Control system and user interface for network of input devices

• US 20030075983A1
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric US Incorporated (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Incorporated (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Houda, Pavel, Palmer, George E., Stecyk, Polly, Pu, Shenta T., Perry, Robert A., Zanfino, Martin, Peterson, Brian, Maxon, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/138,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20030075983A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems for centrally and uniformly controlling the operation of a variety of devices, such as communication, consumer electronic, audio-video, analog, digital, 1394, and the like, over a variety of protocols within a network system and, more particularly, a control system and uniform user interface for centrally controlling these devices in a manner that appears seamless and transparent to the user. In a preferred embodiment, a command center or hub of a network system includes a context and connection permutation sensitive control system that enables centralized and seamless integrated control of all types of input devices. The control system preferably includes a versatile icon based graphical user interface that provides a uniform, on-screen centralized control system for the network system. The user interface, which includes a visual recognition system, enables the user to transparently control multiple input devices over a variety of protocols while operating on a single control layer of an input command device. In an alternative embodiment, the control system also enables gated signal pass-through control while avoiding signal jamming.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling 1394 and IR controlled devices in a system comprising a mix of 1394 and IR controlled devices, comprising

a user interface (UI) module translating user input commands to device control instructions, and

a device control module converting device control instructions into device appropriate messages to drive 1394 and IR controlled devices.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein UI module comprises

a first module capable of determining a current system state and whether a user input command comprises a menu related action or a direct device action,

a second module capable of determining whether the menu related action is a menu display action, a menu navigate action or a menu device action, and

a third module capable of determining what device connections to make and converting input commands to device control instructions.

3. The control system of claim 2 wherein the second module includes a graphical user interface (GUI) displayable on a primary display screen coupled to the control system.

4. The control system of claim 3 wherein the GUI includes a device selection menu comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to 1394 and IR devices coupled to the control system.

5. The control system of claim 4 wherein the device selection menu comprises a device selection window, a video sink window, and an audio sink window.

6. The control system of claim 5 wherein the device selection menu further comprises a connection sink window.

7. The control system of claim 4 wherein the GUI further comprises a visual recognition system.

8. The control system of claim 7 wherein the visual recognition system comprises a plurality of visual recognition states.

9. The control system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a selected icon state, a current device state, and a disabled state.

10. The control system of claim 9 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of visual recognition states.

11. The control system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a disable state, a selected icon/current device state, a selected icon/not current device state, a not selected icon/not current device state, and a not selected icon/current device state.

12. The control system of claim 11 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators which when combined or presented individually correspond to the plurality of visual recognition states.

13. The control system of claim 2 wherein the third module includes a database comprising a list of devices coupled to the control system.

14. The control system of claim 13 wherein the database includes a list of device connections.

15. The control system of claim 14 wherein the database includes device objects corresponding to each device in the list of devices coupled to the control system and comprising device identification, device type, I/O capabilities and device control information.

16. The control system of claim 15 wherein the device objects further include device control module interfacing information.

17. The control system of claim 16 wherein the database includes 1394 sub-unit device objects connected to each 1394 device object.

18. The control system of claim 17 wherein the database includes device interconnect objects corresponding to each connection port of each device listed in the list of devices coupled to the control system.

19. The control system of claim 18 wherein the information stored in the device interconnect object includes a port number, content, direction, and type.

20. A control module for a control system controlling 1394 and IR controlled devices in a system comprising a mix of 1394 and IR controlled devices, comprising

a first module capable of determining a current system state and whether a user input command comprises a menu related action or a direct device action,

a second module capable of determining whether the menu related action is a menu display action, a menu navigate action or a menu device action, and

a third module capable of determining what device connections to make and converting input commands to device control instructions.

21. The control module of claim 20 wherein the second module includes a graphical user interface (GUI) displayable on a display screen.

22. The control module of claim 21 wherein the GUI includes a device selection menu comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to 1394 and IR devices when coupled to the control system.

23. The control module of claim 22 wherein the device selection menu comprises a device selection window, a video sink window, and an audio sink window.

24. The control module of claim 23 wherein the device selection menu further comprises a connection sink window.

25. The control module of claim 24 wherein the GUI further comprises a visual recognition system.

26. The control module of claim 25 wherein the visual recognition system comprises a plurality of visual recognition states.

27. The control module of claim 26 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a selected icon state, a current device state, and a disabled state.

28. The control module of claim 27 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of visual recognition states.

29. The control module of claim 26 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a disable state, a selected icon/current device state, a selected icon/not current device state, a not selected icon/not current device state, and a not selected icon/current device state.

30. The control module of claim 29 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators which when combined or presented individually correspond to the plurality of visual recognition states.

31. The control module of claim 20 wherein the third module includes a database comprising a list of devices coupled to the control module.

32. The control module of claim 31 wherein the database includes a list of device connections.

33. The control module of claim 32 wherein the database includes device objects corresponding to each device in the list of devices coupled to the control module and comprising device identification, device type, device I/O capabilities and device control information.

34. The control module of claim 33 wherein the database includes 1394 sub-unit device objects connected to each 1394 device object.

35. The control module of claim 34 wherein the database includes device interconnect objects corresponding to each connection port of each device listed in the list of devices coupled to the control module.

36. The control module of claim 35 wherein the information stored in the device interconnect object includes a port number, content, direction, and type.

37. A control system for a network of devices, comprising

a uniform user interface,

a context sensitive translation module coupled to the user interface and translating user input commands to device control instructions, and

a device control module converting device control instructions into device appropriate messages to drive devices to be controlled.

