User interface for multi-device control

• US 8,042,049 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OpenPeak Inc.
• Inventors: Harter, Glenn, Flores, Justin, Killian, David, Krzyzanowski, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): TAN, ALVIN H
• Application Number:
  US10/783,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,794 Days
• Field of Search: 715/740
• US Class Current: 715/740
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A control server, or similar central processor, manages the distribution of data (including audio and video), voice, and control signals among a plurality of system components connected via a wired and/or wireless communications network. The system components include audio/visual components (such as, televisions, monitors, PDAs, notepads, notebooks, MP3, portable stereo, etc.) as well as household appliances (such as, lighting, ovens, alarm clocks, etc.). A portable controller allows a user to access and control the system components from any location within a controlled residential and/or non-residential environment, including its surrounding areas. The portable controller includes a user and management interface that contains customized control screens for the system components. The control screens are stored in a hierarchical architecture that is searchable by region or component type.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for managing a plurality of system components within a controlled environment, comprising:

a first set of control objects configured for selecting a system component within the controlled environment, wherein,

activation of a control object from said first set denotes said selected system component and populates the user interface with control options,

each control option is associated with a sequence of commands that, if executed, sends instructions to control the operations or functions of said selected system component;

a second set of control objects displayed concurrently with said control options associated with said selected system component, wherein,

each control object within said second set of control objects is configured to allow viewing of the respective control object on the user interface and represents an affiliate system component and is configured to allow providing of an input to said selected system component,

activation of a control object from said second set populates the user interface with control options for an affiliate system component associated with the activated control object from the second set,

each control option for said affiliate system component is associated with a sequence of commands that, when executed, sends instructions to control operations or functions of said affiliate system component, and

said control options for said affiliate system component are displayed concurrently with said second set of control objects on the user interface;

a third set of control objects representing one or more affiliate system components, the one or more affiliate system components configured to provide an input to said selected system component, and wherein the third set of control objects are configured to be pre-configured by a user to be hidden from display on the user interface; and

device definition device configured to specify associations among one or more affiliate system components and a primary system component, and thereby establishing a chain of system components including said primary system component and said one or more affiliate system components, wherein said primary system component is associated with a primary control object from said first set, wherein activation of said primary control object populates the user interface with control options for executing commands to send instructions to control operations or functions of said chain of system components.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said first set of control objects represents a plurality of component types within the controlled environment.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said second set of control objects represents a plurality of component types within the controlled environment.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising means for configuring affiliated system components for viewing as control objects in said second set of control objects by selecting from all available affiliated system components those affiliated system components that should be displayed on the user interface.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising means for configuring affiliated system components for viewing as control objects in said second set of control objects by selecting all available affiliated system components those affiliated system components that should be hidden from display on the user interface.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising means for providing proxy control options for controlling one or more affiliated system components associated with the selected activity but pre-configured by the user to be hidden from display on the user interface.

7. A method of managing a plurality of system components within a controlled environment, comprising:

presenting, on a user interface, a first set of control objects, each object being associated with one or more system components within the controlled environment;

selecting a system component in response to receiving an activation signal associated with a control object from said first set;

populating said user interface with control options for the selected system component;

associating each control option with a sequence of executable commands that sends instructions to control operations or functions of the selected system component;

presenting, on said user interface concurrently with said control options associated with said selected system component, a second set of control objects, wherein each control object within said second set of control objects represents an affiliate system component and configured to allow providing of an input to the selected system component configured for viewing on said user interface;

presenting, on said user interface concurrently with said second set of control objects, control options for an affiliate system component in response to activating a control object from said second set;

hiding from display on the user interface one or more affiliate system components, but are pre-configured by a user not to be displayed;

associating control options for each affiliate system component configured for viewing on the user interface with a sequence of executable commands that sends instructions to control operations or functions of said affiliate system component configured for viewing on the user interface and said one or more affiliate system components configured by a user not to be displayed on the user interface;

