Abstract: An automated environment can include multiple controller devices capable of communicating with multiple accessory devices. The controller devices can automatically elect one of their number as a coordinator device for the environment and can automatically perform a new election if an incumbent coordinator becomes unavailable or resigns. The election processes can be transparent to any users. An elected coordinator can perform various operations to facilitate management of the automated environment, including routing of communications between controllers and accessories.

Abstract: Modifications made by multiple controller devices to an environment model describing a shared automated environment can be coordinated. One of the controller devices can be designated as a coordinator, and any controller device other than the coordinator can send an update request to the coordinator. The coordinator can determine whether to accept or reject the requested modification and can report its determination to the requesting controller device. If the coordinator accepts the request, the coordinator can instigate operations to update the environment model across all controller devices of all users. If the coordinator rejects the request, the environment model is not updated. The controller device that made the request can update its local copy of the environment model and roll back the update if the request is rejected.

Abstract: A relay service can relay messages between controllers and electronically controllable accessory devices that may be located remotely from the controllers. Relaying of messages by the relay service can be decoupled from any knowledge of the functionality of the accessory or the content of the messages. Device identification and relaying of messages can be managed using “relay aliases” that are meaningful only to the relay service and the endpoint devices (the controller and accessory). The endpoint devices can implement end-to-end security for messages transported by the relay service.

Abstract: An automated environment can include multiple controller devices capable of communicating with multiple accessory devices. The controller devices can automatically elect one of their number as a coordinator device for the environment and can automatically perform a new election if an incumbent coordinator becomes unavailable or resigns. The election processes can be transparent to any users. An elected coordinator can perform various operations to facilitate management of the automated environment, including routing of communications between controllers and accessories.

Abstract: A triggered action set for a first device can be defined by the first device. Instructions for executing the triggered action set can be provided by the first device to a second device. Subsequent to providing the instructions, the first device can monitor the status of the second device; if the delegate device enters a state in which it is presumed to be unavailable to execute the trigger, the first device can monitor for a triggering event associated with the triggered action set and send a control message to an accessory device in response to detecting the triggering event.

Abstract: A relay service can relay messages between controllers and electronically controllable accessory devices that may be located remotely from the controllers. Relaying of messages by the relay service can be decoupled from any knowledge of the functionality of the accessory or the content of the messages. Device identification and relaying of messages can be managed using “relay aliases” that are meaningful only to the relay service and the endpoint devices (the controller and accessory). The endpoint devices can implement end-to-end security for messages transported by the relay service.

Abstract: In some implementations, a coordinator device can prefetch images from a camera accessory in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory. For example, the coordinator device can prefetch an image in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory so that the captured image is contemporaneous with the doorbell event and to avoid making multiple subsequent requests for the same image from the camera accessory when multiple user devices request the captured image. The coordinator device can store the image received from the camera accessory and serve the image to user devices when the user devices request a snapshot image corresponding to the doorbell event.

Abstract: Modifications made by multiple controller devices to an environment model describing a shared automated environment can be coordinated. One of the controller devices can be designated as a coordinator, and any controller device other than the coordinator can send an update request to the coordinator. The coordinator can determine whether to accept or reject the requested modification and can report its determination to the requesting controller device. If the coordinator accepts the request, the coordinator can instigate operations to update the environment model across all controller devices of all users. If the coordinator rejects the request, the environment model is not updated. The controller device that made the request can update its local copy of the environment model and roll back the update if the request is rejected.

Abstract: An authentication process for an endpoint device uses a pair of tokens. Tokens are generated at an authentication server that maintains a data store of token states, where the states are defined to include a “normal” state sequence along which a token is expected to advance. The endpoint device can store a token pair in non-volatile local storage. To authenticate, the endpoint device can provide its stored token pair to the authentication server, which can determine whether authentication succeeds based on the states of the tokens in the token pair. After successful authentication, the authentication server can provide a new token pair to the endpoint device and advance the token states along the normal sequence. When the endpoint device confirms receipt of the new token pair, which replaces the previous token pair, the authentication server can advance the state of the tokens again.

Abstract: A triggered action set for a first device can be defined by the first device. Instructions for executing the triggered action set can be provided by the first device to a second device. Subsequent to providing the instructions, the first device can monitor the status of the second device; if the delegate device enters a state in which it is presumed to be unavailable to execute the trigger, the first device can monitor for a triggering event associated with the triggered action set and send a control message to an accessory device in response to detecting the triggering event.

