Smart home system and method having plural user interface modes

A smart home system comprising:

• (A) at least one controlled module capable of performing monitoring an area of interest and/or controlling functions of a controlled device in the area of interest;
• and
• (B) a controller that is in communication with the controlled module and a user device and that executes a program, stored in a non-transitory memory, to:
• in response to selection of a first operating mode of the user device, configure the user device to display a first arrangement of graphical elements for allowing a user to enter instructions for configuring at least one monitoring operation to be performed by the at least one controlled module to monitor the area of interest and/or controlling the functions of the controlled device in the area of interest by the at least one controlled module and to view a status of an aspect of the at least one controlled module, and
• in response to selection of a second operating mode of the user device, configure the user device to display a second, alternate arrangement of graphical elements for allowing a user to enter instructions for configuring at least one monitoring operation to be performed by the at least one controlled module to monitor the area of interest and/or controlling the functions of the controlled device in the area of interest by the at least one controlled module and to view at least one of a notification received by the user device, a still image received by the user device from the at least one controlled module, and a video received by the user device from the at least one controlled module.

A smart security system, comprising:

• a plurality of controlled modules, at least one of the controlled modules being an imaging device having a camera;
• a base station in wireless communication with the controlled modules and with a wide area network (WAN);
• and
• a controller in operative communication with a user device and with the base station and/or the controlled modules, wherein
• the controller executes a program, stored in a non-transitory memory, to:
• in response to selecting a master-controller operating mode of the user device, configure the user device to display a first arrangement of graphical elements for allowing a user to enter instructions for configuring the imaging device and to view a status of an aspect of the at least one controlled module, the graphical elements arranged in a portrait orientation of a touch screen of the user device, and
• in response to selecting a panel operating mode of the user device, configure the user device to display a second, alternate arrangement of graphical elements for allowing a user to enter instructions for configuring the imaging device and to view at least one of a notification received by the user device, a still image received by the user device from the at least one controlled module, and a video received by the user device from the at least one controlled module, the alternate arrangement of graphical elements arranged in a landscape orientation of the touch screen of the user device, and wherein
• the controller is configured to execute the program to cause the user device to display a greater number of graphical elements and to have enhanced functionality when operating in the master-controller mode compared to when operating in the panel mode.