Apparatus and method for controlling home network devices

• US 8,797,464 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Joo-hyun, Ko, Young-goo
• Primary Examiner(s): YENKE, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/601,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,815 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/563, 348/569, 348/705, 348/706, 348/734
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• 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 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling home network devices is provided. The apparatus includes a display unit that displays a list of items corresponding to a plurality controlled devices arranged in a predetermined space, a receiving unit that receives a first image containing the controlled devices, the list, and information on light reflected from a controlled device of the controlled devices and the device list, and a control unit that maps the controlled devices and the items in the list according to the light information detected from the received image.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling home network devices including a user controlled light pointing device, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit that displays on a control device a device list containing items corresponding to a plurality of controlled devices arranged in a predetermined space;

a receiving unit that receives a first image containing the plurality of controlled devices, the device list, and light information on light reflected from a controlled device of the plurality of controlled devices; and

a control unit that maps the controlled device and an item corresponding to the controlled device according to the light information detected from the received first image,

wherein the first image further contains the control device controlling the plurality of controlled devices, and

wherein the display unit displays a mesh pattern having a certain color to correspond to a display area of the display unit,

wherein the receiving unit receives a second image including the mesh pattern,

wherein the control unit detects the display area of the control device by scanning an area in the received second image where the mesh pattern exists, detects areas of the controlled devices in the received second image by using an edge detection algorithm, determines a controlled device pointed by the light pointing device in the detected areas of the controlled devices, and displays a control menu for the determined controlled device on the display unit, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a compensating unit that compensates a display area of the second image by comparing the mesh pattern displayed on the display area and a mesh pattern detected in the received second image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light information is indicates an occurrence of a selection event that instructs color information to be shown at time intervals.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit maps the controlled device, in which the selection event is generated, and the item corresponding to the controlled device in the device list.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a coordinate-system-setting unit that sets a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the light is reflected from a display area of the control device on which the device list is displayed, and determines a coordinate system for mapping, from among a first coordinate system and a second coordinate system, according to the whether the light is determined to be reflected from the display area.

6. An apparatus for controlling home network devices including a user controlled light pointing device, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a first image containing a plurality of controlled devices arranged in a certain space and light information on light reflected from a controlled device of the controlled devices;

a control unit that selects the controlled device, from which the light is reflected, according to the light information detected the received first image; and

a display unit that displays on a control device a control menu list of the selected controlled device,

wherein the first image further contains the control device controlling the plurality of controlled devices, and

wherein the display unit displays a mesh pattern having a certain color corresponding to a display area of the display unit,

wherein the receiving unit receives a second image including the mesh pattern,

wherein the control unit detects the display area of the control device by scanning an area in the received second image where the mesh pattern exists, detects areas of the controlled devices in the received second image by using an edge detection algorithm, determines a controlled device pointed by the light pointing device in the detected areas of the controlled devices, and displays a control menu for the determined controlled device on the display unit, and

wherein the apparatus further comprising a compensating unit that compensates a display area of the second image by comparing the mesh pattern displayed on the display area and a mesh pattern detected in the received second image.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the light information indicates an occurrence a selection event that instructs color information to be shown at certain time intervals.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control unit selects the controlled device in which a selection event is generated.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a coordinate-system-setting unit that sets a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receiving unit receives a second image containing the controlled devices, a device list containing items corresponding to the controlled devices, and the light information on light reflected from the controlled device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit maps the controlled device and an item corresponding to the controlled device in the device list according to the light information detected in the second image.

12. A method of controlling home network devices including a user controlled light pointing device, the method comprising:

displaying, on a control device, a device list containing items corresponding to a plurality of controlled devices arranged in a predetermined space;

receiving a first image containing the plurality of controlled devices, the device list, and light information on light reflected from a controlled device of the plurality of controlled devices; and

mapping the controlled device and an item corresponding to the controlled device in the device list according to the light information detected in the received first image,

wherein the first image further contains the control device controlling the plurality of controlled devices, and

wherein the displaying comprises displaying a mesh pattern having a color corresponding to a display area,

wherein the method further comprising;

receiving a second image containing the mesh pattern,

detecting the display area of the control device by scanning an area in the received second image where the mesh pattern exists, detecting areas of the controlled devices in the received second image by using an edge detection algorithm, determining a controlled device pointed by the light pointing device in the detected areas of the controlled devices, and displaying a control menu for the determined controlled device, and

compensating a display area of the second image by comparing the mesh pattern displayed on the display area and a mesh pattern detected from the received second image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the light information indicates a selection event that instructs color information to be shown at time intervals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mapping comprises mapping the controlled device, in which a selection event is generated, and the item corresponding to the controlled device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

setting a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

16. A method of controlling home network devices including a user controlled light pointing device, the method comprising:

receiving a first image containing a plurality of controlled devices arranged in a predetermined space and light information on light reflected from a controlled device of the controlled devices;

selecting the controlled device, from which the light is reflected, according to the light information detected in the received first image; and

displaying, on a control device, a control menu list of the selected controlled device,

wherein the first image further contains the control device controlling the plurality of controlled devices, and

wherein the displaying comprises displaying a mesh pattern having a color corresponding to a display area,

wherein the method further comprising;

receiving a second image containing the mesh pattern,

detecting the display area of the control device by scanning an area in the received second image where the mesh pattern exists, detecting areas of the controlled devices in the received second image by using an edge detection algorithm, determining a controlled device pointed by the light pointing device in the detected areas of the controlled devices, and displaying a control menu for the determined controlled device, and

compensating a display area of the second image by comparing the mesh pattern displayed on the display area and a mesh pattern detected from the received second image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the light information indicates a selection event that instructs color information to be shown at time intervals.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting comprises selecting an item corresponding to the controlled device, in which a selection event is generated, in a device list containing items corresponding to the plurality of controlled devices.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

setting a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second image containing the controlled devices, a device list containing items corresponding to the controlled devices, and light information on the light reflected from the controlled device; and

mapping the controlled device and an item corresponding to the controlled device in the device list according to the information on the light detected in the second image.