USER CONTROL INTERFACE FOR CONVERGENCE AND AUTOMATION SYSTEM

• US 20070241945A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, Inc. (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, LLC (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Inventors: Eichensehr, Eric, MOORER, Seale
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• 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 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A convergence and automation system includes (a) an internet-protocol based (IP) network implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol, (b) a plurality of devices connected to the network, wherein each device is configured to perform at least one service, (c) a server implemented with the WSD protocol, connected to the network and configured to control the devices for converging and automating the services thereof, and (d) at least one client implemented with the WSD protocol, connected to the network and configured to control at least a portion of the services of the devices. One of the server and the at least one client is configured to establish communication with the devices and further configured with a control panel application allowing a user to configure and test the convergence and automation system.

Claims

1. A convergence and automation system, comprising:

an internet-protocol based (IP) network implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol;

a plurality of devices connected to the network, each device being configured to perform at least one service;

a server implemented with the WSD protocol connected to the network and configured to control the devices for converging and automating the services thereof;

at least one client implemented with the WSD protocol connected to the network and configured to control at least a portion of the services of the devices; and

one of the server and the at least one client being configured to establish communication with the devices, and further configured with a control panel application allowing a user to configure and test the convergence and automation system.

3. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said at least one client is selected from the group consisting of television, personal computer, personal data assistant and remote controller.

4. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel application is configured to allow a user to create, edit, save, activate and delete a configuration for the convergence and automation system.

5. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel application is configured to allow a user to add, edit and delete a component of the convergence and automation system.

6. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel application is configured to allow a user to add, edit and delete a zone of the convergence and automation system.

7. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel application is configured to allow a user to add, edit and delete a source of the convergence and automation system.

8. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel application is configured to allow a user to add, discover, edit, delete, control a device of the convergence and automation system.

9. The convergence and automation system of claim 8, wherein said control panel is configured to allow the user to view manufacturer information of the devices.

10. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel is configured to allow a user to add and edit a device control group of the convergence and automation system.

11. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel is configured to allow a user to create, test, edit and delete a script of the convergence and automation system.

12. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel is configured to allow a user to create and edit a trigger of the convergence and automation system.

13. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel is configured to allow a user to create, edit and delete a schedule of the convergence and automation system.

14. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel is configured to allow a user to start, stop and restart the services of the devices.

15. The convergence and automation system of claim 1, wherein said control panel is configured to allow a user to create a template for the convergence and automation system.

2. The convergence and automation system of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from the group consisting of an audio device, video device, intercom device, lighting control device, security device and HVAC device.

16. The convergence and automation system of claim 16, wherein said control panel is configured to allow the user to add the template to a configuration of the convergence and automation system.

17. The convergence and automation system of claim 17, wherein said control panel is configured to allow the user to test the configuration of the convergence and automation system.

18. An article comprising a machine readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a machine to allow a user to configure a convergence and automation system, the convergence and automation system comprising an internet-protocol based network, hardware implemented with a web service for devices (WSD) protocol and software implemented with the WSD protocol and configured to establish communication in the hardware and perform a logging function to record said events and errors.

19. The article of claim 19, wherein said program is a control panel application.