WO2004086330A2

WO2004086330A2 - Universal control interface

Info

Publication number: WO2004086330A2
Application number: PCT/FR2004/000638
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Joye
Original assignee: Eric Joye
Priority date: 2003-03-17
Filing date: 2004-03-16
Publication date: 2004-10-07
Also published as: WO2004086330A3; FR2852707B1; FR2852707A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a service apparatus which is equipped with a control program that combines a plurality of subprograms including at least one control module (MC) which is provided to perform an operation in response to an instruction (CONS). The control module (MC) comprises an operational sequence (SO) which can be interpreted by the apparatus and a textual sequence (ST), whereby the operational sequence (SO) comprises a tag (BAL) containing the instruction (CONS) and the textual sequence (ST) consists of an interface for entering said instruction. The apparatus comprises transmission means for addressing the control module (MC) to a control apparatus and reception means for receiving the operational sequence (SO) in which the instruction (CONS) is substituted for the tag (BAL). The invention also relates to a control apparatus which is provided in order to co-operate with the service apparatus.

Description

The present invention relates to a universal control interface. The field of the invention is therefore that of human-machine dialogue, in other words that of methods of controlling any machine by a user who is often not familiar with the multitude of programming languages used by these methods. .

A first particularly current example takes place in home automation. Indeed, at home, a user often has several service devices such as a television, a video recorder, a sound reproduction device and / or an alarm system, etc. Currently, this equipment comes from different manufacturers, each using its own control method. These methods use various programming languages and various interfaces, so that it is not possible to control the devices concerned in a single way. In fact, each device is delivered with its own control device such as a remote control.

So-called “universal” remote controls are known. However, these devices limit themselves to recording the control programs of the equipment for which they are designed. There is no guarantee that if the user acquires new equipment, it can be controlled using this universal remote control.

A second example takes place in microcomputing. Indeed, a user accustomed to his workstation equipped with programs which are known to him encounters great difficulties when he seeks to use other programs of which he does not know the operation in detail.

In general, applications hosted on service devices (computers, input terminals, machine tools, household appliances) or on so-called “intelligent” peripherals (photocopiers, cameras, alarm systems) have their own interfaces and their own programming languages.

In terms of control, which could be described as synchronous, when it comes to taking control by the master computer of a remote slave computer, the most successful solution consists in restoring to the master computer what is shown on the slave computer screen. This solution requires large computing power resources on the slave computer which is responsible for building the user interface. It is therefore ill-suited to peripherals with limited resources. In addition, the interface is not unique because it is generated by the slave computer. Two different slave applications will often lead to two different interfaces.

In a client server architecture, the client repatriates an application from the server and sends commands back to this server, which interprets them. Here, the server must have less computing power than the client, but it still requires a minimum of resources, which again constitutes a limitation. Note that the interface is not unique either. In addition, there must be a specific application that relies on many different languages such as "HTML", "XGML", "JAVASCRIPT", "PHP" etc.

An object of the present invention is thus to provide an interface which is independent of the application to be controlled. Another object of the invention is to limit the computing power required both by the master application and by the slave application.

Yet another object of the invention is to allow a user to have a single interface to control the different applications that he uses. An additional object of the invention is to ensure correct operation in poor quality communication environments.

According to the invention, a service apparatus is provided with a control program assembling a plurality of subroutines among which at least one control module is provided to execute an operation in response to a setpoint; moreover, this control module comprising an operational sequence interpretable by this device and a textual sequence, the operational sequence comprising a tag which represents the instruction, the textual sequence consisting of an interface for entering the instruction, it comprises means for transmission to address this control module to a control device and reception means to receive the operational sequence in which the instruction is substituted for the tag.

Preferably, when this control program comprises several control modules, these modules are arranged in a tree.

In this case, the transmission means are advantageously provided for addressing the entire shaft to the control device. Thus, the reception means are provided for receiving the operational sequences of this tree, sequences in which the instructions are substituted for the corresponding tags.

