CONTROL METHOD

• US 20150067528A1
• Filed: 12/25/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• 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: Yoshida, Chikara, Kozuka, Masayuki, Nakano, Toshihisa, Sekibe, Tsutomu, Yamaguchi, Jun, Yamada, Kazushige, Shimizu, Kenji, Takahashi, Masaki, Nishikawa, Yuri, Ohmori, Motoji, Takemura, Hiroyuki, Hosaka, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,318,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/740
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/34 Context aware guidance

Abstract

A control method according to the present disclosure is used in a remote control system including apparatuses and an information terminal that controls at least one of the apparatuses via a network. The control method includes: a step (S2) of displaying, on a user interface region of a display unit of the information terminal, apparatus icons indicating target apparatus candidates among the apparatuses; a step (S3) of obtaining, via the network, (a) apparatus state information related to the apparatuses and (b) sensor information that is a value indicating a spatial environment in which the apparatuses are located; and a step (S4) of (i) determining priorities of the target apparatus candidates based on the apparatus state information and the sensor information, all of which are obtained in the step (S3), and (ii) sorting, according to the determined priorities, the apparatus icons displayed on the user interface region.

Claims

1. A control method used in a remote control system including a plurality of apparatuses and an information terminal that controls at least one of the apparatuses as a target apparatus via a network, the control method comprising:

displaying, on a user interface region of a display unit of the information terminal, apparatus icons indicating target apparatus candidates among the apparatuses;

obtaining, via the network, (a) pieces of apparatus state information related to the apparatuses and (b) sensor information that is a value indicating a spatial environment in which the apparatuses are located;

(i) determining priorities of the target apparatus candidates based on the pieces of the apparatus state information and the sensor information, all of which are obtained in the obtaining, and (ii) sorting, according to the determined priorities, the apparatus icons displayed on the user interface region of the display unit of the information terminal;

generating a control signal for causing, as the target apparatus, an apparatus corresponding to an apparatus icon to perform an operation, when the apparatus icon is selected from the apparatus icons which are sorted; and

transmitting the control signal to the target apparatus via the network.

2. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein the generating of the control signal includes:

displaying, on the user interface region of the display unit of the information terminal, one or more control menus corresponding to the target apparatus corresponding to the apparatus icon which is selected; and

generating the control signal for causing the target apparatus according to a control menu to perform an operation, when the control menu is selected from the one or more control menus displayed on the user interface region of the display unit of the information terminal.

3. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein in the sorting of the apparatus icons,

an apparatus icon indicating an apparatus determined as having a higher priority is displayed on an upper position on a more left or right side of the user interface region of the display unit of the information terminal as viewed by an operator of the information terminal.

4. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein in the determining of the priorities,

based on the pieces of the apparatus state information and the sensor information which are obtained in the obtaining, among the target apparatus candidates, an apparatus offering, when controlled by the information terminal, more comfort in a space where an operator of the information terminal is present is determined to have a higher priority.

5. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein in the determining of the priorities,

based on the pieces of the apparatus state information and the sensor information which are obtained in the obtaining, among the target apparatus candidates, an apparatus in a space where an operator of the information terminal is not present is determined to have a lower priority than an apparatus in a space where the operator of the information terminal is present.

6. The control method according to claim 1,

wherein in the determining of the priorities,

based on the pieces of the apparatus state information and the sensor information which are obtained in the obtaining, among the target apparatus candidates, an apparatus that is currently powered OFF is determined to have a lower priority than an apparatus that is currently powered ON.