Method, system and computer program using standard interfaces for independent device controllers

• US 20060067341A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amx LLC (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amx LLC (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Barber, Ronald W., Ward, Robert D., Smith, Mark E., Strong, Michael J., Dick, Joel S., Huebel, Larry A., Hicks, Robert C., Shillington, James R., Smith, Marjorie L.
• Application Number:
  US11/222,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A system, method and computer program for controlling devices in a control area network that includes providing a first application programming interface containing a first set of functions in a control area network and coupling one or more functions of the first set of functions with a physical device. The control area network includes a master controller, one or more physical devices, and one or more physical communication interfaces. Coupling one or more functions of the first set of functions with a physical device. Each physical device is coupled using one or more of the physical device communication interfaces

Claims

1. A method for controlling devices in a control area network, comprising:

providing a first application programming interface containing a first set of functions in a control area network, wherein the control area network comprises a master controller, one or more physical devices, and one or more physical device communication interfaces; and

associating one or more functions of the first set of functions with a physical device, wherein each physical device is associated using one or more of the physical device communication interfaces.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the physical device communication interfaces is different from at least another of the physical device communication interfaces.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one function of the first set of functions is associated to at least two physical devices having different physical device communication interfaces.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first set of functions comprises a standard interface with one or more of the physical device communication interfaces.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first set of functions comprises an object-oriented standard interface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the standard interface is used to control one or more of the physical devices.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the control area network further comprise one or more NetLinx control programs in communication with the first set of functions.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein one or more of the physical devices are in communication with at least one NetLinx control program.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the control area network further comprises one or more virtual devices and an application, the method further comprising:

providing a second application programming interface containing a second set of functions in a control area network, wherein the second application programming interface is configured to be used by the application;

associating one or more functions of the second set of functions with each virtual device; and

associating each virtual device with one or more physical devices, wherein each virtual device is coupled associated using one or more functions of the first set of functions.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the virtual devices is associated to two or more of the physical devices.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein each physical device includes a set of attributes, the control area network further comprises a plurality of physical device classes, and each physical device class comprises one or more of the physical devices having at least one common attribute.

12. A computer program for controlling devices in a control area network, the computer program comprising:

a first computer code for providing a first application programming interface containing a first set of functions in a control area network, wherein the control area network comprises a master controller, one or more physical devices, and one or more physical communication interfaces; and

a second computer code for associating one or more functions of the first set of functions with a physical device, wherein each physical device is coupled associated using one or more of the physical device communication interfaces.

13. A computer system for controlling devices in a control area network, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable medium connected to the processors, the computer readable medium including processor instructions configured to be read by the processors and thereby cause the processors to;

provide a first application programming interface containing a first set of functions in a control area network, wherein the control area network comprises a master controller, one or more physical devices, and one or more physical communication interfaces; and

associate one or more functions of the first set of functions with a physical device, wherein each physical device is associated using one or more of the physical device communication interfaces.

14. A method for controlling devices in a control area network, comprising:

providing one or more application programming interfaces, wherein each application programming interface corresponds to a class of devices and comprises a set of functions, each class of devices includes one or more devices; and

associating one or more of the functions of at least one of the application programming interfaces with one or more of the devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the devices comprise physical devices, and the physical devices of each class of devices have at least one of a common operation and a common functionality.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the physical devices utilize proprietary protocols.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising abstracting the proprietary protocols of the physical devices from application programming interfaces using the respective associated functions.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising operating a selected one of the physical devices using the associated functions.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the control area network includes a master controller.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the application programming interfaces comprises an object-oriented application programming interface.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising the physical devices communicating with respective application programming interfaces using one or more event handlers.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the physical devices is different from one or more of the other physical devices.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one class of devices comprises a plurality of subclasses, and each subclass includes one or more physical devices.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the physical devices of each subclass have at least one of a common operation and a common functionality.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one class of devices comprises one or more brands of home entertainment devices.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the home entertainment devices comprise at least one of A/V receivers, monitors, video projectors, televisions, digital satellite systems (DSS), set top boxes, disk devices, DVR/PVRs, digital media players, DVD players, VCRs, DVRs, VCR/DVD combination players, video conferencers, audio tuners, cassette decks, level controllers, pre-amplifiers, audio processors, cameras, lights, cable receivers, and satellite receivers.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one class of devices comprises one or more brands of security equipment.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the security equipment comprise at least one of cameras, sensors, alarms and motion detectors.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one class of devices comprises one or more brands of environmental control equipment.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the environmental control equipment comprise at least one of heating units and air conditioning units.

31. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one class of devices comprises one or more brands of household appliances.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the operation is initiated from a second control area network.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the control area network and the second control area network have disparate protocols.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the disparate protocols comprise at least one of AMX NetLinx, Microsoft universal plug and play (UPnP), and Sun Microsystems JINI.

35. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the devices comprise virtual devices, and the virtual devices of each class of devices have at least one of a common operation and a common functionality.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein each virtual device comprises a plurality of physical devices.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one virtual device comprises a home entertainment system.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the home entertainment system comprise at least one of A/V receivers, monitors, video projectors, televisions, digital satellite systems (DSS), set top boxes, disk devices, DVR/PVRs, digital media players, DVD players, VCRs, DVRs, VCRIDVD combination players, video conferencers, audio tuners, cassette decks, level controllers, pre-amplifiers, audio processors, cameras, lights, cable receivers, and satellite receivers.

39. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the devices comprise logical devices.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein at least one logical device comprises a control system.

41. The method of claim 19, further comprising the master controller periodically polling one or more of the devices.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising returning device information to the master control from each of the polled devices.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the device information comprises a device status.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the device information comprises identification of a new device.