Smart Device Orchestration via Cloud Intermediary Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart home devices from different manufacturers and networks often lack compatibility, leading to misconfiguration and conflicts, limiting their ability to perform coordinated actions and enhancing user dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
An orchestration service provider collects and processes data from various smart devices to suggest and automate 'recipes' for device control, allowing for coordinated actions across different manufacturers and networks, using logical rules and machine learning to identify and deploy generic recipes for common actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If smart home devices from different manufacturers are connected to perform coordinated actions, then the functionality and automation capability are improved, but compatibility issues and configuration complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based service as an intermediary that mediates between smart devices from different manufacturers. This service provides a standardized interface and translation layer that enables devices to communicate and coordinate actions without direct peer-to-peer compatibility requirements, thus resolving the contradiction between enhanced adaptability and increased configuration complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal configuration service that can manage multiple types of smart devices from different manufacturers through a single standardized interface. This universal service performs multiple functions including device discovery, compatibility verification, and coordination setup, eliminating the need for manufacturer-specific configuration tools and reducing overall system complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If professional installers provide complex setup and home automation systems, then advanced device orchestrations are enabled, but the cost and accessibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the configuration service automatically performs device discovery, compatibility assessment, and orchestration setup without requiring professional installers. The system uses automated algorithms to configure device coordinations based on user-defined goals, making advanced orchestration capabilities accessible to ordinary consumers while maintaining high adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring compatibility rules, device profiles, and orchestration templates in advance. When devices are added to the system, these pre-prepared configurations are automatically applied, eliminating the need for complex real-time setup and making advanced orchestration accessible without professional intervention
3Extent of automation
If devices are configured to perform coordinated actions, then automation functionality is improved, but misconfiguration and conflicts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the configuration service continuously monitors device states and coordination outcomes. When conflicts or misconfigurations are detected, the system automatically adjusts configurations or notifies users, ensuring high reliability while maintaining extensive automation capability through iterative optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by performing compatibility verification and conflict detection before finalizing device coordinations. The system proactively identifies potential misconfigurations and prevents them from being deployed, ensuring reliable automation from the outset rather than correcting issues after they occur
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques and system configurations for generating and implementing recipes and scripts to enable the orchestration of actions, activities, and configurations within smart devices and device networks (including the Internet of Things “IoT” network topologies) are described herein. In an example, a method for smart device orchestration and configuration includes: obtaining an orchestration recipe that defines a sequence of actions to be performed among multiple types of smart devices; activating the orchestration recipe for use upon multiple smart devices associated with a user, based on at least one condition to perform the sequence of actions; associating the orchestration recipe with respective configurations of the multiple smart devices associated with the user; and initiating the orchestration recipe, to cause the sequence of actions to be performed with the multiple smart devices, including via cloud-based device services that control the multiple smart devices associated with the user.