IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,487,573
Granted Patent B2
US 12,487,573 · App. 18/379,003 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Efficient control and/or linking of smart devices

Inventors: Yuzhao Ni (Sunnyvale, CA); David Roy Schairer (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G05B19/042G06F3/04847G06F9/451H04L12/282H04L67/53G05B2219/2642
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,487,573
App. No.
18/379,003
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Efficient control and/or linking of smart network connected devices. Some implementations are directed to rendering, within an active application that enables control of multiple smart devices from multiple parties, both: (1) an interactive graphical interface element that, when interacted with, causes corresponding control of smart device(s) of a third-party (3P); and (2) a selectable element that, when selected, causes execution of a deeplink to cause a 3P application to open in a state that presents additional information for the smart device(s). Some implementations are additionally or alternatively directed to, in response to determining that a 3P application is installed at a client device, but a smart device topology lacks any entries for 3P smart devices of the 3P, efficiently adding one or more particular smart devices of the 3P to the smart device topology.

Claims (59)

1 . A method implemented by one or more processors, the method comprising:

causing an automated assistant application, installed at a client device, to render output at the client device,

wherein the output includes a suggestion for associating an automated assistant user account, for the automated assistant application, with a third-party (3P) application that is installed at the client device and that is associated with a 3P user account, and

wherein the 3P application enables control of one or more smart devices manufactured by the 3P, and wherein the one or more smart devices include a particular 3P smart device;

receiving, in response to rendering of the output that includes the suggestion for associating an automated assistant user account with the 3P application that is installed at the client device and that is associated with the 3P user account, affirmative user interface input;

responsive to receiving the affirmative user interface input:

providing, to a 3P application installed at the client device, an intent that causes the 3P application to execute with a linking function;

receiving, from the 3P application in response to providing the intent, an access token obtained by the 3P application responsive to executing with the linking function; and

using the access token, received from the 3P application, to obtain additional information for the particular 3P smart device;

adding at least some of the additional information to a smart device topology that is utilized by the automated assistant application; and

controlling, via an automated assistant application interface of the client device and based on the adding the at least some of the additional information to the smart device topology, the particular 3P smart device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the 3P application is executed with the linking function, the 3P application:

validates that the intent was provided by the automated assistant application using a previously provided signature of the automated assistant application; and

returns the access token in response to validating that the intent was provided by the automated assistant application.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein using the access token to obtain the additional information for the 3P smart device comprises:

utilizing the access token to interface, via a network and with a remote system of the 3P application, to obtain the additional information.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the additional information, added to the smart device topology, includes an identifier of the particular 3P smart device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least some of the additional information, added to the smart device topology, includes at least one graphical element that, when interacted with, causes control of one or more properties of the particular 3P smart device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the particular 3P smart device includes transmitting a command from the client device over one or more networks to the particular 3P smart device, wherein the command relates to a function of the particular 3P smart device.

7 . A method implemented by one or more processors, the method comprising:

causing a home control application, installed at a client device, to render output at the client device,

wherein the output includes a suggestion for associating home control user account, for the home control application, with a third-party (3P) application that is installed at the client device and that is associated with a 3P user account, and

wherein the 3P application enables control of one or more smart devices manufactured by the 3P, and wherein the one or more smart devices include a particular 3P smart device;

receiving, in response to rendering of the output that includes the suggestion for associating the home control user account with the 3P application that is installed at the client device and that is associated with the 3P user account, affirmative user interface input;

responsive to receiving the affirmative user interface input:

providing, to a 3P application installed at the client device, an intent that causes the 3P application to execute with a linking function;

receiving, from the 3P application in response to providing the intent, an access token obtained by the 3P application responsive to executing with the linking function; and

using the access token, received from the 3P application, to obtain additional information for the particular 3P smart device;

adding at least some of the additional information to a smart device topology that is utilized by the home control application; and

controlling, via an automated assistant application interface of the client device and based on the adding the at least some of the additional information to the smart device topology, the particular 3P smart device.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein when the 3P application is executed with the linking function, the 3P application:

validates that the intent was provided by the home control application using a previously provided signature of the home control application; and

returns the access token in response to validating that the intent was provided by the home control application.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein using the access token to obtain the additional information for the 3P smart device comprises:

utilizing the access token to interface, via a network and with a remote system of the 3P application, to obtain the additional information.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least some of the additional information, added to the smart device topology, includes an identifier of the particular 3P smart device.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least some of the additional information, added to the smart device topology, includes at least one graphical element that, when interacted with, causes control of one or more properties of the particular 3P smart device.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the particular 3P smart device includes transmitting a command from the client device over one or more networks to the particular 3P smart device, wherein the command relates to a function of the particular 3P smart device.

13 . A device, comprising:

memory storing instructions;

one or more processors operable to execute the instructions to:

cause an automated assistant application, installed at a client device, to render output at the client device,

wherein the output includes a suggestion for associating an automated assistant user account, for the automated assistant application, with a third-party (3P) application that is installed at the client device and that is associated with a 3P user account, and

wherein the 3P application enables control of one or more smart devices manufactured by the 3P, and wherein the one or more smart devices include a particular 3P smart device;

receive, in response to rendering of the output that includes the suggestion for associating an automated assistant user account with the 3P application that is installed at the client device and that is associated with the 3P user account, affirmative user interface input;

responsive to receiving the affirmative user interface input:

provide, to a 3P application installed at the client device, an intent that causes the 3P application to execute with a linking function;

receive, from the 3P application in response to providing the intent, an access token obtained by the 3P application responsive to executing with the linking function; and

use the access token, received from the 3P application, to obtain additional information for the particular 3P smart device;

add at least some of the additional information to a smart device topology that is utilized by the automated assistant application; and

control, via an automated assistant interface of the client device and based on the adding the at least some of the additional information to the smart device topology, the particular 3P smart device.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein when the 3P application is executed with the linking function, the 3P application:

validates that the intent was provided by the automated assistant application using a previously provided signature of the automated assistant application; and

returns the access token in response to validating that the intent was provided by the automated assistant application.

15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein in using the access token to obtain the additional information for the 3P smart device one or more of the processors are to:

utilize the access token to interface, via a network and with a remote system of the 3P application, to obtain the additional information.

16 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the at least some of the additional information, added to the smart device topology, includes an identifier of the particular 3P smart device.

17 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the at least some of the additional information, added to the smart device topology, includes at least one graphical element that, when interacted with, causes control of one or more properties of the particular 3P smart device.

18 . The device of claim 13 , wherein control of the particular 3P smart device includes transmission of a command from the client device over one or more networks to the particular 3P smart device, wherein the command relates to a function of the particular 3P smart device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2023
From: NI, YUZHAO; SCHAIRER, DAVID ROY
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 065495/0607 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17688583 · Mar 7, 2022
Continuation 16617994
Provisional Application 62774755 · Dec 3, 2018
Related Publication 20240036541A1 · Feb 1, 2024
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