Apple has been granted a patent (number 11,405,593) for an “integrated accessory control user interface” that shows future plans for the Home app on its various devices, including the real-time viewing of video from an IP camera.
The interface would be based on HomeKit, the software framework by Apple that lets users configure, communicate with, and control smart-home appliances using Apple devices. It provides users with a way to automatically discover such devices and configure them.
About the patent
In the patent filing, Apple notes that electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular in a range of applications. iPhones, iPads, Macs, home entertainment systems, and the like are just some of the electronic devices users interact with regularly.
Apple notes that another category of electronic devices that is becoming more popular includes various electronically controllable devices, such as thermostats, lighting devices, home security devices, etc. The tech giant wants users to be able to control these devices easily and conveniently using the company’s various devices.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “An integrated accessory control system can integrate functionality (services) of multiple disparate accessories and provide a unified user interface for interacting with the system via a controller device. An integrated accessory control system can include one accessory that can detect an event or action and send a notification to the controller device and at least one other accessory, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) camera, that can be operated in response to the notification. In response to the notification, a controller device can generate an integrated user interface for interacting with the accessories in the integrated accessory control system. The interface can include a live feed from the IP camera, which can provide a media stream responsive to instructions from the controller.”
