Home network system

• US 20060248158A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Tae, Baek, Seung-Myun, Lee, Koon-Seok, Ha, Sam-Chul
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

The present invention discloses a home network system using a living network control protocol. The home network system includes: at least one new device including a node address having an initial logical address through a network based on a predetermined protocol, transmitting a configuration request message having the node address to a master device, receiving a temporary address setting request message, changing the initial logical address by selecting one temporary logical address, generating a temporary address setting response message, transmitting the temporary address setting response message to the master device, receiving an address change request message having a predetermined logical address from the master device, changing the temporary logical address into the received logical address, and having a unique node address; and at least one master device for receiving the plurality of configuration request messages from the new device, setting the temporary logical address range for the new device, transmitting the temporary address setting request message having the set temporary logical address range to the new device, receiving the temporary address setting response message from the new device, setting the predetermined logical address of the new device, and transmitting the address change request message having the set logical address to the new device of the selected temporary address.

Claims

1. A home network system, comprising:

at least one new device including a node address having an initial logical address when accessing the home network system through a network based on a predetermined protocol, transmitting a configuration request message having the node address to a master device through the network, receiving a temporary address setting request message having a predetermined temporary logical address range, changing the initial logical address by selecting one temporary logical address, generating a temporary address setting response message having the selected temporary logical address, transmitting the temporary address setting response message to the master device, receiving an address change request message having a predetermined logical address from the master device, changing the temporary logical address into the received logical address, and having a unique node address; and

at least one master device connected to the new device through the network, for receiving the plurality of configuration request messages from the new device, setting the temporary logical address range for the new device, transmitting the temporary address setting request message having the set temporary logical address range to the new device, receiving the temporary address setting response message from the new device, setting the predetermined logical address of the new device, and transmitting the address change request message having the set logical address to the new device of the selected temporary address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the master device updates a home net profile by registering the node address having the set logical address of the new device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the master device transmits an added device notification message having the node address of the new device to another master device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the new device transmits an address change ACK response message to the master device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the node address comprises at least a product code and the initial logical address of the new device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the new device receives a temporary address allocation notification message having a temporary logical address set by another new device from another new device after changing the logical address into the temporary logical address.

7. The system of either claim 1 or 6, wherein the new device performs reception for a random time within a first predetermined time after changing the logical address into the temporary logical address.

8. The system of either claim 5 or 6, wherein the new device and another new device are of the same kind.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the new device compares the received temporary logical address with the temporary logical address set by the new device, and when the two temporary logical addresses are identical, the new device changes the set temporary logical address into a predetermined restricted logical address.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the restricted logical address is 0xFE.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the new device generates a temporary address setting response message having the restricted logical address and transmits the message to the master device after setting the preset temporary logical address as the predetermined restricted logical address.

12. The system of either claim 1 or 11, wherein the master device decides whether the temporary logical address included in the received temporary address change response message is the restricted logical address, generates an address change request message for changing the temporary logical address into the initial logical address according to the decision result, and transmits the message to the new device transmitting the temporary address change response message.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein, when the new device receives the address change request message for changing the logical address into the initial logical address, the new device changes the restricted logical address into the initial logical address.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the new device generates a temporary address allocation notification message having the temporary logical address and transmits the message to another new device after changing the logical address into the temporary logical address.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the new device maintains a standby state for a random time within a second predetermined time after transmitting the temporary address allocation notification message.

16. The system of either claim 9 or 14, wherein the new device stops transmitting the temporary address allocation notification message after changing the set temporary logical address into a predetermined restricted logical address.

17. The system of either claim 1 or 5, wherein, when the master device sets the temporary logical address range, the master device decides whether it has received the configuration request messages from the same kind products, when the master device has received the configuration request messages from the same kind devices, the master device sets the same temporary logical address range for the new devices, and when the master device has received the configuration request messages from different kind devices, the master device sets the temporary logical address ranges for each of the identical new devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the master device sets logical addresses of the different kind new devices after setting logical addresses of the new devices having the same temporary logical address range.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the address change request message comprises the temporary logical address and the set logical address.

20. The system of claim 5, wherein the temporary logical address range is individually set according to the product code.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the temporary logical address range does not duplicate with the preset logical address.

22. The system of either claim 10 or 21, wherein the temporary logical address range is included between a value of the preset logical address and a value of the restricted logical address.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein at least one non-set logical address is included between the lowest limit value of the temporary logical address range and the value of the preset logical address.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the protocol is a living network control protocol (LnCP).

