# US 10,481,561 B2 · Managing home automation system based on behavior > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,561 B2 - Document ID: US10481561B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/261,293 - Filed: 2014-04-24 - Published: 2015-10-29 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-24 - Assignees: Vivint, Inc. - Applicants: Vivint, Inc. - Inventors: Jefferson Lyman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481561B2 ## CPC - G05B 13/0205: {not using a model or a simulator of the controlled system} - H04L 12/2816: {Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00)} - H04L 12/282: {based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204)} - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Methods and systems are described for controlling settings of an automation system, such as a home and/or business automation system. According to at least one embodiment, an apparatus for controlling settings of an automation system includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory which are executable by a processor to continuously detect user patterns of behavior with a home automation system, and adaptively update one or more settings of the home automation system based on the detected patterns of behavior. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for controlling settings of a home automation system, comprising: a processor; a memory in electronic communication with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to: detect user patterns of behavior associated with a home automation system, the detected user patterns of behavior being aggregated at the home automation system; request and selectively obtain direction data from a device associated with a user based on a location of the user relative to a location associated with the home automation system, the direction data indicating a directional movement of the user relative to the location associated with the home automation system and a type of behavior of the user; operate one or more settings of the home automation system in a predefined mode based at least in part on the directional movement of the user; compare the direction data with the detected user patterns of behavior aggregated at the home automation system; determine at least one setting of the home automation system associated with the user based at least in part on the comparison and the type of behavior of the user; determine an occupancy at the location associated with the home automation system based at least in part on utility data at the location associated with the home automation system; and adaptively update the one or more settings of the home automation system operated in the predefined mode based at least in part on the at least one setting associated with the user and the occupancy at the location associated with the home automation system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user patterns of behavior are detected within a home monitored by the home automation system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user patterns of behavior are detected outside a home monitored by the home automation system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected pattern of behavior is based at least in part on a geo-fence signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the home automation system comprises security features, and the one or more settings of the home automation system includes a security setting related to at least one of the security features. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more settings of the home automation system comprises an HVAC setting. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: determine a location of the user; and update the HVAC setting based at least in part on an estimated time of arrival of the user to a home and the determined location of the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more settings of the home automation system comprises at least one light fixture setting of a home monitored by the home automation system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more settings of the home automation system comprises at least one lock mechanism setting for a barrier. ### Claim 10 A computer-program product for controlling a home automation system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to: detect user patterns of behavior with the home automation system, the detected user patterns of behavior being aggregated at the home automation system; determine at least one setting of the home automation system associated with a user based at least in part on the detected user patterns of behavior aggregated at the home automation system; determine an occupancy at a location of the home automation system based at least in part on utility data at the location associated with the home automation system; request and selectively obtain direction date associated with one or more devices associated with the user based on a location of the user relative to a location associated with the home automation system, the direction data from the one or more devices indicating a directional movement and a type of behavior of the user; operate one or more settings of the home automation system in a predefined mode based at least in part on the directional movement of the user; track a distance between a location of the user and the location of the home automation system, the location of the user being different from the location of the home automation system; determine a duration to perform a function, associated with the detected patterns of behavior aggregated at the home automation system and the type of behavior of the user, of the home automation system based at least in part on a characteristic associated with the function and the tracking; adaptively update, in response to the duration to perform the function, the one or more settings associated with the function of the home automation system based at least in part on the at least one setting associated with the user and the occupancy at the location of the home automation system; and operate the home automation system based at least in part on the updated settings. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the patterns of behavior are detected inside or outside a home being monitored by the home automation system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the one or more settings control at least one of an HVAC system, a light fixture, and a lock mechanism. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the home automation system comprises at least one home security feature, and updating one or more settings comprises updating the at least one home security feature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the patterns of behavior comprise exiting and entering a home. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the user patterns of behavior are detected using at least one of a motion sensor, an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, a power socket sensor, an appliance status sensor, and a light sensor. ### Claim 16 A computer-implemented method for controlling settings of a home automation system, comprising: detecting user location patterns, user direction and movement patterns, user activity patterns, and a type of behavior of a user with a home automation system, the detected user location patterns, the user movement patterns, user activity patterns, and the type of behavior of the user of being aggregated at the home automation system; requesting and selectively obtaining, via an application installed on a device associated with the user, a power consumption indicator associated with the device and direction data based on a location of the user relative to a location associated with the home automation system, the direction data indicating a directional movement of the user relative to the location associated with the home automation system and a type of behavior of the user; operating one or more settings of the home automation system in a predefined mode based at least in part on the directional movement of the user; determining that the device of the user is in use based at least in part on the power consumption indicator; and adaptively updating the one or more settings of the home automation system operated in the predefined mode based at least in part on the detected patterns aggregated at the home automation system, the type of behavior of the user, and the determining that the device of the user is in use. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: establishing operation rules for future control of the one or more setting based at least in part on the detected patterns. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein one of the detected user activity patterns comprises operating at least one electronic device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: storing information about past detected patterns; and comparing information about current detected patterns to the information about past detected patterns. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: correlating the detected user patterns of behavior with date and time of day data, wherein adaptively updating the one or more settings of the home automation system is based at least in part on the date and time of day data.