PROGRAM CONTROL METHOD FOR NETWORK DEVICES AND NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20090083572A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: FUKUI, Daisuke, Ioku, Akira, Maeoka, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

The program control of network devices, each of which provides services according to the present invention, monitors a function of a program module operating in each of the network devices. If the function of the program module has a problem, the program control performs proxy response processing of the network device by a virtual device program until the problem is corrected. In addition, if the function of the program module has a problem, the program module operating in the network device is updated to the latest program module to correct the problem. Then, the operation of the virtual device program is stopped.

Thus, among devices which operate in cooperation with one another by use of a communications protocol such as UPnP, even if there is a device having a device program that includes a bug, or even if there is a device that has a performance problem, the devices can operate in cooperation with one another.

Claims

1. A program control method for network devices, each of which is connected to a network, and each of which provides the network with services, said program control method comprising the steps of:

monitoring each function of a program module operating in each of the network devices; and

if the function of the program module has a problem, performing proxy response processing of the network device by a virtual device program until the problem is corrected.

2. The program control method for network devices according to claim 1,

wherein the each function of the program module operating in the network device is monitored by use of device information, the device information including profiling result of the program module and log information.

3. The program control method for network devices according to claim 1,

wherein if the function of the program module has a problem, the program module operating in the network device is updated to the latest program module to correct the problem, and then the operation of the virtual device program is stopped.

4. A program control method for network devices in a network system including an uPnP device, an uPnP control point that makes a service request to the uPnP device, and a home gateway for connecting between an external network and a home network to which the uPnP device and the uPnP control point are connected, said program control method comprising the steps of:

in response to a NOTIFY message from an uPnP device, requesting the uPnP device to transmit a device description;

detecting a problem of the device description acquired as a response to the request;

generating a virtual device for, if the device description has a problem, performing proxy processing as a proxy for the uPnP device;

transmitting a NOTIFY message from the virtual device; and

using, by the uPnP control point which has received the NOTIFY message from the virtual device, the virtual device as the uPnP device.

5. The program control method for network devices according to claim 4,

wherein if the device description has a problem, the home gateway transmits, to the external network, an update request to update a program module of the uPnP device,

the external network notifies the uPnP device having the problem of the latest program module, and

the uPnP device updates the program module.

6. The program control method for network devices according to claim 5,

wherein the uPnP device which has updated the program module transmits a module update completion notification, and

the virtual device stops functions thereof in response to the module update completion notification.

7. A network system comprising:

an uPnP device;

an uPnP control point that makes a service request to the uPnP device; and

a home gateway for connecting between an external network and a home network to which the uPnP device and the uPnP control point are connected,

wherein said uPnP device includes a monitoring information notification unit for, in response to a device description request from the home gateway, notifying the home gateway of device description information of the uPnP device,

wherein said home gateway includes a device monitoring unit for monitoring a problem of the uPnP device on the basis of the device description information acquired from the uPnP device, and a virtual device management unit for, when the device monitoring unit detects a problem of the uPnP device, generating a virtual device that performs proxy processing as a proxy for the uPnP device, and

wherein if the uPnP device has a problem, the uPnP control point uses, as the uPnP device, the home server that executes the virtual device.

8. The network system according to claim 7,

wherein said home gateway includes a device update processing unit for transmitting, to the external network, an update request to update a program module of the uPnP device, and

wherein said virtual device management unit stops the virtual device in response to an update completion notification of the program module.

9. The network system according to claim 7,

wherein when the uPnP device updates the program module, the uPnP device transmits, to the home gateway, an update completion notification of the program module, and outputs an NOTIFY message, and

wherein the uPnP control point is provided with services from the uPnP device that has updated the program module.