System and method for controlling features

• US 9,150,147 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Brush, Jeffrey A., Ardner, Aaron Paul, Allen, Daniel James
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/790,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20140258928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/817, 715/821
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/61 Specially adapted for utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1442 Emulation of input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/61 Specially adapted for utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0076 Switches therefor B60Q1/1446, B60Q1/343, B60Q1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/24 for lighting other areas than only the way ahead
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2800/20 Utility vehicles, e.g. for agriculture, construction work
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A system, and related method and computer program product are disclosed. The system may comprise a lighting system including a plurality of light groups disposed on a Machine, each light group including one or more lights, a graphical user interface, and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the graphical user interface to display a machine icon and a plurality of light icons. Each light icon may be in the shape of a light and corresponding to one of the light groups. Each light icon may be displayed proximal to the machine icon in a position generally indicative of a location on the Machine of the light group that corresponds to the light icon. In an embodiment, a light beam may be displayed generally adjacent to the first light icon to show a direction of light when the corresponding light group on the Machine is illuminated.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a lighting system including a plurality of light groups disposed on a Machine, each light group including one or more lights;

a graphical user interface; and

a controller in communication with the lighting system and the graphical user interface, the controller configured to cause the graphical user interface to display a machine icon and a plurality of light icons, each light icon in the shape of a light and corresponding to one of the light groups, each light icon displayed proximal to the machine icon in a position generally indicative of a location on the Machine of the light group that corresponds to the light icon, the controller further configured to associate in a one-to-one correspondence each of the plurality of light icons displayed on the graphical user interface with a plurality of sensory areas on the graphical user interface and to cause a first light icon of the plurality of light icons to change from a first state to a second state when a first sensory area associated with the first light icon is activated by a user contact, and to return the first light icon to the first state if the user contact was dragged off of the first sensory area;

wherein for at least the first of the plurality of light icons, a light beam is displayed generally adjacent to the first light icon to show a direction of light when the corresponding light group on the Machine is illuminated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is a touch screen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine icon is shaped as a track-type tractor.

4. The system of claim 1, in which the controller is configured to cause the graphical user interface to display each light icon inside the perimeter of the corresponding sensory area.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to cause a second light icon of the plurality of light icons to change state when a second sensory area associated with the second light icon is activated by a user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein when the first light icon changes state, at least a portion of the first light icon changes color.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein activation of the first sensory area associated with the first light icon causes the light group corresponding to the first light icon to be illuminated, unless the user contact was dragged off the first sensory area.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein activation of the first sensory area associated with the first light icon causes the light group corresponding to the first light icon to cease being illuminated.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein each light icon has four states.

10. The system of claim 5, in which the controller is configured to display on the graphical user interface a master switch icon and to associate a master sensory area with the master switch icon, the controller is further configured to cause all of the light groups on the machine to change operational mode when the master sensory area is activated.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the machine icon and the light icons are part of a configuration display displayed on the graphical user interface, and when a first sensory area is activated by a user input, the first light icon changes state on the configuration display.

12. The system of claim 11, in which the controller is configured to remove the first light icon from a light control display that is subsequently displayed on the graphical user interface after the graphical user interface receives user input to the configuration display that causes the first light icon to change to a ready state.

13. A method of controlling lighting on a Machine, the method comprising:

displaying on a graphical user interface, a machine icon and a plurality of light icons on a light control display, each light icon in the shape of a light and corresponding to a light group disposed on the Machine at a location, each light icon displayed proximal to the machine icon in a position generally indicative of the location on the Machine of the light group that corresponds to the light icon, each of the plurality of light icons associated in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of sensory areas on the graphical user interface;

receiving a user input on a first sensory area that activates the first sensory area of the plurality of sensory areas;

changing a first light icon of the plurality of icons from a first state to a second state when the user input is received;

unless the user input was dragged off the first sensory area, illuminating the light group corresponding to the first light icon of the plurality of light icons and displaying a light beam generally adjacent to the first light icon to show a direction of light of the illuminated light group; and

if the user input was dragged off the first sensory area, returning the first light icon to the first state without illuminating the light group corresponding to the first light icon;

wherein the light group includes one or more lights.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the first light icon from the light control display after the first sensory area corresponding to the first light icon changes state on a configuration display.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising changing the operational mode of all of the light groups associated with the plurality of light icons displayed on the light control display when a master sensory area associated with a master switch icon is activated.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising changing the state of all of the light icons when the master sensory area is activated.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising changing a color of the light icon when the light icon changes state.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein each light icon has four states.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for controlling lighting on a Machine, the method comprising:

displaying on a graphical user interface, a machine icon and a plurality of light icons on a light control display, each light icon in the shape of a light and corresponding to a light group disposed on the Machine at a location, each light icon displayed proximal to the machine icon in a position generally indicative of the location on the Machine of the light group that corresponds to the light icon, each of the plurality of light icons associated in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of sensory areas on the graphical user interface;

receiving a user input on a first sensory area that activates the first sensory area of the plurality of sensory areas;

changing a first light icon of the plurality of icons from a first state to a second state when the user input is received;

unless the user input was dragged off the first sensory area, illuminating the light group corresponding to the first light icon of the plurality of light icons and displaying a light beam generally adjacent to the first light icon to show a direction of light of the illuminated light group; and

if the user input was dragged off the first sensory area, returning the first light icon to the first state without illuminating the light group corresponding to the first light icon,

wherein the light group includes one or more lights.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, in which the method further comprises removing one of the light icons from the light control display displayed on the graphical user interface when a sensory area associated with the light icon on a configuration display changes state.