Touch-Based Configuration Interface for Home Automation Zone Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Audio/video and home automation systems require extensive manual configuration, which is costly and difficult for users to set up correctly, often necessitating custom coding by trained installers, limiting the realization of system potential.
Innovation Solution
A configuration user interface on a mobile device uses photo-realistic depictions of component back panels to guide users in connecting multimedia system components, generating configuration data that compiles into a service implementation to provide user interfaces and services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual configuration with custom coding is used, then system functionality can be achieved, but configuration complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-configuration by automatically detecting components on the network, identifying their types and capabilities, and generating appropriate configuration settings without requiring manual intervention or custom coding by installers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical configuration process (physically connecting components and manually coding) with an automated electronic discovery and configuration system that uses network communication to detect components and programmatically generate configuration settings
2Ease of operation
If trained installers perform custom coding, then proper system interoperation is achieved, but installation cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The configuration system serves itself by automatically generating the interoperation logic and configuration code needed for components to work together, eliminating the need for trained installers to perform manual coding
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration actions by pre-generating appropriate configuration settings and interoperation logic based on automatic component detection, so that no manual configuration work is needed during installation
3Reliability
If extensive manual configuration is required, then system connections can be established, but user time and effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming manual configuration processes with automated electronic discovery and configuration generation, reducing setup time from hours of manual work to minutes of automatic processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically performs the configuration tasks that would otherwise require extensive manual user input, establishing connections and generating configuration settings without requiring users to spend significant time on setup
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a configuration application executing on a tablet computer or smartphone presents a configuration user interface on a touch screen for configuring a home automation system of a structure. A plurality of components of the home automation system that have wireless capabilities are detected. The configuration application receives an indication of a zone of the structure within which each component is located, the indication provided by the user dragging a representation of each component to a location provided in the configuration user interface. Based on the indication of the zone of the structure in which each component is located and the type of each component, automatically generate one or more user interface screens for accessing and controlling the components in each zone, where the automatically generated user interface screens are displayable during use of the home automation system.