An interfacing device is configured to process one or more rules, based on sensor data, to perform a predetermined action. During operation, the device can detect a rule-triggering event, and can search a rule repository to obtain a set of rules whose action criteria is satisfied by the rule-triggering event. If the set of rules include a plurality of rules that are simultaneously triggered by the rule-triggered event, the local interfacing device may process the plurality of rules in a user-defined sequence.