Control system user interface

• US 10,348,575 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2015
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iControl Networks, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Sundermeyer, Ken, Dawes, Paul, Fulker, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Qin, Zhiren
• Application Number:
  US14/704,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/00 Burglar, theft or intruder alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1968 Interfaces for setting up or customising the system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/18 : Prevention or correction of operating errors G08B29/02, G08B29/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 : indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 : indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 : from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 : Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; 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 12/283 : Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 : Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 : Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 : for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 : characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 : Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 : Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 : Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Embodiments include systems and methods comprising a gateway located at a premise forming at least one network on the premise that includes a plurality of premise devices. A sensor user interface (SUI) is coupled to the gateway and presented to a user via a remote device. The SUI includes at least one display element. The at least one display element includes a floor plan display that represents at least one floor of the premise. The floor plan display visually and separately indicates a location and a current state of each premise device of the plurality of premise devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first apparatus configured to;

cause output of a user interface associated with a premises management system, wherein the user interface comprises;

a layout element configured to display a first premises representation of at least a portion of a premises monitored by the premises management system;

an interface element configured to, responsive to an activation of the interface element, display;

a second premises representation of at least a portion of the premises, and

a user-engageable element overlaying a portion of the second premises representation,

wherein the layout element is configured to, responsive to the activation, display a magnified portion of the first premises representation, and

wherein the magnified portion of the first premises representation, displayed via the layout element, corresponds to the portion of the second premises representation overlaid by the user-engageable element in the interface element; and

receive an input indicative of a modification to the magnified portion of the first premises representation displayed via the layout element, wherein the layout element is configured to, based on the input, display a premises device icon representing a premises device of the premises management system; and

a second apparatus in communication with the first apparatus and configured to;

receive layout data indicative of the modification to the magnified portion of the second premises representation; and

configure, based on the layout data, the premises management system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the premises device comprises at least one of a sensor, door sensor, window sensor, glass break sensor, fire sensor, flood sensor, detector, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, motion detector, camera, video camera, imaging camera, a light, a thermostat, a lock, an energy device, or a thermostat.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the input indicative of the modification is based at least in part on a plurality of premises rules, wherein the plurality of premises rules dictate a type and a location of the premises device icon representing the premises device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input indicative of the modification is based on a manual user selection of the premises device icon.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein when the input indicative of the modification is based on the manual user selection the first apparatus is configured to:

apply a plurality of premises rules to the layout element;

determine a differences between the layout element modified by at least manual user selection and the layout element populated by applying the plurality of premises rules; and

cause the layout data to comprise the determined difference.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first apparatus or the second apparatus is configured to store the layout data for further retrieval during installation of the premises management system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the layout data indicates whether the layout element was modified by at least one of applying a plurality of premises rules or manual user selection of the premises device icon.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the layout element is displayed based at least on one of a predefined floor layout template and manual user interaction with a drawing tool.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second apparatus is configured to allow modification of the layout element received from a database, wherein the second apparatus is configured to send the modified layout element to the database for future retrieval.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the premises device icon visually and separately indicates a location and a current state of the premises device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the layout element is configured to display a color that visually indicates a state of the premises device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the layout element is configured to display text.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the text comprises at least one of a text description of a state of the premises device or a status of the premises device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first premises representation represents a plurality of floors associated with the premises.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to, in response to a touch of the premises icon, cause the user interface to display a popup display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the popup display is configured to display at least one of a name of the premises device corresponding to the premises device icon that was touched or a link to information associated with the premises device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the link activates output of at least one of live video from the premises device when the premises device is a camera or a control screen outputs controls for the premises device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to enable an edit mode, wherein the edit mode is configured to display the layout element and cause the premises device icon to position on the layout element.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the edit mode is configured to enable the user interface to display a plurality of layout elements, wherein each layout element of the plurality of layout elements defines a perimeter shape of a floor and corresponds to a floor plan icon that is selectable for the respective layout element.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the edit mode is configured to display a grid comprising a plurality of tiles on the layout element.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the edit mode is configured to enable at least one of adding walls or deleting walls.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the edit mode is configured to enable adding a wall on the layout element, wherein the adding of the wall comprises forming the wall to have a length and placing the wall at a location on the layout element.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the edit mode is configured to enable deleting at least a portion of a wall from the layout element.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the edit mode is configured to enable causing to display a plurality of premises device icons on the layout element.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the edit mode is configured to differentiate premises exteriors from premises interiors based on a location of a tile.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to display at least one warning that is an informational warning associated with the premises device.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote device configured to display a sensor user interface (SUI), wherein the remote device is in communication with the second apparatus, wherein a native device application of the remote device is configured to determine and output the SUI on the remote device, wherein the SUI is configured to display at least one display element, wherein the at least one display element is configured to display a rendering of the layout element with the premises device icon.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the remote device comprises at least one of a touchscreen device, a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a client device in communication with the second apparatus via a mobile portal, or a client device in communication with to the second apparatus via a web portal.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the native device application is configured to perform a synchronization to associate the remote device with the second apparatus.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein, based on the synchronization, the remote device is configured to receive data indicating of events the premises device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the SUI is configured to display a control interface that is configured to enable a user to input control input to control the premises device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to send, based on a received control input and the synchronization, one or more control communications that cause the second apparatus to execute a control operation defined by the received control input.

