Control method for information apparatus and computer-readable recording medium

• US 10,073,606 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Takamitsu, Tahara, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, ANH Q
• Application Number:
  US15/671,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A control method causing a computer of the information apparatus to: display a display screen on the display, the display screen representing a floor plan for one floor including at least two rooms; display device icons representing target devices on the display screen, the device icons including an illumination icon which represents illumination devices, the illumination icon being commonly used for the illumination devices installed in two or more rooms of the at least two rooms; and cause the floor plan represented by the display screen to function as an operation screen for controlling the illumination devices, and display a region of the floor plan with brightness less than specific brightness, when it is sensed that the illumination icon is selected, the region corresponding to a room in which an illumination device whose power is in an off state is installed.

Claims

1. A control method for an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, target devices, including illumination devices, being controlled over the network, the control method causing a computer of the information apparatus to:

display a display screen on the display, the display screen representing a floor plan for one floor including at least two rooms;

display device icons representing the target devices on the display screen, the device icons including an illumination icon which represents the illumination devices, the illumination icon being commonly used for the illumination devices installed in two or more rooms of the at least two rooms; and

cause the floor plan represented by the display screen to function as an operation screen for controlling the illumination devices, and display a region of the floor plan with brightness less than specific brightness, when it is sensed that the illumination icon is selected, the region corresponding to a room in which an illumination device whose power is in an off state is installed.

2. The control method according to claim 1, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

output, to the network, a first control command for turning on power of an illumination device installed in a first room of the at least two rooms, when a region corresponding to the first room is displayed with brightness less than the specific brightness and when it is sensed that a region within the first room is selected, the first room being a room in which the illumination device whose power is in an off state is installed.

3. The control method according to claim 2, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

display the region corresponding to the first room with brightness not less than the specific brightness when power for the illumination device installed in the first room is turned on.

4. The control method according to claim 2, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

output, to the network, a second control command for turning on power of an illumination device installed in a second room of the at least two rooms, when it is sensed that a region within the second room is selected after it is sensed that the region within the first room is selected, the second room being a room in which the illumination device whose power is in an off state is installed.

5. The control method according to claim 1, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

display a region of the floor plan with brightness not less than the specific brightness, when it is sensed that the illumination icon is selected, the region corresponding to a room in which an illumination device whose power is in an on state is installed.

6. The control method according to claim 5, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

output, to the network, a third control command for turning off power of an illumination device installed in a third room of the at least two rooms, when a region corresponding to the third room is displayed with brightness not less than the specific brightness and when it is sensed that a region within the third room is selected, the third room being a room in which the illumination device whose power is in an on state is installed.

7. The control method according to claim 6, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

display the region corresponding to the third room with brightness less than the specific brightness when power for the illumination device installed in the third room is turned off.

8. The control method according to claim 6, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

output, to the network, a fourth control command for turning off power of an illumination device installed in a fourth room of the at least two rooms, when it is sensed that a region within the fourth room is selected after it is sensed that the region within the third room is selected, the fourth room being a room in which the illumination device whose power is in an on state is installed.

9. The control method according to claim 1, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

receive information from the network, when it is sensed that the illumination icon is selected, the information indicating on-off state of power of the illumination devices installed in the at least two rooms.

10. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the illumination icon is displayed outside a region of the floor plan represented by the display screen.

11. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the display is a touch panel display, and

sensing of the selection of the illumination icon, or sensing of a selection of a region within a room in which selection of the illumination icon is sensed, is performed by sensing a contact with the touch panel display.

12. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

sensing of the selection of the illumination icon, or sensing of a selection of a region within a room in which the selection of the illumination icon is sensed, is performed by sensing a click with a mouse pointer.

13. The control method according to claim 1, further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

display an operation screen on the display when it is sensed that a device icon representing a target device other than the illumination devices of the target devices is selected, the operation screen for operating, or confirming a state of, the target device corresponding to the selected device icon.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a program to be executed by an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, target devices, including illumination devices, being controlled over the network, the program causing a computer of the information apparatus to:

display a display screen on the display, the display screen representing a floor plan for one floor including at least two rooms;

display device icons representing the target devices on the display screen, the device icons including an illumination icon which represents the illumination devices, the illumination icon being commonly used for the illumination devices installed in two or more rooms of the at least two rooms; and

cause the floor plan represented by the display screen to function as an operation screen for controlling the illumination devices, and display a region of the floor plan with brightness less than specific brightness, when it is sensed that the illumination icon is selected, the region corresponding to a room in which an illumination device whose power is in an off state is installed.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 14, the program further causing the computer of the information apparatus to:

display a region of the floor plan with brightness not less than the specific brightness, when it is sensed that the illumination icon is selected, the region corresponding to a room in which an illumination device whose power is in an on state is installed.