According to an additional characteristic of the invention, these reception means are also provided for receiving the complete shaft.

The invention also relates to an apparatus for controlling at least one service apparatus, comprising reception means for receiving at least one control module designed to execute an operation in response to a set point; moreover, this control module comprising an operational sequence interpretable by the service apparatus and a textual sequence, the operational sequence comprising a tag which represents the instruction, the textual sequence consisting of an interface for entering this instruction, the apparatus control comprises interfacing means for implementing the input interface in order to acquire the set point, means for detecting the tag, substitution means for replacing the tag with the set point in the operational sequence and means to return this operational sequence to the service device.

Preferably, this control device includes request means for activating the transmission of the control module to its own reception means.

If it is intended to receive a control tree comprising several control modules, the control device comprises means for presenting the text sequences in a presentation tree.

Thus, the transmission means are provided for returning the operational sequences of the control tree, sequences in which the instructions are substituted for the corresponding tags.

According to an additional characteristic of the invention, these transmission means are provided for addressing the complete control shaft to the service appliance. According to a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises means for receiving control modules from a plurality of service apparatuses, substitution means for replacing the beacon by the instruction in each operational sequence and means for returning these operational sequences to the appropriate service devices. In addition, this device comprises selection means presenting the service devices according to a tree structure. Whether it is a service appliance or a control appliance, the transmission means and the reception means can be adapted to a software link.

Likewise, these transmission means and these reception means can be adapted to a wireless link.

The present invention will now appear in more detail in the context of the following description of exemplary embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the appended figures which represent:

- Figure 1, a diagram showing a service device and a control device 0,

FIG. 2, a diagram of a control shaft, and

- Figure 3, a diagram of a control module.

The elements present in several figures are assigned a single reference. With reference to FIG. 1, the invention therefore proposes to control a service appliance 10 such as a television by means of a control appliance 11 such as a terminal. The terminal can be a microcomputer, a remote control module or even a mobile phone provided with a screen. The link 12 between the service appliance 10 and the control appliance 11 can be of any nature, software, wired or wireless, radio or optical for example.

Referring to Figure 2, the service apparatus 10 is provided with a control program. Thus for the TEL television, it is possible to carry out REG settings or a PAR setting such as that of the various reception channels. The REG settings include that of the SO sound and that of the IM image. For sound, it is possible to change the VOL volume or the TON tone, while the CO contrast and BR brightness of the image can be adjusted.

. The control program assembles a plurality of subroutines, some of which are autonomous and others, the control modules, 0 requiring the acquisition of a setpoint before being executed. By way of example, the volume control module VOL has the function of adjusting the amplifier of the television set to a set point which can be a numerical value between 0 and 10.

With reference to FIG. 3, each control module MC comprises a series of instructions written in the programming language retained by the manufacturer of the television. Generally, this module is written in plain language, directly interpretable, and those skilled in the art call this sequence of instructions a script. A particular instruction which will be called IR reference instruction makes it possible to introduce the setpoint in the control module.

The invention firstly proposes to have a BAL tag in this IR reference instruction to display the setpoint, the series of instructions above now appearing as an operational sequence SO. By tag, we mean a unambiguously identifiable series of characters.

The invention secondly proposes to add to this operational sequence SO a textual sequence ST which consists of an interface for entering the instruction CONS. This textual sequence ST is written in a language that can be interpreted by the control machine, the primary purpose of which is to define a man-machine interface. In the example adopted, it is a question of entering the desired value of the sound volume.

The control module MC thus consists of an operational sequence SO and a textual sequence ST.

The invention thirdly proposes to address this control module MC to the control device 11 by any means.

This control device distinguishes the operational sequence SO from the textual sequence ST which it is capable of interpreting. It therefore returns the input interface, on a screen for example, to acquire the CONS instruction. It detects the BAL tag in the SO operational sequence and replaces it with the setpoint

CONS.

To fix the ideas, the tag is a series of four characters which begins with the letter μ. This letter μ does not appear in any instruction of the manufacturer programming language, it uniquely identifies a tag.

