Platform-independent system for remotely controlling home devices and method thereof

• US 20060168178A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Park, Ho Jin, Hwang, Tae In, Hong, Hyung Seop, Park, Kwang Roh
• Application Number:
  US11/222,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168178A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A platform-independent system and method for remotely controlling home devices and a computer-readable recording medium in which a program capable of executing the method is recorded are disclosed. The method includes installing a device control application to be used for the management of a home device when the home device is connected to the home network system, bring state information of the home device through the installed device control application, controlling a specified home device from an outside, receiving a report of an event occurring in the home device, and using a SOAP so that the above operations are performed irrespective of the middleware of a home gateway. Accordingly, the home devices connected to the home network through the home gateway can be controlled from the outside irrespective of the middleware supported by the home gateway.

Claims

1. A platform-independent system for remotely controlling home devices, comprising:

a management server for generating a control command of the home device in response to a signal transmitted from a client terminal and transmitting a response message and event information from the home device corresponding to the control command to the client terminal; and

a home gateway composed of a device control agent for receiving a message for connecting the home device, downloading a program required to control the corresponding home device using information about the home device and driving a device control application, a device control application unit having the device control application that is a program for receiving the command transferred from the device control agent and providing a message that can directly operate the home device according to a protocol that the home device uses, and a device sensor for sensing a connection of a new home device when the new home device is connected to the home gateway.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the management server comprises:

a device control connection report module for receiving a report of the home device information from the device sensor if the home device is connected to the home gateway;

a device control application searching module for searching and downloading the device control application required to control the newly installed home device; and

a home device event report module for receiving a report of a service event occurring in the home device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device control agent comprises:

a device list inquiry module for inquiring a list of home devices from an outside through a SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) message;

a device control module for connecting the message transmitted from the outside in the form of the SOAP message to the device control application installed in the home gateway;

a device event joining module for determining whether the management server receives the report of the event of the device; and

a device state inquiry module for inquiring state information of the home device from the outside by receiving and sending a state variable value of the home device from the corresponding home device if a home device'"'"'s state value request message is received from the outside.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device control agent further comprises a device control command processing means for analyzing and transferring the SOAP message received from the management server to the home gateway to the device control application.

5. A platform-independent method for remotely controlling home devices, comprising:

a first step of a device sensor sensing a connection of a new home device;

a second step of if the new home device is connected to a home gateway and a device connection message is generated from the new home device, transferring the device connection message to a device control agent;

a third step of transmitting information about the corresponding home device to a management server and searching for a position of a device control application that is a program required to control the home device;

a fourth step of downloading the device control application from the management server to the home gateway if the device control application is not installed; and

a fifth step of installing the downloaded device control application and controlling the corresponding home device in association with a client terminal and the management server.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of discriminating whether the device control application is installed before or after the third step.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fifth step comprises the substeps of:

the client terminal requesting a list of devices to the management server;

the management server transmitting a device list request message for requesting the list of devices to the home gateway;

the home gateway transmitting the list of devices being presently managed by the home gateway to the management server; and

the management server transmitting information about the corresponding list to the client terminal in response to the device list request.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fifth step comprises the substeps of:

the client terminal requesting device state information to the management server;

the management server transmitting a corresponding device state information request message to the home gateway;

the home gateway confirming the device state and transmitting a response message to the management server; and

the management server transmitting the response message to the client terminal.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fifth step comprises the substeps of:

the client terminal requesting a device control to the management server;

the management server transmitting a device control command message to the home gateway,

the home gateway controlling the corresponding home device;

the home device transmitting a result of the device control to the home gateway;

the home gateway transferring a control result message to the management server; and

the management server transmitting the control result message to the client terminal.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fifth step comprises the substeps of:

the management server transferring an event joining/withdrawal message to the home device via the home gateway with respect to an event of the home device subject to management; and

the home gateway receiving the event joining/withdrawal message from the home device, and transmitting an event monitoring joining/withdrawal response message that corresponds to a result of the event joining/withdrawal to the management server.