Method and system for generating a user interface for distributed devices

• US 6,734,879 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William H. Gates
• Original Assignee: William H. Gates
• Inventors: Pyle, Harry S., Hasha, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US10/243,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 345/704, 345/716, 345/717, 345/718, 345/719, 345/727, 345/733, 345/734, 345/736, 345/737, 345/738, 345/739, 345/965, 345/771, 345/773, 700/83
• US Class Current: 715/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A method and system for generating a user interface for controlling software components through a user control point device. The user interface system provides multiple software components that each can provide a user interface component. Each user interface component provides a user interface for the corresponding software component. A user control point component requests each software component to provide its user interface component. The user control point component then displays an indication of each software component. In response to the selection of a software component, the user control point component requests the user interface component for that software component to display its user interface through the control point device. When a user interacts with that user interface, the user interface component notifies the corresponding software component of the interaction.

Claims

1. A user interface system, comprising:

at least one space object including a list of spatial services corresponding to the space represented by the at least one space object;

at least one spatial service object representing at least one behavior associated with the space represented by the at least one space object; and

a user control point (UCP) object including a space resource user control (RUC) object for the space having at least one spatial service resource user control (RUC) object, wherein the UCP object refers to a space object of said at least one space object and instantiates a spatial service RUC object for each of said at least one spatial service object, and wherein each spatial service RUC object refers to a corresponding at least one spatial service object, and wherein at least said space object or one of the spatial service objects receives an indication of the type of the UCP device.

2. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein said list of spatial services is null.

3. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein when the UCP object is instantiated according to UCP object instantiation configuration information, the UCP object identifies the space with which it is associated from the configuration information and the UCP object requests and retrieves a tracking reference to the space object corresponding to that space.

4. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein the requesting by the UCP object includes passing an environment parameter, which indicates the type of user control point (UCP) device and the type of UCP RUC object container.

5. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein said space RUC object requests from a space object of said at least one space object the list of spatial services, and in response, said space object transmits said list of spatial services to the space RUC object.

6. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein each spatial service RUC object refers to said corresponding at least one spatial service object as a result of said at least one spatial service object requesting of and receiving from a spatial service object a reference to the at least one spatial service object.

7. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein the behavior is one of controlling a hardware component, controlling a software component and controlling the aggregation of other spatial services.

8. A user interface system according to claim 7, wherein the behavior is one of audio/video behavior, lighting behavior and monitoring behavior.

9. A user interface system according to claim 1, further including at least one user control point (UCP) device, wherein the user interface system instantiates a UCP object for each UCP device.

10. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one space RUC object further includes a space resource user control (RUC) port, whereby the at least one spatial service object interacts with the at least one space RUC object via the space RUC port.

11. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein a user control point device builds a user interface based upon the UCP object and associated spaces for the UCP object, and wherein when a user selects a command from the user interface, the spatial services RUC object corresponding to the selection requests completion of the command by the spatial service object associated with the spatial service RUC object.

12. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein a spatial service RUC object requests of the associated spatial service object that the spatial service object notify the spatial service RUC object of at least one of an event and a value of a property associated with the spatial service object.

13. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein the space RUC object is notified when a spatial service object becomes unavailable and displays that the resource associated with the spatial service object is not available.

14. A user interface system according to claim 13, wherein as a result of the unavailability of the resource, the space RUC object waits for notification that the resource is available and destructs from notification status.