Device-Independent Smart Home Scenes for Adaptive Zone Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional home automation systems require detailed programming by professionals to create scenes, making them inflexible and device-specific, which complicates adaptation to changes in device availability or malfunction, and limits their adaptability across different smart home environments.
Innovation Solution
The development of device-independent scenes that define a zone's state, allowing the home automation platform to query a mapping database for instructions on available devices to achieve the desired scene, enabling flexibility and adaptability without requiring specific device instructions, and allowing scenes to be shared and updated dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional device-specific scenes are used, then the scene configuration is precise and reliable, but the adaptability to different device configurations and environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the scene configuration into two independent parts: device-independent scene definitions (which specify desired states and effects) and device-specific mappings (which link scenes to actual devices). This segmentation allows scenes to be defined once in a device-agnostic manner and then automatically adapted to different device configurations through mapping relationships, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping layer that translates between device-independent scene definitions and device-specific implementations. This mapping acts as a mediator that automatically handles the translation, allowing scenes to remain simple and adaptable while systematically connecting to specific devices, thus reducing configuration complexity while maintaining versatility.
2Ease of operation
If professional installation programming is required, then the scene functionality is reliable and precise, but the ease of operation and flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service operation by allowing users to define scenes in a device-independent manner without requiring professional programming expertise. The system automatically handles the complex task of mapping these simple scene definitions to specific devices, making scene creation accessible to end users while maintaining reliable functionality through systematic device mappings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows scenes to be copied and reused across different device configurations. Once a scene is defined in a device-independent manner, it can be replicated and automatically adapted to different homes and device setups, making scene creation easy for users while ensuring reliable operation through consistent scene definitions that work across multiple configurations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If device-specific scenes are used, then the control precision is high, but the adaptability to device changes and malfunctions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments scene information into device-independent scene definitions (which contain the essential scene logic and desired effects) and device-specific mappings (which link scenes to actual devices). This segmentation ensures that the core scene information is preserved and reusable across device changes, while the mapping layer handles device-specific details, preventing information loss when devices are added, removed, or replaced.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal scene definitions that can function across multiple device configurations. These device-independent scene definitions serve multiple purposes: they define the desired scene state, enable automatic device discovery, and work with various device types. This universality ensures that scene configuration information is retained and reusable even when devices change, maintaining adaptability without losing essential scene information.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for implementing a device-independent scene in a home automation environment. One embodiment is a method comprising receiving information regarding a home-independent home automation scene, the information identifying a zone property and an identified zone type; identifying, in the designated home, a zone corresponding to the identified zone type; identifying at least one home automation device capable of affecting the zone property in the identified zone; for each of the identified devices, identifying a device state of the respective device that contributes to the zone property; storing a home-automation scene for the designated home, wherein the home-automation scene comprises information identifying the at least one identified devices and the respective identified device states of those devices; and in response to user selection of the stored home-automation scene, causing the at least one identified device to perform the respective identified actions.