Smart home device with integrated conditional lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9646480-B2
Application number	US-201414508302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2014
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

Various embodiments of hazard detectors are presented. A hazard sensor may be present that detects the presence of a hazardous condition. A light sensor may be present that detects an ambient brightness level. A motion sensor may be present that detects motion of a user. A light may be present that is capable of outputting light. A processing system may receive an indication of the ambient brightness level in the ambient environment of the hazard detector from the light sensor. The processing system may determine that the ambient brightness level is less than a threshold brightness. The processing system may receive information indicative of the user moving in the ambient environment of the hazard detector. The processing system may cause the light to illuminate based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness and the user moving in the ambient environment of the hazard detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart home device, comprising:
a light sensor that detects an ambient brightness level of an ambient environment of the smart home device;
a motion sensor that detects motion of a user in the ambient environment of the smart home device;
a light that is capable of outputting light into the ambient environment of the smart home device; and
a processing system, the processing system being in communication with the motion sensor, the light sensor, and the light, the processing system comprising at least one processor and being configured to:
receive an indication of the ambient brightness level in the ambient environment of the smart home device from the light sensor;
determine that the ambient brightness level is less than a threshold brightness value;
receive information from the motion sensor indicative of the user moving in the ambient environment of the smart home device;
access a stored data structure that identifies a plurality of colors linked with a plurality of states of the smart home device;
select a color for the light based on a state of the smart home device using the stored data structure, wherein the state is indicative of the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and motion being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device; and
cause the light to illuminate in the selected color based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value, and the user moving in the ambient environment of the smart home device.

2. The smart home device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
determine a charge level of one or more batteries of the smart home device; and
compare the determined charge level of the one or more batteries of the smart home device to a threshold charge level, wherein the processing system being configured to cause the light to illuminate based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and the user being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device is further based on the determined charge level being greater than the threshold charge level.

3. The smart home device of claim 1 , the smart home device further comprising:
a wireless communication interface in communication with the processing system, wherein the processing system is further configured to:
perform an initial configuration of the smart home device using a wireless connection using the smart home device and a computerized wireless device that is in communication with the smart home device; and
enable a path-light feature based at least in part on the initial configuration of the smart home device being performed via the wireless connection using the smart home device and the computerized wireless device, wherein the processing system being configured to activate the light based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and motion being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device further comprises:
the processing system being configured to activate the light based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value, motion being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device, and the path-light feature being enabled based at least in part on the initial configuration of the smart home device being performed via the wireless connection using the smart home device and the computerized wireless device.

4. The smart home device of claim 1 , wherein the light is comprised of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the light outputs light from the smart home device in a shape of a ring when each of the plurality of LEDs is illuminated.

5. The smart home device of claim 1 , the smart home device further comprising:
a wireless communication interface in communication with the processing system, wherein the processing system is further configured to:
receive, from a remote server, via a wireless network, a message indicative that a path-light feature has been disabled by a user via a remote computerized device; and
disable the path-light feature such that the light remains unlit in response to the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and motion being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device.

6. The smart home device of claim 1 , the smart home device further comprising:
a wireless communication interface in communication with the processing system, wherein the processing system is further configured to:
receive, from a remote server, via a wireless network, a message indicative that a brightness level of a path-light feature has been set to a user-defined brightness level, wherein the processing system is configured to illuminate the light at the user-defined brightness level based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and motion being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device.

7. The smart home device of claim 1 , wherein the light is capable of illuminating a plurality of colors and the processing system being configured to activate the light based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and the user moving in the ambient environment of the smart home device comprises the processing system being configured to cause the light to illuminate a first color of the plurality of colors.

8. The smart home device of claim 7 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:
receive an indication of a presence of a hazardous condition from a hazard sensor; and
activate the light in response to receiving the presence of the hazardous condition from the hazard sensor, wherein the light is illuminated a second color of the plurality of colors.

9. A method for providing conditional lighting by a smart home device, the method comprising:
measuring, by the smart home device, an ambient brightness level in an ambient environment of the smart home device;
determining, by the smart home device, that the ambient brightness level is less than a threshold brightness value;
collecting, by the smart home device, motion data indicative of a user moving in the ambient environment of the smart home device;
accessing, by the smart home device, a stored data structure that identifies a plurality of colors linked with a plurality of states of the smart home device;
selecting, by the smart home device, a color for the light based on a state of the smart home device using the stored data structure, wherein the state is indicative of the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and motion being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device; and
illuminating, by the smart home device, the light using the selected color based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value, and the user moving in the ambient environment of the smart home device.

10. The method for providing conditional lighting by the smart home device of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
determining, by the smart home device, a charge level of one or more batteries of the smart home device; and
comparing, by the smart home device, the determined charge level of the one or more batteries of the smart home device to a threshold charge level, wherein illuminating, by the smart home device, the light based on the ambient brightness level being below the threshold brightness value and the user being present in the ambient environment of the smart home device is further based on the determined charge level being greater than the threshold charge level.

11. The method for providi

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Fadell Anthony M
• Webb Nick
• Rogers Matthew L
• Sloo David
• Matsuoka Yoky
• Mittleman Adam
• Honjo Shigefumi

Classifications

• H05B45/20

  Controlling the colour of the light · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• G08B25/008 Primary

  Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title