Apparatus and system for controlling appliances

• US 20030038730A1
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Imafuku, Kazuo, Okamoto, Naoko
• Application Number:
  US10/212,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20030038730A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.24
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/61 Password, biometric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/04 Arrangements for synchronous operation

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling appliances connectable to a singular or a plurality of target appliances, which apparatus can be approached from a terminal device. The apparatus comprises interface means for exchanging signals with the appliances, memory means having program components folder which stores independent program components by each of the functions, and application generation means which selects necessary program component among those stored in the program components folder to generate a certain specific application that conforms to the function of target appliance. Thereby, even when a new target appliance is added to, an existing appliance is changed or the controllable function of existing appliance is modified, the resultant burden levied on the users and system operators is reduced. And in the present apparatus, the memory media resources are utilized efficiently with least wasting.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling appliances, connectable with a terminal device and a singular or a plurality of appliances, which appliances being target of the control;

comprising

memory means storing program components for forming an application which makes said target appliance execute a certain specific function, and

application generation means which selects certain program component from among those stored in said memory means in accordance with instruction sent by said terminal device, which program component being essential for executing a certain specific function of appliance selected by said instruction, and generates a certain specific application.

2. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 1, wherein

said memory means further comprises a users table storing information for identifying the users, a target appliances table which stores information regarding target appliance by each of said users, and a devices information table which stores information regarding performable function by each of said target appliances;

and

said application generation means generates said certain specific application based on information stored in said users table, said target appliances table and said devices information table.

3. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 1, wherein

said memory means further comprises a control command table which stores information about control command of each function of said target appliances, and

said application generation means transmits to said selected appliance a control command that conforms to said selected appliance based on information stored in said control command table.

4. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 1, wherein

said terminal device comprises a browser display section, and

said program component contains a button display program for displaying an operation button relevant to said function in said browser display section of said terminal device by each of functions of said target appliances, and a control command program for transmitting control order to said target appliance.

5. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 4, wherein said control command program is described in PHP language.

6. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 4, wherein said button display program is described in a code that conforms to said browser display section of said terminal device.

7. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 6, further comprising terminal identifying means for identifying the kind of said terminal device.

8. A system for controlling appliances comprising:

a terminal device;

a singular or a plurality of appliances, which being target of the control;

memory means storing program components to be used for forming an application for executing a certain specific function of said target appliance;

application generation means which selects certain program component from among those stored in said memory means in accordance with instruction sent by said terminal device, which program component being essential for executing a certain specific function of appliance selected by said instruction, and generates a certain specific application; and

a server which transmits control command corresponding to said instruction to said selected appliance.

9. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 8, wherein

said memory means further comprises a users table storing information for identifying the users, a target appliances table which stores information regarding target appliance by each of said users, and a devices information table which stores information regarding the performable function by each of said target appliances;

and

said application generation means generates said certain specific application based on information stored in said users table, said target appliances table and said devices information table.

10. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 8, wherein

said memory means further comprises a control command table which stores information about control command by each function of said target appliances;

and

said application generation means transmits to said selected appliance a control command that conforms to said selected appliance based on information stored in said control command table.

11. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 8, wherein said terminal device and said server are connected via a global network.

12. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 8, wherein said appliances and said server are connected via a global network.

13. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 8, wherein said terminal device comprises a browser display section for displaying a Web page.

14. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 8, wherein said appliances are provided with WWW server.

15. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 8, wherein

said program component contains a button display program for displaying an operation button relevant to said function in said browser display section of said terminal device by each of functions of said target appliances, and a control command program for transmitting control order to said target appliance.

16. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 15, wherein said control command program is described in PHP language.

17. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 15, wherein said button display program is described in a code that conforms to said browser display section of said terminal device.

18. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 17, further comprising terminal identifying means for identifying the kind of said terminal device.

19. An apparatus for controlling appliances comprising

a registered appliances table which stores information including the network address information and the layout location information about the target appliances;

an appliances profile table which stores information by each of the functions of said appliances, including the control command for executing said function of said appliance, and the icon information of said appliance;

a database section containing a visual map database which stores layout information about a place in which said appliance is to be located;

interface means for transmitting control command to said appliance for controlling said appliance; and

Web page generation means for generating a Web page, by acquiring said layout drawing information from said visual map database, said icon information from said appliances profile table, said location information from said registered appliances table, and displaying the icon image of said appliance overlapped on the drawing of said layout information.

20. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 19, wherein said layout drawing information is described in the vector data by each of the objects where said appliance is to be located, and said registered appliances table further contains information indicating an object where said appliance is located.

21. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 19, wherein, upon a clicking made on said icon image exhibited in said Web page, said Web generation means generates an appliance-wise Web page containing icon, or button, of controllable functions with said appliance.

22. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 19, wherein said Web generation means generates a page provided for selecting and specifying the control item, with which page a complex control, or specifying of such control, of integrated functions to be performed by collaboration with relevant appliance can be made by drag-and-dropping beforehand the icon image of said relevant appliance in a grouping zone provided in said Web page.

23. The apparatus for controlling appliances recited in claim 19, wherein said Web generation means generates a page provided for selecting and specifying the control item, with which page a complex control, or specifying of such control, of integrated functions to be performed by collaboration of a plurality of appliances can be made by drag-and-dropping icon image of one appliance on other icon image of the other appliance.

24. A system for controlling appliances comprising:

a home gateway connected to a global network;

a singular or a plurality of appliances, which being target of the control, connected to said home gateway forming a local network;

a registered appliances table which can be connected to said global network, which table storing information including the network address information and the location information about said target appliances;

an appliances profile table which stores information by each of the functions of said appliances, including the control command for executing said function of said appliance, and the icon information of said appliance;

a database section containing a visual map database which stores layout information about a place in which said appliance is to be located;

interface means for transmitting control command to said appliance for controlling said appliance;

a server comprising Web page generation means for generating a Web page, by acquiring said layout drawing information from said visual map database, said icon information from said appliances profile table, said location information from said registered appliances table, and displaying the icon image of said appliance overlapped on the drawing of said layout information; and

a terminal device connected to said global network, which terminal device having browser display means which can exhibit said Web page;

wherein

said terminal device makes access to said server to have said Web page generated by Web generation means of said server exhibited in said terminal device at the browser display means, and when said terminal device is operated said network address information is referred via interface means of said server and a control command is transmitted to said appliance.

25. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 24, wherein said layout drawing information is described in the vector data by each of the objects where said appliance is to be located, and said registered appliances table further contains information indicating an object where said appliance is located.

26. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 24, wherein, upon a clicking made on said icon image exhibited in said Web page, said Web generation means generates an appliance-wise Web page containing icon, or button, of controllable functions with said appliance.

27. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 24, wherein said Web generation means generates a page provided for selecting and specifying the control item, with which page a complex control, or specifying of such control, of integrated functions to be performed by collaboration with relevant appliance can be made by drag-and-dropping beforehand the icon image of said relevant appliance in a grouping zone provided in said Web page.

28. The system for controlling appliances recited in claim 24, wherein said Web generation means generates a page provided for selecting and specifying the control item, with which page a complex control, or specifying of such control, of integrated functions to be performed by collaboration of a plurality of appliances can be made by drag-and-dropping icon image of one appliance on other icon image of the other appliance.