Home automation monitoring and control system with offline voice assistant

Abstract

A home automation monitoring and control system (100) is described, comprising a processing unit (10) on which software is installed comprising a fully functional off-line voice assistant, capable of understanding the vocabulary of one or more languages and of issuing commands starting from vocal instructions received from the user without the need to repeat the name of the system at each command, connected and integrated to home automation actuators (30) and / or to a control unit (20) connected to home automation expansion modules (31, 32) to perform the associated home automation function, capable of managing infinite scenarios that automate flows of recurring functions and automations.

Description

[0001] HOME AUTOMATION MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM WITH

[0002] OFFLINE VOICE ASSISTANT

[0003] The present invention relates , in general , to a system for monitoring and controlling home automation systems comprising an of f-line voice assistant , i . e . one that operates without the need for an Internet connection, integrated with the communication protocols of the home automation system .

[0004] Control systems for home automation are known in the art and include the possibility of giving commands using a voice assistant .

[0005] In general , home automation control systems that include a voice assistant for managing and sending commands continually require an active internet connection . This is necessary because the voice assistant sends the information it receives to an external processing system for interpretation and processing to return the correct command . Voice assistants are often based on well-known commercially available systems , such as Amazon Alexa . The system need to remain connected to the internet creates di f ficulties in the event of connection mal functions , or i f the system is installed in areas with inadequate internet coverage . The system is also unsuitable for the elderly or non-sel f-suf ficient , for whom the ability to issue voice commands would be a valuable aid; however, they often lack adequate internet connections in their homes . The need to send voice commands via the internet to external processing systems for correct interpretation can also raise user privacy issues .

[0006] Generally, there are voice assistants available on the market that operate of fline , but they are not directly integrated into a home automation system . They require knowledge and management of the communication protocols of the system they are connected to , and must be configured directly by the user, sometimes requiring programming knowledge to achieve this . Furthermore , these systems require pre-programming with a limited set of commands , requiring the user to pronounce the corresponding phrase verbatim to activate the command, as they cannot process language of fline . Documents US-A1-2018 / 152557 , Andrea Eirale et al : "Marvin : an Innovative Omni-Directional Robotic Assistant for Domestic Environments" , ARXIV . ORG, Cornell University Library, 201 Olin Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 , 14 July 2022 , DOI : 10 . 3390 / S22145261 , and US-A1-2023 / 317274 disclose monitoring and control systems for smart homes according to the preamble of Claim 1 .

[0007] Obj ect of the present invention is solving the aforementioned prior art problems by providing a monitoring and control system for home automation systems comprising an integrated of f-line voice assistant designed to manage commands towards the systems present at home .

[0008] The above and other obj ects and advantages of the invention, as will result from the following description, are achieved with a monitoring and control system for domotic homes such as that described in claim 1 . Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variants of the present invention form the subj ect matter of the dependent claims .

[0009] It is understood that all attached claims form an integral part of this speci fication .

[0010] It will be immediately obvious that countless variations and modi fications can be made to what i s described ( for example relating to the types of integrated sensors , functionality, supported commands ) without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the attached claims .

[0011] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof , provided by way of example and not by way of limitation, with reference to the attached drawings , in which :

[0012] Figure 1 shows a diagram of a possible system configuration for monitoring and control of home automation with of fline voice assistant ;

[0013] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the operation of the algorithm adopted for speech recognition .

[0014] With reference to the Figures , the home automation monitoring and control system 100 according to the invention comprises a processing unit 10 on which software is installed comprising a voice assistant that functions completely in offline mode , capable of understanding the vocabulary of one or more languages and of issuing commands based on vocal instructions received from the user without the need to repeat the name of the system with each command, connected and integrated with home automation actuators 30 and / or a control unit 20 connected to home automation expansion modules 31 , 32 to perform the associated home automation function, capable of managing infinite scenarios that automate flows of recurring functions and automations , such as , for example , leaving the house or the scenario before going to sleep, providing, for example , for the progressive switching of f of the lights , the lowering of the shutters , the activation of the alarm system or the switching on of small service lights . Once the system has been activated, voice commands do not require repeating the system name for it to recogni ze them . The system can also be deactivated using a voice command . The system can be implemented in private homes , in facilities for the care of non-sel f-suf ficient people , such as nursing homes or retirement homes , as wel l as in businesses and hospitality facilities .

[0015] The of fline voice assistant comprises an algorithm structured around voice command detection using an audio acquisition module 201 , audio signal processing 202 , a language model for voice recognition 203 , and identi fication and execution of the corresponding command 204 . The algorithm allows for understanding the vocabulary of the set language , such as Italian, through semantics , reconstructing the meaning of the instruction given by the user and associating it with the correct command . The of fline voice assistant does not record conversations with the user, thus preserving the user privacy .

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the home automation monitoring and control system 100 comprises an alarm system controllable via voice commands managed by software with an of fline voice assistant , including alarm sensors capable of automatically calling the police by pronouncing a pre-set code word, sending a pre-recorded message to established contacts in the event of an emergency and / or attack by pronouncing a pre-set code word, and including a password generation function with a non-replicable code given by a complex algorithm of 8 digits that change in a timed, non-repeatable , and non-copyable manner . Preferably, the software including the of fline voice assistant allows the arming and disarming of the alarm system programs , the activation and deactivation of all inputs and outputs , the exclusion and / or inclusion of devices connected to the system, and the management of emergency actions , such as sending calls to selected numbers or the police . Preferably, the sensors and alarm devices integrated into the alarm system may comprise , for example , a motion detector 21 , a door contact 22 and a siren 23 .

