Home gateway apparatus

• US 20020156899A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Kiyonori
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

A home gateway apparatus that can control the power in each current carrying unit, and lower the power consumption is provided; by dividing the apparatus into a first system that has a minimum function to connect with the Internet, and a second system that has necessary functions to execute applications on the Ethernet®. Both the first and second systems are controlled individually, so that the power is turned on/off separately. Also, when the second system without the power is turned on, an Ethernet® connection controller is provided as an interface to avoid the interface connectivity problem, and an IP address is automatically obtained after turning on the power.

Claims

1. A home gateway apparatus comprising:

a first system that connects to a communication infrastructure outside of home;

a second system that controls home peripheral devices connected directly or connected via the Internet, the home peripheral devices being connected to the communication infrastructure via said first system; and

a power controller that controls an on-off of power of said first and second systems individually;

wherein said power controller controls said first system to have the continuous power, and controls said second system to have the power only when said second system is in use.

2. The home gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first system is provided with an Ethernet interface to be connected with the Ethernet, and wherein said second system is provided with an Ethernet interface to be connected to said first system, and an interface for peripheral device connection to be connected to the peripheral devices.

3. The home gateway apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first system provides said second system with a network service that includes a routing function based on an IP address, the routing function comprising a function to be connected to the home peripheral devices individually.

4. The home gateway apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first system provides said second system with a network service that includes a gateway function connecting various communication media.

5. The home gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein when said second system has the power, data communication is performed between said first system and said second system by an IP connection of the Ethernet.

6. The home gateway apparatus of claim 2, wherein the Ethernet interface which connects said first system and said second system is managed by a DHCP server function of said first system.

7. The home gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fist system is started with a nonvolatile memory when turned on.

8. The home gateway apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first system is provided with a PHS card that performs PHS communication.

9. The home gateway apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first system terminates a line immediately after an incoming call made to the PHS card, and reconnects the line from a receiver side to a caller side.