Home device control method and apparatus

Abstract

This application discloses a method and apparatus for controlling home devices, relating to the field of smart home control technology. The method receives information about newly connected devices, including the identifier of the newly connected device; obtains existing application scenario information related to the newly connected device based on the information, with each existing application scenario including at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case including control conditions, control object, control command, and control parameters; obtains target atomic management use cases related to the newly connected device from each existing application scenario; and generates a new application scenario based on all obtained atomic management use cases. This solves the problem of cumbersome and complex operation caused by setting application scenarios separately for each network device in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of home appliance control technology, and specifically to a home appliance control method and device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, mobile communication and other wireless services have developed rapidly, and mobile internet and smart home devices have seen increasing growth. When network devices connect to smart home networks, they need to be set up and operated individually, which affects the user experience. This is especially difficult for the elderly and children, greatly hindering the promotion of smart homes and making it very difficult for more devices to enter homes and workplaces. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the inconvenience caused by the separate setting and operation of network devices in the existing smart home network, thereby providing a method and device for controlling home devices.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention discloses at least one home appliance control method and apparatus.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for controlling home appliances, including:

[0006] Receive information on newly registered devices, wherein the information on newly registered devices includes the identifier of the newly registered device;

[0007] Based on the information of the newly connected device, obtain the existing application scenario information related to the newly connected device. Each existing application scenario includes at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case includes control conditions, control object, control instructions and control parameters.

[0008] From each of the existing application scenarios, obtain the target atomic management use cases related to the newly connected device;

[0009] Generate new application scenarios based on all the atomic management use cases obtained.

[0010] Optionally, it also includes: sending the new application scenario information to the smart gateway, so that the smart gateway can respond to operation requests related to the newly connected device based on the new application scenario information.

[0011] Optionally, it also includes: receiving information from newly connected smart gateways and sending existing application scenario information and new application scenario information to newly connected smart gateways.

[0012] Optionally, generating a new application scenario based on all the acquired target operation information includes: sorting all the target atomic management use cases by task, the task sorting including time sorting and operation logic sorting; performing resource conflict checks based on the task sorting, the resource conflict checks including conflict usage checks of devices; and correcting resource conflicts existing in all the target atomic management use cases.

[0013] Optionally, it further includes: receiving a user operation request, the user operation request including an operation object and operation content; obtaining application scenario information related to the operation request; obtaining associated operation information in the application scenario information, each associated operation information including an associated object identifier, an associated operation name, and associated operation content; generating operation prompt information based on the associated operation information, each operation prompt information including a target device identifier, a prompt operation name, and a prompt operation content; and sending the operation prompt information to the target device.

[0014] Optionally, the information of the newly joined device includes the user name, the set of capabilities the device possesses, and remote control interface information. The method further includes: matching other devices with the same user name as the newly joined device; if the control instructions contained in the new application scenario information have control objects, control conditions, and control parameters that are not available in the capability set of the newly joined device, then obtaining user configuration information from other devices joined in the same local area network or from the cloud; prompting the user to perform natural language programming to integrate and edit the user configuration information; and sending the user configuration information to the newly joined device.

[0015] Optionally, the method is implemented by a cloud server, and sending the user configuration information to the newly connected device is: sending the user configuration information to a smart gateway so that when the cloud server is disconnected from the network, the smart gateway can send the user configuration information to the newly connected device.

[0016] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention disclose a home appliance control device, comprising:

[0017] The new network access device information receiving module is used to receive new network access device information, which includes the identifier of the new network access device.

[0018] The existing application scenario acquisition module is used to acquire existing application scenario information related to the newly connected device based on the newly connected device information. Each existing application scenario includes at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case includes control conditions, control object, control instructions and control parameters.

[0019] The atomic management use case acquisition module is used to acquire target atomic management use cases related to newly connected devices from each of the existing application scenarios.

[0020] The new application scenario generation module is used to generate new application scenarios based on all the obtained atomic management use cases.

[0021] Thirdly, the present invention also discloses a computer device, including: a processor, a memory, and a bus, wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, and when the computer device is running, the processor communicates with the memory via the bus, and when the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the first aspect above, or any possible implementation of the first aspect, are performed.

