SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HOME AUTOMATION SCENE CONTROL

• US 20150082225A1
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shearer, Wade
• Granted Patent: US 10,025,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for providing a graphical user interface suitable for viewing and modifying home automation, home security, and/or energy management devices. In some embodiments, the graphical user interface may include a scene selection list displaying multiple selectable items representing various scenes. In certain instances, control and monitoring of one or more devices may at least be accessed through a transitory user interface element such as, for example, a drawer control, a pullable view, or the like. Multiple device states may be set in accordance with a scene definition associated with a selectable list item in a scene selection list displayed in the transitory user interface element. The contents of the scene selection, in certain embodiments, may be determined in part based on a detected application context, user context, or both.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface produced by an application program operating on a computing device having a display, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

a transitory user interface element;

a displayable scene selection list comprising a plurality of selectable items wherein;

one or more selectable items represent a scene;

the displayable scene selection list is displayable in the transitory user interface element;

the one or more selectable items are configured to activate a represented scene;

a first selectable item is associated with one or more property automation device settings; and

a second selectable item is associated with one or more security system device settings.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the transitory user interface element is a drawer control.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the transitory user interface element is a pullable view control.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a pullable view control at least accessible from the transitory user interface element, wherein a summary list is displayed in the pullable view control.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein inclusion of one or more selectable items in the displayable scene selection list is based, at least in part, on a current application context.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein inclusion of one or more selectable items in the displayable scene selection list is based, at least in part, on user location.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein at least one selectable scene is associated with an energy management device setting.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a scene summary view directly accessible from the transitory user interface element.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a portable electronic device with a touch screen display.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with a standard scene; and

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with a custom scene.

11. A graphical user interface produced by an application program operating on a computing device having a display, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

a transitory user interface element;

a displayable security activation state indicator; and

a scene selection list comprising a plurality of selectable items wherein;

the displayable security activation state indicator is displayed coincident with the transitory user interface element;

at least a portion of the scene selection list is displayed within an area defined by the transitory user interface element;

one or more selectable items are configured to activate a represented scene; and

at least one selectable item is associated with one or more property automation device settings.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the transitory user interface element is a drawer control.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein:

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with a standard scene; and

at least one of the one or more selectable items is associated with a custom scene.

14. A computer-implemented home automation display method comprising in combination:

determining a current context;

retrieving a pre-defined list of context-associated scenes from a memory;

determining if the current context corresponds to one or more context associated scenes in the pre-defined list;

generating a list of scenes based at least in part on determining if the current context corresponds to one or more of the context associated scenes in the pre-defined list; and

displaying the list of scenes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the list of scenes further comprises displaying the list of scenes in a transitory user interface element.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the list of scenes further comprises one or more selectable items configured to activate a represented scene.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more selectable items further comprise:

a first selectable item associated with one or more property automation device settings; and

a second selectable item is associated with one or more security system device setting.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transitory user interface element is a drawer control.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the drawer control comprises one of a horizontal drawer control and a vertical drawer control.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the transitory user interface element is a pullable view control.