Wireless home and office appliance management and integration

• US 7,730,223 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bavor, Clay, Levinson, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Niketa I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huson; Zachary K
• Application Number:
  US11/195,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for managing and controlling networked devices. A system comprises a host application executing on, for example, a personal computer, and one or more networked devices executing a client application. A networked device includes a consumer appliance equipped with network capability, a digital device such as MP3 players and DVRs, an electronically-controlled device such as a light circuit or other type of circuit, and the like. The host application automatically establishes communication with the networked device. The networked device configures a user interface for user control of the networked device. The host application provides a graphical layout of the networked device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing and controlling network appliances, comprising:

receiving, from a networked device, a connection request;

automatically establishing network communication with the networked device responsive to the connection request;

displaying a graphical representation of an environment containing the networked device and a plurality of other networked devices, wherein a networked device is represented by an icon indicating the location of the networked device around the environment;

receiving, from the networked device, user interface information that specifies user interface components related to a service provided by the networked device, the user interface components providing interactive control of the networked device; and

generating a user interface responsive to the user interface information, and allowing interacting with a plurality of the user interface components and the icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the user interface comprises:

generating the user interface without prior configuration of the networked device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a user, input corresponding to a user interface component; and

sending, to the networked device, the input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein sending the input comprises:

sending, to the networked device, the user interface information including changes resulting from the input.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the networked device, updated user interface information that specifies user interface components based on changes to the networked device responsive to the input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user interface information comprises:

receiving, from the networked device, an XML file that includes syntax for specifying a user interface component name and a user interface component value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the networked device, state information that describes a condition associated with the networked device that is not directly due to interaction by a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the connection request comprises:

receiving, from the networked device, the connection request broadcast over a network, the connection request including a network address and the service provided by the networked device.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a user interface comprises using a template that has a consistent appearance of control elements across different networked devices.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the environment is a floor plan comprising a plurality of icons, each of which represents a networked device and allows interactive control of the networked device.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the environment comprises a list of floor plans, each of which has a background and a plurality of icons.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon associated with the networked device is scaled in accordance with an aspect ratio responsive to the graphical representation of the environment being resized.

9. A computer-implemented method for managing and controlling networked devices, comprising:

automatically establishing network communication with a host application by sending a connection request that includes a network address and a service provided, wherein the network address and service identify a networked device;

displaying a graphical representation of an environment containing the identified networked device and a plurality of other networked devices, wherein a networked device is represented by an icon indicating the location of the networked device around the environment;

sending, to the host application, user interface information that specifies user interface components related to the service, the user interface components and the icon providing interactive control of the networked device;

receiving, from the host application, input associated with a user interface component; and

updating the user interface information in response to the input.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending, to the host application, the user interface information including changes to a user interface component responsive to the input.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating an XML file that includes syntax for specifying a user interface component name and a user interface component value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically establishing network communication comprises:

automatically establishing network communication using the Zeroconf protocol.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically establishing network communication comprises:

automatically establishing network communication using the UPnP protocol.

25. The method of claim 9, wherein updating the user interface information comprises updating settings of the network device.

26. The method of claim 9, wherein updating the user interface information further comprises sending back to the host application updated user interface information.

14. A computer program product for managing and controlling networked devices, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium, the computer-readable medium comprising program code for performing a method, comprising:

receiving, from a networked appliance, a connection request;

automatically establishing network communication with a networked device responsive to the connection request;

displaying a graphical representation of an environment containing the networked device and a plurality of other networked devices, wherein a networked device is represented by an icon indicating the location of the networked device around the environment;

receiving, from the networked appliance, user interface information that specifies user interface components related to a service provided by the networked device, the user interface components providing interactive control of the networked device; and

generating a user interface responsive to the user interface information, and allowing interacting with a plurality of the user interface components and the icon.

15. A system for managing and controlling networked devices, comprising:

a networked device to broadcast a connection request including the network address and a description of a service provided by the networked device, and to generate user interface information that specifies user interface components related to the service provided by the networked device, the user interface components providing interactive control of the networked device; and

a host application, in communication with the networked device, the host application configured to automatically establish network communication with a networked device responsive to the connection request, to display a graphical representation of an environment containing the networked device and a plurality of other networked devices, a networked device being represented by an icon indicating the location of the networked device around the environment, and to generate a user interface responsive to the user interface information, and allowing interacting with a plurality of the user interface components and the icon.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the networked device comprises a consumer appliance.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the networked device comprises a digital device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the networked device comprises an electronically-controllable device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the host application is configured to execute on a personal computer or a laptop computer.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the host application is configured to execute on PDA device.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the host application is configured to execute on a remote control device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface components comprise one or more from the group containing:

a text field, a button, a slider, a picture well, a checkbox, a pop up box, and a drop down menu.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the host application is in communication with the networked device via IEEE 802.11.