[0022] Fourthly, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0023] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention can have the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The method receives information about newly joined devices; obtains existing application scenario information related to the newly joined devices based on the information, with each existing application scenario including at least one atomic management use case; obtains target atomic management use cases related to the newly joined devices from each existing application scenario; and generates new application scenarios based on all obtained atomic management use cases. When a new network device joins a smart home network, this method can automatically generate new application scenarios for the newly joined devices based on the existing application scenarios, greatly reducing manual intervention, improving user experience, and facilitating promotion. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A flowchart of a home appliance control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A flowchart of another home appliance control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the functional structure of a home appliance control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended summary.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] like Figure 1 The flowchart shown is a home appliance control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The method includes...

[0033] S11: Receive information on newly joined devices, including the identifier of the newly joined device.

[0034] S12: Obtain existing application scenario information related to the newly added network device based on the information of the newly added network device. Each existing application scenario includes at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case includes control conditions, control objects, control instructions and control parameters.

[0035] S13: From each existing application scenario, obtain the target atomic management use cases related to the newly added network device.

[0036] S14: Generate a new application scenario based on all the acquired atomic management use cases.

[0037] It is understood that the technical solution provided in this embodiment receives information about newly joined devices; obtains existing application scenario information related to the newly joined devices based on the information about the newly joined devices, with each existing application scenario including at least one atomic management use case; obtains target atomic management use cases related to the newly joined devices from each existing application scenario; and generates new application scenarios based on all the obtained atomic management use cases. This method can automatically generate new application scenarios for newly joined devices based on the existing application scenarios when a new network device joins the smart home network, greatly reducing manual intervention, improving user experience, and facilitating promotion.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] As an improvement to Example 1, such as Figure 2 The flowchart shown is another home appliance control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The method includes:

[0040] S201: Receive information on newly joined devices, including the identifier of the newly joined device.

[0041] S202: Obtain existing application scenario information related to the newly connected device based on the newly connected device information. Each existing application scenario includes at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case includes control conditions, control objects, control instructions, and control parameters.

[0042] S203: From each existing application scenario, obtain the target atomic management use cases related to the newly added network device.

[0043] When acquiring application scenario information related to the operation request, natural language programming can be used to summarize and parse all instructions in the scenario information to facilitate user understanding and modification. At the same time, machine learning can be performed on these summarized and parsed texts and embedded into a word vector database. When users consult questions, the meaning of the text can be matched with scenario information that matches the user's needs described in natural language. Intelligent recommendations can be made, and scenario information can be edited and deduced based on the needs, reducing the difficulty for users to make professional-level modifications.

[0044] S204: Generate a new application scenario based on all the atomic management use cases obtained.

[0045] S205: Send new application scenario information to the smart gateway so that the smart gateway can respond to operation requests related to the newly connected device based on the new application scenario information.

[0046] S206: Receive information from newly connected smart gateways.

[0047] S207: Send existing application scenario information and new application scenario information to newly connected smart gateways.

[0048] S208: Receive user operation request, which includes the operation object and operation content.

[0049] S209: Obtain application scenario information related to the operation request.

[0050] S210: Obtain the associated operation information in the application scenario information. Each piece of associated operation information includes the associated object identifier, the associated operation name, and the associated operation content.

[0051] S211: Generate operation prompt information based on associated operation information. Each operation prompt information includes the target device identifier, the prompt operation name, and the prompt operation content.

[0052] S212: Send operation prompt information to the target device.

[0053] S213: Match other devices with the same username as the newly added device.

[0054] S214: If the control instructions contained in the new application scenario information have control objects, control conditions and control parameters that are not available in the capability set of the newly connected device, then obtain the user configuration information from other connected devices in the same local area network or from the cloud; prompt the user to perform natural language programming to integrate and edit the user configuration information.

[0055] S215: Send user configuration information to newly joined network devices.

[0056] In some alternative embodiments, S204 above includes (not shown in the figures):

[0057] S2041: Perform task sorting on all target atomic management use cases. Task sorting includes time sorting and operation logic sorting.

[0058] S2042: Perform resource conflict checks based on task order. Resource conflict checks include checks for conflicting use of devices.

[0059] S2043: Corrects resource conflicts in all target atomic management use cases.

[0060] As mentioned earlier, when the control commands included in the new application scenario information contain control objects, control conditions, and control parameters that the newly connected device's capabilities do not currently possess, these parameters are obtained from other connected devices in the same local area network or from the cloud. For example, a single device may have limited capabilities, and the control commands included in the scenario information it issues might contain information such as obtaining weather, geographical location, or IP address. In this case, if the device information reported by the device does not contain this information, some commands are modified, parameters are obtained from the cloud, and the smart gateway or the cloud triggers this command. If it is found that the remote control interface corresponding to the device's capabilities does not contain timer settings, a timer task is set in the cloud to execute a specific query or trigger command at a specific time. For example, the cloud might send a command to a smart switch near the balcony to enter a power-off state every night or when heavy rain is detected.

