Fractional video touch panels

• US 7,667,668 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Redradio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Redradio Incorporated
• Inventors: Schafer, Randy, Domi, Dwayne K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holton; Steven E
• Application Number:
  US10/961,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 13, 345/2.1
• US Class Current: 345/2.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller

Abstract

An apparatus or multiple driver video card that simplifies user interface design through displaying portions of a single image on multiple screens, and processing feedback from multiple devices as if the interface was a single device. Method, device, and computer-readable medium embodiments generate a user interface image, separate the user interface image into a plurality of sub-images, convey the plurality of sub-images to remote terminals, and configured to receive input data from the remote terminals.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface image comprising graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) objects, each GUI object representing a control in a home automation system;

control logic configured to receive the user interface image and to separate the user interface image into a plurality of sub-images, wherein the GUI objects are distributed among the sub-images, wherein the plurality of sub-images includes overlapping sub-images, and wherein each of a pair of overlapping sub-images includes at least one GUI object in common that represents the same control in the home automation system;

a transceiver configured to convey the plurality of sub-images to remote terminals, and configured to receive input data from the remote terminals, wherein the input data is generated responsive to user selection of one of the distributed GUI objects displayed at one of the remote terminals; and

an input interface that maps the input data to a GUI object in the user interface image that corresponds to the selected distributed GUI object, wherein the control logic processes the input data received from the remote terminals to provide a control input for controlling the home automation system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each remote terminal is located apart from the other remote terminals and wherein the input data from each remote terminal is generated independently of the other remote terminals, wherein the apparatus masks the presence of plural remote terminals, thereby presenting an appearance of a single user-interface to the home automation system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sub-images includes differently sized sub-images.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate over a communication network.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the communication network is a wired network.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the communication network is a wireless network.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the video controller is a Peripheral Component Interconnect video controller.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a receiver configured to receive the user interface image from the external source.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a Low Voltage Differential Signal.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface image including graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) objects, each GUI object representing a control in a home automation system;

control logic configured to receive the user interface image and to separate the user interface image into a plurality of sub-images, wherein the GUI objects are distributed among the sub-images, wherein the plurality of sub-images includes overlapping sub-images each pair of overlapping sub-images including at least one GUI object in common that represents the same control in the home automation system;

a transceiver configured to convey the plurality of sub-images to remote terminals, and configured to receive input data from the remote terminals, wherein the input data is generated responsive to user selection of one of the distributed GUI objects displayed at one of the remote terminals; and

an input interface that maps the input data to a GUI object in the user interface image that corresponds to the selected distributed GUI object, wherein the control logic processes the input data received from the remote terminals to provide a control input for controlling the home automation system, wherein

each remote terminal is located apart from the other remote terminals,

wherein the input data from each remote terminal is generated independently of the other remote terminals,

wherein the apparatus masks the presence of plural remote terminals, thereby presenting an appearance of a single user-interface to the home automation system, and

wherein the plurality of sub-images includes differently sized sub-images.

11. A method comprising:

providing a user interface image, the user interface image including graphical objects;

separating the user interface image into a plurality of sub-images;

conveying selected ones of the plurality of sub-images to remote terminals, the selected sub-images including different sets of the graphical objects;

receiving input data from the remote terminals, wherein the input data is generated by a selection of a graphical object displayed at one of the remote terminals; and

processing the received input data from the selected remote terminals, wherein processing the received input data includes

mapping the input data to a corresponding graphical object in the user interface image, wherein the selected graphical object in the one remote terminal and the corresponding graphical object in the user interface image represent a home automation control; and

providing an input to a home automation system based on the mapping step, wherein the input controls a component of the home automation system,

wherein the plurality of sub-images comprises a pair of overlapping sub-images, and wherein both sub-images in the pair of overlapping sub-images include at least one GUI object in common which represents the same home automation control.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of remote terminals is distinct from the other remote terminals and has a user interface separate from the other remote terminals, and wherein the step of providing the user interface includes concealing the presence of multiple terminals from a system processing the input data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the conveying of the plurality of sub-images to the selected remote terminals is performed using a communication network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication network is a wired network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication network is a wireless network.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the input data is received via a Universal Serial Bus.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the user interface image includes generating an image using a Peripheral Component Interconnect video controller.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the user interface image includes receiving an image signal from an external source.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the image signal is a Low Voltage Differential Signal.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the component of the home automation system comprises one or more of a home entertainment system, a security system and a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the graphical objects include buttons, radio buttons and slider bars.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the graphical objects include one or more of a check box a menu and a dialog box.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the graphical objects include one or more indicators.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the different sets of the graphical objects include two or more sets having at least one graphical object in common.

25. A computer-readable medium, encoded with data and instructions, such that when executed by a device, the instructions causes the device to:

provide a user interface image, the user interface image including graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) objects;

separate the user interface image into a plurality of sub-images;

convey selected ones of the plurality of sub-images to remote terminals, the selected sub-images including different sets of the GUI objects;

receive input data from the remote terminals, wherein the input data is generated by selection of one of the GUI objects at one of the remote terminals; and

process the input data received from the selected remote terminals, wherein processing the input data includes

mapping the input data to a corresponding GUI object in the user interface image, wherein the selected graphical object in the one remote terminal and the corresponding graphical object in the user interface image represent a home automation control; and

providing an input to a home automation system based on the mapping step, wherein the input controls a component of the home automation system,

wherein the plurality of sub-images comprises a pair of overlapping sub-images, and wherein both sub-images in the pair of overlapping sub-images include at least one GUI object in common which represents the same home automation control.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of remote terminals is distinct from the other remote terminals and has a user interface separate from the other remote terminals, and wherein the provided user interface conceals the presence of multiple terminals from a system processing the input data.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the plurality of sub-images is conveyed to the selected remote terminals using a communication network.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the communication network is a wired network.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the communication network is a wireless network.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the input data is configured to be received via a Universal Serial Bus.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the user interface image is generated via a Peripheral Component Interconnect video controller.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further cause the device to:

receive an image signal from an external source; and

provide the user interface image based on the received image signal.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the received image signal is a Low Voltage Differential Signal.

34. A system comprising:

a controller for controlling a home automation system;

control logic configured to separate a user interface image into a plurality of sub-images, wherein the user interface image comprises graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) objects representing a plurality of controls associated with the home automation system and wherein each of the sub-images includes one or more of the GUI objects;

a transceiver configured to convey the plurality of sub-images to terminals remote from each other and from the controller, and configured to receive input data generated by a user interaction with a selected GUI object displayed at one of the remote terminals; and

an input interface that maps the input data to a GUI object in the user interface image that corresponds to the selected GUI object and provides the controller a control input for controlling one or more of a home entertainment system, a security system and a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, wherein

the plurality of sub-images comprises at least two sub-images that overlap each other, repeat data in the user interface image and include the same GUI object representing the same control.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the GUI objects include one or more of a button, a radio button, a slider bar, check boxes, a menu and a dialog box.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the GUI objects include one or more indicators.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the input interface conceals the presence of the remote terminals from the controller.