CONTROL METHOD FOR INFORMATION APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20140232273A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: SASAKI, Takamitsu, TAHARA, Kohei
• Granted Patent: US 9,112,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A control method according to the present disclosure causes a computer of an information apparatus to: display a display screen representing a floor plan for one floor including at least two or more rooms; display device icons representing the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan, an illumination icon representing an illumination device being used in common in one or more rooms included in the floor plan; and output to the network a first control command, when selection of the illumination icon is sensed, and when selection of any region within a first room among the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan is sensed after the selection of the illumination icon is sensed, the first control command controlling on/off of power for an illumination device corresponding to the first room in which the selection is sensed.

Claims

1. A control method for an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, one or more target devices being controlled over the network, the control method causing a computer of the information apparatus to:

display a display screen on the display, the display screen representing a floor plan for one floor including at least two or more rooms;

display device icons representing the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan, an illumination icon representing an illumination device among the one or more target devices being used in common in one or more rooms included in the floor plan; and

output to the network a first control command, when selection of the illumination icon is sensed, and when selection of any region within a first room among the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan is sensed after the selection of the illumination icon is sensed, the first control command controlling on/off of power for an illumination device corresponding to the first room in which the selection is sensed.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

when power for the illumination device is turned on, a region on the display screen corresponding to the first room, in which the selection is sensed, is displayed brightly with not less than specific brightness, and when power for the illumination device is turned off, the region on the display screen corresponding to the first room, in which the selection is sensed, is displayed darkly with less than the specific brightness.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

an on/off control command is output to the network, when selection of any region within a second room among the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan is sensed after selection of any region within the first room among the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan is sensed, the on/off control command controlling on/off of power for an illumination device corresponding to the second room in which the selection is sensed.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the illumination icon is initially displayed outside a region of the floor plan represented by the display screen.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

when selection of the illumination icon is sensed, the device icons representing the one or more target devices are moved out of a display region of the display screen representing the floor plan.

6. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the display is a touch panel display, and

sensing of the selection of the illumination icon, or sensing of the selection of any region within the room in which selection of the illumination icon is sensed, is performed by sensing a contact with the touch panel display.

7. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

sensing of the selection of the illumination icon, or sensing of the selection of any region within the room in which selection of the illumination icon is sensed, is performed by sensing a click with a mouse pointer.

8. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the display is a touch panel display, and

a second control command is output to the network, when continuous movement of a contact with the display on the display screen is sensed within the room in which selection of any region is sensed, the second control command varying a light quantity of the illumination device in accordance with an amount of the movement.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein

when continuous movement of the contact with the display is sensed, the continuous movement from inside of a region of the room to out of the region of the room, the second control command corresponding to the amount of the continuous movement including an amount of the movement out of the region of the room is output to the network.

10. The control method according to claim 8, wherein

the second control command causes the light quantity of the illumination device to increase as the amount of the continuous movement is larger.

11. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the display is a touch panel display, and

a second control command is output to the network, when continuous movement of a contact with the display on the display screen is sensed within a room in which selection of any region is sensed, the second control command varying a light quantity of the illumination device in accordance with a direction of the movement.

12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein

in a case where continuous movement of the contact with the display is sensed, the continuous movement from inside of a region of the room to out of the region of the room, the second control command corresponding to the direction of the continuous movement including a direction of the movement out of the region of the room is output to the network.

13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein

the second control command causes the light quantity of the illumination device to increase, in a case where the direction of the movement is upward on the display screen.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein

the second control command causes the light quantity of the illumination device to decrease, in a case where the direction of the movement is downward on the display screen.

15. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the display is a touch panel display,

an adjustment screen is displayed when a display size of a region corresponding to a room in which any region is selected is smaller than a predetermined display size, the adjustment screen being for adjusting a light quantity of the illumination device corresponding to the room in which any region is selected, and

a second control command is output to the network, when movement of a contact with the display on the adjustment screen is sensed, the second control command varying the light quantity of the illumination device in accordance with an amount of the movement.

16. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

the display is a touch panel display,

an adjustment screen is displayed when a display size of a region corresponding to a room in which any region is selected is smaller than a predetermined display size, the adjustment screen being for adjusting a light quantity of the illumination device corresponding to the room in which any region is selected, and

a second control command is output to the network, when movement of a contact with the display on the adjustment screen is sensed, the second control command varying the light quantity of the illumination device in accordance with a direction of the movement.

17. The control method according to claim 15, wherein

the adjustment screen has a display size larger than the display size of the region corresponding to the room in which any region is selected.

18. The control method according to claim 1, wherein

a control screen is displayed on the display screen representing the floor plan, when selection of a device icon representing a target device other than the illumination device among the one or more target devices is sensed, the control screen being for operating, or confirming a state of, the target device corresponding to the selected device icon.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a program to be executed by an information apparatus having a display and being connected to a network, one or more target devices being controlled over the network, the program causing a computer of the information apparatus to:

display a display screen on the display, the display screen representing a floor plan for one floor including at least two or more rooms;

display device icons representing the one or more target devices on the display screen representing the floor plan, an illumination icon representing an illumination device among the one or more target devices being used in common in one or more rooms included in the floor plan; and

output to the network a first control command, when selection of the illumination icon is sensed, and when selection of any region within a first room among the at least two or more rooms included in the floor plan is sensed after the selection of the illumination icon is sensed, the first control command controlling on/off of power for an illumination device corresponding to the first room in which the selection is sensed.