Apparatus and method for controlling home network devices

• US 9,270,917 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• 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
• Application Number:
  US14/320,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/563, 348/569, 348/705, 348/706, 348/734
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit that displays a device list containing items corresponding to a plurality of controlled devices arranged in a display area of the display unit;

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 the device list;

a detection unit that detects areas of the controlled devices, areas of the items of the device list and an area of a video device according to the light information detected from the received first image; and

a control unit that generates mapping tables based on information regarding the detected areas of the controlled devices located in a certain space, the detected areas of the items of the device list displayed in the display area of the video device, and the detected area of the video device located in the certain space,

wherein the control unit generates a first mapping table by mapping the detected areas of the controlled devices located in the certain space to a first coordinates of a first coordinate system, and generates a second mapping table by mapping the items of the device list displayed on the display area of the video device to a second coordinates of a second coordinate system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit generates a third mapping table by mapping coordinate information of the controlled devices in the first mapping table to controlled devices corresponding to coordinate information of the controlled devices in the second mapping table.

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

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

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a mesh pattern having a certain color to correspond to a display area of the display unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiving unit receives a second image including the mesh pattern.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, 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.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a coordinate-system-setting unit that sets a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

9. An apparatus for controlling home network devices, the apparatus comprising:

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

a detection unit that detects areas of the controlled devices arranged in the certain space, areas of the items of the device list displayed in the display area of the video device, and an area of a video device arranged in the certain space, according to the light information detected from the received first image;

a control unit that selects a controlled device corresponding to the detected area of the controlled device, from which the light is reflected by using mapping tables stored in a storage unit; and

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

wherein when an area of an item of the control menu list from which the light is reflected is detected among items of the displayed control menu list, the control unit executes a control command corresponding to the detected area of the item of the control menu list, and

wherein the mapping tables comprise a first mapping table in which the detected areas of the controlled devices arranged in the certain space are associated with a first coordinates of a first coordinate system, a second mapping table in which the items of the device list displayed on the display area of the video device are associated with a second coordinates of a second coordinate system, and a third mapping table in which coordinate information of the controlled devices in the first mapping table is associated with controlled devices corresponding to coordinate information of the controlled devices in the second mapping table.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light information indicates an occurrence a selection event that instructs color information to be shown at certain time intervals.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit selects the controlled device in which the selection event is generated.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display unit displays a mesh pattern having a certain color corresponding to a display area of the display unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the receiving unit receives a second image including the mesh pattern.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, 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.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a coordinate-system-setting unit that sets a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the receiving unit receives a third 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 and the device list.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, 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 third image.

18. A method of controlling home network devices, the method comprising:

displaying a device list containing items corresponding to a plurality of controlled devices arranged in a display area of the display unit;

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 the device list;

detecting areas of the controlled devices, areas of the items of the device list and an area of a video device according to the light information detected from the received first image; and

generating mapping tables based on information regarding the detected areas of the controlled devices located in a certain space, the detected areas of the items of the device list displayed in the display area of the video device, and the detected area of the video device located in the certain space,

wherein generating mapping tables comprises generating a first mapping table by mapping the detected areas of the controlled devices located in the certain space to a first coordinates of a first coordinate system, and generating a second mapping table by mapping the items of the device list displayed on the display area of the video device to a second coordinates of a second coordinate system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said generating mapping tables further comprises generating a third mapping table by mapping coordinate information of the controlled devices in the first mapping table to controlled devices corresponding to coordinate information of the controlled devices in the second mapping table.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the light information indicates a selection event that instructs color information to be shown at time intervals.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the mapping comprises mapping the controlled device, in which the selection event is generated, and the item which the selection event is generated in the device list.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a mesh pattern having a color corresponding to a display area;

receiving a second image containing the mesh pattern;

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; and

setting a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

23. A method of controlling home network devices, the method comprising:

receiving a first image containing a plurality of controlled devices arranged in a predetermined space, a device list displayed in a display area of a video device, and light information on light reflected from a controlled device of the controlled devices;

detecting areas of the controlled devices arranged in the certain space, areas of the items of the device list displayed in the display area of the video device, and an area of a video device arranged in the certain space, according to the light information detected from the received first image;

selecting a controlled device corresponding to the detected area of the controlled device, from which the light is reflected by using mapping tables stored in a storage unit; and

displaying a control menu list of the selected controlled device,

wherein when an area of an item of the control menu list from which the light is reflected is detected among items of the displayed control menu list, control command corresponding to the detected area of the item of the control menu list is executed, and

wherein the mapping tables comprise a first mapping table in which the detected areas of the controlled devices arranged in the certain space are associated with a first coordinates of a first coordinate system, a second mapping table in which the items of the device list displayed on the display area of the video device are associated with a second coordinates of a second coordinate system, and a third mapping table in which coordinate information of the controlled devices in the first mapping table is associated with controlled devices corresponding to coordinate information of the controlled devices in the second mapping table.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the light information indicates a selection event that instructs color information to be shown at time intervals.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the selecting comprises selecting the controlled device in which the selection event is generated.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying a mesh pattern having a color corresponding to a display area;

receiving a second image containing the mesh pattern;

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

setting a coordinate system corresponding to the compensated display area.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

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