Electronic apparatus and service providing method used in the electronic apparatus

• US 20040214617A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tamura, Masafumi, Kanazawa, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,096,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a communication device that communicates with a mobile device and a plurality of devices via a network. The mobile device is wirelessly connectable to the network. The electronic apparatus further includes a control unit configured to determine whether the mobile device is disconnected from the network, and a message sending unit configured to send an alarm message to one of the devices by communication between the one of the devices and the communication device when the mobile device is disconnected from the network, the one of the devices being currently powered on.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a communication device which communicates with a mobile device and a plurality of devices via a network, the mobile device being wirelessly connectable to the network;

a control unit configured to determine whether the mobile device is disconnected from the network; and

a message sending unit configured to send an alarm message to one of the devices by communication between the one of the devices and the communication device when the mobile device is disconnected from the network, the one of the devices being currently powered on.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for monitoring whether a power state of each of the devices is a power-on state or a power-off state by communication between the communication device and each of the devices; and

means for detecting a power-on device based on a result of monitoring the power state of each of the devices when the mobile device is disconnected from the network, and

wherein the message sending unit includes means for sending the alarm message to the detected device by communication between the detected device and the communication device.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the message sending unit includes means for, when a plurality of power-on devices are detected, sending the alarm message to all of the detected devices by communication between each of the detected devices and the communication device.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alarm message includes a message to make a notification that the mobile device moves outside a communication area capable of wireless communication with the network.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for sending electronic mail including the alarm message to a predesignated mobile phone when the mobile device is disconnected from the network.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for monitoring whether a power state of each of the devices is a power-on state or a power-off state by communication between the communication device and each of the devices; and

means for sending information indicative of the power state of each of the devices to another mobile device wirelessly connectable to the network by communication between said another mobile device and the communication device.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for monitoring whether a power state of each of the devices is a power-on state or a power-off state by communication between the communication device and each of the devices;

means for determining whether another mobile device wirelessly connectable to the network is disconnected from the network; and

means for turning off a power-on device on the network when said another mobile device is disconnected from the network.

8. A method of providing a service to a plurality of devices by an electronic apparatus that communicates with the devices via a network, the method comprising:

determining whether a mobile device wirelessly connectable to the network is disconnected from the network; and

sending an alarm message to a power-on device on the network by communication between the device and the electronic apparatus when it is determined that the mobile device is disconnected from the network.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring whether a power state of each of the devices is a power-on state or a power-off state by communication between the electronic apparatus and each of the devices; and

detecting a power-on device on the network based. on a result of monitoring the power state of each of the devices when it is determined that the mobile device is disconnected from the network, and

wherein the alarm message sending includes sending the alarm message to the detected device by communication between the detected device and the electronic apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the alarm message sending includes sending the alarm message to all of a plurality of power-on devices by communication between each of the power-on devices and the electronic apparatus when the power-on devices are detected.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising sending electronic mail including the alarm message to a predesignated mobile phone when it is determined that the mobile device is disconnected from the network.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring whether a power state of each of the devices is a power-on state or a power-off state by communication between the electronic apparatus and each of the devices; and

sending information indicative of the power state of each of the devices to another mobile device wirelessly connectable to the network by communication between said another mobile device and the electronic apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring whether a power state of each of the devices is a power-on state or a power-off state by communication between the electronic apparatus and each of the devices;

determining whether another mobile device wirelessly connectable to the network is disconnected from the network; and

turning off a power-on device on the network when it is determined that said another mobile device is disconnected from the network.