33. A method comprising:

causing output of a user interface associated with a premises management system, wherein the user interface comprises;

a layout element configured to display a first premises representation of at least a portion of a premises monitored by the premises management system, and

an interface element configured to, responsive to an activation of the interface element, display;

a second premises representation of at least a portion of the premises, and

a user-engageable element overlaying a portion of the second premises representation,

wherein the layout element is configured to, responsive to the activation of the interface element, display a magnified portion of the first premises representation, and

wherein the magnified portion of the first premises representation, displayed via the layout element, corresponds to the portion of the second premises representation overlaid by the user-engageable element in the interface element; and

receiving an input indicative of a modification to the magnified portion of the first premises representation displayed via the layout element, wherein the layout element is configured to display, based on the input, a premises device icon representing a premises device of the premises management system.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the layout element is configured to, responsive to a movement of the user-engageable element relative to the second premises representation, display an updated magnified portion of the first premises representation corresponding to a position of the user-engageable element relative to the second premises representation.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the layout element is configured to, responsive to a second activation of the interface element subsequent to the activation, display the first premises representation.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein at least an inner portion of the user-engageable element is transparent relative to the second premises representation.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the second premises representation is configured to, responsive to the activation of the interface element, be displayed via the interface element.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

causing to output, based on the modification to the magnified portion of the first premises representation, configuration data associated with the premises management system.

39. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to;

cause output of a user interface associated with a premises management system, wherein the user interface comprises;

a layout element configured to display a first premises representation of at least a portion of a premises monitored by the premises management system, and

an interface element configured to, responsive to an activation of the interface element display;

a second premises representation of at least a portion of the premises, and

a user-engageable element overlaying a portion of the second premises representation;

wherein, responsive to the activation of the interface element, the layout element is configured to display a magnified portion of the first premises representation, and

wherein the magnified portion of the first premises representation displayed via the layout element corresponds to the portion of the second premises representation overlaid by the user-engageable element in the interface element; and

receive an input indicative of a modification to the magnified portion of the first premises representation displayed via the layout element, wherein the layout element is configured to display, based on the input, a premises device icon representing a premises device of the premises management system.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the layout element is configured to, responsive to a movement of the user-engageable element relative to the second premises representation, display an updated magnified portion of the first premises representation corresponding to a position of the user-engageable element relative to the second premises representation.

41. The device of claim 39, wherein the layout element is caused to, responsive to a second activation of the interface element subsequent to the activation, display the first premises representation.

42. The device of claim 39, wherein at least an inner portion of the user-engageable element is transparent relative to the second premises representation.

43. The device of claim 39, wherein the second premises representation is caused, responsive to the activation of the interface element, to be displayed via the interface element.

44. The device of claim 39, causing to output, based on the modification to the magnified portion of the first premises representation, configuration data associated with the premises management system.