Lighting Device State-Based Permission Control Across Overlapping Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart home systems often face conflicts in settings when multiple lighting systems overlap in a household, leading to a poorer user experience due to lack of central control and inconsistent device profiles.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determine the current or expected state of a lighting device, establish control permissions based on this state, and prevent or limit control by another lighting system in the same building, without requiring a central controller, using a processor to manage conflicts and protect the first lighting system's settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a gateway with device profile handler is used to enable multiple lighting systems to coexist, then system compatibility and control capability are improved, but device complexity and dependency on central controller increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables lighting devices to autonomously determine their own states and manage control permissions without requiring a central gateway. Each device independently evaluates control requests from different lighting systems, allowing the system to self-regulate conflicts without complex centralized coordination infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the conflict resolution logic from the central gateway and distributes it to individual lighting devices. By removing the mandatory gateway component and implementing state determination and permission control directly in devices, the system eliminates the need for complex centralized device profile handlers while maintaining multi-system compatibility.
2Reliability
If a central controller is deployed to manage multiple lighting systems, then control coordination is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling each lighting device to independently determine its current state and evaluate control permissions without external coordination. Devices autonomously manage their own settings and prevent unauthorized control from conflicting lighting systems, eliminating the need for central controllers while maintaining reliable coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a lightweight communication protocol as an intermediary mechanism between lighting systems. This protocol enables devices to exchange state information and control permission data directly, providing coordinated control without requiring complex central controller architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If lighting devices allow control from multiple lighting systems, then system interoperability is improved, but setting conflicts and user experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control permissions that adapt based on the current state of lighting devices. Control permissions are not static but change dynamically according to device state, allowing the system to permit or block control requests from different lighting systems in real-time based on contextual conditions, thereby preventing conflicts while maintaining interoperability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of control permission from a fixed state to a state-dependent variable. By evaluating device state parameters (such as current operation mode, active scenes, or user presence) before granting control, the system dynamically adjusts permissions to prevent harmful setting conflicts while allowing beneficial interoperability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system (1) for preventing or limiting control of a lighting device (31-33) in a first connected lighting system (41) is configured to determine a current or expected state of the lighting device, determine control permissions based on the current or expected state of the lighting device, and prevent or limit control of the lighting device by a second connected lighting system (42) located in a same building as the first connected lighting system in dependence on the control permissions.