38. The control system of claim 37 wherein the translation module comprises

a first module capable of determining a current system state and whether a user input command comprises a menu related action or a direct device action,

a second module capable of determining whether the menu related action is a menu display action, a menu navigate action or a menu device action, and

a third module capable of determining what device connections to make and converting input commands to device control instructions.

39. The control system of claim 38 wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI) displayable on a primary display screen when coupled to the control system.

40. The control system of claim 39 wherein the GUI includes a device selection menu comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to the device to be controlled.

41. The control system of claim 40 wherein the device selection menu comprises a device selection window, a video sink window, and an audio sink window.

42. The control system of claim 41 wherein the device selection menu further comprises a connection sink window.

43. The control system of claim 42 wherein the GUI further comprises a visual recognition system.

44. The control system of claim 43 wherein the visual recognition system comprises a plurality of visual recognition states.

45. The control system of claim 44 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a selected icon state, a current device state, and a disabled state.

46. The control system of claim 45 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of visual recognition states.

47. The control system of claim 44 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a disable state, a selected icon/current device state, a selected icon/not current device state, a not selected icon/not current device state, and a not selected icon/current device state.

48. The control system of claim 47 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators which when combined or presented individually correspond to the plurality of visual recognition states.

49. The control system of claim 38 wherein the third module includes a database comprising a list of devices coupled to the control system.

50. The control system of claim 49 wherein the database includes a list of device connections.

51. The control system of claim 50 wherein the database includes device objects corresponding to each device in the list of devices coupled to the control system and comprising device identification, device type, I/O capabilities and device control information.

52. The control system of claim 51 wherein the device objects further include device control module interfacing information.

53. The control system of claim 52 wherein the database includes device interconnect objects corresponding to each connection port of each device listed in the list of devices coupled to the control system.

54. The control system of claim 53 wherein the information stored in the device interconnect object includes a port number, content, direction, and type.

55. A control module for a control system controlling a network of devices, comprising

a first module capable of determining a current system state and whether a user input command comprises a menu related action or a direct device action,

a second module capable of determining whether the menu related action is a menu display action, a menu navigate action or a menu device action, and

a third module capable of determining what device connections to make and converting input commands to device control instructions.

56. The control module of claim 55 wherein the second module includes a graphical user interface (GUI) displayable on a display screen.

57. The control module of claim 56 wherein the GUI includes a device selection menu comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to devices to be controlled.

58. The control module of claim 57 wherein the device selection menu comprises a device selection window, a video sink window, and an audio sink window.

59. The control module of claim 58 wherein the device selection menu further comprises a connection sink window.

60. The control module of claim 59 wherein the GUI further comprises a visual recognition system.

61. The control module of claim 60 wherein the visual recognition system comprises a plurality of visual recognition states.

62. The control module of claim 61 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a selected icon state, a current device state, and a disabled state.

63. The control module of claim 62 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of visual recognition states.

64. The control module of claim 63 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a disable state, a selected icon/current device state, a selected icon/not current device state, a not selected icon/not current device state, and a not selected icon/current device state.

65. The control module of claim 64 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators which when combined or presented individually correspond to the plurality of visual recognition states.

66. The control module of claim 55 wherein the third module includes a database comprising a list of devices coupled to the control module.

67. The control module of claim 66 wherein the database includes a list of device connections.

68. The control module of claim 67 wherein the database includes device objects corresponding to each device in the list of devices coupled to the control module and comprising device identification, device type, device I/O capabilities and device control information.

69. The control module of claim 68 wherein the database includes device interconnect objects corresponding to each connection port of each device listed in the list of devices coupled to the control module.

70. The control module of claim 69 wherein the information stored in the device interconnect object includes a port number, content, direction, and type.

71. A graphical user interface (GUI) for a control system controlling 1394 and IR controlled devices in a system comprising a mix of 1394 and IR controlled devices, comprising

a device selection menu displayable on a screen and comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to 1394 and IR devices to be controlled, and

a visual recognition system associated with the plurality of icons.

72. The GUI of claim 71 wherein the device selection menu comprises a device selection window, a video sink window, and an audio sink window.

73. The GUI of claim 72 wherein the device selection menu further comprises a connection sink window.

74. The GUI of claim 73 wherein the visual recognition system comprises a plurality of visual recognition states.

75. The GUI of claim 74 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a selected icon state, a current device state, and a disabled state.

76. The GUI of claim 75 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of visual recognition states.

77. The GUI of claim 74 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a disable state, a selected icon/current device state, a selected icon/not current device state, a not selected icon/not current device state, and a not selected icon/current device state.

78. The GUI of claim 77 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators which when combined or presented individually correspond to the plurality of visual recognition states.

79. A graphical user interface (GUI) for a control system controlling a network of devices, comprising

a device selection menu displayable on a screen and comprising a plurality of icons corresponding to devices to be controlled, and

a visual recognition system associated with the plurality of icons.

80. The GUI of claim 79 wherein the device selection menu comprises a device selection window, a video sink window, and an audio sink window.

81. The GUI of claim 80 Wherein the device selection menu further comprises a connection sink window.

82. The GUI of claim 81 wherein the visual recognition system comprises a plurality of visual recognition states.

83. The GUI of claim 82 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a selected icon state, a current device state, and a disabled state.

84. The GUI of claim 83 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of visual recognition states.

85. The GUI of claim 82 wherein the plurality of visual recognition states comprise a disable state, a selected icon/current device state, a selected icon/not current device state, a not selected icon/not current device state, and a not selected icon/current device state.

86. The GUI of claim 85 including primary, secondary, and tertiary visual indicators which when combined or presented individually correspond to the plurality of visual recognition states.