Gateway device allowing home network appliances to be introduced and controlled over a network and a control method therefor

• US 20090072991A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NARA Institute of Science and Technology, OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NARA Institute of Science and Technology, OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kimura, Yoshinobu, Nakamura, Masahide, Hayashi, Jun, Ozawa, Mitsuharu, Fukuoka, Yusuke, Horibuchi, Takaaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,149,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24

Abstract

A gateway device includes a base processor which converts a signal input from an IP network to a signal which can be handled by the gateway device, and a home appliance control processor having a controller which converts the signal which can be handled by the gateway device to a control signal in compliance with the communications protocol of a home appliance to be controlled. The controller stores, on a table, information about the communications protocol, driver, controllable setting condition and status of respective appliances to be controlled in association with each other. The controller also includes a conversion functional block which converts information supplied to the control information of the communications protocol of the respective appliances to be controlled on the basis of the stored information.

Claims

1. A gateway device connectable to a telecommunications network and an electronics appliance to be controlled, comprising:

an input/output circuit for receiving information supplied over the network, and outputting information from the appliance to the network;

a format converter for converting information supplied to first information in a first format handled by the network and second information in a second format handled by said gateway device; and

a controller for converting the second information to control information handled by a communications protocol of the appliance,

said controller comprising;

a binder for binding information about the communications protocol, a driver, a control setting condition and a status of the appliance to each other;

a memory for storing the information bound; and

a converter responsive to the information stored in said memory for converting the information supplied to either of the control information corresponding to the communications protocol of the appliance and response information to be outputted over the network.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises:

a drive signal generator operative in response to the control information for generating a drive signal; and

a transmitter operative in response to the drive signal for outputting a control signal.

3. The device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said transmitter includes a receiver for receiving a response signal transmitted from the appliance in response to the control signal.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said device is connectable over the network to a server for storing the information about the communications protocol, driver, control setting condition and status of the appliance stored in a form of database,

said gateway device downloading, when the appliance to be controlled is introduced anew, the information on the appliance from the database over the network.

5. A method of controlling an electronics appliance to be controlled on a basis of information supplied over a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

retrieving first information for operating the appliance when the first information is not available;

selecting the first information and downloading the selected first information;

converting the selected first information to second information in a predetermined format;

binding the second information to a communications protocol, a driver, a control setting condition and a status of the appliance and storing the bound second information;

converting the information supplied to control information corresponding to the communications protocol of the appliance;

generating a drive signal on a basis of the control information; and

outputting a control signal to the appliance in response to the drive signal.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving response information indicative of either of a completion of setting and the status of the appliance in response to the control signal;

converting the response information in a format of the communications protocol appropriate for the appliance;

converting the response information, which is converted in the communications protocol, to information in a predetermined format; and

converting the response information, which is converted in the predetermined format, to third information handled in the network,

whereby an operation of the appliance is confirmed with reference to the third information.