Gateway for Remote Control and System and Method for Implementing Remote Control

• US 20070149189A1
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: YANG, Bo, Zuo, Minglei, ZHANG, Zhiyong, MA, Jianfei
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/428
• 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 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a gateway for remote control and system as well as a method for implementing remote control. The user side calls a telephone number to which the gateway for remote control corresponds, and the gateway for remote control puts through the call and controls a controlled device according to the information from the user side. It is possible to know and control the controlled device of the local network through the gateway for remote control that need not be online all the time. The voice prompt is defined by the own internal device of the local network, so as to enhance the expansibility and compatibility of the gateway. The user can directly control the device of the network through dialing a phone number. Embodiments of the invention are not restricted by the area, and the expense thereof is very low.

Claims

1. A gateway for remote control, at least comprising:

an information receiving and processing module coupled to a phone line and configured to receive and process control information sent through the phone line by a user;

a controlling signal generating module coupled to the information receiving and processing module and configured to generate corresponding controlling signal according to the control information received by the information receiving and processing module;

a controlling signal sending module respectively coupled to the controlling signal generating module and a controlled device, and configured to send controlling signal generated by the controlling signal generating module to the controlled device coupled to the controlling signal sending module.

2. The gateway for remote control of claim 1, wherein the information receiving and processing module is configured to further determine whether the control information is control information for controlling the gateway for remote control itself;

control the state of the gateway for remote control if the control information is the control information for controlling the gateway for remote control itself, otherwise send the control information to the controlling signal generating module.

3. The gateway for remote control of claim 1, wherein the phone line comprises:

a fixed phone line over Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or a phone line of wireless mode or an IP accessing phone line.

4. The gateway for remote control of claim 1, further comprising:

a device information receiving and transmitting module respectively coupled to the information receiving and processing module and the phone line, configured to send device configuration information to the user through the phone line via the information receiving and processing module, and collect the device information from the controlled device, wherein the device information comprises device description information or device state information.

5. The gateway for remote control of claim 1, further comprising;

a phone signal processing module coupled to the phone line in front of the information receiving and processing module, configured to put the information receiving and processing module through to the user side when determining that the call is not put through under a predetermined condition.

6. A system based on a gateway for remote control, comprising:

a phone line for transmitting information between a user side and a gateway for remote control;

the gateway for remote control configured to receive controlling signal from the phone line and control a controlled device upon processing the controlling signal; and

the controlled device;

wherein the gateway for remote control is respectively coupled to the phone line and the controlled device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the phone line comprises a fixed phone line over Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or a phone line of wireless mode or an IP accessing phone line.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway for remote control further communicates with a service website of the controlled device manufacturer through an external network.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway for remote control connects to the controlled device through a local network.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the controlled device comprises at least one of:

a personal computer and an intelligent electrical apparatus.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway for remote control and the controlled device are integrated in the same physical entity.

12. A method for implementing remote control, comprising:

receiving a call from a user side, and putting through the call by a gateway for remote control;

controlling a controlled device by the gateway for remote control according to control information from the user side.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user side calls a telephone number to which the gateway for remote control corresponds;

if the call is not put through under a predetermined condition, the gateway for remote control puts through the call by itself.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said controlling the controlled device comprises:

establishing a corresponding relationship between controlled device information and the controlled device, wherein the relationship is stored in the gateway for remote control;

answering the call and controlling a corresponding controlled device according to the control information of the user side and the corresponding relationship by the gateway for remote control.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said establishing the corresponding relationship between the controlled device information and the controlled device comprises:

the controlled device accessing the gateway for remote control, and the gateway for remote control acquiring description information of the controlled device;

recording description information of the controlled device, and establishing the corresponding relationship between the description information of the controlled device and the controlled device by the gateway for remote control.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said gateway for remote control answering the call and controlling the corresponding controlled device further comprises:

determining, by the gateway for remote control, whether the calling user is a legal user;

if the calling user is a legal user, the gateway for remote control exchanging information with the controlled device, controlling the controlled device or acquiring state information of the controlled device, otherwise, rejecting the call.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

setting different control authorities for the legal users.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said gateway for remote control answering the call and controlling the corresponding controlled device comprises;

selecting a corresponding controlled device according to the control information from the user side by the gateway for remote control;

reporting state information of the controlled device to the user side by the controlled device;

conducting a further control according to the reported state information upon receiving the reported state information by the user side.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said controlled device reporting state information of the controlled device to the user side comprises at least one of:

reporting the state information directly to the user by the controlled device; and

reporting the state information to the gateway for remote control by the controlled device, and reporting the state information to the user by the gateway for remote control; and

wherein the state information reported by the controlled device comprises a voice file or a sending fax.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein in the process of the gateway for remote control acquiring description information of the controlled device, if the gateway for remote control has not been connected to an external network, the gateway for remote control reports this state information to the user side and is connected to the external network through using the control information of the user side, or connects to the external network automatically and disconnects from the external network by itself upon the call being terminated.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein in the process of the controlled device reporting state information of the controlled device to the user side, if the gateway for remote control has not been connected to an external network, the gateway for remote control reports this state information to the user side and is connected to the external network through using the control information of the user side, or connects to the external network automatically and disconnects from the external network by itself upon the call being terminated.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein in the process of the gateway for remote control acquiring description information of the controlled device, the description information of the controlled device comprises at least one of:

a voice file reported by the controlled device; and

a location path where the voice file is stored which is reported by the controlled device to the gateway for remote control, wherein the path is a website of the manufacturer in an external network or the address of the device in the local network, and the gateway for remote control acquires the voice file from the location path as the state information of the controlled device upon accessing the network; and

different voice files or paths thereof for describing the controlled device, wherein the different voice files are established by the gateway for remote control according to situation of the controlled devices.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein in the process of the controlled device reporting the state information of the controlled device to the user side, the state information reported by the controlled device comprises at least one of:

a voice file reported by the controlled device; and

a location path where the voice file is stored which is reported by the controlled device to the gateway for remote control, wherein the path is a website of the manufacturer in an external network or the address of the device in the local network, and the gateway for remote control acquires the voice file from the location path as the state information of the controlled device upon accessing the network; and

voice file or path thereof for describing the controlled device, wherein the different voice files are established by the gateway for remote control according to situation of the controlled devices.

24. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

inquiring and setting state information of the gateway for remote control by the gateway for remote control;

wherein the state information comprises whether the gateway for remote control connects to the external network and whether the remote control function is turned on.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the processes of inquiring the remote control function and setting an on/off state comprises:

inquiring state of the remote control function of the gateway for remote control;

sending a turning on/off request to the gateway for remote control;

determining current on/off state of the gateway for remote control;

setting a corresponding on/off state according to the determination.