associating the control options for the selected system component with a sequence of executable commands that sends instructions to control operations or functions of the selected system component and/or the one or more affiliate system components configured by a user not to be displayed on the user interface; and

specifying associations among one or more affiliate system components and a primary system component, and thereby establishing a chain of system components including said primary system component and said one or more affiliate system components, wherein said primary system component is associated with a primary control object from said first set, wherein activation of said primary control object populates said user interface with control options for executing commands to send instructions to control operations or functions of said chain of system components.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first set of control objects represents a plurality of component types within the controlled environment.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting one or more control objects from said first set to designate system components, wherein said system components can operate in either an on or off state;

presenting, on said user interface, a switch object that, when activated, executes a global command for the designated system components; and

executing said global command to send instructions to alter the on-off state of the designated system components.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting one or more control objects from said first set to designate a component type;

presenting, on said user interface, a switch object that, when activated, executes a global command for one or more system components matching said component type, wherein said system components can operate in either an on or off state; and

executing said global command to send instructions to alter the on-off state of said one or more system components matching said component type.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting one or more control objects from said first set to designate system components, wherein said system components can operate in either an on or off state;

presenting, on said user interface concurrently with said first set, a switch object that, when activated, executes a global command for the designated system components;

exempting from said global command at least one of one or more specified system components, one or more system components matching a specified component type, and one or more system components positioned within a specified region within the controlled environment; and

executing said global command to send instructions to alter the on-off state of all designated system components except for the exempted one or more system components.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said second set of control objects represents a plurality of component types within the controlled environment.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising configuring affiliated system components for viewing as control objects in said second set of control objects, including selecting from all available affiliated system components those affiliated system components that should be displayed on said user interface.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising configuring affiliated system components for viewing as control objects in said second set of control objects, including selecting from all available affiliated system components those affiliated system components that should be hidden from display on said user interface.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing proxy control options for controlling one or more affiliated system components associated with the selected activity but pre-configured by the user to be hidden from display on the user interface.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embedded in said medium for causing a computer to manage a plurality of system components within a controlled environment, comprising:

first computer readable program code means for presenting, on a user interface, a first set of control objects, each object being associated with one or more system components within the controlled environment;

second computer readable program code means for selecting a system component in response to receiving an activation signal associated with a control object from said first set;

third computer readable program code means for populating said user interface with control options for the selected system component;

fourth computer readable program code means for associating each control option with a sequence of executable commands that sends instructions to control operations or functions of the selected system component;

fifth computer readable program code means for presenting, on said user interface concurrently with said control options associated with the selected system component, a second set of control objects, wherein each control object within said second set of control objects is configurable for viewing on said user interface and represents an affiliate system component configured to allow providing of an input to the selected system component;

sixth computer readable program code means for presenting, on said user interface concurrently with said second set of control objects, control options for an affiliate system component in response to activating a control object from said second set;

seventh computer readable program code means for associating each control option for said affiliate system component with a sequence of executable commands that sends instructions to control the operations or functions of said affiliate system component;

eighth computer readable program code for hiding from display on the user interface one or more affiliate system components, but are pre-configured by a user not to be displayed;

ninth computer readable program code means for associating one or more affiliate system components and a primary system component, and thereby establishing a chain of system components including said primary system component and said one or more affiliate system components, wherein said primary system component is associated with a primary control object from said first set, wherein activation of said primary control object populates said user interface with control options for executing commands to send instructions to control operations or functions of said chain of system components.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer readable program code means for configuring affiliated system components for viewing as control objects in said second set of control objects by selecting from all available affiliated system components those affiliated system components that should be displayed on said user interface.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer readable program code means for configuring affiliated system components for viewing as control objects in said second set of control objects by selecting from all available affiliated system components those affiliated system components that should be hidden from display on said user interface.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer readable program code means for providing proxy control options for controlling one or more affiliated system components associated with the selected activity but pre-configured by the user to be hidden from display on the user interface.