Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, from a network server device, first information regarding a first device, generating a media control package based on the first information, wherein the media control package relates to primary content to be presented, wherein the primary content is associated with a first timestamp that corresponds to a first event or context in the primary content, and wherein the media control package includes a first instruction for controlling the first device when a playback position of the primary content corresponds to the first timestamp, and causing the media control package to be provided to the network server device to enable augmentation of a presentation of the first event or context via control of the first device, in accordance with the first instruction, when the playback position of the primary content corresponds to the first timestamp. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A server controlling an external device is provided. The server includes a communicator; a processor; a memory which stores at least one natural language understanding (NLU) engine for generating a command corresponding to a user's utterance. The server receives, from a pairing device paired to the external device, the user's utterance controlling the external device and information about at least one external device registered with the pairing device, via the communicator, determines an NLU engine corresponding to the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine, based on the user's utterance controlling the external device and the information about the at least one external device, and generates the command controlling the external device based on the user's utterance, by using the determined NLU engine.

Systems and methods are described herein for controlling playback and/or recording of media assets at a media device based on the state of a secondary device. Specifically, while displaying a media asset, a media device receives a signal from the secondary device indicating a change of state of the secondary device. The media device displays a notification of the signal, and the user can interact with the notification. If the user interacts with the notification for more than a threshold amount of time, the media device may begin recording the media asset. Once the user has finished interacting with the notification, the media device may stop recording and the user can see content that they may have missed by reviewing the recorded portion of the media asset.

A method of sharing smart home devices between applications may include receiving a request from a first application operating on a control device to share a smart home device that registered with the first application; generating an interface on the control device that displays one or more applications with which the smart home device can be shared; receiving a selection of a second application with which to share the smart home device; and sending information to the second smart home device to register the smart home device.

An example user terminal apparatus includes communication circuitry configured to be connected to a home network comprising a plurality of devices; a display configured to display a UI screen for managing the home network; a sensor configured to sense a user manipulation of the UI screen; and processing circuitry configured to change the UI screen displayed on the display according to the user manipulation. The UI screen is one of a plurality of service pages that are changeable according to a user manipulation in a first direction, the plurality of service pages being pages for respectively providing different home network management services. At least one of the plurality of service pages comprises an area that is displayable on the display according to a user manipulation in a second direction.

A system for managing communication between building management system (BMS) devices includes a memory and a controller. The memory includes instructions stored thereon. The controller is configured to execute the instructions to implement an agent manager, a zone manager, and a channel manager. The agent manager is configured to generate an agent for each of the BMS devices. The zone manager is configured to define at least one zone relating to a physical location zone or a building control zone. The channel manager is configured to generate a communication channel associated with the at least one zone. The channel manager is further configured to manage registration of an agent to the communication channel, wherein an agent is configured to communicate over a communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel.

Aspects of subject technology provide systems and methods for generation and distribution of a stable identifier associated with multiple aliases of a user account. The stable identifier may be provided to various electronic devices by a server, responsive to requests associated with communications to those devices from one of the associated aliases. In this way, messaging applications can utilize the stable identifier to merge conversations from a single user having multiple aliases, and secure access to a secure device can be provided to an authorized user, even if the authorized user attempts access from an unauthorized account alias.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, from a network server device, first information regarding a first device, generating a media control package based on the first information, wherein the media control package relates to primary content to be presented, wherein the primary content is associated with a first timestamp that corresponds to a first event or context in the primary content, and wherein the media control package includes a first instruction for controlling the first device when a playback position of the primary content corresponds to the first timestamp, and causing the media control package to be provided to the network server device to enable augmentation of a presentation of the first event or context via control of the first device, in accordance with the first instruction, when the playback position of the primary content corresponds to the first timestamp. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Techniques and system configurations for generating and implementing recipes and scripts to enable the orchestration of actions, activities, and configurations within smart devices and device networks (including the Internet of Things “IoT” network topologies) are described herein. In an example, a method for smart device orchestration and configuration includes: obtaining an orchestration recipe that defines a sequence of actions to be performed among multiple types of smart devices; activating the orchestration recipe for use upon multiple smart devices associated with a user, based on at least one condition to perform the sequence of actions; associating the orchestration recipe with respective configurations of the multiple smart devices associated with the user; and initiating the orchestration recipe, to cause the sequence of actions to be performed with the multiple smart devices, including via cloud-based device services that control the multiple smart devices associated with the user.

Implementations discussed herein relate to systems, methods, and apparatuses for controlling one or more internet of things (IoT) devices via a graphical camera interface of a portable electronic device. The graphical camera interface can be presented at the portable electronic device in response to the user accessing a camera application via the portable electronic device and directing a camera of the portable electronic device at the IoT device. One or more images generated from an output of the camera can be processed to identify the IoT device that the user is intending to control. Information related to a context in which the user aimed their camera at the IoT device can be used to assist in narrowing down a selection of the IoT device from multiple different IoT devices that may be associated with the user and/or an image captured by the camera.