Control method for information apparatus and computer-readable recording medium

• US 10,404,483 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• 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): Azad, Md
• Application Number:
  US15/700,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20170373874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 700 90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204

Abstract

A control method is provided for an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, one or more target devices being controlled over the network. The method causes a computer of the information apparatus to display a first display screen on the display when the first display screen is selected, the first display screen displaying one or more control icons that allow operation or state confirmation of the one or more target devices. The method also causes the computer to display a second display screen representing a floor plan of a building on the display when the second display screen is selected, and to display each of one or more device icons representing the one or more target devices on the second display screen representing the floor plan, where the floor plan includes one or more rooms.

Claims

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

display a first display screen on the display when the first display screen is selected, the first display screen displaying one or more control icons that allow operation or state confirmation of the one or more target devices;

display a second display screen representing a floor plan of a building on the display when the second display screen is selected, and display each of one or more device icons representing the one or more target devices on the second display screen representing the floor plan, wherein the floor plan includes one or more rooms;

when it is sensed that the first display screen is selected, and when it is sensed that the one control icon is selected among the one or more control icons, display a first control screen on the display, the first control screen allowing the operation or the state confirmation of the target corresponding to the selected one control icon;

output a first control command to the network based on an operation on the first control screen, the first control command allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected one control icon;

when it is sensed that the second display screen is selected, and when it is sensed that a device icon representing one target device is selected in a region corresponding to a room, display a second control screen on the display as overlapped on the second display screen, the second control screen allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected device icon, wherein the second control screen is distinct from the one or more control icons; and

output a second control command to the network on the basis of an operation on the second control screen, the control command allowing operation or the state confirmation of the one target device,

wherein when the first display screen is selected, the second display screen is not displayed on the display, and when the second screen is selected, the first display screen is not displayed on the display.

2. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein when the second control screen is displayed as overlapped on the second display screen representing the floor plan, the each of the one or more device icons representing the one or more target devices is moved out of a display region of the second control screen.

3. The control method according to claim 2,

wherein when the each of the one or more device icons is moved out of the display region of the second control screen representing the floor plan, the each of the one or more device icons is arranged in units of the one or more rooms in which the one or more target devices are installed.

4. The control method according to claim 2,

wherein when the each of the one or more device icons is moved out of the display region of the second control screen representing the floor plan, the each of the one or more device icons is arranged in units of model types of the one or more target devices.

5. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the floor plan is a plan view that planarly shows an arrangement and a shape of rooms included in each of the one or more floors of the building.

6. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the floor plan is a diagram in which blocks representing the one or more rooms in the building are arranged in a matrix for each floor of the building.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores a program to be executed by an information apparatus, the information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, one or more target devices being controlled over the network, the program causing a computer of the information apparatus to:

display a first display screen on the display when the first display screen is selected, the first display screen displaying one or more control icon that allow state confirmation of the one or more target devices, wherein each of the one or more control icons includes at least an ON button for a corresponding target device;

display a second display screen representing a floor plan of a building on the display when the second display screen is selected, and display each of one or more device icons representing the one or more target devices on the second display screen representing the floor plan, wherein the floor plan includes one or more rooms;

when it is sensed that the first display screen is selected, and when it is sensed that the one control icon is selected among the one or more control icons, display a first control screen on the display, the first control screen allowing the operation or the state confirmation of the target corresponding to the selected one control icon;

output a first control command to the network based on an operation on the first control screen, the first control command allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected one control icon;

when it is sensed that the second display screen is selected, and when it is sensed that a device icon representing one target device is selected in a region corresponding to a room, display a second control screen on the display as overlapped on the second display screen, the second control screen allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected device icon, wherein the second control screen is distinct from the one or more control icons; and

output a second control command to the network on the basis of an operation on the second control screen, the second control command allowing operation or the state confirmation of the one target device,

wherein when the first display screen is selected, the second display screen is not displayed on the display, and when the second display screen is selected, the first display screen is not displayed on the display.

8. A control method for an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, one or more target devices being controlled over the network, the control method causing a computer of the information apparatus to:

display a first display screen on the display when it is sensed that a first button displayed on a second display screen is selected, the first display screen displaying one or more control icons that allow operation or state confirmation of the one or more target devices and a second button, the first button being for switching displaying from the second screen display to the first screen display, on the display, and the second button being for switching displaying from the first screen display to the second screen display, on the display;

display the second display screen on the display when it is sensed that the second button displayed on the first display screen is selected, the second display screen representing a floor plan of a building on the display, and display each of one or more device icons representing the one or more target devices on the second display screen, wherein the floor plan includes one or more rooms;

when displaying the first display screen and when it is sensed that one control icon is selected among the one or more control icons, display a first control screen on the display, the first control screen allowing operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected one control icon;

output a first control command to the network based on an operation on the first control screen as overlapped on the first display screen, the first control command allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected one control icon;

when displaying the second display screen is selected, and when it is sensed that a device icon representing one target device is selected in a region corresponding to a room, display a second control screen on the display as overlapped on the second display screen, the second control screen allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected device icon, wherein the second control screen is distinct from the one or more control icons; and

output a second control command to the network on the basis of an operation on the second control screen, the second control command allowing operation or the state confirmation of the one target device,

wherein when the first display screen is selected, the second display screen is not displayed on the display, and when the second display screen is selected, the first display screen is not displayed on the display.

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

display a first display screen on the display when it is sensed that a first button displayed on a second display screen is selected, the first display screen displaying one or more control icons that allow operation or state confirmation of the one or more target devices and a second button, the first button being for switching displaying from the second screen display to the first screen display, on the display and the second button being for switching displaying from the first screen display to the second screen display, on the display;

display the second display screen on the display when it is sensed that the second button displayed on the first display screen is selected, the second display screen representing a floor plan of a building on the display, and display each of one or more device icons representing the one or more target devices on the second display screen, wherein the floor plan includes one or more rooms;

when displaying the first display screen and when it is sensed that one control icon is selected among the one or more control icons, display a first control screen on the display, the first control screen allowing operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected one control icon;

output a first control command to the network based on an operation on the first control screen as overlapped on the first display screen, the first control command allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected one control icon;

when displaying the second display screen is selected, and when it is sensed that a device icon representing one target device is selected in a region corresponding to a room, display a second control screen on the display as overlapped on the second display screen, the second control screen allowing at least operation or the state confirmation of the target device corresponding to the selected device icon, wherein the second control screen is distinct from the one or more control icons; and

output a second control command to the network on the basis of an operation on the second control screen, the second control command allowing operation or the state confirmation of the one target device,

wherein when the first display screen is selected, the second display screen is not displayed on the display, and when the second display screen is selected, the first display screen is not displayed on the display.