[0061] In some optional embodiments, the method is implemented by a cloud server. S215 sends user configuration information to the newly connected device by sending user configuration information to the smart gateway so that when the cloud server is disconnected from the network, the smart gateway sends user configuration information to the newly connected device.

[0062] Users can learn about the application scenarios configured for each device in the cloud through an app or webpage, and determine whether to make modifications and for the applications to take effect.

[0063] It is understood that the technical solution provided in this embodiment receives information about newly joined devices; obtains existing application scenario information related to the newly joined devices based on the information about the newly joined devices, with each existing application scenario including at least one atomic management use case; obtains target atomic management use cases related to the newly joined devices from each existing application scenario; and generates new application scenarios based on all the obtained atomic management use cases. This method can automatically generate new application scenarios for newly joined devices based on the existing application scenarios when a new network device joins the smart home network, greatly reducing manual intervention, improving user experience, and facilitating promotion.

[0064] Example 3

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, embodiments of the present invention also provide another home appliance control device, the device comprising:

[0066] The new network access device information receiving module 31 is used to receive new network access device information, which includes the identifier of the new network access device.

[0067] The existing application scenario acquisition module 32 is used to acquire existing application scenario information related to the newly connected device based on the newly connected device information. Each existing application scenario includes at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case includes control conditions, control object, control instructions and control parameters.

[0068] The atomic management use case acquisition module 33 is used to acquire target atomic management use cases related to newly connected devices from each of the existing application scenarios.

[0069] The new application scenario generation module 34 is used to generate new application scenarios based on all the acquired atomic management use cases.

[0070] In some alternative embodiments, the device further includes:

[0071] The new application information sending module 35 is used to send new application scenario information to the smart gateway so that the smart gateway can respond to operation requests related to newly connected devices based on the new application scenario information.

[0072] The new smart gateway access module 36 is used to receive information from newly connected smart gateways and send existing application scenario information and new application scenario information to the newly connected smart gateways.

[0073] User operation response module 37 is used to receive user operation requests, which include operation objects and operation content, obtain application scenario information related to the operation request, obtain associated operation information in the application scenario information, each associated operation information includes associated object identifier, associated operation name and associated operation content, generate operation prompt information based on associated operation information, each operation prompt information includes target device identifier, prompt operation name and prompt operation content, and send operation prompt information to the target device.

[0074] The user information matching module 38 is used to match other devices with the same user name as the newly joined device. If the control instructions contained in the new application scenario information have control objects, control conditions and control parameters that are not available in the capability set of the newly joined device, the user configuration information is obtained from other devices in the same local area network or from the cloud. The user is prompted to perform natural language programming to integrate and edit the user configuration information, and the user configuration information is sent to the newly joined device.

[0075] In some optional embodiments, the new application scenario generation module 34 includes:

[0076] The sorting submodule 341 is used to sort all target atomic management use cases by task, including time sorting and operation logic sorting.

[0077] The resource conflict checking submodule 342 is used to perform resource conflict checks based on task sorting. The resource conflict check includes checking for conflicting use of devices.

[0078] Resource conflict correction submodule 343 is used to correct resource conflicts existing in all target atomic management use cases.

[0079] In some optional embodiments, the device is a cloud server, and the user information matching module 38 sends user configuration information to the newly connected device as follows: the user information matching module 38 sends user configuration information to the smart gateway so that when the cloud server is disconnected from the network, the smart gateway sends user configuration information to the newly connected device.

[0080] It is understood that the technical solution provided in this embodiment receives information about newly joined devices; obtains existing application scenario information related to the newly joined devices based on the information about the newly joined devices, with each existing application scenario including at least one atomic management use case; obtains target atomic management use cases related to the newly joined devices from each existing application scenario; and generates new application scenarios based on all the obtained atomic management use cases. This method can automatically generate new application scenarios for newly joined devices based on the existing application scenarios when a new network device joins the smart home network, greatly reducing manual intervention, improving user experience, and facilitating promotion.

