Control property is mapped modally compatible GUI element

• US 6,434,447 B1
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adrea LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Shteyn, Yevgeniy Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/165,682
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/246, 709/220, 709/230, 709/238, 709/331, 709/321, 709/209, 709/204, 710/72, 710/8, 710/10, 710/3, 710/9, 710/104
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

An information processing system has an electronic device and a controller for control of a functionality of the device. An abstract representation of the functionality is provided to the controller. The abstract representation exposes a modality of controlling the functionality. The controller enables controlling the functionality through interaction with the abstract representation. The modality controls associating the control of the functionality with a modally compatible controlling capability of the controller. The modality exposed can be, for example, “Boolean”, “float”, “integer array”.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising an electronic device and a controller for control of a functionality of the device, wherein:

an abstract representation of the functionality is provided to the controller;

the abstract representation exposes a modality of controlling the functionality;

the controller enables controlling the functionality through interaction with the abstract representation; and

the modality determines associating the control of the functionality with a modally compatible controlling capability of the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the modality is specified as semantically a Boolean.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the modality is specified as semantically a set of discrete values.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the modality is specified as semantically a range of floating-point values.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the modality is specified as semantically an array.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the modality is specified as semantically another abstract representation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controlling capability is accommodated in a GUI.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising a home automation network.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising a HAVi-based network.

10. A method of enabling control of a functionality of an electronic device via a controller for control of the functionality, the method comprising:

enabling providing an abstract representation of the functionality to the controller;

enabling the abstract representation to expose a modality of controlling the functionality for enabling the controller to control the functionality through interaction with the abstract representation; and

under control of the modality exposed enabling associating the control of the functionality with a modally compatible controlling capability of the controller.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface element on a graphical user interface, the element corresponding to the modally compatible controlling capability of the controller; and

,

enabling a user to interact with the element to control the functionality.

12. An electronic device for use with a controller for control of a controllable functionality of the device, wherein:

the device comprises an abstract representation of the functionality for enabling the controller to control the functionality through interaction with the abstract representation;

the abstract representation allows exposing a modality of controlling the functionality to the controller;

the modality controls associating the control of the functionality with a modally compatible controlling capability of the controller.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the modality is specified as semantically a Boolean.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the modality is specified semantically a set of discrete values.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the modality is specified as semantically a range of floating-point values.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the modality is specified as semantically an array.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the modality is specified as semantically another abstract representation.