US5467264A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for selectively interdependent control of devices
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1993-09-30
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Granted: 1995-11-14
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Expires: 2013-09-30
Abstract
Abstract A computer method and system for providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices. The devices include lamps, video cameras, motion detectors, and so forth. An identification of a first device and a second device is obtained from the user. A definition of a dependency relationship is then obtained from the user wherein the second device has a status which depends on a status of the first device. The status of the first device is continually monitored. When the status of the first device changes, the status of the second device is updated in accordance with the dependency relationship defined by the user. The second device is then activated or deactivated based on the updated status of the second device. Any number of devices are controlled in this fashion.
Inventors
- 👤 Adam Rauch
- 👤 Gregory W. Riker
- 👤 Nathan P. Myhrvold
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 11:31
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08C; G08C19/00; G08C19/16; G08C19/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices, the method performed by a computer and comprising the steps of: providing the user with a choice of devices that can be selected to depend on each other, each device having a status; obtaining from the user an identification of a first device and a second device and an indication that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; obtaining from the user a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; using the computer, determining whether the status of the first device has changed; using the computer, updating the status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of the second device based on the changed status of tile first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and using the computer, controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices, the method performed by a computer and comprising the steps of: providing the user with a choice of devices that can be selected to depend on each other, each device having a status; obtaining from the user an identification of a first device and a second device and an indication that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; obtaining from the user a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; using the computer, determining whether the status of the first device has changed; using the computer, updating the status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of the second device based on the changed status of tile first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and using the computer, controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
93 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: storing a first device entry for the first device in a table, the first device entry including a status field which contains the status of the first device; and storing a second device entry for the second device in the table, the second device entry including a status field which contains the status of the second device and a condition field which identifies the first device to indicate that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
124 words
The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of: obtaining from the user an identification of a third device having a status; obtaining from the user a definition of a dependency relationship wherein the status of the second device depends on a logical relationship between the first and third device; storing in the condition field of the second device entry an indication of a logical operation between the status of the first device and the status of a third device; and wherein: the step of updating the stored status of the second device comprises determining the status of the second device based on a result of the logical operation and storing the determined status in the status field in the second device entry.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
133 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: storing in a table a first device entry for the first device having a status field which contains the status of the first device; and storing in the table a second device entry for the second device having a status field storing the status of the status of the second device; and wherein the step of determining whether the stored status of the first device has changed comprises repeatedly determining whether the status contained in the status field in the first device entry has changed; and the step of updating the stored status of the second device comprises updating the status in the status field in the second device entry when the status in the status field in the first device entry changes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a status which depends on whether a time indicated by a clock/calendar circuit provided by the computer falls within a time range indicated by the user; and wherein the step of updating the stored status of the second device comprises updating the status of the second device when the clock/calendar circuit indicates a time which has changed into or out of the user indicated time range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of controlling the second device comprises activating or deactivating the second device based on the updated status of the second device by providing the updated status of the second device to a transmitter, and thereby transmitting a signal to the second device to activate or deactivate the second device corresponding to the updated status of the second device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the step of activating or deactivating the second device further comprises determining a medium over which the signal is to be transmitted and providing a digital waveform to the transmitter for transmitting a signal corresponding to the digital waveform over the determined medium.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: determining a medium over which the signal is to be transmitted; and storing in a table an entry for the second device, the entry storing a digital waveform corresponding to a signal to be transmitted over the determined medium to indicate the updated status of the device; and wherein: the step of activating or deactivating the second device further comprises locating the entry for the second device in the table and providing to the transmitter the digital waveform stored in the located entry which corresponds to the updated status of the second device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
109 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining the identification of the first device and the second device comprises: providing a graphical user interface that includes graphical objects corresponding to devices; obtaining an indication of a first graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the first graphic object corresponding to the first device and being displayed on a display of the graphic user interface; and obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the second graphic object corresponding to the second device and being displayed on the display.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the step of controlling the second device comprises activating or deactivating the second device based on the updated status of the second device by providing the updated status of the second device to a transmitter, and thereby transmitting a signal to the second device to activate or deactivate the second device corresponding to the updated status of the second device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the step of activating or deactivating the second device further comprises determining a medium over which the signal is to be transmitted and providing a digital waveform to the transmitter for transmitting a signal corresponding to the digital waveform over the determined medium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of: determining a medium over which the signal is to be transmitted; and storing in a table an entry for the second device, the entry storing a digital waveform corresponding to a signal to be transmitted over the determined medium to indicate the updated status of the device; and wherein the step of activating or deactivating the second device further comprises locating the entry for the second device in the table and providing to the transmitter the digital waveform stored in the located entry which corresponds to the updated status of the second device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
177 words
A computer system for user-selected interdependent control of devices, the computer system comprising: means providing the user with a choice of devices that can be associated with each other; means for obtaining from the user an identification of a first device and a second device and an indication that a status of the second device depends on a status of the first device; means for obtaining from the user a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; means for storing the status of the first device and the status of the second device; means for determining whether the stored status of the first device has changed; means for updating the stored status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of the second device based on the changed status of the first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and means for controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
177 words
A computer system for user-selected interdependent control of devices, the computer system comprising: means providing the user with a choice of devices that can be associated with each other; means for obtaining from the user an identification of a first device and a second device and an indication that a status of the second device depends on a status of the first device; means for obtaining from the user a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; means for storing the status of the first device and the status of the second device; means for determining whether the stored status of the first device has changed; means for updating the stored status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of the second device based on the changed status of the first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and means for controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