[0081] Example 4

[0082] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a computer device, including a memory 1 and a processor 2, such as... Figure 4 As shown, memory 1 stores a computer program, and processor 2 executes the computer program to implement any of the above-mentioned home appliance control methods.

[0083] The memory 1 includes at least one type of readable storage medium, including flash memory, hard disk, multimedia card, card-type memory (e.g., SD or DX memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc. In some embodiments, memory 1 can be an internal storage unit of the home appliance control system, such as a hard disk. In other embodiments, memory 1 can be an external storage device of the home appliance control system, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash card, etc. Furthermore, memory 1 can include both internal and external storage units of the home appliance control system. Memory 1 can be used not only to store application software and various types of data installed in the home appliance control system, such as the code of the home appliance control program, but also to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0084] In some embodiments, processor 2 may be a central processing unit (CPU), controller, microcontroller, microprocessor or other data processing chip, used to run program code stored in memory 1 or process data, such as executing home appliance control programs.

[0085] It is understood that the technical solution provided in this embodiment receives information about newly joined devices; obtains existing application scenario information related to the newly joined devices based on the information about the newly joined devices, with each existing application scenario including at least one atomic management use case; obtains target atomic management use cases related to the newly joined devices from each existing application scenario; and generates new application scenarios based on all the obtained atomic management use cases. This method can automatically generate new application scenarios for newly joined devices based on the existing application scenarios when a new network device joins the smart home network, greatly reducing manual intervention, improving user experience, and facilitating promotion.

[0086] To facilitate readers' understanding of the technical solutions of the invention embodiments, the above solutions are described in detail below through specific examples.

[0087] With the rapid development of mobile communication and other wireless services, mobile internet access and smart home devices are growing rapidly. While improving the efficiency and convenience of production and life, the management and maintenance of these devices can be cumbersome, causing some trouble for busy young people, minors who lack knowledge of maintenance services, and the elderly. This also hinders the entry of more devices into home and work settings due to the high learning costs.

[0088] Relying solely on cloud resources for specific smart devices is not conducive to widespread adoption. To improve the convenience of device management centered around smart gateways, it is necessary to establish a collaborative mechanism that fully shares management methods for all people and devices to improve the infrastructure of the next-generation smart internet.

[0089] This invention addresses the issues of insufficient intelligence, age-friendliness, and low child-friendliness in network devices during the early stages of smart internet development. This results in a wide variety of portable network devices used in smart homes and daily life, leading to low convenience and management difficulties. The smart gateway, as one of the core network devices and entry points for leading internet intelligence, can work with existing smart terminals and the cloud to facilitate the transition of existing devices to smart technology. This reduces user difficulties when using newly connected smart gateways and devices, improves the efficiency of managing home and office network scenarios, and can identify various connected network devices based on big data and artificial intelligence. Deeply integrated with home routers, the smart gateway connects to devices directly through user-initiated reporting and device scenario recognition, automatically configuring corresponding management scenarios and reducing subsequent device and network maintenance costs.

[0090] Users can connect to other network devices by binding smart gateways and smart terminals. The database will synchronize the pre-configuration to the newly installed devices and use the accumulated device management scenarios and atomic management use case database for quick querying and combination, improving the efficiency of creating and sharing device management scenarios. At the same time, the cloud performs task sorting and resource conflict checking for these device and task-centric device management scenarios.

[0091] The core of this invention's technical solution includes connecting and discovering network devices via a smart gateway, issuing instructions and reminders to downstream terminal devices. Both the cloud and the smart gateway have corresponding instruction sending centers. When the internet connection is smooth, the cloud directly sends corresponding operation instructions to each smart device in real time through the smart gateway. In the event of a network failure, the smart gateway can also receive and confirm the status of each device. If it can respond to the task arrangement from the cloud, it reports immediately; if the report fails, the notification is cached at the smart gateway, capable of caching one or two days' worth of notifications to ensure the task execution check algorithm can be fully executed. Task sorting and resource conflicts are handled by the cloud in the scene coupling calculation step, ensuring no conflicts occur when generating scenes. For non-smart devices, device scenes can be better arranged, realizing the transition to full automation and intelligence in network devices and home network life.

[0092] It can adapt to different customer groups, load configuration templates, and delegate manual settings to advanced users, maximizing quick setup based on user needs and reducing user learning costs. The comprehensive support of smart gateways makes smart internet network applications more robust, and in the early stages, it enables various users to deploy more smart network devices while remaining compatible with some non-smart devices, reducing the intensity of daily life and increasing the richness of work and life.

