METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING DEVICE WITH REMOTE APPLICATION IN HOME NETWORK

• US 20100169413A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Kwang-hyuk, PARK, Jung-shin, KANG, Young-soo
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for providing a client with an application received through a data broadcast channel as a type of content of a content directory service (CDS) or a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) service newly defined to provide applications by a server.

Claims

1. A method of providing an application by a server in a home network, the method comprising:

transmitting to a client at least one document comprising information for remotely using the application;

receiving a control request for the application from the client; and

controlling the application according to the control request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the document comprises at least one of a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) device description and a UPnP service description.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the document comprises information indicating that a content directory service (CDS) of the server provides the application as a type of content.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting metadata of the application to the client.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata of the application is transmitted to the client in response to calling a browse( ) or search( ) action of the client.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of an application information table (AIT) for the application, position information of the AIT, an application management table (AMT) for the application, and position information of the AMT.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of profile information of middleware to which the application is subordinate, attribute information of the middleware, and release version information of the middleware.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the document comprises at least one of a UPnP device description comprising information indicating that the server provides a predetermined UPnP service defined to provide applications and a UPnP service description comprising information about actions for remotely using the application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the document comprises at least one of a UPnP device description comprising information indicating that the server provides a plurality of applications subordinate to a plurality of middleware as an independent UPnP service for each of the plurality of middleware and a UPnP service description comprising information about actions for remotely using the plurality of applications.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is an OpenCable-Digital Media Server (OC-DMS) and the client is an OpenCable-Digital Media Player (OC-DMP).

11. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method of claim 1.

12. An apparatus for providing an application of a server to a client in a home network, the apparatus comprising:

an information providing unit which transmits to the client at least one document comprising information for remotely using the application;

a request receiving unit which receives a control request for the application from the client; and

a control unit which controls the application according to the control request.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the document comprises at least one of a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) device description and a UPnP service description.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the document comprises information indicating that a content directory service (CDS) of the server provides the application as a type of content.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a request receiving unit which transmits metadata of the application to the client-.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the request receiving unit transmits the metadata of the application to the client in response to a browse( ) or search( ) action of the client.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of an application information table (AIT) for the application, position information of the AIT, an application management table (AMT) for the application, and position information of the AMT.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of profile information of middleware to which the application is subordinate, attribute information of the middleware, and release version information of the middleware.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the document comprises at least one of a UPnP device description comprising information indicating that the server provides a predetermined UPnP service defined to provide applications and a UPnP service description comprising information about actions for remotely using the application.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the document comprises at least one of a UPnP device description comprising information indicating that the server provides a plurality of applications subordinate to a plurality of middleware as an independent UPnP service for each of the plurality of middleware and a UPnP service description comprising information about actions for remotely using the plurality of applications.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the server is an OpenCable-Digital Media Server (OC-DMS) and the client is an OpenCable-Digital Media Player (OC-DMP).

22. A method of using an application of a server by a client in a home network, the method comprising:

searching for a server which holds the application in the home network;

extracting information which controls the application from a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) service description of the server which holds the application; and

controlling the application by using the extracted information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the searching for the server comprises:

searching for devices which provide applications as a type of content in a content directory service (CDS) based on a UPnP device description or the UPnP service description; and

searching for a device which holds the application as a content item from among the devices which provide applications as the type of content by using a browse( ) or search( ) action.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the searching for the server comprises searching for a device which provides a predetermined UPnP service defined to provide applications—

based on a UPnP device description.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the controlling the application comprises:

generating a service module in a form of an object, which allows a local application installed in the client to control the application of the server, based on a UPnP service description for the predetermined UPnP service; and

calling a corresponding action of the predetermined UPnP service when a request for the application of the server from the local application through the service module is received.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the server is an OpenCable-Digital Media Server (OC-DMS) and the client is an OpenCable-Digital Media Player (OC-DMP).

27. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method of claim 22.

28. A client apparatus which uses a remote application in a home network, the client apparatus comprising:

a searching unit which searches for a server which holds the application in the home network;

an information extracting unit which extracts information for controlling the application from a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) service description of the server which holds the application; and

a control unit which controls the application by using the extracted information.

29. The client apparatus of claim 28, wherein the searching unit searches for devices which provide applications as a type of content in a content directory service (CDS)-based on a UPnP device description or the UPnP service description and searches for a device which holds the application as a content item from among the devices which provide applications as the type of content by using a browse( ) or search( ) action.

30. The client apparatus of claim 28, wherein the searching unit searches for a device which provides a predetermined UPnP service defined to provide applications based on a UPnP device description.

31. The client apparatus of claim 28, wherein the control unit comprises:

an object generating unit which generates a service module as an object, which allows a local application installed in the client apparatus to control the application of the server, by using a UPnP service description for the predetermined UPnP service; and

an action calling unit which calls a corresponding action of the predetermined UPnP service when a request for the application of the server from the local application through the service module is received.

32. The client apparatus of claim 28, wherein the server operates as an OpenCable-Digital Media Server (OC-DMS) and the client apparatus operates as an OpenCable-Digital Media Player (OC-DMP).