USER TERMINAL AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, CONTROL DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND CONTROL SYSTEM OF CONTROLLED DEVICE

• US 20140380234A1
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SHIM, Jung-hyun, LEE, Seung-uk
• Granted Patent: US 9,857,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices

Abstract

A user terminal and a driving method thereof, a control device and a driving method thereof, and a control system of a controlled device are provided. The user terminal includes: a communication interface configured to communicate with a plurality of controlled devices which are operated based on individually set setting values; a user interface configured to receive an adjustment value for collectively controlling the plurality of controlled devices as a group; and a controller configured to individually adjust each of the setting values based on a ratio which relates to the received adjustment value, and to control the plurality of controlled devices based on the adjusted setting values.

Claims

1. A user terminal comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with each of a plurality of controlled devices which are operated based on respective individually set setting values;

a user interface configured to receive an adjustment value for collectively controlling the plurality of controlled devices as a group; and

a controller configured to individually adjust each of the setting values based on a ratio which relates to the received adjustment value, and to control the plurality of controlled devices based on the adjusted setting values.

2. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an average value based on the setting values, to calculate at least one from among a ratio of the received adjustment value to the calculated average value and a ratio of the received adjustment value to a value which is obtainable by subtracting the calculated average value from a maximum setting value, and to individually adjust each of the setting values based on the calculated at least one ratio.

3. The user terminal of claim 2, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a user interface (UI) window which displays the plurality of controlled devices as a group and displays a collective control object which is usable for collectively controlling operations of the controlled devices, and

wherein, when the displayed collective control object is adjusted by a user manipulation, the controller is further configured to determine the adjustment value based on an adjustment status of the collective control object.

4. The user terminal of claim 3, wherein the UI window additionally displays an individual control object which is usable for individually controlling one device from among the plurality of controlled devices, and

wherein, when a lock is set for the displayed individual control object, the controller is further configured to not adjust the setting value of the one device which corresponds to the individual control object for which the lock is set.

5. The user terminal of claim 4, wherein, when the collective control object is adjusted to a minimum, the controller is further configured to adjust each of the setting values to a respective minimum, and when the collective control object is adjusted to a maximum, the controller is further configured to adjust each of the setting values to a respective maximum, and

wherein, when a user reset request is received, the controller is further configured to reset each of the setting values which have been adjusted to at least one from among the respective minimum and the respective maximum to the corresponding setting values which had been set prior to being adjusted.

6. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein when each of the setting values has a same value, the controller is further configured to adjust each of the setting values based on an absolute value of the adjustment value.

7. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to additionally adjust each of the setting values based on a result of sensing a respective environmental quality of each individual one of the plurality of controlled devices.

8. The user terminal of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of controlled devices comprises at least one from among a lighting device, a sound device, a blind device, and a temperature control device, and

wherein each of the setting values comprises at least one from among a target dimming value, a target volume, a blind adjustment status, and a target temperature.

9. A control device comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with each of a plurality of controlled devices which are operated based on respective individually set setting values, and with a user terminal; and

a controller configured to, when an adjustment value for collectively controlling the plurality of controlled devices as a group is received from the user terminal, individually adjust each of the setting values based on a ratio which relates to the received adjustment value, and to control the plurality of controlled devices based on the adjusted setting values.

10. The control device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate an average value based on the setting values, to calculate at least one from among a ratio of the received adjustment value to the calculated average value and a ratio of the received adjustment value to a value which is obtainable by subtracting the calculated average value from a maximum setting value, and to individually adjust each of the setting values based on the calculated at least one ratio.

11. The control device of claim 10, wherein the user terminal is configured to display a user interface (UI) window which displays the plurality of controlled devices as a group and displays a collective control object which is usable for collectively controlling operations of the controlled devices, and

wherein, in response to the displayed collective control object being adjusted by a user manipulation, the controller is further configured to determine the adjustment value based on an adjustment status of the collective control object.

12. The control device of claim 11, wherein the UI window additionally displays an individual control object which is usable for individually controlling one device from among the plurality of controlled devices, and

wherein, in response to a lock being set for the displayed individual control object, the controller is further configured to not adjust the setting value of the one device which corresponds to the individual control object for which the lock is set.

13. The control device of claim 12, wherein, in response to the collective control object being adjusted to a minimum by the user manipulation, the controller is further configured to adjust each of the setting values to a respective minimum, and in response to the collective control object being adjusted to a maximum by the user manipulation, the controller is further configured to adjust each of the setting values to a respective maximum, and

wherein, in response to a user reset request, the controller is further configured to reset each of the setting values which have been adjusted to at least one from among the respective minimum and the respective maximum to the corresponding setting values which had been set prior to being adjusted.

14. The control device of claim 9, wherein, in response to each of the setting values having a same value, the controller is further configured to adjust each of the setting values based on an absolute value of the adjustment value.

15. The control device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to additionally adjust each of the setting values based on a result of sensing a respective environmental quality of each individual one of the plurality of controlled devices.

16. The control device of claim 9, wherein each one of the plurality of controlled devices comprises at least one from among a lighting device, a sound device, a blind device, and a temperature control device, and

wherein each of the setting values comprises at least one from among a target dimming value, a target volume, a blind adjustment status, and a target temperature.

17. A driving method which is executable by a user terminal for collectively controlling a plurality of controlled devices which are set as a group, the method comprising:

displaying an individual control object via which respective setting values for each of the plurality of controlled devices are individually set;

displaying a collective control object which indicates an average value of the respective setting values of the plurality of controlled devices; and

when the displayed collective control object is adjusted based on an adjustment value which is received by the user terminal, adjusting the displayed individual control object based on an adjustment ratio which relates to the collective control object.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the adjustment ratio includes at least one from among a ratio of the adjustment value to an average value which is calculated based on the respective setting values and a ratio of the adjustment value to a value which is obtainable by subtracting the calculated average value from a maximum setting value.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the adjusting the individual control object comprises, in response to each of the respective setting values of the plurality of controlled devices having a same value, adjusting the individual control object based on an absolute value of the adjustment value.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the adjusting the individual control object comprises additionally adjusting the individual control object based on a result of sensing a respective environmental quality of each individual one of the plurality of controlled devices.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising setting a lock for the individual control object, and

wherein the adjusting the individual control object comprises refraining from adjusting the individual control object for which the lock is set.

22. A driving method which is executable by a control device for controlling a plurality of controlled devices, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user terminal, an adjustment value for collectively controlling the plurality of controlled devices as a group;

individually adjusting each of a plurality of setting values which are individually set for a respective one of the plurality of controlled devices based on a ratio which relates to the received adjustment value; and

controlling the plurality of controlled devices based on the adjusted setting values.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the individually adjusting comprises calculating an average value based on the plurality of setting values, calculating at least one from among a ratio of the received adjustment value to the calculated average value and a ratio of the received adjustment value to a value which is obtainable by subtracting the calculated average value from a maximum setting value, and individually adjusting each of the plurality of setting values based on the calculated at least one ratio.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising, in response to the adjustment value being received from the user terminal, determining whether each of the plurality of setting values has a same value,

wherein the controlling the plurality of controlled devices comprises, in response to a determination that each of the plurality of setting values has a same value, adjusting each of the plurality of setting values based on an absolute value of the received adjustment value.

25. A control system of a first controlled device, comprising:

a plurality of controlled devices configured to operate based on individually set setting values; and

a controller configured to, when an adjustment value for collectively controlling the plurality of collected devices as a group is received from a user terminal, individually adjust each of the setting values based on a ratio which relates to the received adjustment value, and to control the plurality of controlled devices based on the adjusted setting values.