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

• US 10,448,299 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• 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:
  US16/163,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20190075500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 455436, 455406, 370255, 705 729, 705 738, 705 271
• 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; identities 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 server comprising:

circuitry that;

receives and stores functional information indicating a capability of each of a plurality of hardware elements located remotely from the server, the plurality of hardware elements including at least a first hardware element including a microphone function and one or more second hardware elements including at least one of a display function, a lamp function, and a speaker function;

identifies a linkage operation capable of being performed by linking the first hardware element and the one or more second hardware elements to each other via a network based on the stored functional information;

generates application instruction based on the first hardware element and the one or more second hardware elements capable of being linked; and

transmits, to the first hardware element or the linked one or more second hardware elements, the application instruction corresponding to the identified linkage operation capable of being performed.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry acquires the functional information from an external service.

3. The server according to claim 2, wherein the functional information includes a weather forecast or news.

4. The server according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry enables a user to add to the functional information at any time.

21. The server according to claim 1, wherein the linkage operation causes a first one of the linked hardware elements to perform an operation based on information provided by a second one of the linked hardware elements.

5. A system comprising:

a first hardware element including a microphone function;

one or more second hardware elements including at least one of a display function, a lamp function, and a speaker function; and

a server that

receives and stores functional information indicating a capability of a plurality of hardware elements located remotely from the server and including the first hardware element and the one or more second hardware elements,

identifies a linkage operation capable of being performed by linking the first hardware element and the one or more second elements to each other via a network based on the stored functional information,

generates application instruction based on the first hardware element and the one or more second hardware elements capable of being linked, and

transmits, to the first hardware element or the linked one or more second hardware elements, the application instruction corresponding to the identified linkage operation capable of being performed.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first hardware element is configured to transmit an audio data such as voice or sound to the server.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first hardware element is configured to receive the application instruction from the server and transmit the received application instruction to the one or more second hardware elements.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first hardware element is further configured to perform a speaker function.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first hardware element is further configured to perform a display function.

10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first hardware element is further configured to perform a camera function.

11. The system according to claim 5, wherein the one or more second hardware elements is configured to perform the identified function after receiving the application instruction.

12. The system according to claim 5, wherein the one or more second hardware elements performs the display function using an included Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

13. The system according to claim 5, wherein the one or more second hardware elements performs the lamp function using an included Light Emitting Diode (LED).

14. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first hardware element includes a function to output video or audio information based on the application instruction.

15. The system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the one or more second hardware elements includes a function to output video or audio information based on the application instruction.

16. The system according to claim 5, wherein the server is configured to add a third element to the one or more second hardware elements at any time, the third element including at least one of the display function, the lamp function, or the speaker function.

22. The system according to claim 5, wherein the linkage operation causes a first one of the linked hardware elements to perform an operation based on information provided by a second one of the linked hardware elements.

17. A server comprising:

circuitry that;

receives and stores functional information indicating a function of each of a plurality of hardware elements located remotely from the server, the plurality of hardware elements including at least a first hardware element including a microphone function and one or more second hardware elements including at least one of a display function, a lamp function, and a speaker function;

identifies a linkage operation capable of being performed by linking the first hardware element and the one or more second hardware elements to each other via a network based on the stored functional information;

generates application instruction based on the first hardware element and the one or more second hardware elements capable of being linked; and

transmits, to the first hardware element or the linked one or more second hardware elements, the application instruction corresponding to the identified linkage operation capable of being performed.

18. The server according to claim 17, wherein the circuitry acquires the functional information from an external service.

19. The server according to claim 18, wherein the functional information includes a weather forecast or news.

20. The server according to claim 18, wherein the circuitry enables a user to add to the functional information at any time.

23. The server according to claim 17, wherein the linkage operation causes a first one of the linked hardware elements to perform an operation based on information provided by a second one of the linked hardware elements.