Fractional video touch panels

An apparatus or multiple driver video card that simplifies user interface design through displaying portions of a single image on multiple screens, and processing feedback from multiple devices as if the interface was a single device. Method, device, and computer-readable medium embodiments generate a user interface image, separate the user interface image into a plurality of sub-images, convey the plurality of sub-images to remote terminals, and configured to receive input data from the remote terminals.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Aspects of the present invention relate in general to home automation. Aspects include a graphical user interface apparatus, system, method and computer-readable medium. Further aspects of the invention include an apparatus or multiple driver video card that simplifies user interface design through displaying portions of a single image on multiple screens, and processing feedback from multiple devices as if the interface was a single device.

2. Description of the Related Art

The field of home automation is flourishing. In most automated homes, numerous remote terminals communicate with a central computing device that controls the home. The controlled system may include the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, home entertainment system, and security system. So-called “flat-panel” or “liquid crystal display” (LCD) remote terminals are expensive. The higher cost is each flat-panel remote terminal includes a computing device known as a programmable logic controller (PLC), which controls the image displayed upon the liquid crystal or flat-panel, processes user input, and sends the input back to the central computing device. These programmable logic controllers are programmed using an antiquated system of “ladder logic” that mirrors old wire-diagrams, and are consequently difficult (and expensive) to maintain.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus or multiple driver video card that simplifies user interface design through displaying portions of a single image on multiple screens, and processing feedback from multiple devices as if the interface was a single device. Embodiments are configured to generate a user interface image, separate the user interface image into a plurality of sub-images, convey the plurality of sub-images to remote terminals, and configured to receive input data from the remote terminals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One aspect of the present invention includes the realization that remote terminals may be implemented inexpensively by removing the programmable logic controller off of the terminal and redistributing the image generation and computing power to a multiple driver video card embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium configured to generate and partition an image into numerous images to be displayed on remote terminals, receive input data from the remote terminals, and processing the input as instructions for the control system. Other embodiments of the present invention may include remote terminals that receive input data from a multiple driver video card or apparatus.

Operation of embodiments of the present invention may be illustrated by example.FIGS. 5A-Edepict example images which are broken into multiple screens, to simplify user interface design and user interface input processing, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Suppose a user interface image50, as shown inFIG. 5A, is an any-sized-image, filled with buttons, radio buttons, slider bars, check boxes, menus, dialog boxes, indicators, graphics, pictures and/or any other graphical user interface object known in the art. Embodiments, including, but not limited to, controller devices, multiple driver video cards, methods, computer-readable media, and other apparatus embodiments separate portions of the user interface image50into multiple sub-images50a-h, as shown inFIG. 5B, each sub-image generated to be displayed upon a remote terminal. Embodiments may generate any number of sub-images, such as the four sub-images50n-qshown inFIG. 5D, and sub-images may be of different sizes, as shown by sub-images50i-mofFIG. 5C. Additionally, sub-images may overlap and repeat image data, as depicted by sub-images50r-sofFIG. 5E.

In addition to separating the user-interface image50into sub-images to be displayed upon remote terminals, an embodiment also processes remote terminal input, which allows a system using the embodiment to “pretend” that it is receiving input from a single user interface, instead of multiple interfaces. In other words, embodiments mask the presence of multiple terminals, allowing a system to see a single user-interface, thus simplifying the user-interface design for the entire system.

