Device, method and timeline user interface for controlling home devices

• US 8,666,523 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jihwan, Park, Hyorim
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US13/540,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20130231758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/17, 700/83, 700/90, 713/310, 715/716
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23067 Control, human or man machine interface, interactive, HMI, MMI
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application

Abstract

A device, method and timeline user interface for controlling home devices are provided. The method for controlling home devices includes displaying a virtual track on a display unit of a control device, displaying an indicator indicating operation information of a home device connected to the control device through the network along the virtual track, moving the indicator along the virtual track based on a user input; and controlling an operation time of the home device based on the location of the indicator along the virtual track.

Claims

1. A method for controlling home devices connected through a network, the method comprising:

displaying a virtual track on a display unit of a control device, the virtual track corresponding to a timeline indicating a playback time of video which is currently displayed on the display unit of the control device;

providing an indicator display control window for selecting a specific indicator among at least one indicator which corresponds to at least one home device being at least one home appliance external to the control device,

wherein the at least one home device includes at least one of a washing machine, a microwave range, a robot vacuum cleaner, an electric oven, a dish washer, an ice maker and an air conditioner;

receiving a selection of the specific indicator through the indicator display control window;

displaying the selected specific indicator along the virtual track when a part of an operation time of a specific home device, which corresponds to the specific indicator, overlaps with the playback time of the video, the specific indicator indicating operation information of the specific home device and the operation information comprising at least one of an operation start time and an operation end time of the specific home device;

receiving an input signal for moving the specific indicator along the virtual track;

moving the specific indicator along the virtual track according to the input signal; and

controlling at least one of the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device based on a location of the specific indicator along the virtual track.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying relative-time information respectively corresponding to a start time and an end time of the video along the virtual track.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific indicator includes at least one of:

an icon indicating the operation end time of the specific home device, and

a time window indicating time information which includes at least one of the operation end time of the specific home device and relative time corresponding to the operation end time of the specific home device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific indicator includes a virtual slide bar having a length corresponding to a total time between the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a first end and a second end of the virtual slide bar respectively correspond to the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device, and

wherein the controlling at least one of the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device comprises adjusting at least one of the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device based on a user input applied to at least one of the first end and the second end.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the location of the specific indicator is separated from the virtual track over a predetermined distance according to a user input, the operation of the specific home device is interrupted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the location of the specific indicator is separated from the virtual track over a predetermined distance according to user input, control of the operation of the specific home device is ended.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information regarding an expected occurrence time of a specific event through the network; and

displaying at least one icon indicating the expected occurrence time of the specific event along the virtual track.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein, when the virtual slide bar is segmented into a first region superimposed on the virtual track and a second region that is not superimposed on the virtual track, a display attribute of the second region is adjusted to be different from a display attribute of the first region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the display attribute of each of the first and second regions includes at least one of a color, a shape, a pattern, and a transparency.

11. The method claim 1, wherein the operation information of the specific home device further includes operation mode information of the specific home device, and

wherein the method further comprises controlling an operation mode of the specific home device based on a user input through the specific indicator located along the virtual track.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the operation information of the specific home device through the network, wherein the specific indicator is displayed along the virtual track based on the received operation information of the specific home device.

13. A control device for controlling operations of home devices connected to a network, the control device comprising:

a communication unit configured to transmit or receive data to or from the home devices connected to the network;

a processor configured to control operations of the control device; and

a display unit configured to display an image based on a command of the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

display, on the display unit, a virtual track corresponding to a timeline indicating a playback time of video which is currently displayed on the display unit,

provide, on the display unit, an indicator display control window for selecting a specific indicator among at least one indicator which corresponds to at least one home device being at least one home appliance external to the control device, wherein the at least one home device includes at least one of a washing machine, a microwave range, a robot vacuum cleaner, an electric oven, a dish washer, an ice maker and an air conditioner,

receive a selection of the specific indicator through the indicator display control window,

display the selected specific indicator along the virtual track when a part of an operation time of a specific home device, which corresponds to the specific indicator, overlaps with the playback time of the video, the specific indicator indicating operation information of the specific home device, and the operation information comprising at least one of an operation start time and an operation end time of the specific home device,

receive an input signal for moving the specific indicator along the virtual track,

move the specific indicator along the virtual track according to the input signal, and

control at least of the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device based on a location of the specific indicator along the virtual track.

14. The control device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to display relative-time information respectively corresponding to a start time and an end time of the video along the virtual track.

15. The control device of claim 13, wherein the specific indicator includes at least one of:

an icon indicating the operation end time of the specific home device, and

a time window indicating time information which includes at least one of the operation end time of the specific home device and relative time corresponding to the operation end time of the specific home device.

16. The control device of claim 13, wherein the specific indicator includes a virtual slide bar having a length corresponding to a total time between the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device.

17. The control device of claim 16, wherein a first end and a second end of the virtual slide bar respectively correspond to the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device, and

wherein at least one of the operation start time and the operation end time of the specific home device is adjusted based on a user input applied to at least one of the first end and the second end.

18. The control device of claim 13, wherein, when the location of the specific indicator is separated from the virtual track over a predetermined distance according to a user input, the processor interrupts the operation of the specific home device.

19. The control device of claim 13, wherein, when the location of the specific indicator is separated from the virtual track over a predetermined distance according to a user input, the processor ends control of the operation of specific the home device.

20. The control device of claim 13, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive information regarding an expected occurrence time of a specific event through the network, and

wherein the processor is further configured to display at least one event icon indicating the expected occurrence time of the specific event along the virtual track.

21. The control device of claim 16, wherein, when the virtual slide bar is segmented into a first region superimposed on the virtual track and a second region that is not superimposed on the virtual track, the processor is further configured to adjust a display attribute of the second region to be different from a display attribute of the first region.

22. The control device of claim 21, wherein the display attribute of each of the first and second regions includes at least one of a color, a shape, a pattern, and a transparency.

23. The control device of claim 16, wherein the operation information of the specific home device further comprises operation mode information of the specific home device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to control an operation mode of the specific home device based on a user input through the specific indicator located along the virtual track.

24. The control device of claim 16, wherein the communication unit receives the operation information of the specific home device through the network, and wherein the processor displays the specific indicator along the virtual track based on the received operation information of the specific home device.