Graphical user interface for an appliance network

• US 20050108286A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kuki, Hikaru
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A graphical user interface is disclosed for use with an appliance network. To improve understanding of the network, the interface includes a metaphorical representation of a connected appliance that is animated to metaphorically simulate an activity related to the appliance.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. A data processing network comprising:

(a) an appliance including a display and a computer readable instruction describing a sequence of events for an animated metaphorical representation of said appliance; and

(b) a visual agent server in communication with said appliance and controlling execution of said sequence of events in response to an input from a user of said appliance.

14. (original). The network of claim 13 wherein said visual agent sever comprises:

(a) an agent state database including a current status of said metaphorical representation of said appliance; and

(b) an agent state manager directing said appliance to animate said metaphorical representation in response to an input by a user of said appliance, receiving a response from said appliance, and updating a state of said metaphorical representation in said agent state database.

15. The network of claim 14 wherein said visual agent server further comprises an agent applet database storing at least one computer readable instruction describing a behavior of an animated metaphorical representation of an appliance.

16. A data processing network comprising:

(a) an appliance including a display and an input device;

(b) a computer readable instruction including a representation of said appliance, said representation including an animated metaphorical simulation of an activity of said appliance selectable by an input of a user of said appliance; and

(c) a visual agent server in communication with said appliance, said visual agent server receiving a user input from said input device, directing said appliance to display said animated representation of said appliance, receiving a response from said appliance, and recording a state of said animated representation of said appliance.

17. The network of claim 16 wherein said visual agent server further comprises an agent applet database including at least said computer readable instruction describing a behavior of said animated metaphorical representation of said appliance.

18. The network of claim 16 wherein said computer readable instruction describing said behavior of said animated metaphorical representation of said appliance causes display of an animated simulation of a journey of said representation of said appliance to a second appliance.

19. The network of claim 16 wherein said computer readable instruction describing said behavior of said animated metaphorical representation of said appliance causes display of an animated simulation of a journey of said representation of said appliance to a web page.