Service framework for home network

• US 20060184615A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-ho, Kim, Kyle, Park, In-ho
• Application Number:
  US11/325,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184615A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A service framework in a home network for controlling middlewares. A virtual execution environment is provided for home devices as well as middlewares by controlling device profiles, thereby integrally controlling all the home devices.

Claims

1. A service framework in a network including a plurality of controlled devices, the service framework comprising:

an service module which provides a service for using the controlled devices;

a framework which supports a plurality of middlewares; and

a switching module which decodes and creates a message sent between the service module and the framework,

wherein the framework controls the controlled devices in accordance with the service provided by the service module.

2. The service framework according to claim 1, wherein the service module is configured to monitor in a real-time basis through an environment sensor, accumulate various environment data, analyze and diagnose the data in a real-time basis, and derive information which drives the controlled devices.

3. The service framework according to claim 1, wherein an independent standard interface is used if the framework uses the functions of the controlled devices.

4. The service framework according to claim 1, wherein an application which is operated by a client of the framework may be included in order to provide a profile to the framework and a request command, the application including a user interface device for setting information.

5. The service framework according to claim 4, wherein the framework comprises a middleware wrapper which decodes and generates a message between each of the middlewares and the framework, so that the framework controls the controlled devices through the middleware wrapper.

6. The service framework according to claim 5, wherein the framework comprises:

a profile manager which performs at least one of creation, correction, deletion and search functions of a profile;

a profile registry which forms a mapping table which correlates the service and a profile structure of a Meta data format defined in the framework; and

a framework controller which, at least one of, monitors each element of the framework, manages life cycles, manages states of an installed element, and manages states of an uninstalled element,

wherein if the middleware wrapper receives contents of the service and the controlled devices through the middleware of the controlled devices, and sends them to the framework, the framework controller requests registration of a service profile and the controlled devices from the profile manager, and registers a service list of the service profile and the controlled devices with the profile registry.

7. The service framework according to claim 6, wherein the middleware transmits a recognition signal to the controlled devices if a discovery message is received from the controlled devices through the middleware.

8. The service framework according to claim 6, wherein if the profile manager registers the profile to the profile registry, a registration recognition signal is transmitted to the middle wrapper, and the middle wrapper sends the recognition signal to the controlled devices once again, and thereby a notice is provided that registration of the profile of the controlled devices is complete.

9. The service framework according to claim 6, wherein the framework comprises a service manager which manages the controlled devices and serves as a page generator so that the service manager generates a service page by using the service list transmitted from the profile registry, and transmits the service page to the application, if a service page of the service is requested.

10. The service framework according to claim 6, wherein the framework further comprises:

a remote server to which a service object delivery is supplied; and

a service delivery framework to which the service object delivery is supplied from the remote server,

wherein if the service delivery framework is provided with the service object delivery, registration of a service object is requested, and the framework controller installs and registers the service object.

11. The service framework according to claim 10, wherein the framework further comprises a system administrator which, at least one of, manages a log of the controlled devices, analyzes data, and solves an error if an error occurs in the framework, wherein if an uninstall request of the service object is requested from the remote server and the system administrator, it is possible to eliminate the service object by uninstalling the service object.

12. The service framework according to claim 6, wherein if the service module transmits the service list to the switching module, the switching module requests the profile manager to send service information, the profile manager secures the information of the controlled devices from the profile registry, and requests the middleware to which the controlled devices belong that the controlled devices be operated according to the service information.

13. A service framework in a network including a plurality of controlled devices, the service framework comprising:

a service module which provides a service to use the controlled devices;

a profile manager which manages a service profile so as to, at least one of, correct, delete and search the service profile;

a middleware wrapper which decodes and generates a message between the middlewares and the framework;

a profile registry which forms a mapping table for connection between the service and a profile structure of a Meta data format defined in the framework; and

a switching module which decodes and creates a message between the service module and the framework,

wherein the framework controls the controlled devices, according to the service that is provided by the service module, and wherein if the service module transmits the service list to the switching module, the switching module requests the profile manager to send related service information, the profile manager secures the information of the controlled devices from the profile registry, and send a request to the middleware to which the controlled devices belong that the controlled devices be operated according to the service information.

14. The service framework according to claim 13, further including a service manager which manages the controlled devices, wherein the switching module requests execution of the service of the controlled devices through the service manager, and the service manager requests the middleware to operate the controlled devices.

15. The service framework according to claim 14, wherein the middleware wrapper informs the service module that the controlled devices have executed the service.

16. A method for controlling a framework in a network including a plurality of controlled devices, the method comprising:

setting a service for each of the controlled devices to use;

generating a framework for integrating and supporting a plurality of middlewares;

decoding and creating a message between the intelligent service module and the framework; and

allowing the framework to control the controlled devices according to the service for each of the controlled devices.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the operation of setting a service, at least one of, monitors situations in a real-time basis through an environment sensor, accumulates various environment data, analyzes and diagnoses the data in a real-time basis, and derives information which drives the controlled devices.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein an independent standard interface is used if the framework uses the functions of the controlled devices.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the framework acts as a client server and builds a profile and executes a request command through an application composed of a user interface device so as to make access to other networks.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the framework comprises a middleware wrapper which decodes and generates a message between middleware of the controlled devices and the framework, and thereby the framework controls the controlled devices through the middleware wrapper.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

generating a profile manager which manages the controlled devices and a service profile, and performs, at least one of, creation, correction, deletion and search functions of the profile;

generating a profile registry which forms a mapping table for connection between the service and a profile structure of a meta data format defined in the framework; and

generating a framework controller which, at least one of, monitors elements of the framework, manages life cycles, manages states of an installed element, and manages states of an uninstalled element, so that if the middleware wrapper receives contents of the service through the middleware of the controlled devices, and sends the contents to the framework, the framework controller requests the profile manager to register the service profile and the controlled devices in the profile registry.

22. The method according to claim 21, further including transmitting a recognition signal for the transmitted message to the controlled devices if the middleware wrapper receives a discovery message from the controlled devices through the middleware.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

transmitting a registration recognition signal to the middle wrapper if the profile manager sends the profile to the profile registry; and

notifying that registration of the profile is complete if the middle wrapper sends the recognition signal to the controlled devices once again.

24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

generating a service manager which manages the controlled devices by using the service list transmitted from the profile registry.

25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

allowing a service object delivery to be supplied to the framework through a service delivery framework from a remote server, and if the service delivery framework is provided with the service object delivery, requesting registration of a service object, and installing and registering the service object by the framework controller.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising, at least one of, managing a log of the controlled devices, analyzing data, and generating a system administrator to solve an error if there is an error, and if an uninstall request of the service object is made, eliminating the service object by uninstalling the service object.

27. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

requesting the profile manager to send related service information;

allowing the profile manager to secure information of the controlled devices from the profile registry; and

requesting the middleware wrapper, to which the controlled devices belong, to operate the controlled devices according to the service information.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the middleware receives execution results and transmits the execution results to an intelligent service module if the controlled devices execute the service.