Home network system and its configuration system

• US 20070133569A1
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Published: 06/14/2007
• 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, Koo, Ja-In, Choi, Hwan-Jong, Lee, Koon-Seok, Koo, Feel-Young, Kang, Seong-Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/398
• 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 and a configuration apparatus thereof which can efficiently configure a new home appliance in the home network system comprised of various home appliances. The home network system includes at least one slave device, and a plurality of master devices connected to the slave device through a predetermined network, wherein at least one master device includes a master means for controlling an operation of the slave device and monitoring a status thereof, and a slave means for responding to the request of the other master devices.

Claims

1. A home network system comprising:

at least one slave device; and

a plurality of master devices connected to the slave device through a predetermined network,

wherein at least one master device comprises a master means for controlling an operation of the slave device and monitoring a status thereof, and a slave means for responding to the request of the other master devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the master means and the slave means are logically independent.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the slave means notifies status change information of the master device to the other master devices.

4. A configuration apparatus of a home network system, comprising:

an interface means connected to the home network system;

a storage means for storing a logical address; and

a master means for confirming whether the logical address previously stored in the storage means is an initial logical address, generating a master search packet according to the confirm result, transmitting the master search packet to the home network system through the interface means, waiting for a response packet from the home network system, and changing the initial logical address into a predetermined logical address according to reception of the response packet.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the master means repeats the procedure of transmitting the master search packet and waiting for the response packet by a predetermined number.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a slave means for generating a plugged-in notification packet, transmitting the plugged-in notification packet to the home network system, receiving an address setting packet from the home network system, changing the initial logical address into a new logical address included in the address setting packet, and transmitting an address setting ACK packet to the home network system, when receiving the response packet from the home network system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the slave means transmits an event notification packet for the changed logical address to a master group of the home network system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the master group comprises a network manager.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the master means transmits a request packet for requesting information of the whole home network system to the network manager, and receives and stores a response packet containing the information.

10. The apparatus of one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the master means and the slave means are logically independent.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 or 5, wherein, when the master means does not receive the response packet from the home network system, the master means changes the previously-stored initial logical address into a basic logical address previously stored in a memory.

12. A configuration method of a home network system, comprising the steps of:

confirming whether a previously-stored logical address is an initial logical address through the home network system;

transmitting a master search packet to the home network system according to the confirm result;

waiting for a response packet from the home network system; and

changing the initial logical address into a predetermined logical address according to reception of the response packet.

13. The method of claim 12, which repeats the step for transmitting the master search packet and the step for waiting for the response packet by a predetermined number.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, when the response packet is received from the home network system, the change step comprises the steps of:

transmitting a plugged-in notification packet to the home network system;

receiving an address setting packet from the home network system;

changing the initial logical address into a new logical address included in the address setting packet; and

transmitting an address setting ACK packet to the home network system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step for transmitting an event notification packet for the changed logical address to a master group of the home network system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the master group comprises a network manager.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request packet for requesting information of the whole home network system to the network manager;

receiving a response packet containing the information; and

storing the information.

18. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein, when the response packet is not received from the home network system, the change step comprises a step for changing the previously-stored initial logical address into a previously-stored basic logical address.

19. A program storage medium which stores a computer readable program which is provided to a master device connected to a home network system and which comprises the steps of:

confirming whether a previously-stored logical address is an initial logical address through the home network system;

transmitting a master search packet to the home network system according to the confirm result;

waiting for a response packet from the home network system; and

changing the initial logical address into a predetermined logical address according to reception of the response packet.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the program further comprises a step for repeating the procedure of transmitting the master search packet and waiting for the response packet by a predetermined number.

21. The medium of claim 19, wherein, when the response packet is received from the home network system, the change step comprises the steps of:

transmitting a plugged-in notification packet to the home network system;

receiving an address setting packet from the home network system;

changing the initial logical address into a new logical address included in the address setting packet; and

transmitting an address setting ACK packet to the home network system.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the program further comprises a step for transmitting an event notification packet for the changed logical address to a master group of the home network system.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the master group comprises a network manager.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the program further comprises the steps of:

transmitting a request packet for requesting information of the whole home network system to the network manager, receiving a response packet containing the information; and

storing the information.

25. The medium of claim 19 or 20, wherein, when the response packet is not received from the home network system, the change step comprises a step for changing the previously-stored initial logical address into a previously-stored basic logical address.

26. A synchronization apparatus of a home network system which is installed in each master device of the home network system comprising a plurality of master devices and a plurality of slave devices registered in each master device, and which comprises:

an interface means connected to the home network system;

a storage means for storing information relating to the whole slave devices;

a master means for updating the information stored in the storage means and storing the updated information in the storage means according to change of the slave device of the home network system by the master device, receiving an event notification packet from the other master devices, updating the information of the slave device relating to the event notification packet, and storing the updated information in the storing means; and

a slave means for generating an event notification packet relating to update of the information, and transmitting the event notification packet to the other master devices through the interface means.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the change implies that a new slave device is registered in the master device.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the event notification packet contains at least an address of the new slave device set by the master device.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the change implies that the slave device registered in the master device is deleted.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the event notification packet contains at least an address of the deleted slave device set by the master device, and the master means deletes the address of the slave device registered in the other master devices.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the change implies a status change of the slave device.

32. A synchronization method of a home network system including a plurality of master devices and a plurality of slave devices registered in each master device, comprising the steps of:

updating information according to changes relating to the slave devices registered in each master device;

generating, at the master device, an event notification packet according to update of the information;

transmitting the event notification packet from the master device to the other master devices; and

updating, at the other master devices, the information relating to the slave device according to the event notification packet.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the change implies that a new slave device is registered in the master device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the event notification packet contains at least an address of the new slave device set by the master device.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the change implies that the slave device registered in the master device is deleted.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the event notification packet contains at least an address of the deleted slave device set by the master device, and the other master devices delete the address of the slave device in the update step.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the change implies a status change of the slave device.