System and method for flexible configuration of a controlling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12067220-B2
Application number	US-202318138289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2023
Priority date	Sep 8, 2004
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A system and method whereby an user interface editing device is used to create a user interface for a controlling device, the created user interface including user interface elements that are associated with functional operations of a virtual equivalent of an appliance. After the created user interface is transferred to the controlling device, the virtual equivalent of an appliance is caused to be linked to an intended target appliance whereupon activation of those user interface elements of the graphical user interface that were associated with functional operations of the virtual equivalent of an appliance will cause the controlling device to transmit commands to control corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for configuring a smart device to present information about a home appliance, comprising:
receiving at the smart device a non-appliance specific, graphical user interface comprised of an element for displaying an appliance state;
in response to the smart device being introduced into a network ecosystem which includes the home appliance, causing the smart device to use a data obtained from the network ecosystem to automatically establish within the smart device a link between the received, non-appliance specific, graphical user interface and the home appliance;
receiving from the home appliance via the link a data indicative of a current state for the appliance; and
using the data received from the home appliance to update the element for displaying the appliance state.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data obtained from the network ecosystem is obtained directly from the home appliance.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data obtained from the network ecosystem is obtained from a device in communication with the home appliance.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface comprises at least one n-state widget and the element for displaying the appliance state is a component part of the at least one n-state widget.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein causing the smart device to establish a link between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the home comprises causing the smart device to establish a link between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and a physical node of a network that is associated with the home appliance.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using one or more elements of the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface to test the link established in the smart device between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the home appliance via use of the smart device before the link established in the smart device between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the home appliance is finalized for use within an operational configuration of the smart device.

7. A non-transitory, computer readable media having stored thereon instruction wherein the instructions, when executed by a smart device, cause the smart device to perform a method for configuring the smart device to present information about a home appliance, the method comprising:
receiving at the smart device a non-appliance specific, graphical user interface comprised of an element for displaying an appliance state;
in response to the smart device being introduced into a network ecosystem which includes the home appliance, causing the smart device to use a data obtained from the network ecosystem to automatically establish within the smart device a link between the received, non-appliance specific, graphical user interface and the home appliance;
receiving from the home appliance via the link a data indicative of a current state for the appliance; and
using the data received from the home appliance to update the element for displaying the appliance state.

8. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7 , wherein the data obtained from the network ecosystem is obtained directly from the home appliance.

9. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises using one or more elements of the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface to test the link established in the smart device between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the home appliance via use of the smart device before the link established in the smart device between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the home appliance is finalized for use within an operational configuration of the smart device.

10. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7 , wherein the data obtained from the network ecosystem is obtained from a device in communication with the home appliance.

11. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7 , wherein the graphical user interface comprises at least one n-state widget and the element for displaying the appliance state element for displaying the appliance state is a component part of the at least one n-state widget.

12. The non-transitory, computer readable media as recited in claim 7 , wherein causing the smart device to establish a link between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the home comprises causing the smart device to establish a link between the received, non-appliance specific graphical user interface and a physical node of a network that is associated with the home appliance.

Assignees

• Universal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hatambeiki Arsham
• Chambers Christopher A
• Yuh Han-Sheng
• Clegg Steven

Classifications

• G06F3/0486

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title

• H04N21/8186

  specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control · CPC title

• H04N21/42228

  the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself · CPC title

• H04N21/42224

  Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control · CPC title

• H04N21/42208

  Display device provided on the remote control · CPC title