AV device control apparatus

• US 6,765,590 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Koichi, Watahiki, Tomoaki, Ikezaki, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/651,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 345/716, 345/704, 345/719, 345/722, 345/727, 345/731, 345/733, 345/736, 345/737, 345/725, 725/37-61
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An AV device controller for controlling networked devices with a graphical user interface (GUI). An interface section obtains GUI information from a controlled device. A GUI storage section stores the GUI information. A GUI display section displays GUI parts. An input device selects the GUI parts. By selecting a GUI part displayed on the GUI display section with the input device, a predetermined processing assigned to the GUI part is started.

Claims

1. An AV device controller for controlling networked devices with a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

an interface section for obtaining GUI information from a controlled device;

a GUI storage section for storing the GUI information;

a GUI display section for displaying the GUI parts;

input means for selecting the GUI parts; and

a GUI part position storage section capable of freely changing a relative positional relationship among the GUI parts displayed on said display section and of storing the relationship, wherein

a user can customize the GUI,

the GUI parts are GUI controlling parts for controlling the networked devices, and

by selecting a GUI controlling part displayed on said GUI display section with said input means, predetermined processing assigned to the GUI controlling part is started.

2. An AV device controller according to claim 1, wherein said GUI parts are displayed so as not to overlap each other on a screen of said GUI display section for each device.

3. An AV device controller according to claim 2, wherein said screen is divided into areas and the GUI parts of the devices are displayed in the areas so that the GUI parts of one device are displayed in one area.

4. An AV device controller according to claim 3, wherein the GUI parts of one device can be distinguished from the GUI parts of another device by their colors by a user.

5. An AV device controller according to claim 1, wherein when a predetermined GUI part is specified with said input means, the processing corresponding to the GUI part is performed.

6. An AV device controller according to claim 1, wherein said GUI storage means is capable of storing the GUI information so that a plurality of AV devices can be distinguished, and the GUI parts of a plurality of AV devices controlled by said GUI display section can be displayed so as to be intermixed.

7. A medium holding a program and/or data for allowing a computer to perform all or some functions of all or some of said means of the present invention according to claim 6 said medium being processable by a computer.

8. An information aggregate being a program and/or data for allowing a computer to perform all or some functions of all or some of said means of the present invention according to claim 6.

9. An AV device controller for controlling networked devices with a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

an interface section for obtaining GUI information from a controlled device;

a GUI storage section for storing the GUI information;

a GUI display section for displaying the GUI parts; and

input means for selecting the GUI parts,

a GUI part position storage section capable of freely changing a relative positional relationship among the GUI parts displayed on said display section and of storing the relationship, wherein a user can customize the GUI,

wherein by selecting a GUI part displayed on said GUI display section with said input means, predetermined processing assigned to the GUI part is started,

wherein said GUI display section comprises a GUI level setting section for performing zoom-in setting to provide screen display so that the GUI parts are partly enlarged and zoom-out setting to display GUI parts in the whole of the screen, and a GUI position setting section for deciding display positions of the GUI parts of the zoom-in or zoom-out setting corresponding to a display level of the GUI parts.

10. An AV device controller according to claim 9, comprising level selecting means capable of continuously selecting the display level of the GUI parts, and selecting means for selecting display positions of the GUI parts.