Messaging between an ultra-tag and external microcontroller. In an embodiment, a transmitting device is communicatively connected to a receiving device by a clear-to-communicate line and request line. When data to be transmitted has normal priority, the transmitting device detects whether the clear-to-communicate line indicates that the receiving device is available, indicates a request to transmit on the request line if so, waits until the receiving device is available and then indicates a request to transmit on the request line if not, after indicating a request to transmit, transmits the data when the clear-to-communicate line indicates that the receiving device is unavailable, and, after transmitting the data, releases the indication of the request to transmit on the request line. On the other hand, when the data has high priority, the transmitting device indicates a request to transmit on the request line, regardless of an indication on the clear-to-communicate line.

A server and a control method are provided. The server includes a communication interface for performing communication with a plurality of electronic devices and a plurality of sensing devices, and at least one processor configured to identify a sensing device corresponding to a user's location from among the plurality of sensing devices based on information received from at least one of the plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of sensing devices through the communication interface, and control the communication interface to transmit a signal for controlling a target electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices to the target electronic device based on sensing data received from the identified sensing device.

Methods, systems, and media for ambient background noise modification are provided. In some implementations, the method comprises: identifying at least one noise present in an environment of a user having a user device, an activity the user is currently engaged in, and a physical or emotional state of the user; determining a target ambient noise to be produced in the environment based at least in part on the identified noise, the activity the user is currently engaged in, and the physical or emotional state of the user; identifying at least one device associated with the user device to be used to produce the target ambient noise; determining sound outputs corresponding to each of the one or more identified devices, wherein a combination of the sound outputs produces an approximation of one or more characteristics of the target ambient noise; and causing the one or more identified devices to produce the determined sound outputs.

A device controllable via tabular data and a computer-implemented method for interactively performing operations on tabular data. The method comprises providing an input array, an operations array, and an output array, wherein each array includes at least one cell, receiving, in the operations array, a first reference to a cell of the input array, receiving tabular data from an input source, and performing operations on multiple rows of the tabular data. The operations comprise inserting one of the rows of the tabular data into the input array, determining a value of a second cell of the operations array based on the referenced cell of the input array, and storing one of the following in a cell of the output array: the determined value of the operations array and a value of the referenced cell of the input array.

A functional device is disclosed that can collect and process data/information/parameter values from one or more sensors and compares the same with one or more predefined/threshold value to suggest one or more actions and/or generate alerts/messages/suggestions to be performed by one or a combination of remote system, wearer, home automation network, healthcare provider, doctor, caretaker, among other stakeholders. Communication between the functional device, home automation server and a computational server that stores the data is also disclosed.

A simple affirmative response operating system for selecting a data item from a list of options using a unique affirmative action. Text-based labels in a listing of content are converted to speech using an embedded text-to-speech engine and an audio output of a first converted label is provided. A listening state is entered into for a predefined pause time to await receipt of the simple affirmative action. If the simple affirmative action is performed during the predefined pause time, an associated content item is selected for output. If the simple affirmative action is not performed during the predefined pause time, an audio output of a next converted label in the list is provided. This protocol may be used to control a variety of computing devices safely and efficiently while a user is distracted or disabled from using traditional input methods.

A computer implemented method in a smart home system is provided. The method comprises defining, by sensing an indoor position of a wearable electronic device comprising an indoor positioning module, an area in a real-world indoor environment, and attributing a rule to the defined area, the rule comprising one or more settings to be applied to one or more electronic devices upon a user being detected in the defined area.

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.

Systems and methods are provided herein for preventing interruptions to a media viewing activity caused by operations performed in a household by network-connected devices. A media guidance application may determine that operations are being performed by an IoT device and may cause an interruption to media viewing. The media guidance application may prevent the interruption by extending or otherwise handling the operation.

Systems and methods are provided herein for preventing interruptions to a media viewing activity caused by operations performed in a household by network-connected devices. A media guidance application may determine that operations are being performed by an IoT device and may cause an interruption to media viewing. The media guidance application may prevent the interruption by extending or otherwise handling the operation.