Home Network System, Method of Controlling the Same, Method of Setting Residential Gateway For the Same, and Method of Processing Event Protocol For the Same

• US 20080209034A1
• Filed: 07/04/2005
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Yong-gil, Shin, Young-sik, Jang, Han-sik
• Application Number:
  US11/994,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209034A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• 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 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856

Abstract

The present invention relates to a home network system, in which devices constituting a home network can be installed to be provided with home network service, and can be controlled using various terminals, and to a method of controlling the home network system, method of setting a residential gateway and method of processing an event protocol for the home network system. In the home network system, an HNSN (100) includes a user/device information Database (130) for storing information about a user and electronic appliances, an HnsnRgIF (140) that is a process for performing registration, authentication and connection management for an RG, an HnsnUPnP (120) that is a process for performing device control and event control for the RG, and an application server (110) for analyzing requests and providing a control command to the HnsnUPnP, and transmitting a response to the control command to the user terminal.

Claims

1. A home network system comprising a residential gateway which is a gateway connected to electronic appliances constituting a home network, a user terminal, a network, and a Home Network Serving Node (HNSN) which is a server for connecting the network to the RG and controlling the home network, wherein:

the HNSN comprises,

a user/device information Database (DB) for storing information about a user and the electronic appliances connected to the RG;

an HnsnRgIF that is a process for performing registration, authentication and connection management for the RG;

an HnsnUPnP that is a process for performing device control and event control for the RG; and

an application server for analyzing a request received from the user terminal and providing a control command to the HnsnUPnP, and transmitting a response to the control command, received from the HnsnUPnP, to the user terminal.

2. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein the application server comprises a Web server enabling a connection both to the terminal and to the RG.

3. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein the application server, the HnsnRgIF and the HnsnUPnP perform requests and responses therebetween using extensible Markup Language (XML).

4. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein the HnsnRgIF and the HnsnUPnP are processes executed in form of daemons.

5. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein control commands transmitted/received between the application server and the HnsnUPnP include a device list view command, a device control command, and a device event control command.

6. The home network system according to claim 5, wherein the device list view command uses HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), based on Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

7. The home network system according to claim 5, wherein the device control command uses Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), based on TCP/IP.

8. The home network system according to claim 5, wherein the device event control command uses General Event Notification Architecture (GENA) protocol, based on TCP/IP.

9. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein the HnsnUPnP and the RG transmit or receive a discovery signal, information file maintenance signal, control signal, status monitoring signal and event control signal for electronic appliances, therebetween.

10. The home network system according to claim 9, wherein the discovery signal for electronic appliances uses Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP)/GENA protocol, based on user Datagram Protocol (UDP)/IP.

11. The home network system according to claim 9, wherein the information file maintenance signal for electronic appliances uses HTTP, based on TCP/IP.

12. The home network system according to claim 9, wherein the control signal for electronics appliances uses SOAP, based on TCP/IP.

13. The home network system according to claim 9, wherein the status monitoring signal for electronic appliances uses SOAP, based on TCP/IP.

14. The home network system according to claim 9, wherein the event control signal for electronic appliances uses GENA protocol, based on TCP/IP.

15. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein the HnsnRgIF and the RG transmit or receive an RG registration signal and an RG connection management signal therebetween.

16. The home network system according to claim 15, wherein the RG registration signal uses Register SOAP, based on TCP/IP.

17. The home network system according to claim 15, wherein the RG connection management signal uses Alive/Bye SOAP, based on TCP/IP.

18. A method of controlling a home network system, the home network system comprising a Home Network Serving Node (HNSN) which is a server for controlling electronic appliances constituting a home network, a user terminal including a Web, WAP, PDA or SKVM terminal, and a Web server for connecting the user terminal to the HNSN, comprising the steps of:

receiving an ID and password through the user terminal and authenticating a user through the Web server;

the Web server requesting a list of devices connected to the home network, managed by the user, from the HNSN if authentication of the user has succeeded;

the HNSN, having received the request, transmitting the requested list of devices to the Web server;

the Web server converting the received list of devices and transmitting the converted list of devices to the user terminal, and the user terminal displaying the received list of devices;

the user terminal requesting control of a specific device;

transmitting a request control signal to the HNSN through the Web server;

the HNSN executing a process suitable for the control signal;

the HNSN transmitting a response to the process to the Web server; and

the Web server converting the received response and transmitting the converted response to the user terminal.