Abstract: A controller and an accessory controllable by the controller can communicate using secure read and write procedures. The procedures can include encrypting identifiers of accessory characteristics targeted by a read or write operation as well as any data being read or written. The procedures can also include the accessory returning a cryptographically signed response verifying receipt and execution of the read or write instruction. In some instances, a write procedure can be implemented as a timed write in which a first instruction containing the write data is sent separately from a second instruction to execute the write operation; the accessory can disregard the write data if the second instruction is not received within a timeout period after receiving the first instruction.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide devices, methods, and computer-readable medium for secure frame management. The techniques disclosed herein provide an intelligent method for detecting triggering items in one or more frames of streaming video from an Internet Protocol camera. Upon detection, the camera transmits one or more frames of the video over a network to a computing device. Upon detecting a triggering item in a frame of the video stream, the computing device can begin a streaming session with a server and stream the one or more frames of video and accompanying metadata to the server. The frames, metadata, and associated keys can all be encrypted prior to streaming to the server. For each subsequent segment of video frames that includes the triggering item, the server can append the frames of that segment to the video clip in an encrypted container. Once the triggering item is no longer detected, the streaming session can be closed.

Abstract: A device implementing a system for providing content in response to a request includes a processor configured to receive a voice request for content associated with a home environment, the voice request corresponding to a user account, and determine, based on the voice request, not to provide the content via the device. The processor is further configured to select, in response to the determining, a second device from among multiple devices associated with the home environment, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on configuration settings associated with the home environment, and provide for the second device to output the content based on a profile of the user account.

Abstract: An automated environment can include multiple controller devices capable of communicating with multiple accessory devices. The controller devices can automatically elect one of their number as a coordinator device for the environment and can automatically perform a new election if an incumbent coordinator becomes unavailable or resigns. The election processes can be transparent to any users. An elected coordinator can perform various operations to facilitate management of the automated environment, including routing of communications between controllers and accessories.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure present devices, methods, and computer readable medium for enabling controller device to control proprietary digital media players, network accessories, and virtual assistants, providing an overall improved user experience. The techniques disclosed herein reduce clutter because a single controller can control various different devices and accessories. The techniques discloses also can include identifying a change in the configuration information for the computing device. The technique for accessory control can include transmitting updated configuration information for the controller, the configuration information associating a function for the computing device with a user interface element value for the controller.

Abstract: An automated environment can include multiple controller devices capable of communicating with multiple accessory devices. The controller devices can automatically elect one of their number as a coordinator device for the environment and can automatically perform a new election if an incumbent coordinator becomes unavailable or resigns. The election processes can be transparent to any users. An elected coordinator can perform various operations to facilitate management of the automated environment, including routing of communications between controllers and accessories.

Abstract: A controller and an accessory controllable by the controller can communicate using secure read and write procedures. The procedures can include encrypting identifiers of accessory characteristics targeted by a read or write operation as well as any data being read or written. The procedures can also include the accessory returning a cryptographically signed response verifying receipt and execution of the read or write instruction. In some instances, a write procedure can be implemented as a timed write in which a first instruction containing the write data is sent separately from a second instruction to execute the write operation; the accessory can disregard the write data if the second instruction is not received within a timeout period after receiving the first instruction.

Abstract: In some implementations, a coordinator device can prefetch images from a camera accessory in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory. For example, the coordinator device can prefetch an image in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory so that the captured image is contemporaneous with the doorbell event and to avoid making multiple subsequent requests for the same image from the camera accessory when multiple user devices request the captured image. The coordinator device can store the image received from the camera accessory and serve the image to user devices when the user devices request a snapshot image corresponding to the doorbell event.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure present devices, methods, and computer readable medium for enabling controller device to control proprietary digital media players, network accessories, and virtual assistants, providing an overall improved user experience. The techniques disclosed herein reduce clutter because a single controller can control various different devices and accessories. The techniques discloses also can include identifying a change in the configuration information for the computing device. The technique for accessory control can include transmitting updated configuration information for the controller, the configuration information associating a function for the computing device with a user interface element value for the controller.

Abstract: In some implementations, a coordinator device can prefetch images from a camera accessory in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory. For example, the coordinator device can prefetch an image in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory so that the captured image is contemporaneous with the doorbell event and to avoid making multiple subsequent requests for the same image from the camera accessory when multiple user devices request the captured image. The coordinator device can store the image received from the camera accessory and serve the image to user devices when the user devices request a snapshot image corresponding to the doorbell event.