[0093] The following is a detailed description of some of the technical details and functional effects of the above method.

[0094] Regarding network device discovery and monitoring, network devices connect to the smart gateway through networking. The smart gateway reports the device information received during the networking process to the cloud. Encrypted communication can be used, and device information is not exposed to other users. Optionally, for devices that support intelligent management, the warranty period, maintenance cycle, etc. can be reported to the cloud. Non-intelligent devices can manually report this management-related information to the cloud.

[0095] Regarding device scenario acquisition, atomic management use cases and / or intelligent coupling use cases are generated based on the product and functional information of the proprietary devices, combined with the database of management use cases and pre-built expert knowledge logic. Atomic management use cases only implement a few necessary actions, such as turning devices on and off, sending notifications, and obtaining network status. In intelligent coupling use cases, ordinary scenarios can be combined into complex scenarios, invoking device scenarios associated with the same condition for one or more devices. By transforming everyday scenarios into quantifiable conditions with obtainable parameters, related automatic reminders or device actions can be set. Even better, in addition to regular actions, reminders for related devices or home activities affected by the conditions can also be added to the action settings, especially compared to existing technologies that rely entirely on manual settings of text or content reminders.

[0096] Regarding device management and discovery scenarios, the communication protocols for intelligent discovery and network configuration require the transmission of product information such as MAC and SN serial numbers. The cloud, based on unique device identification information and available data, can query and configure management and discovery policies for different brands of devices. The network device monitoring center database on the router stores the activity status of each device and adjusts management based on the user-selected device management policies. Compared to existing technologies where each device manufacturer needs to define its own management and usage instructions, which places a heavy mental burden on users and requires advance management, this approach eliminates information silos. Since our use of each device is primarily focused on user habits, and given that we are currently in the early stages of the intelligent internet, many devices still only have basic networking capabilities, requiring manual memorization of management methods. Sometimes we forget, so the device discovery function of a smart gateway provides corresponding notifications and reminders to reduce forgetting. Through scenario data integration, calculation, and sorting, it brings convenience to our lives.

[0097] By uploading various device management scenarios to the database, saving and managing various devices, it is possible to quickly find suitable management use cases for your home and devices using precise condition matching.

[0098] Regarding reverse summarization of device scenarios, for each key primitive of each management use case, corresponding operational logic descriptions are required to be filled in as comments. An index is generated through summarization extraction technology. This type of script collection relies too heavily on manual editing and testing, while high-frequency scenarios are not numerous. It relies more on expansion and combination. When subsequent users can match the summary index with keywords and make recommendations based on search keywords and recommendation engines, combinations can be generated faster using an intermediate description database. This will not be elaborated further here. It enhances the convenience of ordinary users searching for usage scenarios, and authors who create device management scenarios can also easily obtain operation prompts for relevant editing instructions.

[0099] Regarding intelligent device scenario recommendations, we check for resource conflicts among devices referenced by all atomic management use cases within a single device scenario, as well as the order of dependent devices between these atomic management use cases, and perform topological sorting. We strive to identify instances where devices and functions are invoked, the timing sequence is incorrect, or operational logic is disordered, or where resource conflicts occur during the setup of a device scenario. This prevents non-intelligent devices from failing to correctly execute the atomic management use cases within the device scenario, enabling device scenarios to integrate with non-intelligent devices, reduce manual confirmation, complete more lightweight management tasks, and improve the convenience of production and daily life.

[0100] This document describes management use cases for generating essential device parameter settings and alarm checks, as well as device management scenarios for generating strongly related devices. It also provides relevant reminders for selecting and checking non-network devices and items, thereby addressing the shortcomings of existing technologies in terms of user-friendliness, low search efficiency, insufficiently rigorous prompt creation, and low degree of operational logic closure.

[0101] Since adding management scenarios specifically for devices is a standard technical approach, it often doesn't fully consider the needs of young children and elderly users. This application, when creating individual management use cases, considers the configuration of related devices and household chores to remind users to thoroughly address any negative impacts. For example, if air conditioning or temperature affects the storage of plants and food, the application can add reminders for "plant placement and food management" when generating scenarios for air conditioners or refrigerators, or allow users to customize the removal of these reminders. Even better, for devices with a limited lifespan or products with an expiration date, after manually associating device scenarios, the application can automatically create corresponding scenarios for reminders. The dates or association conditions can be modified later based on the product type for reuse. Reminders include text, images, and sound, avoiding the awkward situation of not knowing where to start when the device manual is missing.

