AR IoT Control Interface for Multi-Device Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inconvenience and inefficiency when controlling multiple network-enabled devices, as each device requires its own specialized application or webpage, making it difficult to manage and remember which application corresponds to which device.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a computing device to capture a live rendering of the environment, allowing users to register images associated with internet of things devices, enabling control through a single augmented reality interface by detecting and interacting with these images, thereby establishing a communication channel for remote control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If each internet of things device is controlled through its own specialized application program or webpage, then the device can be accessed and controlled remotely, but the complexity of device management increases and user convenience decreases as the number of devices grows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges control of multiple internet of things devices into a single unified application program. The system captures a live rendering of the physical environment and overlays augmented reality interface elements that allow control of multiple devices (thermostat, doorbell, lights, etc.) through one interface, eliminating the need for separate applications for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The augmented reality interface serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays the physical environment, identifies devices through image recognition, provides control interfaces for various device types, and enables remote access all within a single universal application, making the system adaptable to different device types without requiring device-specific applications.
2Productivity
If users manage multiple internet of things devices through separate applications, then each device can be controlled, but the time required to locate and control devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by capturing images of devices and pre-processing them for recognition before control is needed. During operation, the system quickly matches newly captured device images against the pre-processed database, enabling rapid device identification and control without requiring users to manually search through applications or remember device locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical interaction of manually navigating through applications and interfaces with an automated image recognition system. The augmented reality interface automatically detects devices in the physical environment through camera input and image processing, substituting manual device location efforts with automated visual identification.
3Ease of operation
If users rely on memory to identify which application corresponds to which device, then device control is possible, but the difficulty of identifying the proper application increases with more devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates visual copies of devices by capturing images with the camera and displaying them within the augmented reality interface. These image copies serve as direct visual references to physical devices, allowing users to identify and select the correct device for control by seeing its image rather than relying on memory or text-based application names.
Solution Approach 2:
The augmented reality interface acts as an intermediary between the user and the devices. It captures images of devices, processes them through image recognition, and presents them in an interactive overlay that mediates the connection between the user's intent and the actual device control, eliminating the need for users to directly remember device-app associations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for remotely controlling an external device includes storing, in a computing device, a plurality of device profiles, each device profile including connection data, one or more control commands, and at least one associated image; receiving, by an imaging device interfaced with the computing device, a live rendering of a physical environment; detecting, by the computing device, a registered image in the live rendering of the physical environment; identifying, in the computing device, a specific device profile where the at least one associated image includes the detected registered image; establishing, by the computing device, a communication channel with an external device using the connection data included in the identified specific device profile; and electronically transmitting, by the computing device, at least one of the one or more control commands included in the identified specific device profile to the external device using the established communication channel.