An electronic device may include: a communication module; a processor operatively connected to the communication module; and a memory operatively connected to the processor and configured to store computer program code. The computer program code, when executed, enables the processor to: upon detection of execution of a first operation of a first Internet of Things (IoT) device, obtain, from the memory, a first instruction to operate the first IoT device in a second operation; transmit the first instruction to the first IoT device to operate the first IoT device in the second operation; and monitor execution of the second operation by the first IoT device.

A method is disclosed for controlling the operating of a consumption appliance by way of a selector switch controlled by an energy saving device connected to a management center. The consumption appliance is kept in its default power mode, until receiving, by the energy saving device, an authentic secured control message sent by the management center. This message includes a command onto the mode in which the consumption appliance has to be switched. A counter is initialized with an initialization value before to be triggered. The consumption appliance is switched in the mode indicated by the command, either until the counter has reached a threshold value, or until receiving another authentic control message. If the counter has reached the threshold value, then the consumption appliance is switched in its default power mode. If another authentic secured control message has been received, then returning to the step of initializing the counter.

A home device controller can include one or more touch grooves, a touch slider operatively coupled to each of the one or more touch grooves, and one or more processors. The processor(s) can receive signals from each touch sensor, each signal corresponding to a touch gesture performed by a user interacting with the one or more touch grooves. The processor(s) can generate control commands executable by a home device based at least in part on the signals, and transmit the control commands to the home device for execution.

Internet of things (IoT) hubs are distributed in a hospitality establishment and are connected to a control server. Various IoT devices are installed in each room or other separate guest area within the hospitality establishment. The hubs are located such that each IoT device is within a predetermined distance from at least one hub. The control server has mappings of which IoT devices are in which rooms and has mappings of which hubs are used to control which IoT devices. When a state change message is received from a user device, the control server confirms the user device is currently associated with at least one guest room and then determines which target IoT devices are affected by the state change message. The control server then sends commands to the various one or more hubs that control the target IoT devices in order to effect the state changes.

This application is directed to a display assistant device that acts as a voice-activated user interface device. The display assistant device includes a base, a screen and a speaker. The base is configured for sitting on a surface. The screen has a rear surface and is supported by the base at the rear surface. A bottom edge of the screen is configured to be held above the surface by a predefined height, and the base is substantially hidden behind the screen from a front view of the display assistant device. The speaker is concealed inside the base and configured to project sound substantially towards the front view of the display assistant device.

Examples described herein relate to transitioning a playback session between portable playback devices such as “smart” headphones, earbuds, and handheld speakers with playback devices of a zone-based media playback system. Exemplary techniques facilitate continuity of playback when transitioning between locations (e.g., from at home to on-the-go or vice versa) or between listening paradigms (e.g., personal or out-loud playback of audio content). An example implementation includes detecting a swap trigger, determining the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s), and performing a playback session swap between the source playback device(s) and target playback device(s).

A method for calibrating an induction cooking device includes capturing image data representing a cooking vessel and processing the image data to identify one or more features. The method further includes comparing the image data representing the cooking vessel to a library of stored image data of calibrated cookware. In response to identifying stored image data in the library that matches the one or more features, the method accesses preconfigured calibration data and configures the operation of the induction cooking device based on the preconfigured calibration data.

Logical boundaries enclosing a physical area are defined. A segment of the logical boundaries is defined as a directional gate, wherein traversing the gate into the physical area is defined as an ingress and traversing the gate out of the physical area is defined as an egress. The directional gate is monitored, and ingresses and egresses are detected. An occupancy count of the physical area is maintained, based on monitoring the gate and detecting ingresses and egresses. One or more conditions are tracked in addition to the occupancy count. Artificial intelligence (AI) processing is applied to the maintained occupancy count and the additional tracked condition(s), in real-time as the monitoring, maintaining and tracking are occurring. One or more responsive actions are automatically taken as a result of applying the AI processing to the maintained occupancy count and the additional tracked condition(s).

A system and method are disclosed that utilizes an artificial intelligence based virtual proxy node. The virtual proxy node includes an intent resolution model and communicates between a smart audio device and at least one secondary device, wherein the at least one secondary device is configured to be controlled by a smart audio device or smart hub. The virtual proxy node tracks interactions between the smart audio device and the at least one secondary device to derive historical and context data from the tracking interactions. The virtual proxy node uses the historical and context data to predict which secondary device will be successful in responding to the user input command and broadcasts the input command to the virtual proxy node associated with one of the at least one secondary device. The virtual proxy node includes an intent resolution model trained by historical and context data.

This relates to systems and processes for using a virtual assistant to control electronic devices. In one example process, a user can speak an input in natural language form to a user device to control one or more electronic devices. The user device can transmit the user speech to a server to be converted into a textual representation. The server can identify the one or more electronic devices and appropriate commands to be performed by the one or more electronic devices based on the textual representation. The identified one or more devices and commands to be performed can be transmitted back to the user device, which can forward the commands to the appropriate one or more electronic devices for execution. In response to receiving the commands, the one or more electronic devices can perform the commands and transmit their current states to the user device.