions are part of a universal setup utility for commissioning a plurality of smart home devices that are part of a smart home environment, wherein the smart home environment comprises an ecosystem that is different from an ecosystem of a manufacturer of the first smart home device.

16. The control device of claim 14 , wherein providing access to the first smart home device for the application comprises the application communicating directly with the first smart home device using the multi-ecosystem protocol.

17. The control device of claim 14 , wherein providing access to the first smart home device for the application comprises the application communicating with the operating system, and the operating system communicating with the first smart home device using the multi-ecosystem protocol.

18. The control device of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise, as part of the setup operations, receiving a universal resource locator (URL) from the first smart home device, and using the URL to retrieve a process that executes at least a portion of the setup operations for the first smart home device.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Crettenand Alexander
• Drieu Gilles
• Sandland Nathan
• Po Kevin
• Sakhartchouk Alexei
• Löwe Julius
• Phan Anna Maria
• Khaleghi Mehdi Kash
• Coppock Kevin

Classifications

• H04L12/2816 Primary

  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

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title