25. An electric device, comprising:

an interface means accessing through a network based on a predetermined protocol;

a storage means for storing a home net profile having node addresses of devices connected to the network, and a predetermined logical address; and

a control means connected to a new device through the interface means, for receiving a plurality of configuration request messages including a node address having an initial logical address from the new device, setting a temporary logical address range for the new device by reading the logical address from the storage means, transmitting a temporary address setting request message having the set temporary logical address range to the new device, receiving a temporary address setting response message from the new device, setting a logical address of the new device by reading the logical address from the storage means, and transmitting an address change request message having the set logical address to the new device of the selected temporary address.

26. The electric device of claim 25, wherein the control means updates a home net profile by registering the node address having the set logical address of the new device, and stores the home net profile in the storage means.

27. The electric device of claim 25, wherein the node address of the new device comprises at least a product code and the initial logical address of the new device.

28. The electric device of claim 25, wherein the control means decides whether the temporary logical address included in the received temporary address change response message is the restricted logical address, generates an address change request message for changing the temporary logical address into the initial logical address according to the decision result, and transmits the message to the new device transmitting the temporary address change response message.

29. The electric device of claim 28, wherein the restricted logical address is 0xFE.

30. The electric device of either claim 25 or 27, wherein, when the control means sets the temporary logical address range, the control means decides whether i has received the configuration request messages from the same kind products, when the control means has received the configuration request messages from the same kind devices, the control means sets the same temporary logical address range for the new devices, and when the control means has received the configuration request messages from different kind devices, the control means sets the temporary logical address ranges for each of the identical new devices.

31. The electric device of claim 30, wherein the control means sets logical addresses of the different kind new devices after setting logical addresses of the new devices having the same temporary logical address range.

32. The electric device of claim 25, wherein the address change request message comprises the temporary logical address and the set logical address.

33. The electric device of claim 25, wherein the protocol is a living network control protocol (LnCP).

34. An electric device, comprising:

an interface means communicating with a home network system through a network based on a predetermined protocol;

a storage means for storing a logical address having at least a product code and an initial logical address; and

when the interface means accesses the home network system, a control means for transmitting a configuration request message having the node address to the home network system, receiving a temporary address setting request message having a predetermined temporary logical address range, changing the initial logical address by selecting one temporary logical address, generating a temporary address setting response message having the selected temporary logical address, transmitting the temporary address setting response message to the home network system, receiving an address change request message having a predetermined logical address from the home network system, changing the temporary logical address into the received logical address, and storing a unique node address in the storage means.

35. The electric device of claim 34, wherein the control means transmits an address change ACK response message to the home network system.

36. The electric device of claim 34, wherein the control means receives a temporary address allocation notification message having a temporary logical address set by another electric device in the home network system from another electric device, after changing the logical address into the temporary logical address.

37. The electric device of claim 36, wherein the control means performs reception for a random time within a first predetermined time after changing the logical address into the temporary logical address.

38. The electric device of claim 36, wherein the electric device and another electric device are of the same kind.

39. The electric device of claim 36, wherein the control means compares the received temporary logical address with the temporary logical address set by the new device, and when the two temporary logical addresses are identical, the control means sets the set temporary logical address as a predetermined restricted logical address, and stores the set logical address in the storage means.

40. The electric device of claim 39, wherein the restricted logical address is 0xFE.

41. The electric device of claim 39, wherein the control means generates a temporary address setting response message having the restricted logical address and transmits the message to the home network system after setting the preset temporary logical address as the predetermined restricted logical address.

42. The electric device of claim 41, wherein, when the control means receives the address change request message for changing the logical address into the initial logical address from the home network system, the control means changes the restricted logical address into the initial logical address, and stores the changed logical address in the storage means.

43. The electric device of claim 36, wherein the control means generates a temporary address allocation notification message having the temporary logical address and transmits the message to another new electric device after changing the logical address into the initial logical address.

44. The electric device of claim 43, wherein the control means maintains a standby state for a random time within a second predetermined time after transmitting the temporary address allocation notification message.

45. The electric device of either claim 39 or 43, wherein the control means stops transmitting the temporary address allocation notification message after changing the set temporary logical address into a predetermined restricted logical address.

46. The electric device of claim 34, wherein the protocol is a living network control protocol (LnCP).