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the home automation monitoring and control system 100 comprises a network device 40 and / or devices and / or control modules that connect devices for monitoring and supporting dependent persons to the processing unit 10 . Preferably, the devices for monitoring and supporting dependent persons comprise , for example , an SOS button 41 , a flood detector 42 , a gas detector 43 , and a motion detector 44 . Preferably, the software comprising the of fline voice assistant 10 includes a noti fication function via a dedicated mobile application, SMS , or phone call to one or more reference contacts . These functions allow for monitoring and addressing the possible needs of dependent persons and for prompt intervention in the event of an emergency, for example , i f the monitored person is detected to be in di f ficulty .

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the home automation monitoring and control system 100 includes calendar and appointment management functions and the management of recurring or repetitive scheduled activities , such as medication reminders or medical appointments . This function, in particular, does not constitute a medical device and does not replace medical advice . The system assumes no liability whatsoever and merely provides a reminder at the scheduled time .

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the home automation monitoring and control system 100 comprises one or more touchscreen displays with a synoptic control panel 50 connected to the processing unit 10 , which allow commands to be given to the home automation systems alternatively to the of fline voice assistant software .

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the home automation monitoring and control system 100 comprises a closed-circuit television video surveillance system 60 connected to the processing unit 10 capable of dynamically opening the videos relating to the connected cameras by displaying the video streams of the cameras , including active alarm reporting and locali zed activity monitoring functions capable , for example , of detecting the passage of people in monitored areas and reporting this via voice alert to the user even when the system is of f . In particular, the active alarm reporting function is capable , for example , of reporting an intrusion by simultaneously showing the user the recorded video stream of the moment of the intrusion and the live video stream and of responding to software queries so that the images from the cameras are displayed during the execution of an intrusion alarm . Preferably, the closed- circuit television video surveillance system 60 connected to the processing unit 10 includes functions for searching for speci fic events captured by one or more cameras .

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the monitoring and control system for home automation 100 comprises a system for managing energy consumption and loads with decreasing priority, capable , for example , of displaying graphs indicating the consumption of a particular household appliance or the total consumption of the home , with currency valuation, comparable even on a monthly or annual basis .

[0022] Advantageously, the home automation monitoring and control system 100 comprising the processing unit 10 with software with of fline voice assistant allows the creation, starting from different sensors and identified functions, of a plurality of products for home automation systems that are scalable and adaptable to the specific needs of the user, maintaining the possibility of managing the system by giving voice commands without the need for an Internet connection.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Home automation monitoring and control system (100) comprising a processing unit (10) on which software is installed comprising a voice assistant, capable of understanding a vocabulary of one or more languages and of giving commands starting from vocal instructions received from a user without the need to repeat a system name at each command, the vocal instructions given not requiring the repetition of the system name because they are recognized by the system, once the system has been activated, the voice assistant being connected and integrated to home automation actuators (30) and / or to a control unit (20) connected to home automation expansion modules (31, 32) to perform an associated home automation function by automating flows of recurring functions and automations; characterized in that:- the voice assistant is fully functional in offline mode;- the off-line voice assistant comprises an algorithm structured on the detection of the voice command by means of an audio acquisition module (201) , audio signal processing (202) , language model for voice recognition (203) andidentification and execution of the corresponding command (204) ; and the monitoring and control system includes an alarm system controllable via voice commands managed by software with an offline voice assistant, including alarm sensors, capable of automatically calling the police by pronouncing a preset code word, sending a pre-recorded message to established contacts in case of an emergency and / or assault by pronouncing a preset code word, and including a password generation function with a non-replicable code given by a complex algorithm of 8 digits that change in a timed, non-repeatable and non-copyable manner.

2. Home automation monitoring and control system (100) according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a network device (40) and / or devices and / or control modules which connect to the processing unit (10) for monitoring and supporting non-self-sufficient people.

3. Home automation monitoring and control system (100) according to claim 2, characterised in that the processing unit (10) comprises a function for sending notifications to one or more reference contacts .

4. Home automation monitoring and control system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it includes calendar and appointment management functions and management of recursive or repetitive scheduled activities.

5. Home automation monitoring and control system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises one or more touchscreen screens with a synoptic control panel (50) connected to the processing unit (10) , which allow commands to be given to the home automation systems alternatively to the software with an offline voice assistant.

6. Home automation monitoring and control system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a closed circuit television video surveillance system (60) connected to the processing unit (10) capable of dynamically opening the videos relating to the connected cameras by displaying the video streams of the cameras, including active alarm signalling functions and monitoring of the localised activity.

7. Home automation monitoring and control system (100) according to claim 6, characterised in that it includes search functions for specific eventscaptured by one or more cameras .8 . Home automation monitoring and control system ( 100 ) according to any of the preceding claims , characterised in that it includes a system for managing energy consumption and loads with decreasing priorities .

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