Device for aggregating, translating, and disseminating communications within a multiple device environment

• US 6,795,404 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett, Olsson, Stefan, Slemmer, John B., Jarboe, Andre, Kleinfelter, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levitan, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US10/175,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 370/270, 370/463, 709/200, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/230, 709/245, 709/246, 340/500, 340/539.14, 340/539.17, 340/539.19, 340/313
• US Class Current: 370/270
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• 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 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805

Abstract

Aggregator devices and methods are disclosed for establishing device interaction in an environment containing other electronic devices and the aggregator device. The aggregator device has a transmitter, receiver, memory storing interaction rules, and a processor for implementing the interaction rules in association with the transmitter, receiver, and other devices of the environment. The methods involve transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device, referencing rules of device interaction for the environment, and then according to the rules of device interaction, transmitting a message from the aggregator to a second device. The rules of device interaction may include instructions that are to be transmitted from the aggregator in response to the aggregator receiving change of state messages from devices of the environment.

Claims

1. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising:

transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device;

receiving the message at the aggregator; and

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications from the aggregator to one or more devices of the plurality, wherein referencing interaction rules at the aggregator comprises detecting from the interaction rules whether to direct communications to multiple devices of the environment such that serial execution or parallel execution of state changes occur at the multiple devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to referencing interaction rules at the aggregator, transmitting a message to multiple devices of the environment directing serial execution of state changes.

3. An aggregator for establishing device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the aggregator comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver;

a memory that stores interaction rules for the plurality of devices; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter, receiver, and memory, the processor being configured to receive a message from a first device through the at least one receiver, reference the interaction rules in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications through the at least one transmitter to one or more devices of the plurality, wherein referencing interaction rules comprises detecting from the interaction rules whether to direct communications to multiple devices of the environment such that serial execution or parallel execution of state changes occur at the multiple devices.

4. The aggregator of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a message to multiple devices of the environment directing parallel execution of state changes in response to referencing interaction rules.

5. An aggregator for establishing device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the aggregator comprising:

a transmitter for each of at least two transports, such that the aggregator comprises a first transmitter for a first transport and a second transmitter for a second transport;

a receiver for each of the at least two transports, such that the aggregator comprises a first receiver for the first transport and a second receiver for the second transport;

a memory that stores interaction rules for the plurality of devices; and

a processor in communication with the transmitters, receiver, and memory, the processor being configured to receive a message from a first device through the first receiver for the first transport, reference the interaction rules in relation to the message from the first device, translate the message from the first transport to the second transport, and send the translated message of the second transport through the second transmitter; and

wherein the processor is further configured to receive a message through the second receiver, reference the interaction rules, translate the message from the second transport to the first transport, and send the translated message through the first transmitter.

6. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising:

transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device over a first transport;

receiving the message at the aggregator;

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications from the aggregator to one or more devices of the plurality;

translating at the aggregator the message from the first transport to a second transport; and

sending the message from the aggregator to one or more devices over the second transport.

7. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising:

transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device indicating a change of state of the first device;

receiving the message at the aggregator;

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the change of state message from the first device to direct communications from the aggregator to one or more devices of the plurality, wherein referencing interaction rules comprises looking-up the first device and the change of state from the message to find an associated change of state for a second device; and

transmitting an instruction containing the associated change of state to the second device from the aggregator.

8. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising:

generating interaction rules at the aggregator, wherein generating the interaction rules comprises receiving at the aggregator a change of state message from a first device and a change of state message from a second device, and when the change of state messages from the first and second device are separated in time by less than a predefined amount, associating in memory at the aggregator the change of state of the first device with the change of state of the second device to form interaction rules;

detecting a change of state at the first device;

in response to detecting the change of state, transmitting a change of state message to the aggregator from the first device;

receiving the change of state message at the aggregator;

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the change of state of the first device to determine a change of state instruction for the second device; and

transmitting the change of state instruction to the second device from the aggregator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the interaction rules further comprises:

receiving at the aggregator a change of state message from a third device; and

when the change of state message from the third device is separated in time by less than the predefined amount from the message of the first or second device, associating in memory at the aggregator the change of state of the third device with the change of state of the first device and the change of state of the second device.

