Learning device interaction rules

Abstract

Devices and methods are disclosed for establishing interaction among electronic devices of an environment. The device has a transmitter, receiver, memory for storing interaction rules, and a processor for learning the interaction rules in association with the transmitter, receiver, and other devices of the environment. The device also includes components for performing the device specific functions and a state sensor for determining the logical or physical state of the device. Methods involve observing at one or more devices change of state activity among the plurality of devices through receiving a change of state message that is transmitted to the one or more devices. A set of rules are learned at the one or more devices based upon observing the change of state activity. The learned set of rules are then applied at the one or more devices to automatically control changes of state of devices within the plurality of devices.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 establishing, by an aggregator device, communication with a plurality of devices in a device environment;   receiving, by the aggregator device from the plurality of devices, messages indicating state changes at the plurality of devices in the device environment;   automatically determining, by the aggregator device, a plurality of interaction rules based on the state change messages, each of the plurality of interaction rules defining an association between a trigger event and one or more target states for respective one or more target devices in the device environment;   storing, by the aggregator device, the plurality of interaction rules;   detecting, by the aggregator device, a first event;   determining, by the aggregator device, a particular interaction rule from the plurality of interaction rules that corresponds to the first event when the first event corresponds to the trigger event defined by the particular interaction rule;   determining, by the aggregator device, the one or more target states for the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule;   automatically causing, by the aggregator device, the one or more devices in the device environment to change state to the respective one or more target states in response to detecting the first event.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first event corresponds to a first state change at a first device in the plurality of devices in the device environment. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically causing the one or more devices in the device environment to change state comprises:
 determining a first target state for a first target device in the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule; and   sending a first message to the first target device instructing the first target device to change state to the first target state.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein automatically causing the one or more devices in the device environment to change state comprises:
 determining a second target state for a second target device in the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule; and   sending a second message to the second target device instructing the second target device to change state to the second target state, where the second target state is different than the first target state.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 detecting a change to a first state at a first device at a first time;   detecting a change to a second state at a second device at a second time;   determining, based on the first time and the second time, whether the first state change and the second state change occur within a period of time; and   automatically generating a new interaction rule based on the first state change and the second state change.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 determining that the first state change occurred before the second state change; and   automatically generating a new interaction rule that defines a change to the first state at the first device as a trigger for causing the second device to change state to the second state.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more devices include a first device of a first device type and a second device of a second device type. 
     
     
         28 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
 establishing, by an aggregator device, communication with a plurality of devices in a device environment;   receiving, by the aggregator device from the plurality of devices, messages indicating state changes at the plurality of devices in the device environment;   automatically determining, by the aggregator device, a plurality of interaction rules based on the state change messages, each of the plurality of interaction rules defining an association between a trigger event and one or more target states for respective one or more target devices in the device environment;   storing, by the aggregator device, the plurality of interaction rules;   detecting, by the aggregator device, a first event;   determining, by the aggregator device, a particular interaction rule from the plurality of interaction rules that corresponds to the first event when the first event corresponds to the trigger event defined by the particular interaction rule;   determining, by the aggregator device, the one or more target states for the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule;   automatically causing, by the aggregator device, the one or more devices in the device environment to change state to the respective one or more target states in response to detecting the first event.   
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the first event corresponds to a first state change at a first device in the plurality of devices in the device environment. 
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein automatically causing the one or more devices in the device environment to change state comprises:
 determining a first target state for a first target device in the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule; and   sending a first message to the first target device instructing the first target device to change state to the first target state.   
     
     
         31 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 30 , wherein automatically causing the one or more devices in the device environment to change state comprises:
 determining a second target state for a second target device in the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule; and   sending a second message to the second target device instructing the second target device to change state to the second target state, where the second target state is different than the first target state.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 detecting a change to a first state at a first device at a first time;   detecting a change to a second state at a second device at a second time;   determining, based on the first time and the second time, whether the first state change and the second state change occur within a period of time; and   automatically generating a new interaction rule based on the first state change and the second state change.   
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 determining that the first state change occurred before the second state change; and   automatically generating a new interaction rule that defines a change to the first state at the first device as a trigger for causing the second device to change state to the second state.   
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more devices include a first device of a first device type and a second device of a second device type. 
     
     
         35 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:   establishing, by an aggregator device, communication with a plurality of devices in a device environment;   receiving, by the aggregator device from the plurality of devices, messages indicating state changes at the plurality of devices in the device environment;   automatically determining, by the aggregator device, a plurality of interaction rules based on the state change messages, each of the plurality of interaction rules defining an association between a trigger event and one or more target states for respective one or more target devices in the device environment;   storing, by the aggregator device, the plurality of interaction rules;   detecting, by the aggregator device, a first event;   determining, by the aggregator device, a particular interaction rule from the plurality of interaction rules that corresponds to the first event when the first event corresponds to the trigger event defined by the particular interaction rule;   determining, by the aggregator device, the one or more target states for the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule;   automatically causing, by the aggregator device, the one or more devices in the device environment to change state to the respective one or more target states in response to detecting the first event.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the first event corresponds to a first state change at a first device in the plurality of devices in the device environment. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein automatically causing the one or more devices in the device environment to change state comprises:
 determining a first target state for a first target device in the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule; and   sending a first message to the first target device instructing the first target device to change state to the first target state.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein automatically causing the one or more devices in the device environment to change state comprises:
 determining a second target state for a second target device in the one or more target devices defined by the particular interaction rule; and   sending a second message to the second target device instructing the second target device to change state to the second target state, where the second target state is different than the first target state.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 detecting a change to a first state at a first device at a first time;   detecting a change to a second state at a second device at a second time;   determining, based on the first time and the second time, whether the first state change and the second state change occur within a period of time; and   automatically generating a new interaction rule based on the first state change and the second state change.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 determining that the first state change occurred before the second state change; and   automatically generating a new interaction rule that defines a change to the first state at the first device as a trigger for causing the second device to change state to the second state.   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more devices include a first device of a first device type and a second device of a second device type.