System for controlling a parameter

• US 6,983,445 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van De Sluis, Bartel Marinus, Youdenko, Konstantin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHRADER, LAWRENCE J
• Application Number:
  US09/885,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 717110-113, 3454402-443, 345763-764, 345863-864, 345/173, 382200-204, 715/764, 715/864
• US Class Current: 717/111
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23197 Curve entered with pen on touchscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1904 variable in time

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for controlling a parameter by programming said parameter using a programmable control device. The system according to the invention comprises drawing means which enable a user to create a drawing. The system further comprises means for converting said drawing to a programming of said parameter.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a parameter, comprising programming means for programming said parameter, characterized in that the system comprises:

drawing means for enabling a user to create a drawing;

the programming means being arranged for converting said drawing to a programming of said parameter, each point of said drawing having an x-coordinate and a y-coordinate with respect to two orthogonal coordinate axes, said x-coordinate determining a point of time in said programming, the programming means being arranged for identifying a stroke in said drawing, and programming said parameter in accordance with at least one property of said stroke, the programming means being arranged for deriving a value of said parameter from a thickness and/or a color of said stroke at a certain point of time corresponding to the x-coordinate.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, said parameter being an ambient temperature, said value being a height of said ambient temperature.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, said parameter being an audio and/or video presentation, said value being a sound level of said presentation.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, said parameter being an audio and/or video presentation, said value being a category of said audio and/or video presentation.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, said parameter being an ambient light, said value being an intensity of said ambient light.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, the system being capable of controlling a plurality of parameters, the programming means being arranged for deriving an identity of said parameter from said y-coordinate and/or a thickness and/or a color of said stroke, and/or a label near said stroke.

7. An apparatus suitable for use in controlling a parameter, the apparatus comprising programming means for programming said parameter, the programming means being arranged for converting a user drawing to a programming of said parameter, each point of said drawing having an x-coordinate and a y-coordinate with respect to two orthogonal coordinate axes, said x-coordinate determining a point of time in said programming, the programming means being arranged for deriving a value of said parameter from at least one of a thickness and a color of said stroke at a certain point of time corresponding to the x-coordinate.

8. A method of controlling a parameter, comprising programming said parameter converted from a drawing and deriving a value of said parameter from at least one of a thickness and a color of said stroke at a certain point of time corresponding to an x-coordinate in said drawing.

9. A computer program product for causing, when executed on a suitable computing device, a programming of a parameter converted from a drawing and deriving a value of said parameter from at least one of a thickness and a color of said stroke at a certain point of time corresponding to an x-coordinate in said drawing.