CONTROL METHOD FOR INFORMATION APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20150058773A1
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: SASAKI, Takamitsu, NAGATA, Minehisa
• Granted Patent: US 9,851,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A control method according to the present disclosure causes a computer of an information apparatus to: display on the display a display screen representing a floor plan of a building; display on the display screen device icons respectively representing the one or more target devices, the device icons being movable when dragged and including an air purifier icon that represents an air purifier; and when it is sensed that the air purifier icon is selected, and is moved on the floor plan, display an effect range in which an effect of the air purifier extends in a region corresponding to a room in the floor plan where a drop of the air purifier icon is sensed.

Claims

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

the method causing a computer of the information apparatus to:

display on the display a display screen representing a floor plan of a building;

display on the display screen device icons respectively representing the one or more target devices, the device icons being movable when dragged and including an air purifier icon that represents an air purifier; and

when it is sensed that the air purifier icon is selected, and is moved on the floor plan, display an effect range in which an effect of the air purifier extends in a region corresponding to a room in the floor plan where a drop of the air purifier icon is sensed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

when it is sensed that the air purifier icon is dragged from a first region corresponding to a first room in which the air purifier icon was placed in the floor plan and is dropped in a second region corresponding to a second room that differs from the first room, an effect range in which the effect of the air purifier extends is displayed in the second region corresponding to the second room.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

when a first size of the first room differs from a second size of the second room, the effect range in the first region corresponding to the first room differs from the effect range in the second region corresponding to the second room.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

when a selection of the air purifier icon is sensed in the region corresponding to the room in which the drop of the air purifier icon is sensed, a control screen for at least operation or state confirmation of the air purifier corresponding to the selected air purifier icon is displayed.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein

a control command being used for at least the operation or the state confirmation of the air purifier is output to the network based on an operation on the control screen.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein

the effect range changes in accordance with the operation on the control screen.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the display comprises a touch panel display; and

the device icon is moved when a contact of a prescribed object with the touch panel display is sensed at a position corresponding to the device icon and the device icon is dragged.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the display comprises a touch panel display;

the control screen includes an output angle image representing an angle at which the air purifier outputs air; and

when a contact of a prescribed object with the touch panel display is sensed and a movement of the contact in a region corresponding to the output angle image is detected, a display of the angle at which the air is output is changed in the output angle image.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein

the effect range changes in accordance with a change in the angle at which the air purifier outputs air.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the air purifier includes a setting section for setting an amount of air output from the air purifier;

the display comprises a touch panel display; and

when a contact of a prescribed object with the touch panel display is sensed in a region corresponding to the displayed effect range and a continuous movement of the contact is sensed on the display screen, a control command for changing the amount of the air output from the air purifier is output to the network, in accordance with the movement of the contact.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the air purifier includes a setting section for setting an air flow direction of air output from the air purifier;

the display comprises a touch panel display; and

when a contact of a prescribed object with the display is sensed in a region corresponding to the displayed effect range and a continuous movement of the contact is sensed on the display screen, a control command for changing the air flow direction of the air output from the air purifier is output to the network, in accordance with the movement.

12. 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 on the display a display screen representing a floor plan of a building;

display on the display screen device icons respectively representing the one or more target devices, the device icons being movable when dragged and including an air purifier icon that represents an air purifier; and

when it is sensed that the air purifier icon is selected, and is moved on the floor plan, display an effect range in which an effect of the air purifier extends in a region corresponding to a room in the floor plan where a drop of the air purifier icon is sensed.