FIG. 1Aillustrates an embodiment of a home automation system1000controlled by a personal computer or home automation computer100, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Home automation computer100includes a multiple driver video card110, which facilitates the image displayed on remote terminals20a-h. Home automation computer100is discussed in greater detail below. In this embodiment, remote terminals20a-hare touch-screen liquid crystal display (LCD) terminals, although other types of remote terminals may be used, as is known in the art. For illustrative purposes only, eight remote terminals20are shown, coupled to the multiple driver video card110, although any number of remote terminals20may be used. Remote terminals may be coupled to multiple driver video card110by any means known in the art, such a direct video connection or any communication network known in the art, including the Internet, local-area-network (LAN), wide-area-network (WAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), or any system that links a computer to remote terminal20. Further, communication network embodiments may be of configured in accordance with any topology known in the art, including star, ring, bus, or any combination thereof.FIG. 1Bdepicts an embodiment where home automation computer100and remote terminals20a-nare connected wirelessly, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless connection may be any wireless connection known in the art, including, but not limited to: ultra-wide-band (UWB), a wireless implementation of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard No. 1394 (‘wireless Firewire’), wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard Nos. 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b (“Wi-Fi”), IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.15 (WPAN), Bluetooth, and a wireless implementation of the RS-232 protocol.

Embodiments will now be disclosed with reference to a functional block diagram of an exemplary home automation computer100ofFIG. 2, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Home automation computer100may run a real-time multi-tasking operating system (OS) and include at least one processor or central processing unit (CPU)102. In some alternate embodiments, home automation computer100runs a standard non-real-time operating system. Processor102may be any microprocessor or micro-controller as is known in the art.

The software for programming the processor102may be found at a computer-readable storage medium140or, alternatively, from another location across a communications network. Processor102is connected to computer memory104. Home automation computer100may be controlled by an operating system that is executed within computer memory104.

Processor102communicates with a plurality of peripheral equipment, including network interface106. Additional peripheral equipment may include a multiple driver video card110, manual input device108, storage medium140, microphone112, data port114, and speaker116.

Multiple driver video card110is discussed in greater depth below.

Manual input device108may be a conventional keyboard, keypad, mouse, trackball, joystick, light pen, areas of a touch-sensitive screen or other input device as is known in the art for the manual input of data.

Storage medium140may be a conventional read/write memory such as a magnetic disk drive, floppy disk drive, compact-disk read-only-memory (CD-ROM) drive, digital versatile disk (DVD) drive, flash memory, memory stick, transistor-based memory or other computer-readable memory device as is known in the art for storing and retrieving data. Significantly, storage medium140may be remotely located from processor102, and be connected to processor102via a network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the Internet.

Microphone112may be any suitable microphone as is known in the art for providing audio signals to processor102. In addition, a speaker116may be attached for reproducing audio signals from processor102. It is understood that microphone112, speaker116, and data port114may include appropriate digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion circuitry as appropriate.

Data port114may be any data port as is known in the art for interfacing with an external accessory using a data protocol such as RS-232, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard No. 1394 (‘Firewire’). In some embodiments, data port114may be any interface as known in the art for communicating or transferring files across a computer network, examples of such networks include Transmission Control Protocol/internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Ethernet, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), token bus, or token ring networks. In addition, on some systems, data port114may consist of a modem connected to network interface106. Similarly, in some embodiments network interface106provides connectivity to home automation computer100to communicate with a network. Thus, the network interface106allows the home automation computer100to communicate and process input and output from across a network.

FIG. 3depicts a block diagram of a multiple driver video card110, configured to simplify user interface design through displaying portions of a single image on multiple screens, and processing feedback from multiple devices as if the interface was a single device, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It is well understood by those in the art, that the functional elements ofFIG. 3may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or as software instructions and data encoded on a computer-readable storage medium240. As depicted inFIG. 3, multiple driver video card110may be implemented as a stand-alone card that may be inserted into home automation computer100. In alternate embodiments, multiple driver video card110may be inserted into other types of controllers, such as a programmable logic controller, or input/output (“I/O”) monitoring devices. Alternatively, the components of multiple driver video card110may be embedded on to the motherboard of a home automation computer, programmable logic controller, or I/O monitoring device.

As shown, multiple driver video card comprises a video controller302, video buffer304, transceiver306, control logic308, and input interface310. Alternate embodiments may also include a receiver312.

Video controller302may be any device known in the art capable of converting signals generated from a computer to a format displayable on a monitor. A monitor may be a visual display such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, video projection, a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, flat-panel display, touch-sensitive screen, or any other monitor known in the art for visually displaying images and/or text to a user. In some embodiments, video controller302is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) video controller, which is capable of communicating on a PCI bus, as is known in the art.

