Abstract: Embodiments provided herein relate to monitoring and reporting household activities. In one embodiment, a method includes: monitoring, via a smart device, one or more activities associated with: a household; analyzing, via the smart device, a processor, or both, at least one characteristic of the one or more activities to discern information about the household; and reporting, via the device, the discerned information.

Abstract: Various systems and method related to home automation systems are presented. A service robot system may be present that includes a service robot that autonomously moves within a structure to perform a household task. The service robot system may include a wireless communication interface, wherein the service robot system is configured to transmit, via the wireless communication interface, an indication of robot activity indicative of the service robot moving within the structure. Such a home automation system may also include a home security system that includes one or more motion sensors that detect motion within a structure. The home security system may be configured to distinguish intrusion activity (e.g., a burglar) from robot activity based at least in part on the indication of robot activity.

Abstract: An occupancy sensing electronic thermostat is described that includes a thermostat body, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a passive infrared sensor for measuring infrared energy and an infrared energy directing element formed integrally with a front surface of the thermostat body. The passive infrared sensor may be positioned behind the infrared energy directing element such that infrared energy is directed thereonto by the infrared energy directing element. The thermostat may also include a temperature sensor and a microprocessor programmed to detect occupancy based on measurements from the passive infrared sensor.

Abstract: System for displaying hazard events and adjusting hazard detector settings on a mobile device includes a user interface executed on the mobile device, a hazard detector, and a computer server system communicatively coupled to the mobile device and hazard detector. The hazard detector generates hazard events indicating detection of smoke or carbon monoxide. The hazard events are transmitted to the computer server system and then to the mobile device. User interface displays the hazard events in an event group. User interface receives an adjusted value for a setting of the hazard detector and transmits the adjusted value to the computer server system. The computer server system determines that the adjusted value corresponds to the hazard detector, receives a check-in event from the hazard detector, and transmits the adjusted value to the hazard detector in response to receiving the check-in event. The hazard detector applies the adjusted value to the setting.

Abstract: An electronic device with a two-dimensional capacitance sensing area, a camera, one or more processors and memory detects a predefined capacitance distribution of an object that is placed on or near the two-dimensional capacitance sensing area. The object includes a predefined visual pattern on the object. The device, in response to detecting the predefined capacitance distribution of the object that is placed on or near the two-dimensional capacitance sensing area, performs a first predefined operation in accordance with first information encoded by the predefined capacitance distribution of the object. The device detects the predefined visual pattern on the object using the camera, and performs the first predefined operation in accordance with second information encoded in the predefined visual pattern detected using the camera.

Abstract: A method performed at a computer system includes: receiving occupancy data for a room in a dwelling from one or more sensors in the room, the room including one or more unused electrical outlets and/or one or more electronically-controlled door handles; determining, based at least in part on the received occupancy data for the room, whether a predetermined child-protection condition is met; in accordance with a determination that the predetermined child-protection condition is met, disabling or sending instructions to disable at least one of the one or more unused electrical outlets and/or at least one of the one or more electronically-controlled door handles in the room.

Abstract: Hazard detector for providing a pre-alarm of a developing hazardous condition can include a detection module that detects a hazard level of smoke or carbon monoxide, a light source that generates light, a speaker that generates an audible sound, a horn that generates an audible alarm that a higher volume than the speaker, and a processing module. The processing module can receive the detected hazard level and compare it with the pre-alarm threshold and the emergency threshold. The processing module can determine that the hazard level is greater than the pre-alarm threshold and less than the emergency threshold and cause an audible pre-alarm speech to be generated via the speaker that warns of the developing hazardous condition.

Abstract: A method for establishing a pairing between a smart-home device and an online account may include instantiating an application on a computing device and receiving a first code from a central server. The application may receive a second code from printed material associated with the smart-home device. The smart-home device may broadcast a first communication protocol, and the application may join the first mutation protocol. The application can be authenticated by the smart-home device using the second code, and the application can receive an identity of a second communication protocol from a user. The application can then transmit the identity of the second communication protocol to the smart-home device. The smart-home device can use the second mutation protocol to access the Internet and transmit the first code to the central server, where the central server can use the first code in completing the pairing process.

Abstract: Provided according to one or more embodiments is a thermostat having a housing, the housing including a forward-facing surface, the thermostat comprising a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor disposed inside the housing for sensing occupancy in the vicinity of the thermostat. The PIR motion sensor has a radiation receiving surface and is able to detect the lateral movement of an occupant in front of the forward-facing surface of the housing. The thermostat further comprises a grille member having one or more openings and included along the forward-facing surface of the housing, the grille member being placed over the radiation receiving surface of the PIR motion sensor. The grille member is configured and dimensioned to visually conceal and protect the PIR motion sensor disposed inside the housing, the visual concealment promoting a visually pleasing quality of the thermostat, while at the same time permitting the PIR motion sensor to effectively detect the lateral movement of the occupant.

