US 20130080898 Invention provide a system for enhancing user interaction

The present invention is related to electronic communications in a network and more specifically to systems and method for accessing and controlling one or more objects (physical or virtual) such as remote devices and services from a remote location by a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electronic devices are frequently used in day to day life. The electronic devices may include television, refrigerator, air conditioners, fans, tube lights, cameras or other electronic equipments such as transmitters, antennas etc.

All the electronic devices consume power regularly or at frequent intervals of time. For efficient power consumption, the electronic devices must be controlled or switched ON/OFF.

Appliances such as fans, tube lights or microwave may be controlled by regulating the electrical parameters associated with the appliances. For example, a user may control speed of fan, regulate operating power of the microwave as per requirement. However, it requires physical presence of the user to regulate or switch ON/OFF the appliances. A technique for controlling the appliances by a remote control device is well known. The remote control device may transmit signals for controlling the appliances. For example, the remote control device may simultaneously control air conditioners, fans or cameras as per the requirement. However, the technique is limited by location of the user. Moreover, the technique is incapable of updating the real-time status of the appliances to the user.

Another available technique discloses a smart device for controlling the appliances. The smart device is configured with internet and connected with the appliances. A user connected with the smart device via the internet may control the appliances from a remote location. Moreover, the user may control the appliances by connecting with processing device via communication channel. The processing device may be located nearby to the smart device and may further receive signals from the user to control the appliances. However, the technique requires installation of a smart device and/or processing device for controlling the appliances from a remote location.

Another available technique discloses real-time position monitoring of vehicles. The user may monitor real time coordinates of the vehicles based on the information received from a transmitter located in the vehicle. The user receives the position coordinates from the transmitter via a GPS server 114. However, the user is unable to control or update the positional coordinates of the vehicle as per choice.

In light of the above discussion, systems and methods are desired for providing real-time control of the electronic devices and services from a remote location.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention provide a system for enhancing interaction of a user with objects connected to a network. The system includes a processor, a display screen, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory comprises a database including a list of two or more objects and instructions executable by the processor to display a menu. The menu is associated with at least two independent objects. Further, the two independent objects are produced by at least two independent vendors.

Embodiments of the invention further provide a system for enhancing interaction of a user with objects connected to a network. The system includes a processor, a display screen and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes a database comprising a list of one or more objects and instructions executable by the processor to display it to the user. The menu includes icon which may indicate one object made by a vendor. Further, the icon is substantially different than the one provided by said vendor.

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for accessing and controlling remote devices in a network. The method includes accessing a database of visual access menus through a graphical user interface (GUI) at a device. Further, the method includes displaying a visual access menu at the device. The visual access menu may include one or more options. The device may include an Internet of Things application such as a VMThings for displaying the visual access menu at the device. The VMThings also enables a user of the device to control the remote devices. The VMThings may be configured to create an Internet of Things menu including representations of recognizable objects. The objects may be physical objects or virtual objects. The Internet of Things menu may be a menu of identifiable objects (physical or virtual objects) connected in an Internet like structure. The user may control the remote devices irrespective of the location of the remote devices through the visual access menu. The user may select an option from the visual access menu. The method further includes displaying an enhanced visual access menu based on a selection of an option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more device options depending on the selection of the option. The device options are representation corresponding to the remote devices. The method further includes receiving a selection of a device option from the user. The method further includes connecting to a remote device based on the selection of the device option. Further, the method includes controlling the one or more operations of the connected remote device based on the selection of the device option.

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for accessing and controlling services from a remote location. The method includes accessing, by a user of a device, a database of visual access menus through a graphical user interface (GUI) at the device. Further, the method includes displaying a visual access menu at the device. The visual access menu may include one or more options. The device may include an Internet of Things application i.e. a VMThings for displaying the visual access menu at the device. Further, the VMThings may create an Internet of Things menu including one or more identifiable objects connected to each other in an Internet like structure. The VMThings may display visual access menu at the device to enable the user to control the remote services. The method further includes displaying an enhanced visual access menu based on a selection of an option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more service options depending on the selection of the option. The service options are representation corresponding to the services. The method further includes receiving a selection of a service option from the user. The method further includes connecting to a service based on the selection of the service option. Further, the method includes connecting the device to the service. Furthermore, the method includes controlling and displaying information about the service at the device based on the selection of the service option.

Embodiments of the invention also provide a device for accessing and controlling remote devices in a network. The device may include an Internet of Things application i.e. a VMThings configured to enable a user of the device to access a database including visual access menus through a GUI. Further, the VMThings is configured to create an Internet of Things menu including one or more identifiable objects connected in an Internet like structure. The VMThings may display a visual access menu including one or more options at the device. Further, the VMThings may display an enhanced visual access menu at the device based on a selection of an option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more device options depending on the selection of the option. The device options are representation corresponding to the remote devices. The VMThings may further receive a selection of a device option from the user. The VMThings may also connect the device to a remote device based on the selection of the device option. The VMThings may control one or more operations of the connected remote device based on the selection of the device option.

