Extensible universal home automation integration framework and user interface

• US 7,480,746 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Positron Intellectual Property, LLC (Fred DuFresne)
• Original Assignee: Home Xperience, Inc.
• Inventors: Simon, Christopher T., Rylander, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US11/470,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/17, 700/19, 700/20, 700/83, 707/104.1, 709/204, 709/205, 709/208, 709217-219, 709/223, 709/224, 710 15- 19, 710/62, 710/63, 711/100, 711/161, 715716-719, 715733-737, 715/740, 715/750, 725/37, 725/38, 725/59
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A software architecture and methods that provide an extensible and intuitive interface to all digital managed resources in the residential environment. The application of data management methods will create a normalized representation of all potentially managed digital resources and a modularized and customizable presentation layer to provide tailored views of that content. The system will remain device and network independent, defining methods to support or rapidly incorporate existing and future devices and networks including but not exclusively: audio/video components; home appliances; computers; gaming devices; the Web; broadcast programming, other telecommunication capabilities; wired standards, CAT5, electrical and cable; wireless standards. The architecture provides methods for a heads up, context sensitive, simple point and click interface that are adapted to all current video display devices including remote hand held devices. Resource redundancy methods will also be included. Support methods that allows user configuration of new resources and content presentation will be provided.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a home environment comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication of insertion of a component into the home environment;

where the component has been previously identified in the home environment, associating the component with a corresponding object characterizing the component;

where the component is unidentified in the home environment, characterizing features of the component responsive to user input, and

generating a component object associating the characterized features with the component; and

adding the component object to a list of objects comprising objects identifying available resources in the home environment including objects corresponding to multimedia content available to one or more devices and at least one object corresponding to a multimedia player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the component object includes associating the component object with a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein associating the component object with the user includes

providing the user with access to the component, and

updating access rights in a user object corresponding to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user object is maintained in the list of objects.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the user object includes presentation preferences of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein characterizing features of the component includes querying a user for the user input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the component includes multimedia content and the user input includes a decision regarding retention of the multimedia content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein characterizing features of the component includes populating the component object with information obtained by interrogation of a network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of objects includes presentation objects.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein certain of the presentation objects include one or more menus.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein certain of the presentation objects include a history of use of the component.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein certain of the presentation objects include scheduling information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein certain of the presentation objects include help information.

14. The method of claim 1, and further comprising normalizing the characterized features to a common set of features identifiable by a resource manager.