Control system and method for home network system

• US 20050009498A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ho, Myoung Hwa, Hwang, Kyong Soo, Heo, So Hee
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/402
• 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 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807

Abstract

A control method and a control system for a home network system in a multi-user environment are disclosed. The control system includes a plurality of slave devices, a user ID receiver receiving user ID data from a user, and a master device coupled to the slave devices for operation control. The master device includes a memory and a controller coupled to the memory and the user ID receiver. The memory initially prestores user-specific control settings preset by a plurality of preregistered users and user ID data of the preregistered users. Then, the controller authenticates the user upon receiving the user ID data from the user ID receiver, and it automatically controls operational functions of the slave devices according to the user-specific control settings of the authenticated user, which is extracted from the memory.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a home network system in a multi-user environment, the method comprising:

registering a plurality of users by prestoring their user identification (ID) data into a memory;

prestoring user-specific control settings preset by each registered user into the memory;

authenticating a user when the user is determined to be one of the registered users; and

automatically controlling operations of a plurality of slave devices according to user-specific control settings of the authenticated user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the plurality of slave devices by prestoring their device identification (ID) data into the memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the registering the plurality of slave devices comprises:

displaying a first menu including a first option for registering a slave device;

displaying a second menu when the first option is selected from the first menu, the second menu indicating a list of slave devices that are previously registered and a second option for registering a new slave device; and

registering the new slave device by storing its device ID data into the memory when the second option is selected from the second menu.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering a plurality of users comprises:

displaying a menu including a first option for registering an unregistered user;

displaying an instruction message when the first option is selected from the menu, the message indicating to enter user ID data of the unregistered user; and

receiving the user ID data from the unregistered user and storing the user ID data into the memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the prestored user-specific control settings preset by each registered user is used for controlling operations of the plurality of slave devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prestoring user-specific control settings preset by each registered user into the memory comprises:

displaying a first menu including a first option for setting user-specific control settings for a registered user;

displaying a user-specific control menu when the first option is selected from the first menu, the user-specific control menu indicating a list of selectable slave devices;

if a slave device is selected from the list of selectable slave devices, displaying a list of selectable control options for controlling operations of the selected slave device; and

prestoring data representing control settings set by the registered user, the data being set by selecting at least one of the list of selectable control options.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating a user when the user is determined to be one of the registered users comprises:

receiving user identification (ID) data from an arbitrary user;

comparing the user ID data received from the arbitrary user with the user ID data prestored in the memory; and

authenticating the arbitrary user when the user ID data received from the arbitrary user matches with any one of the prestored ID data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user ID data received from the arbitrary user is any one of the user'"'"'s own fingerprint, iris, voice, weight, and password information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically controlling operations of a plurality of slave devices comprises:

extracting the user-specific control settings of the authenticated user from the memory using user ID data received from the authenticated user; and

sending operation commands to at least one of the slave devices according to the extracted user-specific control settings.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user ID data prestored into the memory for each registered user is any one of the user'"'"'s own fingerprint, iris, voice, weight, and password information.

11. A control system for a home network system in a multi-user environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of slave devices;

a user ID receiver receiving user identification (ID) data from a user; and

a master device coupled to the plurality of slave devices, the master device comprising;

a memory prestoring user-specific control settings preset by a plurality of preregistered users, respectively; and

a controller coupled to the user ID receiver for authenticating the user upon receiving the user ID data from the user ID receiver, wherein the controller automatically controls operational functions of the slave devices according to user-specific control settings of the authenticated user, which is extracted from the memory.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the memory further prestores device identification (ID) data of each slave device.

13. The control system of claim 11, wherein the user ID data received from the user is any one of the user'"'"'s own fingerprint, iris, voice, weight, and password information.

14. The control system of claim 11, wherein the controller authenticates the user if the user ID data received from the user ID receiver matches with any one of user ID data of the plurality of preregistered users, which are prestored in the memory.

15. The control system of claim 11, wherein each preregistered user presets the user-specific control settings by selecting at least one of control options for controlling operational functions of the slave devices.

16. The control system of claim 11, wherein the controller automatically controls the operational functions of the slave devices by sending operation commands to at least one of the slave devices according to the user-specific settings of the authenticated user.

17. The control system of claim 11, wherein the master device is a television (TV) receiver.

18. A television receiver for controlling a plurality of slave devices in a home network system, the television receiver comprising:

an user ID input unit receiving user identification (ID) data from a user for user authentication;

a memory prestoring user-specific control settings preset by a plurality of preregistered users, respectively; and

a controller coupled to the user ID input unit and the memory for authenticating the user upon receiving the user ID data from the user ID input unit, wherein the controller automatically controls operational functions of the slave devices according to user-specific settings of the authenticated user, which is extracted from the memory.

19. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the user ID data received from the user is any one of the user'"'"'s own fingerprint, iris, voice, weight, and password information.

20. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the user ID input unit is a sensor that is able to identify the user'"'"'s own fingerprint, iris, voice, or weight information.

21. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the user ID input unit is a remote control unit.

22. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the controller authenticates the user if the user ID data received from the user ID input unit matches with any one of user ID data of the plurality of preregistered users, which are prestored in the memory.

23. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein each preregistered user presets the user-specific control settings by selecting at least one of control options for controlling operational functions of the slave devices.

24. The television receiver of claim 18, wherein the controller automatically controls the operational functions of the slave devices by sending operation commands to at least one of the slave devices according to the user-specific control settings of the authenticator.