Control Interface for a Home Automation System and Method for Operating Same

• US 20080270937A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Lagarde, Eric, Poulet, Olivier
• Application Number:
  US11/885,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270937A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23323 Select between entry and execution of program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts

Abstract

The control interface (3) can be used to control a system (1) comprising home automation appliances (2a to 2e). It comprises input keys (8, 9) and an information screen (4) and it is noteworthy in that the screen comprises a main area (5) subdivided into cells (6a, 6b), in each of which a symbol can be displayed, the cells being able to be associated with appliances or with groups of appliances and/or associated with appliance control commands. The invention also relates to methods of operating this interface.

Claims

1. A method of operating a control interface for the control of a system comprising home automation appliances, the interface comprising input means and an information screen, the screen comprising a main area subdivided into cells, in each of which a symbol can be displayed, at least some so-called “

assigned”

cells being associated with appliances or with groups of appliances and/or associated with appliance control commands, a so-called “

unassigned”

cell not being associated, the method presenting;

a mode of use intended for the control of the home automation appliances of the system, including a step for selecting a cell comprising moving a cursor over the screen to position it on a so-called “

assigned”

cell associated with an appliance or with a group of appliances to be controlled,

a configuration mode for storing associations between cells and appliances or groups of appliances and/or appliance control commands.

2. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement of the cursor is controlled by actions on input means of the control interface.

3. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step for selecting a cell also comprises a validation phase comprising an action on an input means of the control interface.

4. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, which, in the configuration mode, presents at least the following steps:

selection of an “

unassigned”

cell,

selection of an appliance or a group of appliances and/or one or more control commands,

validation associating the previously selected cell with the appliance or with the group of appliances and/or with the control command or commands previously selected.

5. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a customization mode intended for spatially organizing, in the main area of the screen, the cells associated with appliances or with groups of appliances and/or associated with appliance control commands.

6. The operating method as claimed in claim 5, which, in the customization mode, presents at least the following steps:

selection of a first cell, this cell being assigned,

selection of a second cell, resulting in the association of the second cell with the appliance or with the group of appliances and/or with the control command or commands previously associated with the first cell.

7. The operating method as claimed in claim 6, wherein, in the customization mode, the selection of the second cell results in the disassociation between:

the first cell, and

the appliance or the group of appliances and/or the control command or commands.

8. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the user mode, the nature and the destination of the control command sent are at least partially determined by the selection of the cell or cells and/or by the action on an input means.

9. The operating method as claimed in claim 8, which, in the user mode, comprises selecting two assigned cells, a first cell determining the nature of the control command to be transmitted and a second cell determining the destination of the control command to be transmitted.

10. The operating method as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a schedule programming mode for programming the automatic sending of control commands to appliances at predetermined times and which, in this schedule programming mode, comprises the following steps:

selection of a first cell, this cell being associated with at least one control command and at least one appliance,

selection of a second cell forming part of a spatial succession of cells corresponding to a temporal succession of dates, the selection of this second cell resulting in the association of the second cell with the appliances and control commands associated with the first cell.

11. A control interface for controlling a system comprising home automation appliances, the interface comprising input means and an information screens, wherein the screen comprises a main area subdivided into cells, in each of which a symbol can be displayed, the cells being able to be associated with appliances or with groups of appliances and/or associated with appliance control commands, said interface also comprising hardware means and software means for implementing the operating method as claimed in claim 1.

12. The control interface as claimed in claim 11, wherein the screen comprises at least one auxiliary area for displaying alphanumeric character strings.

13. The control interface as claimed in claim 11, wherein, at least in a schedule programming mode, at least one spatial succession of cells corresponds to a temporal succession of dates.

14. The control interface as claimed in claim 11, wherein the input means are input keys.

15. An installations comprising a control interfaces as claimed in claim 11 and home automation appliances.