SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED GENERATION OF AUDIO/VIDEO CONTROL INTERFACES

• US 20100318911A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Holladay, Adam, Nelson, Gregory Matthew, George, Spencer Warren, Kreifeldt, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A system for automating generation of an audio/video (AV) control interface includes a computing device having a processor to enable a user, with a user interface of the computing device, to configure the AV system. The processor may enable the user to draw output zones to create a representation of a geographical layout of a venue in which the AV system is located. The processor may enable the user to place transmitting and receiving AV devices within the output zones that substantially represent physical locations thereof within the venue. The processor may enable the user to logically associate receiving AV device channels of receiving AV devices within an output zone. The processor assigns parameters of the associated AV devices to a control interface for user control thereof. To do so, the processor identifies controllable parameters associated with the AV devices associated with the output zone. The processor assigns a data storage structure associated with each respective controllable parameter to the control interface. The processor launches the control interface in an application window having integrated therewith the controllable parameters and a menu selection of a source AV signal.

Claims

1. A method for automating generation of an audio/video (AV) control interface, the method executable on a computing device having a processor and memory, the method comprising:

enabling a user, with a user interface of the computing device on which are executed instructions for configuration of an AV system, to configure the AV system by enabling the user to;

draw a plurality of output zones to create a representation of a geographical layout of a venue in which the AV system is located;

place a plurality of AV devices within the output zones of the geographical layout that substantially represent physical locations thereof within the venue; and

logically associate one or more receiving AV device channels of one or more AV devices within an output zone;

the processor assigning parameters of the associated one or more AV devices to a control interface for user control thereof by;

identifying one or more controllable parameters associated with the one or more AV devices associated with the output zone;

assigning a data storage structure associated with each respective controllable parameter to the control interface; and

launching the control interface in an application window having integrated therewith the controllable parameters and a menu selection of a source AV signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processor:

receiving a selection by the user of the source AV signal to associate with the output zone; and

sending the assigned data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters to corresponding AV devices over a network to thereby remotely control the one or more AV devices with the control interface.

3. The method of claim 2, where the data storage structure comprises data values assigned to a plurality of state variables (SVs), the state variables being associated with the corresponding controllable parameters, where upon receipt of the data storage structure, the AV devices unpack the data storage structure and update associated SVs with the data values.

4. The method of claim 2, where the control interface comprises a hardware controller that is coupled with the network, configured by the processor, and accessible from a physical location in the output zone.

5. The method of claim 4, where the hardware controller includes a plurality of programmable user controls on a touch screen interface and a list of possible presets each with a snapshot of state variables (SVs) selectively configurable by the data storage structure.

6. The method of claim 1, where assigning parameters of the associated one or more AV devices to a control interface further includes the processor:

querying a data storage in the memory for the one or more controllable parameters associated with the one or more associated AV devices; and

receiving from the memory the data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters of the corresponding one or more associated AV devices.

7. The method of claim 1, where assigning parameters of the associated one or more AV devices to a control interface further includes the computing device:

querying the associated one or more AV devices over a network for the one or more controllable parameters that are associated therewith; and

receiving, from the associated one or more AV devices over the network, the data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters associated with the corresponding one or more associated AV devices.

8. The method of claim 1, where the control interface comprises software controls instantiated within the computing device and accessible through a software user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, where the controllable parameters comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of:

a source;

a sound level;

a mute;

an output meter;

and an output zone tuning parameter involving any of a plurality of digital signal processing (DSP) components.

10. The method of claim 1, where the output zone comprises a plurality of rooms and the venue comprises a building, where two or more AV devices are placed in separate rooms of the output zone of the geographical layout.

12. The system of claim 1, where the automated control interface configurator is further configured to:

receive a selection by the user of the source AV signal to associate with the output zone; and

send the assigned data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters to corresponding AV devices over a network to thereby remotely control the one or more AV devices with the control interface.

13. The system of claim 12, where the data storage structure comprises data values assigned to a plurality of state variables (SVs), the state variables being associated with the corresponding controllable parameters, where upon receipt of the data storage structure, the AV devices unpack the data storage structure and update associated SVs with the data values.

14. The system of claim 12, where the control interface comprises a hardware controller that is coupled with the network, configured by the processor, and accessible from a physical location in the output zone of the venue.

15. The system of claim 14, where the hardware controller includes a plurality of programmable user controls on a touch screen interface and a list of possible presets each with a snapshot of state variables (SVs) selectively configurable by the data storage structure.

