Contextual application interactions with connected devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing contextual interaction with connected devices are described. A mobile device having a display that presents a user interface enabling access to functionalities provided by connected devices. The user interface may be updated as various contextually-related data is received. For example, data representing a current position of the mobile device, such as Bluetooth low energy beacon signals, WiFi signals, and the like, may be monitored. In response to determining that the current position is within a threshold proximity of a first location, the user interface may be updated to emphasize a first location interface corresponding to the first location over interfaces corresponding to other locations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing contextual application interaction with connected devices, the system comprising:
 a mobile device having a display on which a user interface of the application is presented, the user interface enabling access to functionalities provided by connected devices;   a processor; and   a computing device comprising a first set of instructions that when executed by the processor at least cause the system to:
 monitor, at the mobile device, data representing a current position of the mobile device within a structure; 
 determine, at a first time, that the current position is within a threshold proximity of a first location of the structure; and 
 in response to determining that the current position is within the threshold proximity, update the user interface to emphasize a first location interface corresponding to the first location over interfaces corresponding to other locations of the structure. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device further comprises a second set of instructions that when executed by the processor further causes the system to:
 determine, at a second time subsequent to the first time, that the current position is in closer proximity to a second location of the structure than the first location; and   in response to determining that the current position is in closer proximity to the second location, update the user interface to emphasize a second location interface corresponding to the second location over the first location interface.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data representing the current position of the mobile device is a wireless signal received from a first connected device at the first location. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the wireless signal received from the first connected device is responsive to a polling signal transmitted by the mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the wireless signal is a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon signal. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is a touch sensitive display of the mobile device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device further comprises a third set of instructions that when executed by the processor further causes the system to:
 designate, the first location as a target location thereby causing the system to route control commands received via the user interface to the first location.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein designating the first target location as the target location further causes the system to route control commands received via any input of the mobile device to the first location. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing contextual interaction with connected devices, the system comprising:
 monitoring, at a mobile device, data representing a current position of the mobile device;   determining, at a first time, that the current position is within a threshold proximity of a first structure; and   in response to determining that the current position is within the threshold proximity, update a user interface on a display of the mobile device to present a first structure interface enabling access to functionalities provided by connected devices at the first structure.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining, at a second time subsequent to the first time, that the current position is in closer proximity to a second structure than the first structure; and   in response to determining that the current position is in closer proximity to the second structure, updating the user interface to replace the first location interface with a second location interface enabling access to functionalities provided by connected devices at the second structure.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the mobile device, an event notification; and   in response to receiving the event notification, updating the user interface to include an alert interface comprising information describing an event obtained from the event notification.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the event notification corresponds to an intrinsic condition detected by a first connected device associated with the first structure. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 identifying a functionality provided by a second connected device that relates to the intrinsic condition; and   presenting an interface element on the alert interface that is selectable for implementing the identified functionality.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the event notification corresponds to a third connected device transitioning from a first state to a second state. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the event notification is directly received from the third connected device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the event notification corresponds to an extrinsic condition detected using extrinsic information provided by a remote server. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 identifying a functionality provided by a fourth connected device that relates to the extrinsic condition; and   presenting an interface element on the alert interface that is selectable for implementing the identified functionality.   
     
     
         18 . A system for providing contextual interaction with connected devices, the system comprising:
 a mobile device having a display on which a user interface is presented, the user interface enabling access to functionalities provided by connected devices;   a processor; and   a computing device comprising a first set of instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to:
 detect, at the mobile device, data indicative of a first connected device proximate to the mobile device; 
 in response to detecting the data indicative of the first connected device, update the user interface to present a request interface associated with the first connected device; 
 forward, to a remote server, an access request received via the request interface; 
 receive, from a remote server, a permission setting granting access to the first connected device in response to the access request; 
 in response to receiving the permission setting, update the user interface to present an access interface enabling access to the first connected device that are designated in the permission setting. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the permission setting limits access to either information access or control access. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the access to the first connected device is subject to one or more contextual rules included in the permission setting, wherein the one or more contextual rules are related to temporal conditions, a proximity of a registered device, a user account associated with the mobile device, a location of the mobile device, or a combination thereof.