Apple Inc.

Benjamin A Smith

Kevin P McLaughlin

Anush G Nadathur

Reed E Olsen

In some implementations, a computing device can present accessory state information. For example, the computing device can receive accessory state information from various accessories and present status items representing the current state of the accessories. The status items can be prioritized according to classifications assigned to accessories and/or accessory state information. The status items can be filtered based on a role assigned to the user of the computing device. Additional implementations and details are described in the paragraphs that follow.

Techniques for utilizing a coordinator device

In some implementations, a coordinator device can prefetch images from a camera accessory in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory. For example, the coordinator device can prefetch an image in response to receiving a doorbell event notification from a doorbell accessory so that the captured image is contemporaneous with the doorbell event and to avoid making multiple subsequent requests for the same image from the camera accessory when multiple user devices request the captured image. The coordinator device can store the image received from the camera accessory and serve the image to user devices when the user devices request a snapshot image corresponding to the doorbell event.

Prefetching accessory data

In some implementations, a computing device can automatically generate a service group. For example, accessories can be automatically grouped together based on various criteria (such as historical usage patterns). The accessories in the service group can be managed and/or controlled as if the accessories were a single accessory or entity. In some implementations, a computing device can intelligently select service group controls for presentation to the user so that the user can control the service group. For example, the computing device can select which service group controls to present and the order in which to present the controls based on features that are common among different accessories in the service group.

Automatically grouping accessories

Presenting accessory group controls

Presenting accessory state

In some implementations, a computing device can automatically generate a scene. For example, a scene can be a collection of accessories and corresponding accessory states. When the scene is invoked, the computing device can cause the accessories associated with the scene to assume the corresponding accessory states. The computing device can automatically determine the accessories and/or corresponding accessory states for a scene based on historical patterns of use represented in historical accessory state data. The computing device can generate a scene based on a snapshot of current accessory states for the accessories associated with the scene.

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Oakland, CA, United States of America

Benjamin A Smith