Abstract: A user-friendly programmable thermostat is described that includes a body having a central electronic display surrounded by a ring that can be rotated and pressed inwardly to provide user input in a simple and elegant fashion. The current temperature and setpoint temperature are graphically displayed as prominent tick marks over a range of background tick marks on the electronic display. Different colors can be displayed to indicate currently active HVAC functions, and different intensities of colors can be displayed to indicate an amount of heating or cooling required to reach a target temperature. The setpoint temperature for the device can be altered by user rotation of the rotatable ring, and the programmed schedule can be displayed to the user and altered by the user by virtue of rotations and inward pressings of the ring.

Abstract: Various utility portals that enable utility companies to manage demand-response events are disclosed. The disclosed utility portals include several different options for enabling utility companies to communicate information to and received information from an energy management system. The energy management system can host the portal and can carry out a demand response event via intelligent, network-connected devices based on information provided by the utility company.

Abstract: This patent specification relates to apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for providing home security objectives, such as calculating a security score for a home. More particularly, this patent specification relates to a plurality of devices, including intelligent, multi-sensing, network-connected devices, that communicate with each other and/or with a central server or a cloud-computing system to provide any of a variety of useful home security objectives, such as calculating a security score for a home.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to systems and methods for verifying that a device is using its Wi-Fi circuitry in compliance with the regulations governing the location in which the device is located. Embodiments discussed herein can verify the location using location verification tools that evaluate locally ascertainable factors that contribute to a probability determination of the device's location. Locally ascertainable factors include information that be gleaned from the surroundings of the device. The surroundings or environment in which the device resides may provide clues as to whether the device is located in a particular regulatory domain.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing spoken messages that reflect event status of one or more hazard detection systems within a smart-home environment are described herein. The messages can inform occupants in concise manner that does not overload cognitive recognition of those occupants. For example, the messages may be prioritized to limit the amount of information that is spoken and intelligently condense information in as concise a manner as possible. This may be accomplished by using one or more speaking paradigms to compile audible messages to be played back through a speaker of the hazard detection system.

Abstract: A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described, the thermostat having a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing ready access to, and intuitive navigation within, a menuing system capable of receiving a variety of different types of user settings and/or control parameters. For some embodiments, the thermostat comprises a housing, a ring-shaped user-interface component configured to track a rotational input motion of a user, a processing system configured to identify a setpoint temperature value based on the tracked rotational input motion, and an electronic display coupled to the processing system. An interactive thermostat menuing system is accessible to the user by an inward pressing of the ring-shaped user interface component. User navigation within the interactive thermostat menuing system is achievable by virtue of respective rotational input motions and inward pressings of the ring-shaped user interface component.

Abstract: Hazardous or dangerous conditions may be monitored. A mode may be set to a state indicative of the condition being present. It may then be determined that the hazardous or dangerous condition has eased. An indication of the hazardous or dangerous condition easing may be output in response to the determination. Such an indication may be output as synthesized speech.

Abstract: Systems and methods for initiating a drill by receiving an indication to start a drill. Initiating the drill also includes verifying that a remote device used to initiate the drill is within proximity of a device used to propagate the drill. Once proximity is verified, the drill is conducted.

Abstract: A thermostat includes a control unit, a plurality of connection ports, and a user interface operatively coupled to the control unit an having an electronic display. The control unit may be configured and programmed to operate the wire insertion sensing circuits to identify a set of the plurality of connection ports into which corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted; cause the electronic display to display a photograph of the plurality of connection ports as they actually appear to a user; and cause the electronic display to visually highlight the set of the plurality of connection ports into which the corresponding ones of the plurality of HVAC wires have been inserted.

Abstract: An auxiliary hardware box is described that can be installed at or near the HVAC system. The auxiliary box includes a large number of wiring terminals, for example 16 or more, for connecting to a relatively large number of HVAC control wires. The auxiliary box can include a “train map” type graphic display that is visible to the installer and provides a graphical indication as to which relays or switches are currently open and which are currently closed. A small sleek visually pleasing thermostat is also described that can be connected either directly to an HVAC system or to the auxiliary box, and can automatically detect an purpose the connected wires according to which it is connected to.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for managing demand-response programs and events. The systems disclosed include an energy management system in operation with an intelligent, network-connected thermostat located at a structure. The thermostat controls an HVAC system to cool the structure using a demand response event implementation profile over the demand response event period. The thermostat can also receive a requested change to the setpoint temperatures defined by the demand response event implementation profile and access a determination of an impact on energy shifting that would result if the requested change is incorporated into the demand response event implementation profile. This determination can be communicated to the energy consumer.