[0102] Based on the aforementioned reminders, the task of distributing to devices is calculated. This invention sets up a reminder content template as a set of atomic management use cases, which can be attached to any newly added device management scenario at any time. Specifically, it will reasonably distribute corresponding images, text, and videos based on the user's existing associated mobile phones, smart speakers, smart home devices, smart TVs, etc. For devices not bound, the atomic management use case can be commented out in the configuration script. The creator of the scenario should set up search keywords or configure relevant web page links or app page links to the maximum extent possible, or use an intelligent chatbot to be responsible for the final content delivery, in order to expand the prompting methods and reduce the trouble for users to search for keywords. Even better, an intelligent dialogue robot can be configured, which can reduce the unfamiliarity and abruptness of voice prompts for the elderly and children, and provide assistance at any time.

[0103] Considering that a large number of network devices are either frequently moved or stationary, and that they vary in type and frequency of use, providing appropriate reminders can prevent the trouble of forgetting or help with questions that need to be asked. It can also help obtain some entry points for consultation by querying the existing scenario database.

[0104] Regarding intelligent recommendation for device scenarios, it also includes the sub-step of generating management use cases. Management use cases are generated through programming methods, including natural language programming and visual programming. It relies on a source code mapping database that stores natural language tags and program scripts for managing device scenarios, which is used to generate or search for and recommend relevant management use cases through natural language.

[0105] Visual programming, based on existing technologies, deconstructs existing "condition + action" patterns of no-code or low-code programming and maps them to existing programming languages. Users then use the provided programming language interfaces and keyword sets to set conditions and operations, completing the business logic setup. Natural language programming, on the other hand, extracts textual descriptions of operational logic from visual programming, enhancing the indexing of management use cases and expanding device scenarios for an aging population. Furthermore, machine reasoning and recognition of device scenario features and logic can establish a mapping relationship between natural language and corresponding business logic for device management scenarios. Users can then simply search for or generate relevant scenario descriptions, combine basic scenarios, and share them for use by those with limited hands-on skills. Natural language programming utilizes existing natural language processing technologies for multimodal conversion and keyword extraction, mapping concise logic to filenames of similarly meaningful management use cases for searching or concatenating various atomic management use cases. The final management use cases can be modified and edited by the user.

[0106] This invention provides more efficient support for creating, collecting, and sharing management scenario configurations. Through professional support, it lowers the development threshold and provides highly complete scripts for control and reminders in various subsequent device management scenarios. It collaboratively improves various methods of device management, providing varying degrees of intelligent support for scenarios that can be managed through data monitoring and programming. It supports automated device management and household activities, and caters to the needs of an aging population for semi-automated scenarios or those requiring reminders for forgotten tasks.

[0107] For example, in natural language programming, creators might ask questions like "What should I prepare for when I'm offline?" Unlike conventional text matching, this process first maps the question to programming language logic analysis, then uses knowledge base logic for parsing and recommendation. It requires leveraging related management use cases for similar questions, including condition setting and action / content reasoning, to match a management use case. This management use case includes the following business steps:

[0108] Users need to check the connected network devices and be reminded of certain preparations based on network outages or specific devices.

[0109] For smart devices, if a network outage detection capability can be detected, it can be determined that no additional processing is required for the user and can be handled by the device itself.

[0110] Even better, some non-smart devices won't send any notifications when the network is disconnected. In this case, if the notification action can be associated with a specific device or activity, the smart gateway can be configured to detect the connection status of the non-smart device and be interested in the "network disconnection" trigger condition. When the trigger condition is met, it will detect whether the corresponding device is connected to the smart gateway and send a notification to the user's control terminal.

[0111] Furthermore, when target management use cases are issued, corresponding management use cases are recommended, including querying relevant interfaces based on the information already stored by a certain device, querying the weather, querying maintenance methods and lifespan, asking whether to set an alarm, and corresponding reminders such as collecting clothes and bringing an umbrella.

[0112] Existing technologies focus more on the settings themselves, lacking appropriate reminders for related operations and tasks, resulting in a deficiency and rigidity in intelligence. This invention, by configuring the dependencies of different devices and household activities, infers trigger events, and then determines the occurrence of a certain type of event based on specific parameters, triggering the corresponding operation. This simplifies editing and enhances reminders when creating device management scenarios. Through the accumulation of numerous creation scenarios and the configuration of logically parsed data, more complete scenario information can be easily generated, matching complex requirement descriptions.

