METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION IN DIGITAL LIVING NETWORK ALLIANCE NETWORK

• US 20110138208A1
• Filed: 11/26/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HWANG, Tae-Hwan, LEE, Young-Kow
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• 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 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing power consumption in a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) network is provided. A method for operating a digital media renderer to reduce power consumption in a DLNA network includes receiving media content from a digital media server, and controlling the power of a communication connection device and a display according to the control state of the received media content.

Claims

1. A method for operating a digital media renderer to reduce power consumption in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network, the method comprising:

receiving media content from a digital media server; and

controlling the power of at least one of a communication connection device and a display according to the control state of the received media content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the power of at least one of the communication connection device and the display according to the control state of the received media content comprises:

turning on the display, when playing the received media content;

turning off the display, when stopping the playing of the received media content; and

dimming the display, when pausing the received media content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the power of the communication connection device and the display according to the control state of the received media content comprises:

disconnecting the power of the communication connection device after completion of buffering the media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the power of at least one of the communication connection device and the display according to the control state of the received media content comprises:

transitioning the communication connection device to a power save mode after completion of buffering the media content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the power of at least one of the communication connection device and the display according to the control state of the received media content comprises:

disconnecting the power of the communication connection device after displaying a pop-up window to a user, when the communication connection device is disconnected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display comprises one of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Light Emitting Diode (LED), and a Plasma Display Panel (PDP).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication connection device comprises a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the received media content comprises slide content, the power of the communication connection device is disconnected after all of the slide content is received.

9. A method for operating a digital media server to reduce power consumption in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network, the method comprising:

determining whether a digital media renderer or a digital media player is in a connection state; and

terminating the connection if the digital media renderer or the digital media player is not in the connection state or if there is no command from the digital media renderer or the digital media player for a predetermined time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

disconnecting the power of the communication connection device after displaying a pop-up window to a user when the communication connection device of the digital media server is disconnected.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the display connected to the digital media server is turned off regardless of the command from the digital media renderer or the digital media player.

12. A method for operating a digital media server to reduce power consumption in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network, the method comprising:

determining whether at least one digital media renderer or digital media player are in a connection state; and

notifying a user of the connection state of the at least one digital media renderer or the digital media player if at least one digital media renderer or digital media player is not in the connection state.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

disconnecting the power of the communication connection device after displaying a pop-up window to a user when the communication connection device of the digital media server is disconnected.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication connection device comprises a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

15. A method for reducing power consumption in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network, the method comprising:

controlling the power of a display according to a control state of media content received from a digital media server;

disconnecting the power of a communication connection device or converting the communication connection device to a power save mode, after completion of buffering the received media content; and

disconnecting the power of the communication connection device after displaying a pop-up window to a user, when the power of the communication connection device is disconnected.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling of the power of the display according to the control state of media content received from a digital media server comprises:

turning on the display when playing the received media content;

turning off the display when stopping the playing of the received media content; and

dimming the display when pausing the received media content.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein if the received media content comprises slide content, the method plays the slide content and disconnects the power of the communication connection device after all the slide content is received.

18. A system for reducing power consumption in a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network, the system comprising:

a digital media renderer for controlling the power of a display according to a control state of media content received from a digital media server, for disconnecting the power of a communication connection device or converting the communication connection device to a power save mode after completion of buffering the received media content, and for interrupting the power of the communication connection device after displaying a pop-up window to a user when the communication connection device is disconnected; and

a digital media server for determining whether the digital media renderer is in a connection state, and for terminating the connection if the digital media renderer is not in the connection state.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein when the communication connection device is connected, the digital media server interrupts the power of the communication connection device after displaying a pop-up window to a user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the digital media server turns off the display connected to the digital media server, regardless of the state of the digital media renderer.