User interface for an electronic device used as a home controller

• US 7,649,456 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakefield, Ivan N., Camp, William O. Jr., Angelhag, Bo Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/747,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/7.55, 340/825.49, 370/338, 370/252, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 455/410
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

A system, device and method for wirelessly controlling a plurality of electronic appliances arranged within a local area include an electronic device having a location detection circuit, a user interface circuit and a display device. The location detection circuit is operative to determine a general location of the electronic device within the local area, and the user interface circuit is operative to receive the determined general location. Based thereon, the user interface circuit configures at least one user interface for control of at least one electronic appliance located in the same general location as the electronic device. The display device may display the user interface configured by the user interface circuit.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device for controlling a plurality of electronic appliances arranged within a local area, comprising:

a location detection circuit operative to determine a general location of the electronic device within the local area;

a wireless transceiver operative to establish two-way communications with at least one electronic appliance of the plurality of electronic appliances, said transceiver configured to receive from the at least one appliance command data; and

a user interface circuit communicatively coupled to the location detection circuit and the wireless transceiver, the user interface circuit configured to use the location data and the command data to generate at least one user interface for control of the at least one electronic appliance located in the same general location.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying the user interface configured by the user interface circuit.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising call circuitry operative to establish a two-way call over a communication network.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is operative to at transmit commands to the electronic appliances.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing user interface configuration data, wherein the user interface circuit is operative to configure the user interface based on the configuration data and the general location.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an input device for entering at least one user input into the electronic device, wherein the at least one electronic appliance is selected and/or controlled based on the at least one user input.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the input device is a keypad, a touch screen or a microphone.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises selection entries to select the at least one electronic appliance from the plurality of electronic appliances.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises an output for indicating the selected electronic appliance.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises at least one control entry that defines a control operation of the at least one electronic appliance.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of pages for the at least one electronic appliance, each page comprising at least one control entry for the at least one electronic appliance.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control entries comprise at least one of a volume function, a channel function, a frequency function, a power function, an enable function, or a configuration function.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface is a plurality of user interfaces, each user interface corresponding to a general area within the local area, and wherein the user interface circuit is operative to automatically select a user interface that corresponds to the general location of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface circuit is operative to automatically select the at least one electronic appliance based on a particular event.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the event is a time of day, day of the week, or time of year.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface circuit is operative to select an electronic appliance from the plurality of electronic appliances based on a predetermined sequence of events.

17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile telephone.

18. A system for controlling a plurality of electronic appliances within a local area, comprising:

the electronic device of claim 1;

a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of electronic appliances and to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device wirelessly transmits control data to the controller, and the controller is operative to route the control data to the appropriate electronic appliance of the plurality of electronic appliances.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of wireless devices arranged within the local area, wherein the location detection circuit is operative to base the general location of the electronic device on communications with at least one of the wireless devices.

20. A method of using an electronic device to control appliances arranged in a local area, comprising:

using a location detection circuit to automatically determine a general location of the electronic device within the local area;

retrieving command data from at least one electronic appliance in the general location of the electronic device; and

automatically configuring a user interface of the electronic device based on the determined location and the retrieved command data, said user interface including a user entry for controlling the at least one electronic appliance within the general location.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying the user interface on a display of the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising creating a plurality of pages for the at least one electronic appliance, wherein each page includes a user entry for controlling the at least one electronic appliance.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically changing the user interface to correspond to electronic appliances in the same general area as the electronic device as the as the electronic device is moved about the local area.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically selecting the at least one electronic appliance based on an event.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the event is a time of day, day of the week, or time of year.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically selecting the at least one electronic appliance based on a predetermined sequence of events.

27. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform the method according to claim 20.

28. The method according to claim 20, further comprising directly transmitting commands from the electronic device to the at least one appliance.