106 words
The computer system of claim 13 wherein the means for obtaining an identification a first device and a second device comprises; a graphical user interface provided to the user for selection of the first device and the second device, the graphical user interface including: means for obtaining an indication of a first graphical object from the user, the first graphic object corresponding to the first device and being displayed on a display of the graphic user interface; and means for obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user, the second graphic object corresponding to the second device and being displayed on the display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
63 words
The computer system of claim 14 wherein the means for controlling the second device comprises: a transmitter which transmits a signal to the second device; and means for providing the updated status of the second device to the transmitter to transmit the signal to the second device to activate or deactivate the second device corresponding to the updated status of the second device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
The computer system of claim 15 wherein the means for controlling the second device further comprises: means for determining a medium over which the signal is to be transmitted; and means for providing a digital waveform to the transmitter for transmitting a signal corresponding to the digital waveform over the determined medium.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
103 words
The computer system of claim 15, further comprising: means for determining a medium over which the signal is to be transmitted; and means for storing in a table an entry for the second device having a digital waveform corresponding to a signal to be transmitted over the determined medium to indicate the updated status of the device; and wherein the means for controlling the second device further comprises means for locating the entry for the second device in the table and providing to the transmitter the digital waveform stored in the located entry which corresponds to the updated status of the second device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
189 words
A computer system for user-selected interdependent control of devices, the computer system comprising: a receiver; a transmitter; a computer connected to the receiver and the transmitter, the computer including: a graphical user interface provided to the user for selection of a first device and a second device, the first and second devices each having a status, the graphical user interface, including: means for obtaining an indication of a first graphic object from the user, the first graphic object corresponding to the first device and being displayed on a display of the graphic user interface; means for obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user, the second graphic object corresponding to the second device and being displayed on the display; and means for obtaining an indication that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; and means for updating the status of the second device, when the receiver sends a signal to the computer indicating that the status of the first device has changed, by providing the updated status to the transmitter which sends a corresponding signal to the second device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
189 words
A computer system for user-selected interdependent control of devices, the computer system comprising: a receiver; a transmitter; a computer connected to the receiver and the transmitter, the computer including: a graphical user interface provided to the user for selection of a first device and a second device, the first and second devices each having a status, the graphical user interface, including: means for obtaining an indication of a first graphic object from the user, the first graphic object corresponding to the first device and being displayed on a display of the graphic user interface; means for obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user, the second graphic object corresponding to the second device and being displayed on the display; and means for obtaining an indication that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; and means for updating the status of the second device, when the receiver sends a signal to the computer indicating that the status of the first device has changed, by providing the updated status to the transmitter which sends a corresponding signal to the second device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer system of claim 18 wherein the computer includes means for determining a medium over which the signal is to be transmitted and for selecting the transmitter from among plural transmitters to send the updated status via the determined medium.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
50 words
The computer system of claim 19 wherein the computer comprises a memory storing a table having for each device an entry containing a digital waveform corresponding to the signal transmitted over the medium by the transmitter, the computer providing to the transmitter the digital waveform corresponding to the determined medium.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the step of obtaining an indication that the second device is to be associated with the first device includes providing a graphic connector as part of the graphic user interface and obtaining from the user a selection of the graphic connector indicating an association of the second device with the first device.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 9, further comprising: providing a drawing utility that enables the user to draw a graphical representation of a structure in which the devices are located; and displaying the first and second graphic objects within the graphical representation at locations that correspond to locations within the structure at which the first and second devices are found.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the means for indicating that the second device is to be associated with the first device includes a graphic connector and means for positioning the graphic connector to indicate an association of the second device with the first device
Claim 27
Independent Claim
237 words
A method of providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices, the method performed by a computer and comprising: providing the user with a choice of devices that can be selected to depend on each other, each device having a status; providing a graphical user interface that includes a display that displays graphic objects corresponding to the devices; obtaining an indication of a first graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the first graphic object corresponding to a first device having a status; obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the second graphic object corresponding to a second device having a status; obtaining from the user an indication that the status of second device depends on the status of the first device and a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; using the computer, determining whether the status of the first device has changed; using the computer, updating the status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of tile second device based on the changed status of the first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and using the computer, controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
237 words
A method of providing a user with selectively interdependent control of devices, the method performed by a computer and comprising: providing the user with a choice of devices that can be selected to depend on each other, each device having a status; providing a graphical user interface that includes a display that displays graphic objects corresponding to the devices; obtaining an indication of a first graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the first graphic object corresponding to a first device having a status; obtaining an indication of a second graphic object from the user entered into the computer via the graphical user interface, the second graphic object corresponding to a second device having a status; obtaining from the user an indication that the status of second device depends on the status of the first device and a dependency relationship that defines how the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device; using the computer, determining whether the status of the first device has changed; using the computer, updating the status of the second device when the status of the first device has changed, the updated status of tile second device based on the changed status of the first device and the dependency relationship defined by the user; and using the computer, controlling the second device based on the updated status of the second device.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the step of obtaining an indication that the status of second device depends on the status of the first device includes providing a graphic connector as part of the graphic user interface and enabling the user to position the graphic connector to indicate that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 24, further comprising: providing a drawing utility that enables the user to draw a graphical representation of a structure in which the devices are located; and displaying the first and second graphic objects within the graphical representation at locations that correspond to locations within the structure at which the first and second devices are found.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 24, further comprising: storing a first device entry for the first device in a table, the first device entry including a status field which contains the status of the first device; and storing a second device entry for the second device in the table, the second device entry including a status field which contains the status of the second device and a condition field which identifies the first device to indicate that the status of the second device depends on the status of the first device.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 27, further comprising: storing an indication of the first graphic object in a graphic object field of the first device entry of the table.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-11-13 | 1999-05-15 | 1999-11-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-11-13 | 2003-05-15 | 2003-11-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-11-13 | 2007-05-15 | 2007-11-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |