Function handling in a building

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9983556-B2
Application number	US-201214423258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Aug 23, 2012
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

The invention is directed towards a function activity handling arrangement for provision in a building as well as a method, computer program and computer program product for performing an activity of a function in a building. The arrangement comprises a wallpaper ( 10, 3, 14 ) with a group of embedded electrical wires. The arrangement may also comprise a user input detector ( 18 ) equipped with a wire connector for connection to the wire group, a pulse providing unit sending electric pulses to the wire group, a pulse response detecting unit detecting a group of response signals corresponding to the sent pulses and a pulse response analyzing unit that compares the response signal group with a set of response patterns and provides, if the detected response signal group matches a response pattern, user input data for a corresponding function.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A function activity handling arrangement for provision in a building, the function activity handling arrangement comprising:
a wallpaper with a group of embedded electrical wires, said wire group comprising at least one wire;
a user input detector comprising a wire connector for connection to the wire group;
a pulse providing unit configured to send electric pulses to the wire group, wherein the electric pulses are sent by touching the wallpaper by an object;
a pulse response detecting unit configured to detect a group of response signals corresponding to the sent pulses; and
a pulse response analyzing unit configured to compare the group of response signals with a set of response patterns and to provide, if the detected response signal group matches a response pattern, user input data for a corresponding function for the corresponding response pattern in order to perform an activity.

2. The function activity handling arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the user input detector further comprises a function associating unit configured to obtain, in a training interval, at least one response signal group, form a response pattern based on the received response signal group, and associate a function with the response pattern.

3. The function activity handling arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the function associating unit is configured to receive several response signal groups and form a response pattern comprising said several received response signal groups.

4. The function activity handling arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the function associating unit is further configured to, after the pulse response analyzing unit has found a match between a detected response signal group and a response pattern, update the response pattern with this response signal group.

5. The function activity handling arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the function associating unit is further configured to remove an old response signal group when updating the response pattern.

6. The function activity handling arrangement according claim 2 , further comprising a communication interface for communicating with a remote user interface via which a user may operate the function associating unit in order to associate a response pattern with the function.

7. The function activity handling arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the wires in the wire group extend longitudinally between opposing edges of the wallpaper.

8. The function activity handling arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the wires in the wire group are provided in a pattern with each wire being separated from every other wire.

9. A method for performing an activity of a function in a building, the method being performed in a user input detector and comprising the steps of:
sending electric pulses to electrical wires of a wire group in a wallpaper, said wire group comprising at least one wire embedded in the wallpaper, wherein the electric pulses are sent by touching the wallpaper by an object;
detecting a group of response signals corresponding to the sent electric pulses;
comparing the detected response signal group with a set of response patterns; and
in response to determining that the detected response signal group matches a response pattern, providing user input data for a function corresponding to the response pattern in order to perform the activity.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising assigning a function to a response pattern through obtaining, in a training interval, at least one response signal group, forming a response pattern based on the response signal group, and associating a function with the response pattern.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein several response signal groups are received and the formed response pattern comprises said several received response signal groups.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after finding a match between a detected response signal group and a response pattern, updating the response pattern with this response signal group.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising removing an old response signal group when updating the response pattern.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising communicating with a remote user interface for allowing a user to associate said response pattern with said function.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising, stored thereupon, a computer program for performing an activity of a function in a building and comprising computer program code that, when run in a user input detector, causes the user input detector to:
send electric pulses to electrical wires of a wire group in a wallpaper, said wire group comprising at least one wire embedded in the wallpaper, wherein the electric pulses are sent by touching the wallpaper by an object;
detect a group of response signals corresponding to the sent electric pulses;
compare the detected response signal group with a set of response patterns; and
provide, if the response signal group matches a response pattern, user input data for a function corresponding to the response pattern in order to perform the activity.

Assignees

• Fikouras Ioannis
• Huang Vincent
• Niemoeller Joerg
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Fikouras Ioannis
• Huang Vincent
• Niemoeller Joerg

Classifications

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B33/0863

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• H05B37/0272

  Electricity · mapped topic