Remote sound generation for a home automation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9882736-B2
Application number	US-201615189775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

Various arrangements for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules are presented. A rule definition for a rule may be received that defines a sound event to be remotely output in response to an occurrence of a home automation event. A home automation host system may monitor home automation data received from one or more home automation devices for the home automation event. In response to receiving home automation data indicative of the home automation event, the rule based on the rule definition may be executed. A sound execution message may be transmitted via a low-power wireless network to a sound generator, the message can include an identifier indicative of the sound.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules, the method comprising:
receiving, by a home automation host system, a rule definition for a rule, the rule defining a sound event to be remotely output in response to an occurrence of a home automation event, wherein the sound event indicates a sound;
monitoring, by the home automation host system, home automation data received from one or more home automation devices for the home automation event;
in response to receiving home automation data indicative of the home automation event, executing, by the home automation host system, the rule based on the rule definition;
transmitting, by a low power wireless network interface of the home automation host system, to a sound generation device, a sound execution message comprising an identifier indicative of the sound, wherein:
the sound corresponds to a local audio file stored by the sound generation device; and
the sound generation device stores a data storage arrangement that links the local audio file with the identifier; and
transmitting, by the home automation host system, to the sound generation device, via a low power wireless network, a local disablement indicator as a parameter of the sound execution message, wherein the local disablement indicator defines whether physical user input provided to the sound generation device is permitted to disable output of the local audio file.

2. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by the sound generation device, via the low-power wireless network, the sound execution message;
accessing, by the sound generation device, the data storage arrangement to identify the local audio file based on the received identifier present in the sound execution message; and
outputting, using an audio transducer of the sound generation device, the accessed local audio file.

3. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
in response to receiving the rule definition, transmitting, by the home automation host system, an audio file of the sound to the sound generation device as part of a storage message, wherein when the recording of the sound is transmitted to the sound generation device the rule has not yet been executed; and
storing, by the sound generation device, the audio file of the sound as the local audio file.

4. The method for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 3 , the method further comprising:
in response to receiving the recording of the sound, linking the identifier with the local audio file in the data storage arrangement.

5. The method for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving, at a mobile device, from a user, the rule definition of the rule and a sound recording; and
transmitting, by the mobile device to the home automation host system via a home automation server system, the rule definition of the rule and the sound recording.

6. The method for sound generation based on the remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by the sound generation device, the local disablement indicator as part of the sound execution message;
outputting, by the sound generation device, the sound; and
in accordance with the local disablement indicator, disabling responsiveness to input received via one or more user input components of the sound generation device such that the one or more user input components cannot be actuated by a user to cease output of the local audio file.

7. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , wherein the low-power wireless network is a mesh network and transmitting the sound execution message to the sound generation device from the home automation host system comprises:
relaying, via the low-power wireless network, the sound execution message to the sound generation device via a home automation device.

8. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the home automation host system, a mobile device is outside a threshold distance of a location linked with the home automation host system;
in response to determining the mobile device is outside the threshold distance of the location, setting, by the home automation host system, the home automation host system to a user-away mode; and
in response to the home automation host system being set to the user-away mode, enforcing a set of rules, comprising the rule, which is activated when the home automation host system is set to the user-away mode but not active when the home automation host system is set to a user-present mode.

9. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
transmitting, by the home automation host system to the sound generation device, a repeat parameter for the sound event, wherein: the repeat parameter is defined by the rule and the repeat parameter defines a number of times or a length of time the local audio file is to be output by the sound generation device.

10. The method for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 1 , wherein the low-power wireless network interface transmits using a transmit power of 0 dBm or less.

11. A home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules, the home automation system comprising:
a home automation host system that comprises one or more processors and a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a rule definition for a rule, the rule defining a sound event to be remotely output in response to an occurrence of a home automation event, wherein the sound event indicates a sound;
monitor home automation data received from one or more home automation devices for the home automation event;
in response to receiving home automation data indicative of the home automation event, execute the rule based on the rule definition;
transmit, to a sound generation device, via a low power wireless network interface, a sound execution message comprising an identifier indicative of the sound, wherein:
the sound corresponds to a local audio file stored by the sound generation device; and
the sound generation device stores a data storage arrangement that links the local audio file with the identifier; and
transmit, to the sound generation device, via the low power wireless network interface, a local disablement indicator as a parameter of the sound execution message, wherein the local disablement indicator defines whether physical user input provided to the sound generation device is permitted to disable output of the local audio file.

12. The home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 11 , the home automation system further comprising the sound generation device, comprising an audio transducer and wireless transceiver, the sound generation device configured to:
receive, via a low-power wireless network, the sound execution message;
access the data storage arrangement to identify the local audio file based on the received identifier present in the sound execution message; and
output, using the audio transducer, the accessed local audio file.

13. The home automation system for sound generation based on remotely-enforced rules of claim 11 , wherein

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc
• Echostar Tech International Corporation

Inventors

• Lett David B

Classifications

• H04L12/2827 Primary

  Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality · 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

• G08B13/1672

  using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range · CPC title

• H04L2012/2841

  Wireless · CPC title

• H04W4/005

  Electricity · mapped topic