Embodiments of the invention also provide a device for accessing and controlling services in a network from a remote location. The device may include an Internet of Things application such as a VMThings configured to enable a user of the device to access a database including visual access menus through a GUI. The VMThings is also configured to display a visual access menu including one or more options at the device. Further, the VMThings may display an enhanced visual access menu at the device based on a selection of an option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more service options depending on the selection of the option. The service options are representation corresponding to the services located remotely. The VMThings may further receive a selection of a service option from the user. The VMThings may also connect the device to a service based on the selection of the service option. The VMThings may control and display information of the service to the device based on the selection of the service option.

Embodiments of the invention also provide a system for accessing and controlling remote devices. The system includes a display device configured to display one or more visual access menus. Further, the system includes an access device connected to the display device. The access device may include an Internet of Things application i.e. a VMThings configured to display the one or more visual access menus including one or more options to control the remote devices, at the display device. The user may create or configure an Internet of Things menu through a Graphical User Interface at the device. In an embodiment of the invention, the VMThings may be configured to create the Internet of Things menu. The VMThings is further configured to enable a user of the access device to access a database including the visual access menus through a GUI. The VMThings may display an enhanced visual access menu at the device based on a selection of an option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more device options depending on the selection of the option. The device options are representation corresponding to the remote devices. The VMThings may further receive a selection of a device option from the user. The VMThings may also connect the device to a remote device based on the selection of the device option. The VMThings may control one or more operations of the connected remote device based on the selection of the device option.

Embodiments of the invention also provide a system for accessing and controlling services in a network from a remote location. The system may include a display device configured to display one or more visual access menus. Further, the system may include an access device connected to the display device. The access device may include an Internet of Things application i.e. a VMThings configured to display the one or more visual access menus including one or more options to control the remote devices at the display device. The VMThings is further configured to enable a user of the access device to access a database including the visual access menus through a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The GUI may be used for creating an Internet of Things Menu including a plurality of identifiable objects in a network like structure. The identifiable objects may be physical objects or virtual objects. Further, the VMThings may display an enhanced visual access menu at the device based on a selection of the option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more service options depending on the selection of the option. The service options are representation corresponding to the services. The VMThings may further receive a selection of a service option from the user. The VMThings may also connect the device to a remote device based on the selection of the service option. The VMThings may control and display information about the service based on the selection of the service option.

Embodiments of the invention further provide a method for accessing and controlling the remote devices in a network through a web browser. The method includes opening a webpage in the web browser at a device including a VMThings. The method may further include displaying a visual access menu at the device. The VMThings may create or display the visual access menu or an Internet of Things menu at the device. The Internet of Things menu may include a plurality of representations corresponding to identifiable objects. The identifiable objects may be physical objects or virtual objects. The visual access menu may include one or more options. Further, the method includes displaying an enhanced visual access menu at the device based on a selection of an option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more device options depending on the selection of the option. The device options are representation corresponding to the remote devices. The method further includes receiving a selection of a device option from the user. The method further includes connecting to a remote device based on the selection of the device option. Further, the method includes connecting the device to the remote device based on the selection of the device option. Further, the method includes controlling the one or more operations of the connected remote device based on the selection of the device option.

Embodiments of the invention further provide a method for accessing and controlling the services in a network through a web browser. The method includes opening a webpage in the web browser at a device including an Internet of Things application i.e. a VMThings. The VMThings is configured to enable a user of the device to access a database including the visual access menus through a GUI. The method further includes displaying a visual access menu at the device. The VMThings may display the visual access menu at the device. The visual access menu may include one or more options. Further, the method includes displaying an enhanced visual access menu at the device based on a selection of an option received from the user. The enhanced visual access menu may include one or more service options depending on the selection of the option. The service options are representation corresponding to the service. The method further includes receiving a selection of a service option from the user. The method further includes connecting to a service based on the selection of the service option. Further, the method includes connecting the device to the remote device based on the selection of the service option. Further, the method includes controlling and displaying the information of the service based on the selection of the service option.

An aspect of the invention is to enable a user to control one or more operations of the remote devices or services through voice commands or gestures or hand movements. For example, the user may switch on an air conditioner (AC) by showing a thumb up gesture in front of the device. The device may include a camera to detect the gesture. The VMThings at the device (or access device) may analyze the gesture and control a remote device based on the analysis.An aspect of the invention is to transfer display of a device to another device. The another device may be connected to the device through wireless means.

Another aspect of the invention is to create a data base of visual access menus or enhanced visual access menus. The visual access menus or the enhanced visual access menus are the visual menus for controlling one or more objects such as, but are not limited to, remote devices, services, and so forth.