19. The home network system control method according to claim 18, wherein the list of devices is implemented in extensible Markup Language (XML).

20. The home network system control method according to claim 18, wherein the Web server converts the received list of devices by combining the received list of devices with extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) for a device list.

21. The home network system control method according to claim 18, wherein the response is implemented in XML.

22. The home network system control method according to claim 18, wherein the Web server converts the received response by combining the response with extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) for a device display.

23. A method of controlling a home network system using protocol between a server (Home Network Serving Node:

HNSN), which controls residential devices through a central server, and the residential devices, comprising the steps of;

transmitting a device control message to the HNSN if the user selects a device control command through a user application server;

the HNSN transmitting the device control message to a Residential Gateway (RG), and transmitting a device control message response received from the RG to the user application server;

transmitting a status monitoring message to the HNSN if the user selects a status monitoring command through the user application server; and

the HNSN transmitting the status monitoring message to the RG and transmitting a status monitoring message response from the RG to the user application server.

24. The home network system control method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of the HNSN discovering the RG as a UPnP device during a discovery procedure and receiving a device description file for the RG and a service description file during a description procedure.

25. The home network system control method according to claim 23, wherein a stack of the protocol uses a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), based on TCP/IP.

26. A method of setting a Residential Gateway, (RG) in a home network system, which includes a Home Network Serving Node (HNSN) for providing home network service, a plurality of devices used in a home, and the RG functioning as a gateway, the method setting the RG based on the Internet for wireless Internet connection between the HNSN and the RG, comprising the steps of:

selecting a command for setting a port table of the RG through a user application;

transmitting an action request message (ACTION-Req) to the HNSN in response to the port table setting command;

transmitting the action request message from the HNSN to the RG;

the RG executing the port table setting command depending on each action; and

transmitting an action response message ACTION-Res) from the RG to the HNSN.

27. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 26, wherein the HNSN and the RG perform discovery and description procedures, which are defined in UPnP, therebetween.

28. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 27, wherein the discovery procedure by the HNSN is performed to discover the RG as a UPnP Device.

29. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 27, wherein the description procedure by the HNSN is performed to receive a device description file for the RG and a service description file for setting a port table.

30. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 26, wherein the action request message includes AddPortMapping, DeletePortMapping, Up-datePortMapping, GetTableAllEntries, GetGenericEntry, GetSpecificEntry, etc.

31. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 26, wherein the port table setting command is implemented perform port forwarding for addition, deletion, change and search.

32. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 26, wherein a protocol stack required for the port table setting uses SOAP (HTTP), based on TCP/IP.

33. A method of setting a residential gateway using a home network system, which includes a central server (HNSN) connected to a mobile network and adapted to control devices and transmit control status thereof, and a Residential Gateway (RG) connected to the central server (HNSN) through a network and connected to a plurality of devices, comprising the steps of:

the gateway transmitting a registration request message, including an ID, password and IP, to the central server;

storing the registration request message received through an interface of the central server in a database;

the central server transmitting a registration response message, including IP and port thereof, to the gateway;

the gateway transmitting an authentication request message, including an ID, password and IP, to the central server at preset intervals if registration has been completed; and

storing the authentication request message received through an interface of the central server, in a database, and updating the database.

34. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 33, wherein if the gateway does not transmit an authentication request message, error processing or failure processing is executed.

35. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 33, wherein if the gateway is deleted, a service stop request message and a service stop response message are transmitted and received, information about a corresponding user is stored in a database, and the database is updated.

36. The residential gateway setting method according to claim 33, wherein a protocol stack between the central server and the gateway uses SOAP (HTTP), based on TCP/IP.

37. A method of processing an event protocol for home network devices in a home network system, which includes a central server (HNSN) connected to a mobile network and adapted to control devices and transmit control status thereof, and a Residential Gateway (RG) connected to the HNSN through a network and connected to a plurality of devices, comprising:

a first step of the central server receiving an event reception request message transmitted by a user;

a second step of transmitting the received event reception request message to the gateway, and the gateway transmitting the event reception request message to a corresponding device;

a third step of transmitting an event reception response message from the device to the gateway, and the gateway transmitting the event reception response message to the central server;

a fourth step of transmitting an event occurrence message generated by the device to the central server through the gateway; and

a fifth step of the central server transmitting an event occurrence response message to the corresponding device via the gateway.

