Method and system for realizing function by causing elements of hardware or software to perform linkage operation

• US 10,021,612 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hagiwara, Takehiro, Masuda, Hiroyuki, Kondo, Genta, Takizawa, Hiromu
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US15/123,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 455436, 455 412, 455574, 705 738, 705 51, 380203, 380202, 340540, 340506, 340 31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system that stores functional information indicating a capability of each of a plurality of elements located remotely from the system; identifies a function capable of being performed by linking a plurality of the elements based on the stored functional information; and transmits information corresponding to the identified function capable of being performed by linking the plurality of elements to a first device remote from the system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

circuitry that;

stores functional information indicating a capability of each of a plurality of elements located remotely from the system, the plurality of elements including at least one or more sensors, the at least one or more sensors being a motion sensor, a camera sensor, or a human detection sensor;

identifies a function capable of being performed by linking a plurality of the elements based on the stored functional information; and

generates application instructions; and

transmits the application instructions corresponding to the identified function capable of being performed by linking the plurality of elements to a first device remote from the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry

receives information corresponding to a desired function to be performed by linking a subset f the plurality of the elements;

generates information indicating the subset of the plurality of elements necessary to perform the desired function; and

transmits the generated information to the first device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry

receives information identifying a function capable of being performed by linking a subset of the plurality of elements from the first device;

and

transmits information identifying the function capable of being performed linking the subset of the plurality of elements to a second device remote from the system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry

generates a program to be executed to perform the function capable of being performed by linking the subset of the plurality of elements;

and

transmits the program to be executed to the second device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry

receives, from the first device, information corresponding to a desired function to be performed and a subset of the plurality of elements associated with the first device;

identifies at least a first element not associated with the first device necessary to perform the desired function;

retrieves a cost associated with acquiring the at least first element; and

transmits the cost associated with acquiring the at least first element to the first device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein

the circuitry retrieves the cost associated with acquiring the at least first element from a second device remote from the system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry

receives, from the first device, information corresponding to a desired function to be performed by linking a subset of the plurality of elements associated with the first device;

shares information corresponding to the desired function with a second device remote from the system; and

receives, from the second device, information indicating a linkage between the subset of the plurality of elements to perform the desired function.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry

receives, from the first device, information corresponding to a desired function to be performed;

shares information corresponding to the desired function with a second device remote from the system; and

receives, from the second device, information identifying a subset of the plurality of elements to perform the desired function and a linkage between the subset of the plurality of elements.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuitry

identifies that at least one of the subset of the plurality of elements is purchased based on the information received from the second device;

identifies a cost associated with the at least one of the subset of the plurality of elements; and

reimburses a user associated with the second device with at least a portion of the cost associated with the at least one of the subset of the plurality of elements.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry

receives, from a second device remote from the system, information identifying a function capable of being performed by linking a subset of the plurality of elements;

identifies that the first device purchased at least a one of the subset of the plurality of elements based on the information identifying a first function received from the second device; and

reimburses a user associated with the second device with at least a portion of a cost associated with the at least one of the subset of the plurality of elements.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry receives, from a second device remote from the system, a plurality of functions capable of being performed by linking respective subsets of the plurality of elements.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry transmits, to the first device, a plurality of functions capable of being performed by linking respective subsets of the plurality of elements.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry

stores an application configured to link a subset of the plurality of elements to perform the function;

and

transmits the application to the first device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein

the application includes a user interface that is displayed by the first device and accepts a user input to configure the linking between the plurality of elements.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein

the system is a server.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein

the system is a plurality of servers.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of elements further include software elements that are communicatively coupled to the first device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein

the at least one or more sensors are communicatively coupled to the first device.

19. A method performed by an information processing system, the method comprising:

identifying a function capable of being performed by linking a plurality of elements located remotely from the information processing system based on stored functional information indicating a capability of each of the plurality of elements, the plurality of elements including at least one or more sensors, the at least one or more sensors being a motion sensor, a camera sensor, or a human detection sensor;

generating application instructions; and

transmitting the application instructions corresponding to the identified function capable of being performed by linking the plurality of elements to a first device remote from the information processing system.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by an information processing system, cause the information processing system to:

identify a function capable of being performed by linking a plurality of elements located remotely from the system based on stored functional information indicating a capability of each of the plurality of elements, the plurality of elements including at least one or more sensors, the at least one or more sensors being a motion sensor, a camera sensor, or a human detection sensor;

generate application instructions; and

transmit the application instructions corresponding to the identified function capable of being performed by linking the plurality of elements to a first device remote from the system.