Video buffer304is any memory storage device known in the art that stores video information. Video buffer304may be implemented as a frame buffer or line buffer. In some embodiments, video buffer304may reside as a subset of memory104. Video buffer304stores video pixel data before it is sent to a monitor, or in some instances remote terminal20.

Transceiver306is any component or components known in the art used to couple multiple driver video card110with remote terminal20. Transceiver306sends and receives data to-and-from remote terminal20. As described above, in some embodiments the transceiver remote terminals20may be coupled to multiple driver video card110by any means known in the art, such a direct video connection or any communication network known in the art. In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 3, transceiver306enables a 10/100 MB Ethernet connection.

Control logic308may be any processor, microcontroller, or computing functionality, which separates a user interface image50, as received by video controller302, into multiple sub-images. Control logic308may calculate sub-image sizes based on the display capability of each individual remote terminal, and perform rotation, image cropping, image filling, upscaling or downscaling to fit the sub-image to the remote terminal display. Additionally, control logic308may store image data in video buffer304while performing image separation, image cropping, image filling, rotation, upscaling or downscaling operations. The resulting sub-images are forwarded to transceiver306to be output at remote terminal20.

As part of its operation, control logic308also processes information received by transceiver306. When transceiver306receives input data from the remote terminal20, control logic308maps the input data received to the relevant portion of the user interface image50. In turn, the mapped data is relayed to by input interface310, emulating manual input108. In effect, this mapping eliminates a special user interface design for reach individual remote terminal, and allows the system1000to treat all the interfaces of the remote terminals20as part of a single user interface.

Input interface310may be any component that maps or facilitates the data received from remote terminals20to the relevant portion of the user interface. In some embodiments, touch data received from a touch-screen remote terminal20may be routed through a Universal Serial Bus input interface310, emulating USB manual input108.

Alternate embodiments of multiple driver video card110receives video input from an external source314, such as a Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) source314. In such embodiments, a receiver312, such as an LVDS receiver312may be used to adapt the LVDS signal. As is known in the art, VDS is a transmission method for sending digital information to a flat panel display. LVDS has been widely used in laptops because it enables fewer wires to be used between the motherboard and the panel. The technology is also used between the image scaler and the panel in many stand-alone flat panel displays

FIG. 4is a block diagram of a remote terminal20embodiment configured to simplify user interface design through displaying portions of a single image, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Remote terminal20comprises a display402, touch input404, an input controller408, display logic406, and a transceiver410. These elements ofFIG. 4may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or as software instructions and data encoded on a computer-readable storage medium.

Remote terminal20embodiments receive a sub-image from multiple driver video card110, via transceiver410, and display the sub-image at display402. Additionally, remote terminals receive user input from touch input404, which is processed by input controller408, and display logic406, and is eventually transmitted back to multiple driver video card110via transceiver410.

Display402may any type of video display known in the art, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, projector, flat-panel display, touch-sensitive screen, or any other monitor known in the art for visually displaying images and/or text to a user. The remote terminal20embodiment pictured inFIG. 4uses a liquid crystal display402.

Touch input404may be any button, keypad, trackball, pointer, projection keyboard, optical bar/touch controller, or touch screen input device known in the art. Touch screen input404embodiments allow remote terminals20with lower surface areas, and allow flexible user interface designs.

Input controller408is any component in hardware, software, or firmware, which maps input received from the touch screen input404to a user interface displayed by liquid crystal display402.

Display logic406processes sub-image received by transceiver410. When transceiver410receives sub-image from the multiple driver video card110via transceiver410, display logic402performs the graphic control functions necessary to facilitate the display of sub-image on liquid crystal display402.

Transceiver410is any component or components on remote terminal20used to receive data from multiple driver video card110. Transceiver410sends and receives data to-and-from multiple driver video card110. In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 4, transceiver410enables a 10/100 MB Ethernet connection.