The control device then returns to the service device the operational sequence SO in which the instruction CONS has been substituted for the tag BAL. The service device is therefore able to interpret and / or execute this sequence.

Of course, the service apparatus can address to the control apparatus a plurality of control modules each consisting of an operational sequence and a text sequence.

Thus, advantageously, these modules are arranged in a tree by means of a script. This tree is sent to the control unit which replaces the tag in each operational sequence with the corresponding instruction. The control device then returns this informed and stripped-down text sequence to the service device.

The invention also makes it possible to update the tree in the service appliance by returning to it a modified tree comprising the complete control modules, each provided with an operational sequence in which there is a tag and with a corresponding text sequence .

In addition, the control module has the capacity to control several service devices.

For example, in a network environment using “Bluetooth” technology, the control device can interrogate the various elements of the network to identify the service devices that it is able to control. He can then interrogate one of these service devices so that it can send him his control tree.

Preferably, the control device presents the various service devices that it has identified by means of a tree structure so that a user can easily select the device that he intends to adjust or put into service.

Until now, it has been specified that it is the service appliance which supplies its various control modules to the control appliance. This should not be seen as a limitation of the invention. In fact, the control device could acquire a control module by any other means, the Internet for example, replace the beacon with the instruction, and send the operational sequence thus modified to the service device.

The embodiment of the invention presented above was chosen for its concrete character. However, it would not be possible to exhaustively list all the embodiments covered by this invention.

In particular, any step or any means described may be replaced by a step or equivalent means without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1) Service apparatus 10 provided with a control program assembling a plurality of subroutines among which at least one control module MC is provided to execute an operation in response to a setpoint CONS, characterized in that said module command MC comprising an operational sequence SO interpretable by said device and a textual sequence ST, said operational sequence SO comprising a BAL tag which represents said instruction CONS, said text sequence ST consisting of an interface for inputting said instruction CONS, it comprises means transmission to address this control module MC to a control device 11 and reception means for receiving said operational sequence SO in which said instruction CONS is substituted for said beacon BAL.

2) Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that, said control program comprising several control modules MC, these modules are arranged in a tree.

3) Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said transmission means are provided for addressing the entire shaft to said control apparatus 11.

4) Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said receiving means are provided for receiving the operational sequences SO of said tree, sequences in which said instructions CONS are substituted for said corresponding tags BAL.

5) Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said receiving means are provided for receiving said shaft.

6) control apparatus 11 of a service apparatus 10 at least, comprising reception means for receiving at least one control module MC intended to execute an operation in response to a setpoint CONS, characterized in that, said control module MC comprising an operational sequence SO interpretable by said service apparatus 10 and a text sequence ST, said operational sequence SO comprising a BAL tag which represents said instruction CONS, said text sequence ST consisting of an interface for entering said CONS instruction, it comprises interfacing means for implementing said input interface in order to acquire said CONS instruction, means for detecting said BAL tag, substitution means for replacing said BAL tag with said setpoint CONS in said operational sequence SO thus defining an informed operational sequence, and transmission means for returning this operational sequence informed SO to said service appliance 10.

7) Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises request means for activating the transmission of said control module MC to said reception means.

8) Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 or 7 characterized in that, intended to receive a control tree comprising several control modules MC, it comprises means for presenting said text sequences ST in a presentation tree.

9) Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said transmission means are provided for returning the operational sequences SO of said control shaft, sequences in which said setpoints CONS are substituted for said corresponding BAL tags.

10) Apparatus according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that said transmission means are provided for addressing said control shaft to said service apparatus 10.

11) Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that it comprises means for receiving control modules from a plurality of service apparatus 10, substitution means for replacing the BAL tag by CONS instruction in each operational sequence SO and means for returning these operational sequences SO to the appropriate service apparatuses 10.

12) Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises selection means having said service apparatus 10 in a tree structure.

13) Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transmission means and said reception means are adapted to a software link.

14) Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that said transmission means and said reception means are adapted to a wireless link.