Apple Inc.

Nathan E Carroll

Anush G Nadathur

Matthew C Lucas

Kevin P McLaughlin

Srinivas Rama

Thomas A Dilligan

Arun Godfrey Mathias

Kevin P Mclaughlin

An automated environment can include multiple controller devices capable of communicating with multiple accessory devices. The controller devices can automatically elect one of their number as a coordinator device for the environment and can automatically perform a new election if an incumbent coordinator becomes unavailable or resigns. The election processes can be transparent to any users. An elected coordinator can perform various operations to facilitate management of the automated environment, including routing of communications between controllers and accessories.

Selection of a coordinator device for an automated environment

Modifications made by multiple controller devices to an environment model describing a shared automated environment can be coordinated. One of the controller devices can be designated as a coordinator, and any controller device other than the coordinator can send an update request to the coordinator. The coordinator can determine whether to accept or reject the requested modification and can report its determination to the requesting controller device. If the coordinator accepts the request, the coordinator can instigate operations to update the environment model across all controller devices of all users. If the coordinator rejects the request, the environment model is not updated. The controller device that made the request can update its local copy of the environment model and roll back the update if the request is rejected.

Coordinating modifications by multiple users to a shared automated environment by initiating a pair setup process with an accessory

A first device can receive a delegation message from a second device. The delegation message can include a trigger data object that defines a triggered action set including a triggering event and an action to be performed by an accessory device in response to the triggering event. The first device can perform consistency checking of the received trigger data object relative to one or more previously received trigger data objects to determine whether a conflict exists.

Consistency checking of a delegated trigger in an automated environment

Coordinating modifications by multiple users to a shared automated environment

A triggered action set for a first device can be defined by the first device. Instructions for executing the triggered action set can be provided by the first device to a second device. Subsequent to providing the instructions, the first device can monitor the status of the second device; if the delegate device enters a state in which it is presumed to be unavailable to execute the trigger, the first device can monitor for a triggering event associated with the triggered action set and send a control message to an accessory device in response to detecting the triggering event.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Nathan E Carroll