# US 12,010,779 B2 · Improving automation rules by determining a relationship between events and control commands

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- Number: US 12,010,779 B2
- Document ID: US12010779B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/429,958
- Filed: 2020-02-11
- Published: 2022-04-28
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-14
- Assignees: Signify Holding B.V.
- Applicants: Signify Holding B.V.
- Inventors: Walter Jeroen Slegers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010779B2

## CPC

- H05B 47/17: Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
- G05B 15/02: electric
- H05B 47/105: in response to determined parameters
- H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
- H05B 47/155: Coordinated control of two or more light sources
- H05B 47/175: by remote control
- Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A method of controlling one or more devices (13) of a plurality of devices (13,15) associated with a control system comprises a control system (1) receiving input signals from at least one device (15) of the plurality of devices, determining events from the input signals, transmitting the events to a further system (26), receiving control commands destined for the one or more devices from the further system, and transmitting output signals representing the control commands to the one or more devices. The method further comprises determining a relationship between the events and the control commands, establishing a new rule based on the determined relationship, receiving a new input signal from the at least one device, determining a new event from the new input signal, and controlling the one or more devices according to the rule in dependence on the new event.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control system for controlling one or more of a plurality of devices associated with said control system and for improving the execution of automation rules by replacing automated behavior of an external client of the control system by same behavior performed by said control system, said one or more devices being controlled in response to events determined from input signals received from at least one of said plurality of devices, said control system comprising:
at least one input interface;
at least one output interface; and
at least one processor configured to:
use said at least one input interface to receive input signals from said at least one device,
determine events from said input signals,
use said at least one output interface to transmit said events to said external client, which is subscribed to said events,
use said at least one input interface to receive control commands from said external client destined for said one or more devices, and
use said at least one output interface to transmit output signals representing said received control commands to said one or more devices,
wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:
determine, a relationship between at least one determined event transmitted to said external client and at least one subsequent control command received from said external client in response to the at least one determined event, wherein the relationship indicates that in response to when the at least one detected event is transmitted to the external client, the at least one subsequent control command is received from the external client;
subsequent to determining the relationship, determine a plurality of reoccurrences of the relationship beyond a threshold amount;
once the threshold amount is exceeded, establish a new rule based on said determined relationship, said new rule for causing said control system to perform said at least one subsequent control command upon a subsequent occurrence of the determined event without transmitting the subsequent occurrence of the determined event to the external client or receiving additional control commands from said external client,
use said at least one input interface to receive a new input signal from said at least one device,
determine a new occurrence of the event from said new input signal, and
use said at least one output interface to control said one or more devices according to said new rule in dependence on said new occurrence of the event without receiving additional control commands from said external client.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor is configured to use said at least one output interface to propose said establishment of said new rule to a user, use said at least one input interface to receive a response to said proposal and establish said new rule in dependence on said response.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor is configured to remove an external rule used by said external client, said external rule corresponding to said new rule.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein said one or more devices include one or more lighting devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein said at least one device includes at least one lighting control device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor is configured to use said at least one input interface to receive further events from another control system, said control system being subscribed to said further events and said other control system being configured to determine said further events from further input received from at least one device associated with said other control system, and determine said relationship further based on said further events.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said events represent a change in device status, a motion sensor trigger or a button press.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor is configured to identify based on said events and said control commands an existing rule used by said control system which conflicts with an external rule and use said at least one output interface to propose removal of said existing rule or said external rule, said external rule being used by said external client.

### Claim 9

A method of controlling one or more of a plurality of devices associated with a control system and for improving the execution of automation rules by replacing automated behavior of an external client of the control system by behavior performed by said control system, said one or more devices being controlled in response to events determined from input signals received from at least one of said plurality of devices, said method comprising:
receiving input signals from said at least one device;
determining events from said input signals;
transmitting said events to said external client, which is subscribed to said events;
receiving control commands from said further system destined for said one or more devices; and
transmitting output signals representing said received control commands to said one or more devices,
wherein said method further comprises:
determining a relationship between at least one determined event transmitted to said external client and at least one subsequent control command received from said external client in response to the at least one determined event, wherein the relationship indicates that in response to when the at least one detected event is transmitted to the external client, the at least one subsequent control command is received from the external client;
subsequent to determining the relationship, determine a plurality of reoccurrences of the relationship beyond a threshold amount;
once the threshold amount is exceeded, establishing a new rule based on said determined relationship, said new rule for causing said control system to perform said at least one subsequent control command upon a subsequent occurrence of the determined event without transmitting the subsequent occurrence of the determined event to the external client or receiving additional control commands from said external client;
receiving a new input signal from said at least one device;
determining a new occurrence of the event from said new input signal; and
controlling said one or more devices according to said new rule in dependence on said new occurrence of the event without receiving additional control commands from said external client.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising proposing said establishment of said new rule to a user and receiving a response to said proposal, wherein said new rule is established in dependence on said response.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising removing an external rule used by said external client, said external rule corresponding to said new rule.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying based on said events and said control commands an existing rule which conflicts with an external rule and proposing removal of said existing rule or said external rule, said external rule being used by said external client.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

A non-transitory computer program or suite of computer programs comprising at least one software code portion or a computer program product storing at least one software code portion, the software code portion, when run on a computer system, being configured for enabling the method of claim 9 to be performed.