Room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data and home network system using the same

• US 20070130593A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Choi, Young, Jeong, Youn, Park, Wan
• Application Number:
  US11/634,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130593A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002

Abstract

A room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data from a home server through wireless matching to reproduced the data by an A/V apparatus and a home network system using the same are disclosed. The home network system includes a home server for serving as a media server, a network server, and a home automation server to customer premise equipments comprising a personal computer, a controller, a media apparatus, and the like, and a room agent apparatus for transmitting and receiving data to and from the home server through wireless matching, for relaying the data between the customer premise equipments and the home server by being connected the respective customer premise equipments through wire or wireless communication, and for decoding the received data to output an audio/video signal reproduced by an audio/video apparatus.

Claims

1. A room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data, comprising:

a processor and decoder unit for decoding encoded image data inputted from a home server into an audio/video signal and for driving the room agent apparatus;

a wireless matching unit for receiving the image data from the home server by a wireless matching with the home server and transmitting the same to the processor and decoder unit; and

an audio/video matching unit connected to an external audio/video apparatus for reproducing the image data to transmit the audio/video signal decoded by the processor and decoder unit to the audio/video apparatus.

2. The room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data according to claim 1, further comprising an external processor matching unit for connecting the processor and decoder unit to an external processor board to expand a processor in order to compensate the processing capacity of the processor and decoder unit.

3. The room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data according to claim 1, further comprising a USB matching unit connected to an apparatus having a USB type input/output device to read data stored in the apparatus to transmit the data to the processor and decoder unit or to transmit data to a corresponding connected apparatus by a control of the processor and decoder unit, wherein

the processor and decoder unit decoding the data inputted from the USB matching unit and transmits the decoded data to the audio/video matching unit, or to the home server through the wireless matching unit.

4. The room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data according to claim 1, further comprising a Zigbee matching unit for receiving respective sensing signals of a home network, wherein

the processor and decoder unit transmits the sensing signals received from the Zigbee matching unit to the home server through the wireless matching unit.

5. The room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data according to claim 1, further comprising an Ethernet matching unit connected to a customer premise equipment to transmit and receive data to and from the customer premise equipment, wherein

the processor and decoder unit relays data transmission between the home server and the customer premise equipment connected to the Ethernet matching unit.

6. The room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data according to claim 1, further comprising an infrared ray matching unit for carrying out the transmission and reception of an infrared signal to transmit and receive data to and from a customer premise equipment having a controlling function based on IrDA and a remote controller, wherein

the processor and decoder unit transmits the data received from the infrared ray matching unit to the home server, and transmits a control signal for the IrDA customer premise equipment received from the home server through the wireless matching unit to the corresponding customer premise equipment through the infrared ray matching unit.

7. The room agent apparatus for receiving multimedia data according to claim 1, wherein the wireless matching unit carries out a wireless communication through WLAN or UWB communication.

8. A home network system comprising:

a home server for serving as a media server, a network server, and a home automation server to customer premise equipments comprising a personal computer, a controller, a media apparatus, and the like; and

a room agent apparatus for transmitting and receiving data to and from the home server through wireless matching, for relaying the data between the customer premise equipments and the home server by being connected the respective customer premise equipments through wire or wireless communication, and for decoding the received data to output an audio/video signal reproduced by an audio/video apparatus.

9. The home network system according to claim 8, wherein the room agent apparatus comprises:

a processor and decoder unit for decoding encoded image data inputted from the home server into an audio/video signal and for driving the room agent apparatus;

a wireless matching unit for receiving the image data from the home server by the wireless matching with the home server and transmitting the same to the processor and decoder unit; and

an audio/video matching unit connected to an external audio/video apparatus for reproducing the image data to transmit the audio/video signal decoded by the processor and decoder unit to the audio/video apparatus.

10. The home network system according to claim 9, wherein the room agent apparatus further comprises an external processor matching unit for connecting the processor and decoder unit to an external processor board to expand a processor in order to compensate the processing capacity of the processor and decoder unit.

11. The home network system according to claim 9, wherein the room agent apparatus further comprises at least one of:

a USB matching unit connected to an apparatus having a USB type input/output device to read data stored in the apparatus, to transmit the data to the processor and decoder unit, or to transmit data to a corresponding connected apparatus by a control of the processor and decoder unit;

a Zigbee matching unit for receiving respective sensing signals of a home network;

an Ethernet matching unit connected to the customer premise equipments to transmit and receive data to and from the customer premise equipment; and

an infrared ray matching unit for carrying out the transmission and reception of an infrared signal to transmit and receive data to and from the customer premise equipments having a controlling function based on IrDA and a remote controller.