METHOD OF OPERATING A HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEM

• US 20100145485A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: DUCHENE, Isabelle, Marais, Luc, Loiseau, Jean-Noël
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23156 Show upper, lower value, position with upper, lower segment of 7-segment display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

Method of operating a home automation system comprising:

• • at least one home automation equipment item of a building, the home automation equipment item being associated with a specific equipment control means,
  • a device for controlling this home automation equipment item, comprising a display and control screen on which a portion of the screen is assigned to the display of a first graphic representation, associated with this equipment item, the control device being separate from the specific control means,
    which system comprises a step for setting at least one value of a parameter of the home automation equipment item involved in the definition of a scenario, this setting step being able to be both implemented by action on the specific control means so as to cause a phase for modification of the state of the home automation equipment item and by action on the control device so as to cause a phase for modification of the appearance of the first graphic representation of the home automation equipment item.

Claims

1. Method of operating a home automation system comprising :

at least one home automation equipment item (1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a) of a building, the home automation equipment item being associated with a specific equipment control means (10, 20a, 20b, 20c, 30a, 30b, 40, 50),

a device (60;

100) for controlling this home automation equipment item, comprising a display and control screen (101) on which a portion of the screen is assigned to the display of a first graphic representation, associated with this equipment item, the control device being separate from the specific control means,

which method comprises a step for setting at least one value of a parameter of the home automation equipment item involved in the definition of a scenario, the setting being the desired setting on a subsequent execution of the scenario, this setting step being able to be implemented both by action on the specific control means so as to cause a phase for modification of the state of the home automation equipment item and by action on the control device so as to cause a phase for modification of the appearance of the first graphic representation of the home automation equipment item.

2. Operating method according to claim 1, which comprises, following the setting step, a step for saving the at least one parameter value in a scenario memory.

3. Operating method according to claim 1, wherein the phase for modification of the appearance of the graphic representation of the home automation equipment item comprises:

a selection of a second graphic representation, such as an equipment icon, the selection of the second graphic representation causing the display on the screen of the first graphic representation of the equipment item comprising a means of transforming the representation,

an action on the transformation means modifying the first representation representative of the value of the parameter.

4. Operating method according to claim 1, wherein a validation of the modification of the appearance of the first graphic representation of the home automation equipment item results in the instantaneous modification of the state of the home automation equipment item, in accordance with the modified appearance.

5. Operating method according to claim 1, wherein a validation of the modification of the appearance of the first graphic representation of the home automation equipment item does not result in any instantaneous modification of the state of the home automation equipment item.

6. Operating method according to claim 1, which is repeated on all the home automation equipment items involved in the scenario.

7. Operating method according to claim 6, which comprises a scanning phase including a request step (902, 903) sent by the control device to the at least one equipment item for the at least one equipment item to reply with information on its state and a step (901) for the detection of the transmission of control commands or control command execution information, the request step being early (903) when the result of the detection step is positive, the scanning phase making it possible to update the first graphic representation.

8. Home automation system comprising:

at least one home automation equipment item (1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a) of a building, the home automation equipment being provided with an equipment control means (10, 20a, 20b, 20c, 30a, 30b, 40, 50),

a device (60;

100) for controlling this home automation equipment item, comprising a display and control screen (101) on which a portion of the screen is assigned to the display of a first graphic representation, symbolizing this equipment item, the control device being separate from the control means,

which system comprises hardware and/or software means for implementing the operating method according to claim 1.

9. Home automation system according to claim 8, wherein the hardware means comprise a means of selecting a second graphic representation, such as an equipment icon, able to cause the display on the screen of the first representation of the moving product driven by the home automation equipment item and a means of transforming the first graphic representation.

10. Home automation system according to claim 8, wherein the control device and/or the home automation equipment item and/or the control means comprises bidirectional communication means.

11. Computer program comprising a computer program code means suitable for implementing the steps of the operating method according to claim 1, when the program is run on a computer.