Multi-source smart-home device control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12407541-B2
Application number	US-202418436651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2024
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

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 be used to control the common function.

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 the first set of smart-home device registration information comprises a location within a structure;
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 the second set of smart-home device registration information comprises the location;
determining, by the application being executed by the mobile device, that the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device share a common function and are both linked to the location;
assigning the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device 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 and both being located at the location; and
presenting, 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 of the application; the touchscreen control interface is configured such that the second selectable control element controls all smart-home devices having the common function located within the structure regardless of location within the structure; and
the touchscreen control interface is configured such that the first selectable control element controls only smart-home devices having the common function at the location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a first third-party manufacturer that provides the first smart-home device operates a first cloud-based server system used to control the first smart-home device; and
a second third-party manufacturer that provides the second smart-home device operates a second cloud-based server system used to control the second smart-home device, 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.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
causing, by the application, a message to be transmitted to a cloud-based host system for the first smart-home device, wherein the cloud-based host system controls the common function of the first smart-home device via communication with the first cloud-based server system.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the message transmitted to the cloud-based host system is further for the second smart-home device, wherein the cloud-based host system controls the common function of the second smart-home device via communication with the second cloud-based server system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the location is a room within the structure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a smart device count is presented concurrently with the first selectable control element, the smart device count indicating a total number of devices controlled by the first selectable control element.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second selectable control element is presented in the application as part of a top interface region.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting, by the application, concurrently with the first selectable control element, a third selectable control element and a fourth selectable control element, wherein the third selectable control element controls only the first smart-home device and the fourth selectable control element controls only the second smart-home device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting, by the application, concurrently with the first selectable control element, a state indication for the common operating characteristic group.

10. 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 the first set of smart-home device registration information comprises a location;
receive a second set of smart-home device registration information for a second smart-home device, wherein the second set of smart-home device registration information comprises the location;
determine that the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device share a common function and are both at the location;
assign the first smart-home device and the second smart-home device 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 and both being located at the location; and
present 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 a touchscreen control interface of the application;
the touchscreen control interface is configured such that the second selectable control element and the second selectable control element control controls all smart-home devices having the common function of the first smart home device and the second smart home device located within a structure regardless of location within the structure; and
the touchscreen control interface is configured such that the first selectable control element controls only smart-home devices having the common function at the location.

11. The system for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 10 , wherein:
a first third-party manufacturer that provides the first smart-home device operates a first cloud-based server system used to control the first smart-home device; and
a second third-party manufacturer that provides the second smart-home device operates a second cloud-based server system used to control the second smart-home device, 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.

12. The system for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 11 , wherein the application further causes the one or more processors of the mobile device to:
cause a message to be transmitted to a cloud-based host system for the first smart-home device, wherein the cloud-based host system controls the common function of the first smart-home device via communication with the first cloud-based server system.

13. The system for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 12 , wherein the message transmitted to the cloud-based host system is further for the second smart-home device, wherein the cloud-based host system controls the common function of the second smart-home device via communication with the second cloud-based server system.

14. The system for integrating control of multiple cloud-based smart-home devices of claim 13 , wherein the location is a room within a structure.

15. The system for integrating control o

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• 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

• G06F16/24573

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

• H04L12/2807

  Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50) · CPC title