[0113] To differentiate between device categories and corresponding scenarios, users can manually input product information for their devices on smart terminals or computers, including but not limited to Mac information, image features, and product features. The cloud then attempts to search and complete relevant identification feature information, reducing repetitive input and scene editing. Users can also set whether their defined device scenarios can be shared, and the cloud removes privacy information, such as retaining only the first six digits of the Mac identifier to identify the manufacturer and brand.

[0114] The device management scenario includes initiating remote control of the device and / or reminding the user to manually control the device based on preset device parameters; the preset parameters include time, weather, location (optionally bound), and signal strength that can be obtained from the network device and the Internet, and are not limited to these, and are used to manage the periodic activities or emergencies of the device;

[0115] Regarding device scenario deployment, the cloud pushes corresponding device scenario management policies to the relevant devices bound to the user based on the connected device type and product information, including but not limited to the device management storage module of smart terminals and smart gateways; when the cloud network is down, the backup management center of the smart gateway will perform remote control according to the effective device scenario.

[0116] In existing technologies, the prerequisite for device bundling scenarios is that users need to bind their smart terminal's app, smart gateway (router), and cloud server to establish data monitoring and service subscriptions for their home network. This invention, however, provides a dedicated user-shared management scenario for non-smart network devices. If the smart device supports this management scenario, the corresponding management protocol is adapted and communicated by the smart gateway and / or the cloud. This allows the invention to support intelligent management of home devices across a wider range of scenarios and devices.

[0117] This step includes notifying the user, which, compared to existing technologies, is compatible with discovered non-smart devices and reminds the user to perform manual operations to achieve device management and maintenance.

[0118] The first remote control process involves the cloud management submodule initiating remote commands to the smart device; specifically, it adapts the command transmission by querying the management protocols supported by the device.

[0119] In the second remote control process, the smart gateway's second remote control module pre-caches task instructions for each device generated based on the device management scenario for the current day or the following day. If the cloud connection is down, this is used to initiate control or query whether the device scenario already distributed to the smart devices still exists or has been executed, and records are kept. For non-smart devices, the number of operation settings that can be stored is limited, so periodic queries and confirmations are required. If there is no communication protocol specification, relevant direct operation instructions are sent to achieve timed or conditional triggering of corresponding control. If the network connection is not interrupted, the cloud directly manages and triggers the execution of relevant non-smart devices. Smart devices, since they can pre-store tasks related to themselves, can store them appropriately, and the cloud only records work logs. If the triggering condition is a task beyond the device's capabilities, the cloud continues to execute it. For example, for some timed tasks, the cloud sends operation instructions to the specific non-smart device when the time arrives.

[0120] Regarding the distribution of reminders, consultation instructions are set in the management use case. At this time, the complete reminder content is not included. When the instruction to issue multimedia content in the management scenario takes effect, it will be distributed to different smart devices according to the content type of the multimedia prompt. For example, if the prompt is set to be text and image, or a short video link, it will be distributed to the user's mobile terminal first, while the sound reminder will be distributed to the smart speaker. The issued instruction can be displayed on the smart terminal or not displayed by default, and only the log will be retained. For multimedia and video, a notification center is set on the smart terminal, which includes links to receive relevant reminder instructions and reminder content, tips, such as consulting merchants, providing memo information and consultation entry, and links to maintenance videos and answers.

[0121] On the control terminal:

[0122] Regarding equipment management scenario retrieval management, it is used to edit and retrieve equipment scenarios and product information displayed on the control terminal, and to manage and supervise the execution of scenarios.

[0123] Regarding device management scenario feedback monitoring, it receives relevant feedback and notifications sent from the cloud to the device for scenario execution and executes additional scenario control commands.

[0124] This invention uses artificial intelligence and big data collection to generate a recommendation score for each scenario based on the textual descriptions of existing scenario management use cases. This recommendation score serves as a feature library for matching device scenario operations and a classification algorithm, continuously expanding the scenario database to cope with the ever-increasing matching and recommendation of new devices.

