A method of indoor environmental preference management includes initializing, by a processor of a preference processing system, a plurality of occupant indoor environmental setting preferences for a plurality of users with a plurality of default settings based on a plurality of control types for a plurality of building systems. The processor of the preference processing system adjusts at least one control setting of the occupant indoor environmental setting preferences for a first user based on feedback from the first user. At least one control device of a building automation system is operated based on the adjustment to the at least one control setting of the occupant indoor environmental setting preferences.

An electrical control system, in particular for home automation systems, includes at least one electronic switching device including a switching module (10) which includes a switching circuit, including at least one controlled switch which allows a selective implementation of a switch configuration, a diverter configuration or an inverter configuration and a plurality of terminals which allow the connection of the switching module to an external electrical system.

The switching module allows selective application of the switch configuration of the switching circuit or diverter configuration of the switching circuit or inverter configuration of the switching circuit to terminals in a partial way, or total way, or to implement a total separation to said terminals.

This home-automation system for a building comprises: home-automation equipment, distributed within areas of the building; and a communication network, to which the home-automation equipment is connected, and authorizing an inter-communication of the home-automation equipment according to a predefined communication protocol. The communication network is a hard-wired hierarchical network comprising: a first network of rank n; a plurality of sub-networks of lower hierarchical rank n-1, connected to the first network, each sub-network being associated with an area and containing at least one of the home-automation equipment items; each sub-network of the lower hierarchical rank n-1 being hooked up to the first network of rank n by a network equipment item.

The subject matter disclosed herein provides methods for controlling loads in an IP network that is divided into one or more zones and/or subzones. In one aspect, there is provided a method that can associate a plurality of controllers with one of a plurality of zones. Each controller can be connected to one or more loads. The method can associate each controller with an address. The address can include a network address and a host identifier. The network address for each controller in a first zone can be the same. The method can transmit over a network a control message to each controller in the first zone. The control message can cause one or more operational parameters of the loads connected to each controller in the first zone to change. Related apparatus, computer program products, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.

A method of controlling a building system is provided. The method comprising: detecting a first current position of a user device; obtaining a building system list including building systems adjustable at the first current position; obtaining an action request list including action requests transmitted from the user device to the building system at the first current position; ranking the building systems on the building system list in response to the action request list; and transmitting a ranked building systems list to the user device.

Methods and systems are described for robot transportation of objects into or out of a home automation system. One example may include determining, by a mobile robotic device, that an object is available to cross a boundary of the home automation system. The method may include deactivating at least a portion of the home automation system. The method also include retrieving, by the mobile robotic device, the object and transporting, by the mobile robotic device, the object across the boundary. The method further includes leaving, by the mobile robotic device, the object at a drop-off location. The method may also include reactivating at least the portion of the home automation system.

A method is disclosed for controlling one or more appliances in a user environment, the one or more appliances in operation capable of causing environmental stimuli disruptive to a user's sleep. The method comprises receiving from one or more sensors data indicative of a sleep state of the user; analysing the received data to determine one or more control actions for controlling the one or more appliances to reduce sleep disruption due to the environmental stimuli caused by the appliances; and controlling the one or more appliances in dependence on the determined control actions. The method may involve determining, based on sleep state data for a first sleep period, an appliance control schedule for a second, later, time period.

A method and apparatus capable of forwarding notification or information related to a function, generated from a given device, to a user through a device near (or in proximity to) the user by interworking a plurality of electronic devices, are provided. An electronic device includes a communication interface and a processor. The processor is configured to obtain a first message related to notification from an external device, identify a target electronic device for notification output based on the location of a user and notification output performance of each of a plurality of electronic devices capable of communication with the electronic device, and transmit a second message related to the notification to the target electronic device so that the identified target electronic device outputs the notification.

A barrier operator feature enhancement device is designed to provide one or more features found in modern barrier operator devices and to incorporate those features into a previously installed barrier operator system. To facilitate ease of use, the barrier operator feature enhancement device can communicate with a large variety of barrier operators. Such communication may be wireless or wired, depending on the communication protocol implemented by a particular previously installed barrier operator. To facilitate the ease of installation, the device is designed to configure itself to operate with the communication protocol of the previously installed barrier operator. Once configured to be able to communicate with the previously installed barrier operator, the feature enhancement device works with the barrier operator to provide one or more additional features to enhance the capabilities of the previously installed barrier operator.

Methods and systems are described for communicating action instructions between a home automation system and a mobile robotic device. In some embodiments, methods may comprise receiving, from a first device, information regarding a delivery of a package to a first location, determining that a mobile robotic device and the first device are part of a predetermined group of devices operating in a neighborhood network, transporting, by the mobile robotic device, the package to a drop-off location, and initiating a notification for the first device based at least in part on transporting the package.