Service framework for a home network

• US 20060190940A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-ho, Kim, Kyle, Park, In-ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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

Abstract

A service framework which can control devices to be controlled according to a device/service profile by creating the device/service profile to control a plurality of the controlled devices. Accordingly without using a middleware with a complicated structure, it is possible to control home devices.

Claims

1. A service framework in a home network having a plurality of devices to be controlled, comprising:

a server which provides at least one of a device profile and a service profile so as to control devices to be controlled; and

a service client including the plurality of devices to be controlled by the at least one of the device profile and the service profile provided by the server.

2. The service framework according to claim 1, wherein the service client registers the at least one of the device profile and the service profile of a corresponding device to be controlled by the server.

3. The service framework according to claim 1, wherein the server monitors home situations on a real-time basis through an environment sensor, accumulates various environment data, analyzes and diagnoses the data on the real-time basis, derives service information for driving the controlled devices, and registers the at least one of the device profile and the service profile.

4. The service framework according to claim 1, wherein the server comprises:

a device profile list section which registers said at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices;

a profile manager which manages the at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the device profile list, and processes at least one function related to the service profile, and

a service logic section which forms a message for connection between a real service and a structure of a profile having a meta data format defined in the server, and generates and controls said at least one of the device profile and the service profile.

5. The service framework according to claim 4, wherein said at least one function comprises at least one of creation, correction, deletion, and search of the service profile.

6. The service framework according to claim 4, wherein the service client comprises:

a device profile section which stores at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices;

a controller which includes an application and a logic element which executes an operation and a service of the controlled devices in order to generate each profile of the controlled devices, and to store the each profile to the device profile section; and

a service I/O (input and output) section which acts as an interface for controlling an inside device logic executing services,

wherein the controller is operable to allow the service I/O section to provide the services.

7. The home network service framework according to claim 6, wherein the controller transmits said at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices stored in the device profile section to the server, and registers said at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices to the device profile list section.

8. The home network service framework according to claim 6, wherein if the service logic section transmits a message formed by said at least one of the device profile and the service profile to the service client, the controller confirms the information of the controlled devices from the device profile section, and controls the controlled devices to execute the services through the service I/O section according to service contents.

9. A controlling method of a home network including a service client having a plurality of devices to be controlled and a server for controlling the service client, the method comprising:

registering at least one of a device profile and a service profile of controlled devices to the server, in order to control respective controlled devices; and

allowing the service client to control the controlled devices according to a transmitted message based upon the at least one of the device profile and the service profile which is registered to the server.

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

accumulating environment data by monitoring an inner situation of a home using an environment sensor, analyzing the data in real time, diagnosing the inner situation of the home, abstracting information to drive corresponding controlled devices, building at least one of a service profile and device profile with the information, and registering the at least one of the service profile and device profile.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein registering the at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices to the server comprises:

generating the at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices in the service client,

converting the generated at least one of the device profile and the service profile into a first transmission message which can be transmitted through a network, and transmitting the message to the server, and

allowing the server which receives the first transmission message to convert the first transmission message into at least one of the device profile and the service profile, and to register the converted at least one of the device profile and the server profile.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein allowing the service client to control the controlled devices comprises:

preparing a second transmission message according to the at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices registered to the server,

transmitting the second transmission message through the network,

converting the second transmission message into a converted at least one of the device profile and the service profile by using the second transmitted message, and

controlling the controlled devices according to the converted at least one of the device profile and service profile.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the service client stores the converted at least one of the device profile and the service profile into a memory, and sends the converted at least one of the device profile and the service profile to the server.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the converted at least one of the device profile and the service profile is stored into the memory and sent to the server at the same time.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the service client controls the controlled devices, only if the converted at least one of the device profile and the service profile which is transmitted to the server and the converted at least one of the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices which is stored into the memory, are compared and judged to be identical.

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

notifying the server of whether the services are executed while controlling the controlled devices.