10. An aggregator for establishing device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the aggregator comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver;

a memory that stores interaction rules for the plurality of devices; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter, receiver, and memory, the processor being configured to receive a message from a first device through the at least one receiver, reference the interaction rules in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications through the at least one transmitter to one or more devices of the plurality, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive through the at least one receiver change of state messages from the plurality of devices upon changes of state occurring at the plurality of devices to automatically create the interaction rules from associating the change of state messages.

11. An aggregator for establishing device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, and wherein one or more devices of the plurality maintain interaction rules, the aggregator comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver;

a memory that stores interaction rules for the plurality of devices; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter, receiver, and memory, the processor being configured to send a message through the at least one transmitter to a device of the plurality that maintains interactions rules requesting the interaction rules of the device, receive the interaction rules sent by the device through the at least one receiver, and store the interaction rules in the memory, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive a message from a first device through the at least one receiver, reference the interaction rules stored in memory in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications through the at least one transmitter to one or more devices of the plurality.

12. An aggregator for establishing device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the aggregator comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver;

a memory that stores interaction rules for the plurality of devices; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter, receiver, and memory, the processor being configured to receive a message indicating a change of state from a first device through the at least one receiver, reference the interaction rules in relation to the message from the first device by looking-up the first device and the change of state from the message to find an associated change of state for a second device, and transmit an instruction containing the associated change of state to the second device through the at least one transmitter.

13. An aggregator for establishing device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the aggregator comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver;

a memory that stores interaction rules for the plurality of devices; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter, receiver, and memory, the processor being configured to receive through the at least one receiver a change of state message from the first device and a change of state message from a second device, and when the change of state messages from the first and second device are separated in time by less than a predefined amount, associate in the memory the change of state of the first device with the change of state of the second device to form interaction rules, and wherein the processor is further configured to receive a message from the first device through the at least one receiver, reference the interaction rules in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications through the at least one transmitter to the second device.

14. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising:

transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device;

receiving the message at the aggregator;

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the message from the first device;

in response to referencing the interaction rules, sending a message from the aggregator to a second device;

in response to receiving the message from the aggregator, sending a message from the second device to the aggregator;

receiving the message from the second device at the aggregator; and

referencing the interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the message from the second device to communicate with one or more devices of the plurality from the aggregator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the message from the first device is a request of information from the second device and wherein the message from the second device is a reply with the information, and referencing the interaction rule after receiving the message from the second device causes the aggregator to transmit a message with the reply to the first device.

16. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising:

transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device;

receiving the message at the aggregator;

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications from the aggregator to one or more devices of the plurality;

receiving change of state messages from the plurality of devices upon changes of state occurring at the plurality of devices to automatically create the interaction rules from associating the change of state messages.

17. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, and wherein one or more devices of the plurality maintain interaction rules, the method comprising:

transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device;

receiving the message at the aggregator;

sending a message to a device of the plurality that maintains interactions rules, the message requesting the interaction rules of the device;

receiving the message at the device that maintains interaction rules;

in response to receiving the message requesting the interaction rules, transmitting the interaction rules from the device maintaining interaction rules to the aggregator;

receiving the interaction rules of the device at the aggregator;

storing the interaction rules in memory at the aggregator; and

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the message from the first device to direct communications from the aggregator to one or more devices of the plurality.

18. A method of establishing device interaction in an environment having an aggregator and a plurality of devices where each device performs one or more unique functions within the environment with the one or more functions of each device being associated with various states, the method comprising:

detecting a change of state at a first device;

in response to detecting the change of state, transmitting a change of state message to the aggregator from the first device;

receiving the change of state message at the aggregator;

referencing interaction rules at the aggregator in relation to the change of state of the first device to determine a change of state instruction for the first device and at least a second device of the plurality;

transmitting the change of state instruction to the device from the aggregator; and

in response to receiving the change of state instruction from the aggregator, sending a message from the device to the aggregator.