METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ROUTING A MESSAGE OVER A HOME NETWORK

• US 20080104272A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC), University of Western Ontario
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US11/555,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A method and system are described for routing messages over a home network. In one aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, a method for routing a message over a home network is described. The method includes establishing a relationship between a home network appliance class and a home network service, wherein the home network appliance class identifies a class of home network appliances operable within a home network environment. The method further includes receiving over a home network from a sending home network appliance, a message identifying a home network appliance class for the sending home network appliance. The method also includes determining, based on the established relationship, a home network service related to the home network appliance class. The method further includes routing the message to the determined home network service via the home network.

Claims

1. A method for routing a message over a home network, the method comprising:

establishing a relationship between a home network appliance class and a home network service, wherein the home network appliance class identifies a class of home network appliances operable within a home network environment;

receiving over a home network from a sending home network appliance, a message identifying a home network appliance class for the sending home network appliance;

determining, based on the established relationship, a home network service related to the home network appliance class; and

routing the message to the determined home network service via the home network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message includes presentation information for display by the home network service.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the home network service is a client application on a home network appliance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the home network appliance class is included in a uniform resource locator (URL) destination identifier for the message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the home network appliance class is pre-associated with the sending home network appliance in connection with at least one of manufacturing, installation, and sale of the sending home network appliance.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the home network appliance class is identified by a token defined by a token authority.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the message received is sent using a presence protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is routed to the home network service using a presence protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing a relationship includes associating presence information with the sending home network appliance and with the home network service.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the presence information is stored in a tuple corresponding to at least one of the home network appliance class and the home network service.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the presence information stored in the corresponding tuple is at least one of published-to and subscribed-to by at least one agent associated with at least one of the home network appliance class and the home network service.

12. A system for routing a message over a home network, the system comprising:

a relationship manager configured to establish a relationship between a home network appliance class and a home network service, wherein the home network appliance class identifies a class of home network appliances operable within a home network environment;

a message router configured to receive over a home network from a sending home network appliance, a message identifying a home network appliance class for the sending home network appliance;

a traversal engine configured to determine, based on the established relationship, a home network service related to the home network appliance class; and

the message router configured to route the received message to the determined home network service via the home network.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the message includes presentation information for display by the home network service.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the home network appliance class is included in a uniform resource locator (URL) destination identifier for the message.

15. The system of claim 12 comprising a presence protocol layer configured to transfer a message using a presence protocol.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the message router is configured to receive a message from the presence protocol layer sent using a presence protocol.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the message router is configured to route the received message to the home network service using a presence protocol via the presence protocol layer.

18. The system of claim 12 comprising a tuple storage medium configured to store a tuple corresponding to at least one of the home network appliance class and the home network service.

19. The system of claim 18 comprising a publication handler configured to receive the message from the message router when the message includes a publish command, the publication handler also configured to update a tuple associated with the sending home network appliance in the tuple storage medium.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the relationship manager is configured to associate presence information for a principal associated with the sending home network appliance and a principal associated with the home network service and for storing the presence information associated with the sending home network appliance in the tuple storage medium.

21. The system of claim 18 comprising a subscription handler configured to identify a subscriber to the tuple stored in the tuple storage medium.

22. The system of claim 21 comprising a notification handler configured to create a notification according to the received message for transmission to the identified subscriber.

23. A system for routing a message over a home network, the system comprising:

means for establishing a relationship between a home network appliance class and a home network service, wherein the home network appliance class identifies a class of home network appliances operable within a home network environment;

means for receiving over a home network from a sending home network appliance, a message identifying a home network appliance class for the sending home network appliance;

means for determining, based on the established relationship, a home network service related to the home network appliance class; and

means for routing the received message to the determined home network service via the home network.

24. A computer readable medium containing a computer program for routing a message over a home network, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:

establishing a relationship between a home network appliance class and a home network service, wherein the home network appliance class identifies a class of home network appliances operable within a home network environment;

receiving over a home network from a sending home network appliance, a message identifying a home network appliance class for the sending home network appliance;

determining, based on the established relationship, a home network service related to the home network appliance class; and

routing the message to the determined home network service via the home network.