Home network gateway apparatus and home network device

• US 6,735,619 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2000
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Communications Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sawada, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US09/497,181
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/227, 709/212, 709/245, 345/329
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• 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 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A home network gateway apparatus controls information of home network devices connected to an IEEE 1394 bus in a unified manner in a household. When a device is connected to the home network, the home network gateway apparatus of the present invention acquires information of each device and posts the information on a built-in WWW server in a list menu format. The user can remotely control home network devices individually from an apparatus on another network via the list menu.

Claims

1. A home network gateway apparatus connected to at least one device via a home network, the home network gateway being connected to a download server, external of the home network, which stores screen creation information and device operation information associated with the device, the home network gateway apparatus comprising:

an acceptor that, when at least one device is newly connected to the home network, receives identification information of the device and address information of the download server, outputted from the device;

a downloader that accesses the download server in accordance with the address information received from the newly connected device, and downloads the screen creation information and the device operation information associated with the newly connected device from the download server based upon the identification information;

a memory that stores the downloaded screen creation information and the downloaded device operation information; and

a server that contains information of all devices connected to the home network, and upon receipt of access signal from a terminal, enables the terminal to display the information including screen creation information and device operation information that enables selection of a device and control of the selected device from the terminal, the terminal being external of the home network.

2. The home network gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the connected device is disconnected from the home network, said server deletes the information regarding the disconnected device.

3. The home network gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when an operation command to control a selected device is received from the terminal, said server controls the selected device.

4. The home network gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a video camera.

5. The home network gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a lamp.

6. A method for registering devices connected to a home network into a home network gateway apparatus, the home network gateway apparatus being connected to at least one device via the home network and to a download server, external of the home network, which stores screen creation information and device operation information associated with the device, the method comprising:

receiving, when at least one device is newly connected to the home network, identification information of the device and address information of the download server, outputted from the device;

accessing the download server in accordance with the address information received from the newly connected device;

downloading the screen creation information and the device operation information associated with the newly connected device from the download server based upon the identification information;

storing the downloaded screen creation information and the downloaded device operation information; and

enabling a terminal to display the information, including screen creation information and device operation information, that enables selection of a device and control of a selected device from the terminal, upon receipt of an access signal from a terminal, the terminal being external of the home network.