Accessing an in home network through the internet

• US 20020078259A1
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Reuzel, Johan Gerhard Herman, Udink, Rob Theodorus, Wendorf, Roli Garg
• Granted Patent: US 7,257,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communication system includes a HAVi-based in-home network 140 and a remote device 110 operative to communicate with an intermediate device 130 of the in-home network via Internet. The remote device loads a HAVi applet (Havlet) 238 for controlling at least one of the in-home devices using HAVi. The remote device also loads an HAVi API (HJA) emulator 310 which emulates HJA. The HJA emulator provides an interface for the Havlet and communicates with a module 330 in the intermediate device. The intermediate device includes the actual HJA 236 which provides the actual interface functionality for the HAVi functions used by the Havlet. The interface functionality is provided by controlling the intermediate device and/or communicating with other in-home device(s) according to application messages of the in-home application protocol. The intermediate device loads the module for enabling communication between the HJA emulator in the remote device and HJA loaded in the intermediate device, giving a substantially transparent communication path between the portable application program in the remote device and the HJA in the intermediate device.

Claims

1. A communication system including an in-home network and a remote device;

the in-home network including a plurality of in-home devices operative to communicate using predetermined in-home protocols including an in-home application protocol;

at least one of the in-home devices, being referred to as intermediate device, also being operative to communicate with the remote device using predetermined remote protocols including a remote application protocol which differs from the in-home application protocol;

the remote device being operative to load a portable application program for controlling at least one of the in-home devices by calling an Application Program Interface (API) of the in-home application protocol; and

load an API emulator operative to provide a callable interface for functions of the in-home application protocol, and to supply this API functionality by communicating with a module in the intermediate device using the remote protocols;

the intermediate device including;

an API operative to provide interface functionality for the functions of the in-home application protocol by controlling the intermediate device an/or communicating with other in-home device(s) according to application messages of the in-home application protocol; and

the module for communicating between the API emulator in the remote device and the API in the intermediate device, establishing a substantially transparent communication path between the portable application program in the remote device and the API in the intermediate device.

2. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the in-home protocols include a messaging protocol, hierarchically below the in-home application protocol, and the API emulator being operative to supply the API functionality by executing the in-home application protocol in the remote device and supplying the in-home application protocol an interface to the messaging protocol by communicating with the module in the intermediate device using the remote protocols.

3. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the in-home application protocols are HAVi based.

4. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable application program is Java based.

5. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote protocols are based on Internet protocols.

6. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the API emulator and the module communicate using a remote procedure calling protocol, such as SOAP.

7. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein information to be communicated between the API emulator and the module are described using a mark-up language, such as XML.

8. A communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote device is operative to load the portable application program and/or API emulator from the intermediate device.

9. A communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intermediate device is operative to load the portable application program and/or API emulator from an in-home device, other than the intermediate device, via the intermediate device.

10. A remote device for use in a communication system as claimed in claim 1, the remote device being operative to load a portable application program for controlling an in-home device by calling an Application Program Interface (API) of an in-home application protocol;

and load an API emulator operative to provide a callable interface for functions of the in-home application protocol, and to supply this API functionality by communicating with a module in an intermediate device using predetermined remote protocols including a remote application protocol which differs from the in-home application protocol;

the intermediate device being on an in-home network including a plurality of in-home devices operative to communicate using predetermined in-home protocols including the in-home application protocol.

11. An intermediate device for use in a communication system as claimed in claim 1, the intermediate device being on an in-home network including a plurality of in-home devices operative to communicate using predetermined in-home protocols including an in-home application protocol;

the intermediate device also being operative to communicate with a remote device using predetermined remote protocols including a remote application protocol which differs from the in-home application protocol;

the intermediate device including;

an Application Program Interface (API) of the in-home application protocol operative to provide interface functionality for functions of the in-home application protocol by controlling the intermediate device an/or communicating with other in-home device(s) according to application messages of the in-home application protocol; and

a module for communicating between an API emulator in the remote device and the API in the intermediate device, establishing a substantially transparent communication path between a portable application program in the remote device and the API in the intermediate device, where the portable application program is operative to control at least one of the in-home devices by calling an Application Program Interface (API) of the in-home application protocol; and

the API emulator is operative to provide a callable interface for functions of the in-home application protocol, and to supply this API functionality by communicating with the module in the intermediate device using the remote protocols.

12. A method of communicating in a communication system including an in-home network and a remote device;

the in-home network including a plurality of in-home devices operative to communicate using predetermined in-home protocols including an in-home application protocol;

at least one of the in-home devices, being referred to as intermediate device, also being operative to communicate with the remote device using predetermined remote protocols including a remote application protocol which differs from the in-home application protocol;

the method including;

in the remote device, loading and executing a portable application program for controlling at least one of the in-home devices by calling an Application Program Interface (API) of the in-home application protocol; and

loading and executing an API emulator operative to provide a callable interface for functions of the in-home application protocol, and to supply this API functionality by communicating with a module in the intermediate device using the remote protocols; and

in the intermediate device, loading and executing;

an API operative to provide interface functionality for the functions of the in-home application protocol by controlling the intermediate device an/or communicating with other in-home device(s) according to application messages of the in-home application protocol; and

the module for communicating between the API emulator in the remote device and the API in the intermediate device, establishing a substantially transparent communication path between the portable application program in the remote device and the API in the intermediate device.