Connected home user interface systems and methods

• US 9,397,852 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sellers, Jayson, Stallings, Heath
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xia, Xuyang
• Application Number:
  US13/602,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 715/735
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a user interface subsystem communicatively coupled to a home monitor and control subsystem providing a graphical user interface view for display on a display screen, the graphical user interface view including a graphical representation of a floor plan of a home associated with the home monitor and control subsystem and a graphic representing an element of the home monitor and control subsystem, wherein the graphic is positioned relative to the graphical representation of the floor plan in the graphical user interface view to visually indicate a location of the element at the home.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a user interface subsystem communicatively coupled to a home monitor and control subsystem, a graphical user interface view for display on a display screen;

providing, by the user interface subsystem within the graphical user interface view, a graphical representation of a floor plan of a home associated with the home monitor and control subsystem;

providing, by the user interface subsystem within the graphical user interface view, a plurality of graphics representing a plurality of elements of the home monitor and control subsystem, wherein the plurality of graphics are positioned relative to the graphical representation of the floor plan in the graphical user interface view to visually indicate a location of each of the plurality of elements at the home;

providing, by the user interface subsystem, a populated list of operational modes of the home monitor and control subsystem, each operational mode included in the populated list of operational modes defining a predefined mode of operation in which at least some of the plurality of elements of the home monitor and control subsystem operate in accordance with predefined settings;

detecting, by the user interface subsystem, a user selection of an operational mode included in the list of populated operational modes;

determining, by the user interface subsystem, that a first element included in the plurality of elements and a second element included in the plurality of elements are included in the selected operational mode, the first element represented by a first graphic included in the plurality of graphics and the second element represented by a second graphic included in the plurality of graphics, the first graphic including both a first operational mode indicator and a first operational status indicator that indicates a current operational status of the first element, the second graphic including both a second operational mode indicator and a second operational status indicator that indicates a current operational status of the second element; and

modifying, by the user interface subsystem in response to the detecting of the user selection of the operational mode included in the list of populated operational modes, the first operational mode indicator and the second operational mode indicator to have a same indicator in the first graphic as in the second graphic and that visually indicates as compared to a remainder of graphics included in the plurality of graphics, that the first element and the second element represented respectively by the first graphic and the second graphic are included in the selected operational mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphic comprises a callout window overlaid on the graphical representation of the floor plan of the home.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first graphic further comprises a textual description of the first element within the callout window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphic indicates a current connection status of the first element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first element comprises a video camera; and

the first graphic comprises a display of a video feed captured by the video camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphic comprises at least one option that is selectable by a user to remotely control operation of the first element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphic comprises a user selectable link to settings information for the first element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphic comprises a user selectable link to historical notification information for the first element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphic comprises a user selectable link to video recording information for the first element.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the user interface subsystem within the graphical user interface view, a populated list of the plurality of elements included in the home monitor and control subsystem; and

providing, by the user interface subsystem, an element placement tool that allows a user to select an element included in the list of the plurality of elements and to place a graphic representing the selected element relative to the graphical representation of the floor plan.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the element placement tool allows the user to drag a graphical object representing the element included in the list of the plurality of elements from the list of the plurality of elements and to place the graphical object representing the element onto the graphical representation of the floor plan.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the user interface subsystem within the graphical user interface view, a populated list of one or more additional elements available to be added to the home monitor and control subsystem.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the user interface subsystem, a floor plan definition tool that allows a user to define the graphical representation of the floor plan.

14. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the same indicator, which is included in the first graphic and the second graphic based on the modifying, is not element specific.

15. A method comprising:

providing, by a user interface subsystem communicatively coupled to a home monitor and control subsystem, a graphical user interface for display on a display screen;

providing, by the user interface subsystem within the graphical user interface, a floor plan definition tool configured for use by a user to define a floor plan of a home;

receiving and maintaining, by the user interface subsystem, data representative of the floor plan of the home;

providing, by the user interface subsystem for display within the graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the floor plan of the home;

providing, by the user interface subsystem for display together with the graphical representation of the floor plan of the home within the graphical user interface, a populated list of a plurality of elements included in the home monitor and control subsystem;

providing, by the user interface subsystem, an element placement tool for use by the user to select an element included in the list of the plurality of elements and to place a graphic representing the selected element relative to the graphical representation of the floor plan within the graphical user interface such that a position of the graphic relative to the graphical representation of the floor plan visually indicates a location of the element at the home;

positioning, by the user interface subsystem in response to the user utilizing the element placement tool, a plurality of graphics representing a plurality of selected elements within the graphical user interface;

providing, by the user interface subsystem within the graphical user interface, a populated list of operational modes of the home monitor and control subsystem, each operational mode included in the populated list of operational modes defining a predefined mode of operation in which at least some of the plurality of selected elements of the home monitor and control subsystem operate in accordance with predefined settings;

detecting, by the user interface subsystem, a user selection of an operational mode included in the list of populated operational modes;

determining, by the user interface subsystem, that a first element included in the plurality of selected elements and a second element included in the plurality of selected elements are included in the selected operational mode, the first element represented by a first graphic included in the plurality of graphics and the second element represented by a second graphic included in the plurality of graphics, the first graphic including both a first operational mode indicator and a first operational status indicator that indicates a current operational status of the first element, the second graphic including both a second operational mode indicator and a second operational status indicator that indicates a current operational status of the second element; and

modifying, by the user interface subsystem in response to the detecting of the user selection of the operational mode included in the list of populated operational modes, the first operational mode indicator and the second operational mode indicator to have a same indicator in the first graphic as in the second graphic and that visually indicates visually indicate, as compared to a remainder of graphics included in the plurality of graphics, that the first element and the second element represented respectively by the first graphic and the second graphic are included in the selected operational mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the element placement tool allows the user to drag a graphical object representing the selected element from the list of the plurality of elements and to place the graphical object representing the selected element onto the graphical representation of the floor plan.

17. The method of claim 15, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

18. A system comprising:

a user interface subsystem comprising at least one processor and communicatively coupled to a home monitor and control subsystem;

wherein the user interface subsystem

provides a graphical user interface view for display on a display screen, the graphical user interface view including;

a graphical representation of a floor plan of a home associated with the home monitor and control subsystem,

a plurality of graphics representing a plurality of elements of the home monitor and control subsystem, wherein the plurality of graphics are positioned relative to the graphical representation of the floor plan in the graphical user interface view to visually indicate a location of each of the plurality of elements at the home, and

a populated list of operational modes of the home monitor and control subsystem, each operational mode included in the populated list of operational modes defining a predefined mode of operation in which at least some of the plurality of elements of the home monitor and control subsystem operate in accordance with predefined settings;

detects a user selection of an operational mode included in the list of populated operational modes;

determines that a first element included in the plurality of elements and a second element included in the plurality of elements are included in the selected operational mode, the first element represented by a first graphic included in the plurality of graphics and the second element represented by a second graphic included in the plurality of graphics, the first graphic including both a first operational mode indicator and a first operational status indicator that indicates a current operational status of the first element, the second graphic including both a second operational mode indicator and a second operational status indicator that indicates a current operational status of the second element; and

modifies, in response to the detection of the user selection of the operational mode included in the list of populated operational modes, the first operational mode indicator and the second operational mode indicator to have a same indicator in the first graphic as in the second graphic and that visually indicates, as compared to a remainder of graphics included in the plurality of graphics, that the first element and the second element represented respectively by the first graphic and the second graphic are included in the selected operational mode.