Method for providing a user interface for controlling an appliance in a network of distributed stations, as well as a network appliance for carrying out the method
First Claim
1. A method for providing user interfaces in a network of distributed appliances, the method comprising steps of:
- providing a first user interface for an appliance to be controlled, the first user interface including a first set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled and a first list of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the appliance to be controlled;
enabling user selection of the first listproviding a second user interface for the appliance to be controlled in response to the user selection of the first list, the second user interface including the first list and a second set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled different from the first set of control elements;
enabling user selection of one of the appliances from the first list in the second user interface; and
providing a third user interface with control elements for the selected appliance in response to the user selection of the appliance, the third user interface including a second list of one or more of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the selected appliance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to the field of domestic network technology. The control of an appliance in the network via a central appliance for the network and having a display unit is normally simplified with the aid of user interfaces. When an audio-video datastream has to be transmitted between two network appliances, then this takes place via data links that are set up. There is then a close relationship between the connected appliances, and this requires frequent switching between the user interfaces of the two appliances. For example, when the user interface for a CD player is displayed, this user interface must first of all be closed and a user interface for an amplifier in the network must be started, usually by selection from the list of all the appliances in the network, in order then to set the volume for the amplifier. The aim of the invention is to simplify the control of such appliances which are coupled to one another via a data link that has been set up. This is achieved by providing a field in the user interface for an appliance to be controlled, in which field a list of those appliances which maintain a connection that has been set up is displayed, and the user interface of that appliance is displayed with it. This results in a preselection from the list of all of the appliances in the network, allowing the desired user interface to be selected more quickly.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for providing user interfaces in a network of distributed appliances, the method comprising steps of:
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providing a first user interface for an appliance to be controlled, the first user interface including a first set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled and a first list of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the appliance to be controlled; enabling user selection of the first list providing a second user interface for the appliance to be controlled in response to the user selection of the first list, the second user interface including the first list and a second set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled different from the first set of control elements; enabling user selection of one of the appliances from the first list in the second user interface; and providing a third user interface with control elements for the selected appliance in response to the user selection of the appliance, the third user interface including a second list of one or more of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the selected appliance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A network appliance connected in a network of distributed appliances, the network appliance comprising:
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a control module for controlling functions of the network appliance, wherein the network appliance is capable of performing functions including; providing a first user interface for an appliance to be controlled, the first user interface including a first set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled and a first list of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the appliance to be controlled; enabling user selection of the first list; providing a second user interface for the appliance to be controlled in response to the user selection of the first list, the second user interface including the first list and a second set of control elements for the appliance to be controlled different from the first set of control elements; enabling user selection of one of the appliances from the first list in the second user interface; and providing a third user interface with control elements for the selected appliance in response to the user selection of the appliance, the third user interface including a second list of one or more of the appliances in the network which maintain a registered data link which has been set up with the selected appliance. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification