SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A NETWORK CONTROLLER FOR REMOTELY MONITORING AND/OR CONTROLLING DEVICES

• US 20110252328A1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Application Number:
  US13/042,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252328A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A system and method for remotely monitoring and/or controlling devices, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling and/or monitoring a device, the method comprising, automatically without direct user interaction:

receiving an image-based device selection input from a user, the image-based device selection input based at least in part on an image of a device environment;

identifying a user-selected device based, at least in part, on the received image-based device selection input;

establishing a communication link with the identified user-selected device; and

providing a user interface via which a user may interact with the identified user-selected device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of a device environment is a camera image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of a device environment is a map image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of a device environment comprises graphical features to indicate user-selectable devices in the image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving an image-based device selection input from a user comprises receiving a user indicating a location of a device in the image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing a communication link comprises accessing database information for the identified user-selected device, where the accessed database information comprises information indicating a manner in which to establish the communication link.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the accessed database information comprises communication network address information for the identified user-selected device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the accessed database information comprises communication protocol information for the identified user-selected device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein accessing database information comprises accessing information from a database separate from a system implementing the method.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing a communication link comprises establishing an initial communication link with the identified user-selected device and determining, via the initial communication link, how to establish additional communication links with the identified user-selected device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing a user interface comprises providing a generic user interface via which a user may interact with a plurality of different types of devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing a user interface comprises providing a user interface comprising features specifically associated with the identified user-selected device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing a user interface comprises accessing database information for the identified user-selected device, where the accessed database information comprises user interface information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the accessed database information describes respective signals to communicate to the identified user-selected device corresponding to respective user inputs.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing a user interface comprises communicating, with the identified user-selected device, information descriptive of graphical user interface features to present to a user.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving a user input via the provided user interface, and converting the received user input to information understood by the identified user-selected device.

17. A system for remotely controlling and/or monitoring a device, the system comprising:

at least one module operable to, at least;

receive an image-based device selection input from a user, the image-based device selection input based at least in part on an image of a device environment;

identify a user-selected device based, at least in part, on the received image-based device selection input;

establish a communication link with the identified user-selected device; and

provide a user interface via which a user may interact with the identified user-selected device.

18. The system of claim 17, where the image of a device environment is a camera image.

19. The system of claim 17, where the image of a device environment is a map image.

20. The system of claim 17, where the image of a device environment comprises graphical features to indicate user-selectable devices in the image.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said at least one module is operable to receive an image-based device selection input from a user by, at least in part, operating to receive a user indicating a location of a device in the image.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said at least one module is operable to establish a communication link with the identified user-selected device by, at least in part, operating to access database information for the identified user-selected device, where the accessed database information comprises information indicating a manner in which to establish the communication link.

23. The system of claim 22, where the accessed database information comprises communication network address information for the identified user-selected device.

24. The system of claim 22, where the accessed database information comprises communication protocol information for the identified user-selected device.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said at least one module operates to access database information for the identified user-selected device by, at least in part, operating to access information from a database separate from the system.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said at least one module is operable to establish a communication link with the identified user-selected device by, at least in part, operating to establish an initial communication link with the identified user-selected device and determine, via the initial communication link, how to establish additional communication links with the identified user-selected device.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein said at least one module is operable to provide a user interface via which a user may interact with the identified user-selected device by, at least in part, operating to provide a generic user interface via which a user may interact with a plurality of different types of devices.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein said at least one module is operable to provide a user interface via which a user may interact with the identified user-selected device by, at least in part, operating to provide a user interface comprising features specifically associated with the identified user-selected device.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein said at least one module is operable to provide a user interface via which a user may interact with the identified user-selected device by, at least in part, operating to access database information for the identified user-selected device, where the accessed database information comprises user interface information.

30. The system of claim 29, where the accessed database information describes respective signals to communicate to the identified user-selected device corresponding to respective user inputs.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein said at least one module is operable to provide a user interface via which a user may interact with the identified user-selected device by, at least in part, operating to communicate, with the identified user-selected device, information descriptive of graphical user interface features to present to a user.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one module is operable to receive a user input via the provided user interface, and convert the received user input to information understood by the identified user-selected device.