Control apparatus for controlling an operation of at least one electronic device

• US 10,120,532 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeon, Ji Hyun, Chang, Hye Jung, Shin, Young Sun, Seo, Sun Young, Yun, So Young, Yoon, Ji Yoon, Hong, Eun Kyung, Cho, A Ra, Kim, Kyung Nam, Lee, Jae Seok, Jang, Eun Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Bautista, Xiomar L
• Application Number:
  US15/101,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes

Abstract

According to the present invention, a device for controlling an operation of at least one electric device including a user interface unit having a conversation display window in which a conversation with the at least one electric device is displayed, a conversation input window configured to receive a character for controlling the operation of the at least one electric device, an icon selection window in which an icon corresponding to the at least one electric device is displayed, and a chatting screen on which a send button for transmitting the character received by the conversation input window is arranged, and a control unit configured to collectively control the operation of the at least one electric device based on a batch control instruction received by the conversation input window.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling an operation of at least one electric device, the control device comprising:

a display configured to display a user interface comprising;

a chatting screen, the chatting screen comprising a conversation display window for displaying a conversation with the at least one electric device,

a conversation input window for receiving a character for controlling an operation of the at least one electric device,

an icon selection window for displaying an icon corresponding to the at least one electric device, and

a send button for sending the character received through the conversation input window; and

at least one processor configured to;

check an electric device corresponding to a control instruction received through the conversation input window,

control to display an icon, and

send the control instruction to the electric device corresponding to the displayed icon.

2. The control device of claim 1, further comprising storage configured to store the control instruction,

wherein, the at least one processor is further configured to, when the control instruction is for simultaneously controlling two or more electric devices:

send the received character to the two or more electric devices, and

control to display an icon for all electric devices in the icon selection window.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein, the at least one processor is further configured to, when the control instruction is received through the conversation input window while an icon for all electric devices is displayed in the icon selection window, control to send the received control instruction to a controllable electric device.

4. The control device of claim 1, further comprising storage configured to store the control instruction,

wherein, the at least one processor is further configured to, when the control instruction is for individually controlling any one electronic device:

check an electric device corresponding to the control instruction,

control an operation of the checked electric device corresponding to the control instruction, and

control to display an icon of the checked electric device in the icon selection window.

5. The control device of claim 4, wherein, the at least one processor is further configured to:

when two or more electric devices correspond to the control instruction for individually controlling any one electronic device, display a list of the two or more electric devices,

when any one is selected from among the two or more electric devices, control an operation of the selected electric device based on the control instruction, and

control to display information regarding the operation of the selected electric device in the conversation display window of the chatting screen.

6. The control device of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, when the two or more electric devices correspond to the control instruction for individually controlling any one electronic device, control to display an icon for all electric devices in the icon selection window.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, when the character received through the conversation input window is a device name, control to display an icon of an electric device having the device name in the icon selection window.

8. The control device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

when the character received through the conversation input window is a shortcut letter, check an instruction corresponding to the shortcut letter and control an operation of an electronic device corresponding to the checked instruction,

when the character received through the conversation input window is not a shortcut letter, check an instruction having a similarity equal to or greater than a certain value with respect to the received character and control to display the checked instruction, and

when one character is received through the conversation input window, check an instruction having the received character as a first letter and control to display the checked instruction.

9. The control device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

check an operation state of the electric device corresponding to the displayed icon, and

control to display a list of executable recommended instructions based on the checked operation state.

10. The control device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control to output a list of instructions for controlling the electric device corresponding to the displayed icon.

11. A control method of a control device that controls an operation of at least one of a plurality of electric devices, the control method comprising:

when a character is received through a conversation input window of a user interface unit, determining whether the received character is a control instruction;

when the received character is the control instruction, checking an electric device corresponding to the control instruction;

displaying an icon of the checked electric device in an icon selection window of the user interface unit; and

sending the control instruction to the checked electric device.

12. The control method of claim 11, further comprising:

when the control instruction is for individually controlling one electric device, checking an electric device corresponding to the control instruction and displaying an icon of the checked electric device in the icon selection window; and

when the control instruction is for simultaneously controlling two or more electric devices, displaying an icon for all electric devices in the icon selection window.

13. The control method of claim 12, further comprising:

when the two or more electric devices correspond to the control instruction for individually controlling one electronic device, performing control to display a list of the two or more electric devices;

when any one is selected from among the two or more electric devices, controlling an operation of the selected electric device based on the control instruction; and

displaying information regarding the operation of the selected electric device in the conversation display window of the user interface unit.

14. The control method of claim 11, further comprising, when the control instruction is received through the conversation input window while an icon for all electric devices is displayed in the icon selection window, sending the control instruction to the plurality of electric devices.

15. The control method of claim 11, further comprising:

when the character received through the conversation input window is a device name, displaying an icon of an electric device having the device name;

when the character received through the conversation input window is a shortcut letter, displaying an instruction corresponding to the shortcut letter;

when the character received through the conversation input window is not an instruction, checking an instruction having a similarity equal to or greater than a certain value with respect to the received character and displaying the checked instruction; and

when one character is received through the conversation input window, checking an instruction having the received character as a first letter and displaying the checked instruction.

16. The control method of claim 11, further comprising:

checking an operation state of the electric device corresponding to the displayed icon; and

displaying a list of executable recommended instructions based on the checked operation state.