38. The event protocol processing method according to claim 37, further comprising, before the first step, the steps of:

the central server discovering a device connected to the gateway using UPnP protocol; and

the central server receiving a device description file for the device and a service description file.

39. The event protocol processing method according to claim 37, wherein, after the fourth step, the generated event is stored in a database, and the central server transmits an event message to the user terminal using the mobile network.

40. The event protocol processing method according to claim 37, further comprising, if the user desires to reject reception of an event after the fifth step, the steps of:

the central server receiving an event reception rejection request message transmitted by the user;

transmitting the received event reception rejection request message to the gateway, and the gateway transmitting an event reception rejection request message to a corresponding device; and

transmitting an event reception rejection response message from the device to the gateway, and the gateway transmitting the event reception rejection response message to the central server.

41. The event protocol processing method according to claim 37, wherein a protocol stack between the central server, the gateway and the device uses GENA (HTTP), based on TCP/IP.

42. A method of processing an event protocol in a home network system, which includes a Home Network Serving Node (HNSN), a Residential Gateway (RG), one or more home network devices, a Short Message Service (SMS) center, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), and a mobile terminal comprising the steps of:

inputting a terminal number of a person, to which an SMS message is to be transmitted, and content through one of the home network devices;

transmitting the input number and content to the HNSN through the RG;

the HNSN transmitting the input number and content to the SMS center; and

the SMS center transmitting an SMS message to a destination mobile terminal via the MSC placed at a location, at which the destination mobile terminal exists, after authenticating the user.

43. The event protocol processing method according to claim 42, wherein the home network devices include a door switch system, a security system, an AV system for home theater, a TV, a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), a Direct Broadcast Satellite Services (DBSS) system known as a Digital Satellite Services (DSS) system, a sprinkler system, a lighting system, a microwave oven, a dishwasher, an oven/stove, a washing machine/dryer, and electronic device, such as a processing system in a car.

44. A method of processing an event protocol in a home network system, which includes a Home Network Serving Node (HNSN), a Residential Gateway (RG), one or more home network devices, a Short Message Service (SMS) center, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

requesting transmission of a prestored phone number and content through an SMS message if a preset event occurs in one of the home network devices;

transmitting the phone number and content to the HNSN via the RG;

the HNSN transmitting the received phone number and content to the SMS center; and

the SMS center transmitting an SMS message to a destination mobile terminal via the MSC placed at a location at which the destination mobile terminal exists, after authenticating the user.

45. The event protocol processing method according to claim 44, wherein the preset event includes cases in which a gas leak occurs, a door is not locked during a user'"'"'s absence, a light is turned on or off by a timer, and a door is opened without permission.

46. The event protocol processing method according to claim 44, wherein the prestored phone number includes phone numbers of a nearby fire station and police station as well as phone numbers of a house owner and family thereof.

47. A method of processing an event protocol in a home network system, which includes a Home Network Serving Node (HNSN), a Residential Gateway (RG), one or more home network devices and a Location Based Service (LBS) server, comprising the steps of:

inputting a phone number of a person, location information of whom is desired to be known, through one of the home network devices;

transmitting the input phone number to the HNSN via the RG;

the HNSN determining whether the input phone number is a number available for location inquiry, providing inquiry denial notification to the home network device through the RG and displaying the inquiry denial notification on a Web screen of the device if it is determined that location inquiry is not possible, while requesting location information from the LBS server if it is determined that location inquiry is possible;

the LBS server detecting location information about a corresponding terminal and transmitting detected location information to the HNSN; and

the HNSN displaying the location information on a Web screen of a corresponding device via the RG.

48. The event protocol processing method according to claim 47, wherein the home network devices include a door switch system a security system, an AV system for home theater, a TV, a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), a Direct Broadcast Satellite Services (DBSS) system known as a Digital Satellite Services (DSS) system, a sprinkler system, a lighting system, a microwave oven, a dishwasher, an oven/stove, a washing machine/dryer, and electronic device, such as a processing system in a car.