Smart Home API Access Control for Reliable Third-Party Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart home systems face challenges in efficiently distinguishing between human presence and pet presence due to the inherent sensitivity variations of passive infrared (PIR) sensors, which can lead to inaccurate detection and user experience issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a low-power processor to store sensor measurements during periods without human presence, and a high-power processor to calculate and adjust detection thresholds based on these measurements, compensating for the sensitivity characteristics of individual PIR sensors to improve detection accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If PIR sensors are used to detect human presence, then detection coverage is improved, but detection accuracy deteriorates due to sensitivity variations causing false detection of pet presence
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary learning during a designated period to establish baseline sensor readings when no human is present. This preliminary action captures the unique sensitivity characteristics of each PIR sensor, enabling subsequent accurate differentiation between pet and human presence by comparing real-time readings against the learned baseline.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the detection threshold parameter based on learned sensor characteristics. By changing the threshold from a fixed value to an adaptive value derived from sensor-specific baseline data, the system maintains high detection accuracy across sensors with varying sensitivity levels.
2Adaptability or versatility
If third party applications are allowed to access smart home devices, then application versatility is improved, but device reliability deteriorates due to potential undesirable behavior from third party applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary layer consisting of device services that sit between third party applications and smart home devices. This intermediary architecture allows third party applications to access device functionality through controlled interfaces while preventing direct access that could cause undesirable behavior, thus maintaining both versatility and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the access architecture into distinct layers: third party applications, device services, and smart home devices. This segmentation isolates third party applications from direct device control, allowing versatile application development while protecting device reliability through the mediating device service layer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the ability of smart devices to effectively differentiate between human and pet presence, leading to improved user experience and accurate detection of human presence in smart home environments.
Implementation Method 1
the inherent sensitivity variations of passive infrared (PIR) sensors
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiments, a method for authorizing access for an application programming interface (API) client or API client device to data of one or more data models of one or more smart devices includes retrieving a number of access tokens from an authorization server, and providing, via a single connection, the number of access tokens in a request made by the API client or the API client device to the API, wherein the number of access tokens are used to verify access rights of the API client or the API client device to read data for a number of users associated with the one or more data models of the one or more smart devices.