TOUCH SCREEN FOR CONVERGENCE AND AUTOMATION SYSTEM

• US 20070288849A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, Inc. (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, LLC (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Inventors: Moorer, Seale, Eichensehr, Eric, Lehman, Joe, Virgin, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23377 Touch screen, with representation of buttons, machine on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25168 Domotique, access through internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2615 Audio, video, tv, consumer electronics device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An automation system operating in a Web Service for Devices environment includes clients and devices, a network comprising a server configured to be connected to the clients and devices with the web services for devices, and a touch screen device coupled to the network and provided a user interface for controlling the devices. The clients and devices are configured with a web services for devices stack protocol to provide automation-based control and communication between the clients and devices.

Claims

1. A process of operating an automation system in a Web Service environment, comprising steps of:

providing at least one client and at least one device, the at least one client and the at least one device configured with a web services for devices stack protocol;

connecting a network comprising at least one server with the web services for devices to the at least one client and the at least one device;

connecting a touch screen device as another at least one client to the network, the touch screen device implemented with a user interface for controlling the at least one device; and

transmitting automation-based control and communication between the at least one client and at least one device,

wherein the at least one device comprises one of an audio system, a video system, an intercom system, a lighting system, a security system, a link, and a HVAC system.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the at least one client comprises one of a TV, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a game controller.

3. The process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving a user input to the touch screen device through at least one of hotspot arranged on a front surface of a touch screen housing configured to activate a predetermined function upon being touched;

and at least one slider area arranged on an edge portion of the housing configured to provide increasing or decreasing activation of a predetermined function responsive to a sliding touch.

4. The process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of generating audio from the touch screen device with at least one speaker.

5. The process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of at least one of:

receiving IR input to the touch screen device through an IR receiver; and

sensing light in the touch screen device with a photocell sensor.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the web services for devices stack protocol comprises:

a services tier that provides communication via at least one of HTTP and UDP wherein the communication via HTTP and UDP comprises information contained in SOAP packets; and

a logical interface with the at least one client, and the web services for devices stack protocol comprises a web service for each at least one device,

wherein the web services for devices stack protocol comprises a service provider configured as a generic host for web services.

7. The process according to claim 1 wherein the web services for devices stack protocol further comprises one of a component configured to host multiple services, and a controller configured to communicate with the at least one device and wherein the web services for devices stack protocol further comprises a device bridge configured to translate commands for the devices.

8. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therewith, which, when executed by a processor cause the processor to establish an automation system in a Web Service environment, the machine-reachable medium comprising:

instructions for providing automation-based control and communication between at least one client and at least one device, the at least one client and the at least one device configured with a web services for devices stack protocol configured to the at least one client and at least one device;

instructions for configuring a network comprising at least one server to be connected to the at least one client and the at least one device with the web services for devices; and

instructions for coupling a touch screen device as another at least one client to the network and configured to provide the touch screen device coupled thereto with a user interface for controlling the devices,

wherein the at least one device comprises an audio system, a video system, an intercom system, a lighting system, a security system, a link, and a HVAC system.

9. The machine-readable medium according to claim 8 wherein the at least one client further comprises one of a TV, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a game controller.

10. The machine-readable medium according to claim 8 further comprising instructions for generating audio from the touch screen device with at least one speaker.

11. The machine-readable medium according to claim 8 further comprising instructions for receiving IR input to the touch screen device through an IR receiver.

12. The machine-readable medium according to claim 8 further comprising instructions for sensing light in the touch screen device with a photocell sensor.

13. The machine-readable medium according to claim 8 wherein the web services for devices stack protocol comprises:

a services tier that provides communication via at least one of HTTP and UDP wherein the communication via HTTP and UDP comprises information contained in SOAP packets; and

a logical interface with the at least one client, and the web services for devices stack protocol comprises a web service for each at least one device.

14. The machine-readable medium according to claim 8 wherein the controller is configured to send feedback from the at least one device to the at least one client.

15. An automation system operating in a Web Service for Devices environment, comprising:

at least one client and at least one device, the at least one client and the at least one device configured with a web services for devices stack protocol configured to provide automation-based control and communication between the at least one client and at least one device;

a network comprising at least one server configured to be connected to the at least one client and the at least one device with the web services for devices; and

a touch screen device coupled to the network as another at least one client to provide a user interface to control the at least one device,

wherein the at least one client further comprises one of a TV, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a game controller and the at least one device comprises an audio system, a video system, an intercom system, a lighting system, a security system, a link, and a HVAC system.

16. The automation system of claim 15, wherein the touch screen device comprises:

a display panel;

a housing holding the display panel; and

a rear compartment arranged on a rear surface of the display panel and containing components for driving the display panel.

17. The automation system of claim 15, wherein the housing comprising:

at least one hotspot arranged on a front surface of the housing configured to activate a predetermined function upon being pushed; and

at least one slider area arranged on an edge portion of the housing configured to provide increasing or decreasing activation of a predetermined function.

18. The automation system of claim 15, wherein the touch screen device further comprises at least one speaker.

19. The automation system of claim 15, wherein the touch screen device further comprises an IR receiver.

20. The automation system of claim 15, wherein the touch screen device further comprises a photocell sensor.