Scalable Smart Environment with Gateway Thermostat

Abstract

Building blocks for a smart device such as a thermostat include a user interface (UI) unit and a terminal (TML) unit. A UI unit may support one or more input data from a user and/or sensors and/or one or more control terminals. The UI unit may process each input datum or a combination of the input data, generate a control signal to one or more control terminals based on the processing, and send the control signal to one or more control terminals over a communication channel. A terminal unit, which may consist of one or more control terminals, transforms the received control signal into one or more controls to one or more associated environmental generators. One or more UI units may control one or more controlled apparatuses in conjunction with a mobile app to allow a unified user experience.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, memory, and a communication interface, cause the computing device to:
 generate a first control flow and a first user graphics of a first generated user interface identical to that in a first physical user interface;   generate a second control flow and a second user graphics of a second generated user interface identical to that in a second physical user interface;   display a dash board with a first status of the first generated user interface and a second status of the second generated user interface;   receive an selection input to select one of the generated user interfaces of the dash board, wherein the selected generated user interface corresponds to a corresponding physical user interface; and   modify the selected generated user interface based on inputted manipulations.   
     
     
         2 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1  storing instructions that, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:
 control at least one smart device associated with the corresponding physical user interface. 
 
     
     
         3 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 2  storing instructions that, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:
 select one or more of the at least one smart device associated with the corresponding physical user interface. 
 
     
     
         4 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1  storing instructions that, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:
 synchronize a current status of the first physical user interface with the first status of the first generated user interface. 
 
     
     
         5 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 1  storing instructions that, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:
 control a controlled device in accordance with the inputted manipulations through the selected generated user interface. 
 
     
     
         6 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 5  storing instructions that, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:
 update a third status of the corresponding physical user interface from a fourth status of the selected generated user interface. 
 
     
     
         7 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 5  storing instructions that, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:
 subsequently control the controlled device in accordance with a user input through the corresponding physical user interface. 
 
     
     
         8 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 7  storing instructions that, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:
 update the fourth status of selected generated user interface from the third status of the corresponding physical user interface. 
 
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling a controlled apparatus in conjunction with a plurality of user interface (UI) units and at least one terminal unit, wherein the plurality of UI units includes first and second UI units, wherein the at least one terminal unit includes a first terminal unit, and wherein the controlled apparatus is controlled through the terminal unit, the method comprising:
 distributing execution of a machine learning program module over the first and second UI units;   receiving, by the first UI unit, operational information from the second UI unit;   determining, by the first UI unit, a first rule about operation of the controlled apparatus;   determining, by the second UI unit, a second rule about the operation of the controlled apparatus;   downloading the first and second rules into the terminal unit; and   instructing, by the terminal unit, the controlled apparatus based on the first and second rules.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 executing the machine learning program module, the first rule, and the second rule when the plurality of UI units and the at least one terminal unit are disconnected from an internet.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 locally applying machine learning in one of the plurality of UI unit of a local loop, wherein said one UI unit is paired with an individual terminal unit.   
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling a controlled apparatus in conjunction with a plurality of user interface (UI) units, wherein the plurality of UI units includes first and second UI units, the method comprising:
 obtaining first and second performance metrics from the first and second UI units, respectively;   selecting one of the first and second UI units based on the first and second performance metrics;   executing a machine learning programing module on the selected UI unit;   obtaining, by the selected UI unit, operational information from at least one of the first and second UI units;   determining, by the selected UI unit, a rule about operation of the controlled apparatus from the operational information; and   instructing the controlled apparatus based on the rule.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 downloading the rule into a terminal unit; and   instructing, by the terminal unit, the controlled apparatus based on the rule.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 executing the machine learning program module and the rule at the selected UI unit when the selected UI is disconnected from an internet.   
     
     
         15 . A mobile computing device for controlling a plurality of smart devices, the mobile computing device comprising:
 at least one processor;   a wireless communication interface; and   memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the mobile computing device to:
 generate a first control flow and a first user graphics of a first generated user interface identical to that in a first physical user interface; 
 generate a second control flow and a second user graphics of a second generated user interface identical to that in a second physical user interface; 
 display a dash board with a first status of the first generated user interface and a second status of the second generated user interface; 
 receive an selection input to select one of the generated user interfaces of the dash board, wherein the selected generated user interface corresponds to a corresponding physical user interface; 
 modify the selected generated user interface based on inputted manipulations; and 
 control, through the wireless communication interface, at least one smart device associated with the corresponding physical user interface. 
   
     
     
         16 . The mobile computing device of  claim 15 , wherein the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile computing device to:
 select one of the at least one smart device associated with the corresponding physical user interface.   
     
     
         17 . The mobile computing device of  claim 15 , wherein the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile computing device to:
 control a first smart device in accordance with the inputted manipulations via the selected generated user interface.   
     
     
         18 . The mobile computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile computing device to:
 update a third status of the corresponding physical user interface from a fourth status of the selected generated user interface.   
     
     
         19 . The mobile computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile computing device to:
 subsequently control the first smart device in accordance with a user input through the corresponding physical user interface.   
     
     
         20 . The mobile computing device of  claim 19 , wherein the memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the mobile computing device to:
 update the fourth status of selected generated user interface from the third status of the corresponding physical user interface.   
     
     
         21 . A control system for controlling a controlled device, the system comprising:
 a first user-interface (UI) unit;   a second UI unit;   a terminal unit;   a terminal unit is configured to control the controlled device;   the first UI unit and the second UI unit configured to execute a distributed machine learning program module;   the first UI unit configured to receive operational information from the second UI unit and determine a first rule about operation of the controlled device;   the second UI unit configured to determine a second rule about the operation of the controlled device;   the first and second UI units configured to download the first and second rules, respectively, into the terminal unit; and   the terminal unit configured to instruct the controlled device based on the first and second rules.