19. The system of claim 12, where the controllable parameters comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of:

a source;

a sound level;

a mute;

an output meter; and

an output zone tuning parameter involving any of a plurality of digital signal processing (DSP) components.

11. A system for automating generation of an audio/video (AV) control interface comprising:

a computer having a processor and memory;

a user interface coupled with the computer;

where the processor is configured to perform the steps of enabling a user, through the user interface, to pictorially configure the AV system by enabling the user to;

draw a plurality of output zones to create a representation of a geographical layout of a venue in which the AV system is located;

place a plurality of AV devices within the output zones of the geographical layout that substantially represent physical locations thereof within the venue; and

logically associate one or more receiving AV device channels of one or more AV devices within an output zone;

an automated control interface configurator coupled with the processor and configured to assign parameters to a control interface, where the automated control interface configurator;

identifies one or more controllable parameters associated with the one or more AV devices associated with the output zone;

assigns a data storage structure associated with each respective controllable parameter to the control interface; and

launches the control interface in an application window having integrated therewith the controllable parameters and a menu selection of a source AV signal.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a data storage stored in the memory, where to assign controllable parameters to the control interface, the automated control interface configurator is further configured to;

query the data storage for the one or more controllable parameters associated with the one or more AV devices associated with the output zone; and

receive, from the data storage, the control protocol data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters of the corresponding one or more associated AV devices.

17. The system of claim 11, where to assign parameters to the control interface, the automated control interface configurator is further configured to:

query the associated one or more AV devices over the network for the one or more controllable parameters that are associated therewith; and

receive, from the associated one or more AV devices over the network, the data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters associated with the corresponding one or more associated AV devices.

18. The system of claim 11, where the control interface comprises software controls instantiated within the computer and accessible through a software user interface.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for automating generation of an audio/video (AV) control interface executable by a computing device having a processor and memory, the computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions to draw a plurality of output zones to create a representation of a geographical layout of a venue in which the AV system is located in response to signals representative of user inputs through a user interface to form the plurality of output zones;

instructions to place a plurality of transmitting and receiving AV devices within the output zones of the geographical layout that substantially represent physical locations thereof within the venue in response to signals representative of user inputs through the user interface to insert the plurality of transmitting and receiving AV devices in the output zones; and

instructions to logically associate one or more receiving AV device channels of one or more receiving AV devices within an output zone in response to signals representative of user inputs through the user interface to associate the one or more receiving AV devices channels within the output zone;

instructions to direct the processor to assign parameters of the associated one or more AV devices to a control interface for user control thereof, including;

instructions to direct the processor to identify one or more controllable parameters associated with the one or more AV devices associated with the output zone;

instructions to direct the processor to assign a data storage structure associated with each respective controllable parameter to the control interface; and

instructions to direct the processor to launch the control interface in an application window having integrated therewith the controllable parameters and a menu selection of a source AV signal.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions to receive a selection of the source AV signal to associate with the output zone in response to signals representative of user inputs through the user interface to select the source AV signal through the menu selection; and

instructions to direct the processor to send the assigned data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters to corresponding AV devices over a network to thereby remotely control the one or more AV devices with the control interface.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, where the data storage structure comprises data values assigned to a plurality of state variables (SVs), the state variables being associated with the corresponding controllable parameters, where upon receipt of the data storage structure, the AV devices unpack the data storage structure and update associated SVs with the data values.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, where the control interface comprises a hardware controller that is coupled with the network, configured by instructions executed by the processor, and accessible from a physical location in the output zone of the venue.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, where the hardware controller includes a plurality of programmable user controls on a touch screen interface and a list of possible presets each with a snapshot of state variables (SVs) selectively configurable by the data storage structure.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions to direct the processor to query a data storage in the memory for the one or more controllable parameters associated with the one or more associated AV devices; and

instruction to direct the processor to receive from the memory the data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters of the corresponding one or more associated AV devices.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions to direct the processor to query the associated one or more AV devices over a network for the one or more controllable parameters that are associated therewith; and

instructions to direct the processor to receive, from the associated one or more AV devices over the network, the data storage structure for the one or more controllable parameters associated with the corresponding one or more associated AV devices.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, where the control interface comprises software controls instantiated within the computing device and accessible through a software user interface.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, where the controllable parameters comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of:

a source;

a sound level;

a mute;

an output meter; and

an output zone tuning parameter involving any of a plurality of digital signal processing (DSP) components.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, where the output zone comprises a plurality of rooms and the venue comprises a building, where two or more AV devices are placed in separate rooms of the output zone of the geographical layout.