Method of operating a home automation system

• US 8,380,359 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Original Assignee: Somfy Sas (Somfy SA)
• Inventors: Duchene, Isabelle, Marais, Luc, Loiseau, Jean-Nol
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US12/634,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 700/295, 715/764
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23156 Show upper, lower value, position with upper, lower segment of 7-segment display
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

Method of operating a home automation system comprising:

• • at least one home automation equipment item of a building, the home automation equipment item being associated with a specific equipment control means,
  • a device for controlling this home automation equipment item, comprising a display and control screen on which a portion of the screen is assigned to the display of a first graphic representation, associated with this equipment item, the control device being separate from the specific control means,
    which system comprises a step for setting at least one value of a parameter of the home automation equipment item involved in the definition of a scenario, this setting step being able to be both implemented by action on the specific control means so as to cause a phase for modification of the state of the home automation equipment item and by action on the control device so as to cause a phase for modification of the appearance of the first graphic representation of the home automation equipment item.

Claims

1. Method of operating a home automation system comprising:

several home automation equipment items of a building, the home automation equipment items including at least one mobile product, the home automation equipment items being associated with one or several specific equipment control means,

a device for controlling these home automation equipment items, comprising a display and control screen on which a portion of the screen is assigned to the display of a first graphic representation, associated with these equipment items, the control device being separate from the specific control means,

which method comprises the following steps;

switching the home automation system to a mode for configuring a scenario;

carrying out a first setting of one first value of a parameter of a first home automation equipment item involved in the definition of a scenario, the first value being the desired setting value on a subsequent execution of the scenario, the first setting step being implemented by action on the specific control means so as to cause a phase for modification of the state of the first home automation equipment item;

carrying out a second setting of one second value of a parameter of a second home automation equipment item involved in the definition of a scenario, the second value being the desired setting value on a subsequent execution of the scenario, the second setting step being implemented by action on the control device so as to cause a phase for modification of the appearance of the first graphic representation of the second home automation equipment item; and

recording the first setting and the second setting in a scenario.

2. Operating method according to claim 1, in which the first setting is a setting of the mobile product of the first home automation equipment or the second setting is an adjustment of the mobile product of the second home automation equipment.

3. Operating method according to claim 1, wherein the phase for modification of the appearance of the graphic representation of the home automation equipment items comprises:

a selection of second graphic representations, such as equipment icons, the selection of the second graphic representations causing the display on the screen of the first graphic representations of the equipment items comprising a means of transforming the representations,

an action on the transformation means modifying the first representations representative of the value of the parameter.

4. Operating method according to claim 1, wherein a validation of the modification of the appearance of the first graphic representations of the home automation equipment items results in the instantaneous modification of the state of the home automation equipment items, in accordance with the modified appearance.

5. Operating method according to claim 1, wherein a validation of the modification of the appearance of the first graphic representations of the home automation equipment items does not result in any instantaneous modification of the state of the home automation equipment items.

6. Operating method according to claim 1, which is repeated on all the home automation equipment items involved in the scenario.

7. Operating method according to claim 6, which comprises a scanning phase including a request step sent by the control device to the equipment items for the equipment items to reply with information on their states and a step for the detection of the transmission of control commands or control command execution information, the request step being early when the result of the detection step is positive, the scanning phase making it possible to update the first graphic representations.

8. Home automation system comprising:

several home automation equipment items of a building, the home automation equipment items being provided with one or several equipment control means,

a device for controlling these home automation equipment items, comprising a display and control screen (101) on which a portion of the screen is assigned to the display of first graphic representations, symbolizing these equipment items, the control device being separate from the control means,

which system comprises hardware and/or software means for implementing the operating method according to claim 1.

9. Home automation system according to claim 8, wherein the hardware means comprise a means of selecting second graphic representations, such as an equipment icon, able to cause the display on the screen of the first representations of the moving product driven by the home automation equipment items and a means of transforming the first graphic representations.

10. Home automation system according to claim 8, wherein the control device and/or the home automation equipment items and/or the control means comprises bidirectional communication means.

11. Computer program comprising a computer program code means suitable for implementing the steps of the operating method according to claim 1, when the program is run on a computer.