Hierarchical State Determination for Smart Home Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatically determining the home state in home automation systems, which involves deciding when to apply different sets of settings for smart devices, is challenging due to the complexity of signals from user devices and smart devices.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that uses a hierarchy of potential states to simplify the determination of the home state. This method involves receiving status signals from user proxy devices and smart devices, determining the current state based on these signals, and sending instructions to enable specific settings on the smart devices accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flat structure with multiple peer states is used to represent home states, then the system can accommodate multiple states, but the complexity of determining the current state increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flat structure of peer states into a hierarchical structure with parent states and child states. This segmentation reduces the complexity of state determination by organizing states in a tree structure where each state has a unique path from the root, making it easier to track and determine the current state without comparing across all peer states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to the state representation by adding parent-child relationships to the flat structure. This transforms the problem from a two-dimensional peer relationship into a multi-dimensional hierarchical structure, enabling more efficient state determination through ancestral path tracking.
2Measurement precision
If detailed criteria checking is performed for each state transition, then the accuracy of state determination improves, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by maintaining ancestral paths and state criteria in advance. When a state transition occurs, the system can quickly check against pre-defined criteria for the target state and its ancestors, rather than performing comprehensive checks from scratch, thus reducing processing time while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where the current state and its ancestral paths provide information that guides the determination process. By continuously updating and checking state criteria along the ancestral path, the system achieves accurate state determination with optimized processing through incremental verification rather than complete re-evaluation.
Data Source
AI summary
A first status signal can be received by a controller device from a first user proxy device. The first status signal can indicate whether the first user proxy device is within a threshold distance from a location. The location can be associated with a state and one or more devices. Settings on the one or more devices can be based on the state. The state can be determined from a hierarchy of potential states. Determining the state from a hierarchy of potential states can be based on satisfying a criteria of a parent state of the hierarchy. Determining the state can be further based on satisfying a second criteria of a child state of the parent state.