CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20160330040A1
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KANG, Kwang Seok, HO, Hyun Cheol, JEON, Ji Hyun, CHANG, Hye Jung, SHIN, Young Sun, SEO, Sun Young, YOON, Ji Yoon, HONG, Eun Kyung, YUN, So Young
• Granted Patent: US 10,608,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control device for controlling an operation of at least one electric device. The control device includes a user interface unit configured to display a first screen having an icon corresponding to the at least one electric device and a state window of the at least one electric device, and receive an operation command for the at least one electric device; and a control unit configured to, when an icon of any one electric device is selected, perform control such that a control screen for controlling the selected any one electric device is displayed on the user interface, and when a state window of any one electric device is selected, perform control such that a current operation of the selected any one electric device is switched. It is possible to allow easy identification by utilizing icons to display a plurality of home electric devices and it is also possible to check operation states of the home electric devices by utilizing speech bubbles to display the operation states of the electric devices in the vicinity of the icons.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling an operation of at least one electric device, the control device comprising:

a user interface unit configured to display a first screen having an icon corresponding to the at least one electric device and a state window of the at least one electric device, and receive an operation command for the at least one electric device; and

a control unit configured to, when an icon of any one electric device is selected, perform control such that a control screen for controlling the selected electric device is displayed on the user interface unit, and when a state window of the any one electric device is selected, perform control such that a current operation of the any one electric device is switched.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the state window includes a speech bubble in which an operation state of the any one electric device changes in response to a touch input.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein the state window includes a sliding switch in which an operation state of the any one electric device changes in response to a sliding touch input.

4. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store information of the at least one electric device and an app for monitoring and controlling the at least one electric device.

5. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with the at least one electric device.

6. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with another control device,

wherein the control unit controls an operation of the at least one electric device based on an operation command transmitted by the other control device.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit recognizes an electric device from an image acquired through a camera, and performs control such that a control screen for controlling the recognized electric device is displayed.

8. The control device of claim 7, wherein the control unit performs control such that the control screen is displayed to overlap the acquired image.

9. The control device of claim 1, wherein,

the first screen includes an overview unit on which the icon and the state window of the at least one electric device are displayed, and

when the icon is selected, the control unit performs control such that a mini control window is displayed to overlap the overview unit.

10. A control method of a control device, the control method comprising:

displaying an icon and a state window of at least one electric window in a first screen displayed on a user interface unit;

when a state window of any one electric device is selected, performing simple control for switching an operation of the selected any one electric device; and

when an icon of any one electric device is selected, displaying a control screen for performing detailed control of the selected any one electric device on the user interface unit.

11. The control method of claim 10, further comprising, when the state window of the electric device is selected in a first display state, switching the selected state window to a second display state.

12. The control method of claim 11, wherein the performing of the simple control of the any one electric device comprises, when the state window of the any one electric device is touched in the first display state, transmitting an operation command corresponding to the second display state to the any one electric device.

13. The control method of claim 10, further comprising:

when an operation command for at least one electric device is transmitted from an external device, determining whether the operation command is a simple control signal or a detail control signal;

when the operation command is the simple control signal, changing a state window of the at least one electric device and transmitting an operation switching signal corresponding to the changed state window to the at least one electric device; and

when the operation command is the detailed control signal, displaying a control screen for controlling the at least one electric device and transmitting a selected operation control signal to the at least one electric device.

14. The control method of claim 10, further comprising:

acquiring a home image when a camera viewfinder mode is input;

recognizing an electric device from the acquired image;

displaying a control screen for controlling the recognized electric device, and

displaying the control screen over the acquired image.