Method for managing a group in a star network and apparatus using the method

• US 20030128713A1
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Mun-Hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements

Abstract

A method for managing a group of communication terminals making up a star network, and an apparatus using the method are provided. The star network may be made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network. The method provides requesting the central communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group and having a communication channel established for managing a group by the central communication terminal, receiving group information of a group which includes a predetermined terminal of the general communication terminal or a central communication terminal, and storing the group information. Therefore, it is possible to create and manage a group of communication terminals based on each application function in a star network. In addition, communication between communication terminals in the same group can be performed smoothly.

Claims

1. A method for managing group information of a communication terminal in a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the method comprising:

(a) requesting the central communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group; and

(b) having the communication channel established for managing the group by the central communication terminal, receiving group information of the group in which a predetermined terminal of the general communication terminal or another central communication terminal is included, and storing the group information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(c) registering an application function which can be provided by the communication terminal, providing a registered application information, and registering application information of other communication terminals provided by the central communication terminal;

(d) selecting another communication terminal providing the same application function as the application function of the communication terminal and requesting the central communication terminal to group the selected other communication terminal and the communication terminal; and

(e) receiving updated information from the central communication terminal updating the group information according to the grouping request and storing an updated information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of (d) is characterized by selecting a group which is included in the group information and requesting the central communication terminal to include the communication terminal in the selected group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

(c) selecting a group wherein the communication terminal is included, based on the group information, and requesting the central communication terminal to eliminate the communication terminal from the selected group; and

(d) receiving an updated group information from the central communication terminal updating the group information according to the elimination request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of (c) is characterized by requesting the central communication terminal to eliminate the group which includes the communication terminal, if the group information shows that the communication terminal is included in the group.

6. A method for managing group information of a central communication terminal in a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a request from the general communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group; and

(b) establishing the communication channel for managing the group and transmitting the group information stored by the central communication terminal to the general communication terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

(c) receiving information of an application function which can be provided by the central communication terminal, from the general communication terminal, storing the application function information and transmitting an application function of other general communication terminals other than the general communication terminal, to the general communication terminal;

(d) receiving a request to group together the central communication terminal and another communication terminal selected by the general communication terminal, grouping the general communication and the other communication terminal and updating the group information; and

(e) transmitting an updated group information to the general communication terminal and the other communication terminal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of (d) is characterized by grouping the general communication terminal and the other communication terminal and updating the group information only when the application function of the general communication terminal is the same as the application function of the other communication terminal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of (d) is characterized by receiving a request to include the general communication terminal in a group of the group information and updating the group information according to the including request.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

(f) receiving a request to secede from a predetermined group from a communication terminal; and

(g) updating the group information according to the seceding request and transmitting an updated group information to the communication terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of (f) is characterized by receiving a request to disorganize a predetermined group which includes a communication terminal, from the communication terminal, updating the group information according to the request to disorganize and transmitting an updated group information to the communication terminal.

12. A communication method for a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the communication method comprising:

(a) receiving group information from the central communication terminal and storing the received group information; and

(b) selecting at least one communication terminal of other communication terminals which are included in a same group, from the group information, and transmitting data to the selected communication terminal.

13. The communication method of claim 12, wherein the communication method further comprises:

(c) the communication terminal which receives the data, determining if its own terminal is included in a destination of the data; and

(d) if the communication terminal is determined to be included in the destination, the communication terminal, executing a predetermined application function to process the data and providing the executed application function with the data.

14. The communication method of claim 13, wherein the step of (c) further comprises:

(c1) the central communication terminal which receives the data, extracting information of a communication terminal to be a destination receiving the data; and

(c2) if another communication terminal other than the central communication terminal is included in the extracted information on the communication terminal, the central communication terminal re-transmitting the data to the other communication terminal.

15. A communication terminal comprising:

a transmitting/receiving portion which transmits or receives necessary information to and from other communication terminals;

a management portion of an application function information which registers application information which the communication terminal can provide, receives through the transmitting/receiving portion and stores an application function to be provided by the other communication terminals;

a management portion of group information which creates, receives through the transmitting/receiving portion and stores information on a predetermined group of predetermined communication terminals;

an application function execution portion which receives data from the same group as the communication terminal and executes an application program which provides an application function characterizing the group; and

an input/output portion which provides the received data by indicating the data and has necessary information inputted.

