Home Automation Interface Configuration for Relevant Status Queries

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing home automation systems is cumbersome due to the need to check numerous status queries of various states of equipment and sensors, making it difficult for users to quickly obtain relevant information without unnecessary data.

Innovation Solution

A method to configure a command and control interface that allows users to select specific status queries of interest, reducing the number of queries and only transmitting relevant data, using a user-friendly interface with buttons or tactile controls for query designation and generation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a comprehensive set of status queries is monitored for all home automation equipment and sensors, then complete information about the building status is obtained, but the complexity of checking and managing all status queries increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of status informationVSAvoidcomplexity of status monitoring
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and separates the status queries that are actually relevant to the user from the complete set of all possible status queries. By identifying and extracting only the necessary status information based on user-defined criteria, the system reduces the monitoring burden while maintaining completeness of relevant information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the large set of all possible status queries into multiple subsets based on relevance criteria. This segmentation allows the system to process and monitor only the relevant portions of status information, reducing overall complexity while maintaining complete coverage of important statuses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If all status queries are transmitted to the user interface, then complete status information is available, but the data transfer volume and processing load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of status dataVSAvoiddata transfer and processing energy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the relevant status data that matches user-defined criteria from the complete set of status queries. This extraction process ensures that complete relevant information is transmitted while filtering out unnecessary data, thereby reducing energy consumption for data transfer and processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by transmitting only the necessary subset of status data rather than all available data. This approach provides sufficient information for user needs while avoiding the excessive energy consumption that would result from transmitting and processing the complete dataset.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If the system monitors all possible states of home automation equipment, then comprehensive monitoring capability is achieved, but the time required to retrieve specific information increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring coverageVSAvoidinformation retrieval time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-filtering and organizing status queries according to user-defined relevance criteria before actual monitoring and retrieval operations. This preliminary organization allows the system to quickly access specific information without having to search through all possible status data, reducing retrieval time while maintaining comprehensive monitoring coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the monitoring system into focused subsets based on relevance criteria, allowing specific information to be retrieved from organized groups rather than searching through all possible status data. This segmentation maintains reliable monitoring coverage while significantly reducing the time required to locate and retrieve specific information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3262470B1Method for configuring and method for commanding and/or controlling a home automation equipment interface
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 SOMFY ACTIVITES SA
  • EP3262470B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3262470B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3c
  • EP3262470B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~6

AI summary

Method for configuring, commanding and/or controlling a command and/or control interface (IN) of devices of a home automation installation, comprising the following steps: (El) collecting a set of status queries (E) relating to at least one possible status of at least one home automation device (3), (E2) constituting a selection of at least one status query (SelE) of the set of status queries (E), (E3) configuring an interface element (IN) on the basis of the selection of the at least one status query (SelE), in such a way as to trigger transmission of a collection request (RC) comprising the selection, and obtaining, for each status query (E) of the selection, of at least one corresponding status indication (IDC) relating to at least one current status.