Smart Home Policy Control for Occupancy-Based Device Restriction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart home devices are limited in their ability to adapt to diverse household norms and evolving environments, failing to effectively utilize their capabilities in varied or changing household settings.
Innovation Solution
Implementing smart-device environment policies that monitor activities, report on them, and provide control based on these activities, using a system that integrates sensors, user interfaces, and network connectivity to create a dynamic and responsive home automation system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If smart devices use pre-determined tasks and functionalities, then device reliability is improved, but adaptability to diverse household norms deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts device functionalities based on observed household patterns and user preferences. Instead of fixed pre-determined tasks, devices learn and adjust their behavior over time to match evolving household norms, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The smart home system automatically observes, learns, and implements household policies without requiring manual programming. Devices self-adjust their functionalities based on observed patterns, maintaining reliability through automated consistent behavior while adapting to diverse household norms through continuous learning.
2Ease of manufacture
If smart devices are designed with fixed functionalities, then ease of manufacture is improved, but ease of operation in varied households deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Devices are manufactured with fixed hardware but dynamic software that adapts to different households. This allows easy manufacturing of standardized devices while enabling easy operation in varied households through automatic adaptation to local norms and preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters based on observed household characteristics. Devices maintain fixed physical specifications for easy manufacture but adjust their operational parameters dynamically to suit different household environments, improving ease of operation across diverse settings.
3Adaptability or versatility
If smart home system monitors and adapts to household activities, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex adaptation functionality is segmented into separate components: observation modules that collect data, learning modules that identify patterns, and control modules that implement policies. This segmentation manages system complexity while maintaining high adaptability to household conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
A central controller or cloud service acts as an intermediary that handles the complex adaptation logic. Individual devices can remain relatively simple while the intermediary manages the overall system complexity by coordinating observations, learning, and control across multiple devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provided herein relate to enforcing a device restriction policy. A device restriction policy may be stored that maps one or more portions of a household with particular household occupants of a plurality of household occupants. A request may be received to activate the device restriction policy on a household occupant. The device restriction policy may be activated against the household occupant based on the received request. One or more electronic devices may be disabled that are located in a portion of the household linked with the household occupant based on the received request and the device restriction policy.