16. The communication terminal of claim 15, wherein the communication terminal further comprises a data relay portion which re-transmits data received from a predetermined communication terminal, to other communication terminals, if a destination includes the other communication terminals.

17. A computer-readable recording medium for recording a computer program code for enabling a computer to provide a service of managing group information of a communication terminal in a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the service comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting the central communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group; and

(b) having the communication channel established for managing the group by the central communication terminal, receiving group information of the group in which a predetermined terminal of the general communication terminal or another central communication terminal is included, and storing the group information.

18. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein the service further comprises the steps of:

(c) registering an application function which can be provided by the communication terminal, providing a registered application information, and registering application information of other communication terminals provided by the central communication terminal;

(d) selecting another communication terminal providing the same application function as the application function of the communication terminal and requesting the central communication terminal to group the selected other communication terminal and the communication terminal; and

(e) receiving updated information from the central communication terminal updating the group information according to the grouping request and storing an updated information.

19. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 18, wherein the step of (d) is characterized by selecting a group which is included in the group information and requesting the central communication terminal to include the communication terminal in the selected group.

20. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 18, wherein the service further comprises the steps of:

(f) selecting a group wherein the communication terminal is included, based on the group information, and requesting the central communication terminal to eliminate the communication terminal from the selected group; and

(g) receiving an updated group information from the central communication terminal updating the group information according to the elimination request.

21. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 20, wherein the step of (f) is characterized by requesting the central communication terminal to eliminate a the group which includes the communication terminal, if the group information shows that the communication terminal is included in the group.

22. A computer-readable recording medium for recording a computer program code for enabling a computer to provide a service of managing group information of a central communication terminal in a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the service comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a request from the general communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group; and

(b) establishing the communication channel for managing the group and transmitting the group information stored by the central communication terminal to the general communication terminal.

23. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 22, wherein the service further comprises the steps of:

(c) receiving information of an application function which can be provided by the central communication terminal, from the general communication terminal, storing the application function information and transmitting an application function of other general communication terminals other than the general communication terminal, to the general communication terminal;

(d) receiving a request to group together the central communication terminal and another communication terminal selected by the general communication terminal, grouping the general communication and the other communication terminal and updating the group information; and

(e) transmitting an updated group information to the general communication terminal and the other communication terminal.

24. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 23, wherein the step of (d) is characterized by grouping the general communication terminal and the other communication terminal and updating the group information only when the application function of the general communication terminal is the same as the application function of the other communication terminal.

25. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 23, wherein the step of (d) is characterized by receiving a request to include the general communication terminal in a group of the group information and updating the group information according to the including request.

26. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 23, wherein the service further comprises the steps of:

(f) receiving a request to secede from a predetermined group from a communication terminal; and

(g) updating the group information according to the seceding request and transmitting an updated group information to the communication terminal.

27. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 26, wherein the step of (f) is characterized by receiving a request to disorganize a predetermined group which includes a communication terminal, from the communication terminal, updating the group information according to the request to disorganize and transmitting an updated group information to the communication terminal.

28. A computer-readable recording medium for recording a computer program code for enabling a computer to provide a service for a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the service comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving group information from the central communication terminal and storing the received group information; and

(b) selecting at least one communication terminal of other communication terminals which are included in a same group, from the group information, and transmitting data to the selected communication terminal.

29. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 28, wherein the service further comprises the steps of:

(c) the communication terminal which receives the data, determining if its own terminal is included in a destination of the data; and

(d) if the communication terminal is determined to be included in the destination, the communication terminal, executing a predetermined application function to process the data and providing the executed application function with the data.

30. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 29, wherein the step of (c) further comprises:

(c1) the central communication terminal which receives the data, extracting information of a communication terminal to be a destination receiving the data; and

(c2) if another communication terminal other than the central communication terminal is included in the extracted information on the communication terminal, the central communication terminal, re-transmitting the data to the other communication terminal.

31. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a data structure comprising:

a group identity code information for identifying a group of a communication terminal which makes up least one star network, by a member of the group;

an application function code information for identifying an application function which is commonly provided to a user by the communication terminal making up the group; and

a data field for application function pointer information on an execution pointer of an application function to execute an application process which provides the application function for each communication terminal.