Method and apparatus for controlling power to an electrical load based on sensor data
A load-controlling interfacing device obtains and processes event data, for example, from a touch-screen user interface and/or other devices, and that processes rules based on the event data to control an electrical load, such as a light fixture. During operation, when the interfacing device obtains event data, the interfacing device selects a rule to process based on the event data from the touch-screen user interface. If the interfacing device determines that the rule's condition is satisfied, the interfacing device can process the rule's action description to perform a corresponding action for controlling power to the electrical load.
1. A method, comprising:
controlling, by a first interfacing device, operations of a physical appliance distinct from the first interfacing device and a second interfacing device, wherein the first interfacing device comprises a memory and a non-volatile storage device;
determining, by the first interfacing device, that the second interfacing device has a subscription for receiving an alert message from the first interfacing device;
storing a rule representing the subscription in a rule repository in the storage device, wherein the rule stored in the rule repository includes a condition for sending the alert message to the second interfacing device;
obtaining, from the appliance, a piece of data generated by the appliance;
comparing the rule's condition in the rule repository with the obtained piece of data to determine that the rule's condition is satisfied by the piece of data; and
sending, to the second interfacing device, an alert message indicating the piece of data.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert message comprises one or more of:
the condition indicated in the rule; and
the piece of data from the appliance.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piece of data includes one or more of:
a state of the appliance; and
a sensor measurement of a sensor on the appliance.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the sensor measurement indicates one or more of:
a sensor measurement from a touch-screen user interface;
a user gesture determined from gesture event data;
a minimum threshold value for sensor data from a proximity sensor;
a minimum threshold value for sensor data from a motion sensor;
a maximum threshold value for sensor data from a proximity sensor; and
a maximum threshold value for sensor data from a motion sensor.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rule further comprises a mapping between a network address of second interfacing device and the condition.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein sending the alert message to the second interfacing device comprises:
determining the network address from the rule; and
forwarding the alert message via a network connection corresponding to the network address.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising establishing the network connection using one or more of:
a WebSockets protocol;
a communication channel via the Session-Traversal Utilities for Network-address-translation (STUN) protocol; and
a Comet protocol.
8. An interfacing device, comprising:
a memory;
a controller configured to determine that a second interfacing device has a subscription for receiving an alert message from the interfacing device; and
a non-volatile storage device configured to store a rule representing the subscription in a rule repository in the storage device, wherein the rule stored in the rule repository includes a condition for sending the alert message to the second interfacing device; and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
control operations of a physical appliance distinct from the interfacing device and the second interfacing device;
obtain, from the appliance, a piece of data generated by the appliance;
compare the rule's condition in the rule repository with the obtained piece of data to determine that the rule's condition is satisfied by the piece of data; and
sending, to the second interfacing device, an alert message indicating the piece of data.
9. The interfacing device of claim 8 , wherein the alert message comprises one or more of:
the condition indicated in the rule; and
the piece of data from the appliance.
10. The interfacing device of claim 8 , wherein the piece of data includes one or more of:
a state of the appliance; and
a sensor measurement of a sensor on the appliance.
11. The interfacing device of claim 10 , wherein the sensor measurement indicates one or more of:
a sensor measurement from a touch-screen user interface;
a user gesture determined from gesture event data;
a minimum threshold value for sensor data from a proximity sensor;
a minimum threshold value for sensor data from a motion sensor;
a maximum threshold value for sensor data from a proximity sensor; and
a maximum threshold value for sensor data from a motion sensor.
12. The interfacing device of claim 8 , wherein the rule further comprises a mapping between a network address of second interfacing device and the condition.
13. The interfacing device of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to send the alert message to the second interfacing device by:
determining the network address from the first rule; and
forwarding the alert message via a network connection corresponding to the network address.
14. The interfacing device of claim 13 , further comprising establishing the network connection using one or more of:
a WebSockets protocol;
a communication channel via the Session-Traversal Utilities for Network-address-translation (STUN) protocol; and
a Comet protocol.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a first interfacing device cause the first interfacing device to perform a method, the method comprising:
control operations of a physical appliance distinct from the first interfacing device and a second interfacing device, wherein the first interfacing device comprises a memory and a non-volatile storage device;
determining that the second interfacing device has a subscription for receiving an alert message from the first interfacing device;
storing a rule representing the subscription in a rule repository in the storage device, wherein the rule stored in the rule repository includes a condition for sending the alert message to the second interfacing device;
obtaining, from the appliance, a piece of data generated by the appliance;
comparing the rule's condition in the rule repository with the obtained piece of data to determine that the rule's condition is satisfied by the piece of data; and
sending, to the second interfacing device, an alert message indicating the piece of data.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the alert message comprises one or more of:
the condition indicated in the rule; and
the piece of data from the appliance, wherein the piece of data includes one or more of: a state of the appliance and a sensor measurement of a sensor on the appliance.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the sensor measurement indicates one or more of:
a sensor measurement from a touch-screen user interface;
a user gesture determined from gesture event data;
a minimum threshold value for sensor data from a proximity sensor;
a minimum threshold value for sensor data from a motion sensor;
a maximum threshold value for sensor data from a proximity sensor; and
a maximum threshold value for sensor data from a motion sensor.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the rule further comprises a mapping between a network address of second interfacing device and the condition.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein sending the alert message to the second interfacing device comprises:
determining the network address from the rule; and
forwarding the alert message via a network connection corresponding to the network address.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising establishing the network connection using one or more of:
a WebSockets protocol;
a communication channel via the Session-Traversal Utilities for Network-address-translation (STUN) protocol; and
a Comet protocol.