[0125] By improving the complete device information data and device management scenario data, the efficiency of device management scenarios for creation and application automation can be enhanced. It can provide intelligent support for various home network devices and related non-network devices, solidify some life experience and habits to provide prompts for people with relatively inconvenient lives, and reduce the difficulty of using smart devices and various inquiries and searches. This is because searching is often a barrier for the elderly, and with the decline of cognitive abilities, they need various reminders to complete the use of devices in a shorter time.

[0126] The present invention also discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the home appliance control method described in the above-described method embodiments. The storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.

[0127] The computer program product of the home appliance control method disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention includes a computer-readable storage medium storing program code. The instructions included in the program code can be used to execute the steps of the home appliance control method in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the above method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0128] The present invention also discloses a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the methods described in the foregoing embodiments. This computer program product can be implemented specifically through hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In one optional embodiment, the computer program product is specifically embodied in a computer storage medium; in another optional embodiment, the computer program product is specifically embodied in a software product, such as a software development kit (SDK), etc.

[0129] It is understood that the same or similar parts in the above embodiments can be referred to each other, and the contents not described in detail in some embodiments can be referred to the same or similar contents in other embodiments.

[0130] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means at least two.

[0131] Any process or method description in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the invention includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as will be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of the invention pertain.

[0132] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0133] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0134] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0135] The storage media mentioned above can be read-only memory, disk, or optical disk, etc.

[0136] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0137] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling home appliances, characterized in that, include: Receive information on newly registered devices, wherein the information on newly registered devices includes the identifier of the newly registered device; Based on the information of the newly connected device, obtain the existing application scenario information related to the newly connected device. Each existing application scenario includes at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case includes control conditions, control object, control instructions and control parameters. From each of the existing application scenarios, obtain the target atomic management use cases related to the newly connected device; Generate new application scenarios based on all the obtained atomic management use cases; The step of generating a new application scenario based on all the acquired target operation information includes: All the target atomic management use cases are sorted by task, including time sorting and operation logic sorting; Resource conflict checks are performed based on task order, including checks for conflicting use of devices. Correct all resource conflicts present in the target atomic management use cases.

2. The home appliance control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The new application scenario information is sent to the smart gateway so that the smart gateway can respond to operation requests related to the newly connected device based on the new application scenario information.

3. The home appliance control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive information from newly connected smart gateways; Send existing application scenario information and new application scenario information to newly connected smart gateways.

4. The home appliance control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive user operation requests, wherein the user operation requests include the operation object and the operation content; Obtain application scenario information related to the operation request; Obtain the associated operation information from the application scenario information. Each piece of associated operation information includes the associated object identifier, the associated operation name, and the associated operation content. Based on the associated operation information, operation prompt information is generated, and each operation prompt information includes a target device identifier, a prompt operation name, and a prompt operation content; Send the operation prompt information to the target device.

5. The home appliance control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The information of the newly added network device includes the user name, the set of capabilities the device possesses, and remote control interface information; the method further includes: Match other devices with the same username as the newly added network device; If the control instructions contained in the new application scenario information have control objects, control conditions and control parameters that are not available in the capability set of the new network-connected device, then the user configuration information is obtained from other network-connected devices in the same local area network or from the cloud. The user is prompted to perform natural language programming to integrate and edit the user configuration information; Send the user configuration information to the newly joined device.

6. The home appliance control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method is implemented by a cloud server. Sending the user configuration information to the newly connected device involves sending the user configuration information to a smart gateway so that when the cloud server is offline, the smart gateway can send the user configuration information to the newly connected device.

7. A home appliance control device, characterized in that, include: The new network access device information receiving module is used to receive new network access device information, which includes the identifier of the new network access device. The existing application scenario acquisition module is used to acquire existing application scenario information related to the newly connected device based on the newly connected device information. Each existing application scenario includes at least one atomic management use case, and each atomic management use case includes control conditions, control object, control instructions and control parameters. The atomic management use case acquisition module is used to acquire target atomic management use cases related to newly connected devices from each of the existing application scenarios. The new application scenario generation module is used to generate new application scenarios based on all the acquired atomic management use cases. The step of generating a new application scenario based on all the acquired target operation information includes: All the target atomic management use cases are sorted by task, including time sorting and operation logic sorting; Resource conflict checks are performed based on task order, including checks for conflicting use of devices. Correct all resource conflicts present in the target atomic management use cases.

8. A computer device, characterized in that, include: The device includes a processor, a memory, and a bus, wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, and when the computer device is running, the processor communicates with the memory via the bus, and the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, perform the home device control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs the home appliance control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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