Method and system for selectively interdependent control of devices
First Claim
1. A method of providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices, the method performed by a computer and comprising the steps of:
- providing the user with a choice of devices that can be selected to depend on each other, each device having a status;
obtaining from the user an identification of a first device and a second device and an indication that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device;
obtaining from the user a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device;
using the computer, determining whether the status of the first device has changed;
using the computer, updating the status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of the second device based on the changed status of tile first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and
using the computer, controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer method and system for providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices. The devices include lamps, video cameras, motion detectors, and so forth. An identification of a first device and a second device is obtained from the user. A definition of a dependency relationship is then obtained from the user wherein the second device has a status which depends on a status of the first device. The status of the first device is continually monitored. When the status of the first device changes, the status of the second device is updated in accordance with the dependency relationship defined by the user. The second device is then activated or deactivated based on the updated status of the second device. Any number of devices are controlled in this fashion.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices, the method performed by a computer and comprising the steps of:
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providing the user with a choice of devices that can be selected to depend on each other, each device having a status; obtaining from the user an identification of a first device and a second device and an indication that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; obtaining from the user a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; using the computer, determining whether the status of the first device has changed; using the computer, updating the status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of the second device based on the changed status of tile first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and using the computer, controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 21, 22)
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13. A computer system for user-selected interdependent control of devices, the computer system comprising:
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means providing the user with a choice of devices that can be associated with each other; means for obtaining from the user an identification of a first device and a second device and an indication that a status of the second device depends on a status of the first device; means for obtaining from the user a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; means for storing the status of the first device and the status of the second device; means for determining whether the stored status of the first device has changed; means for updating the stored status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of the second device based on the changed status of the first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and means for controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer system for user-selected interdependent control of devices, the computer system comprising:
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a receiver; a transmitter; a computer connected to the receiver and the transmitter, the computer including; a graphical user interface provided to the user for selection of a first device and a second device, the first and second devices each having a status, the graphical user interface, including; means for obtaining an indication of a first graphic object from the user, the first graphic object corresponding to the first device and being displayed on a display of the graphic user interface; means for obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user, the second graphic object corresponding to the second device and being displayed on the display; and means for obtaining an indication that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; and means for updating the status of the second device, when the receiver sends a signal to the computer indicating that the status of the first device has changed, by providing the updated status to the transmitter which sends a corresponding signal to the second device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 23)
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24. A method of providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices, the method performed by a computer and comprising:
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providing the user with a choice of devices that can be selected to depend on each other, each device having a status; providing a graphical user interface that includes a display that displays graphic objects corresponding to the devices; obtaining an indication of a first graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the first graphic object corresponding to a first device having a status; obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the second graphic object corresponding to a second device having a status; obtaining from the user an indication that the status of second device depends on the status of the first device and a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; using the computer, determining whether the status of the first device has changed; using the computer, updating the status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of tile second device based on the changed status of the first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and
using the computer, controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification