Method for remote control of home-located electronic devices and a management facility

• US 6,924,727 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagaoka, Tatsuji, Nomura, Kazuo, Hiruma, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US10/129,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/3.43, 340/3.44, 340/506, 340/539.11, 340/539.14, 340/539.16, 340/539.19, 340/531, 700/11, 700/83
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 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

Abstract

A security system 63 and an electronic device group 62 to be stored in a home network 6 are controlled by a home server 61. A home network management facility 5 obtains status information of the electronic device group 62 from home server 61. Home network management facility 5 displays the status of electronic device group 62 on a display unit of a terminal 1 based on the received status information. Home network management facility 5 also displays a screen for prompting input of a control instruction of the home-located electronic devices that are included in the electronic device group 62. Based on control instruction received via home server 61, home network management facility 5 performs remote control of electronic device group 62.

Claims

1. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a management facility, from a terminal via a network, a request signal and a terminal identifier that identifies said terminal;

identifying, in said managing facility a server, said server being identified by a server identifier that corresponds to said terminal identifier;

obtaining, in said management facility, from said server via said network, status information and said server identifier, said status information indicative of the status of home-located electronic devices controlled by said server;

generating display information for said terminal dependent upon the performance of said terminal, wherein said display information includes the status of said home-located electronic devices based on said status information and a prompt for input of a control instruction for said home-located electronic devices, said terminal being identified by said terminal identifier, said terminal identifier corresponding to said server identifier;

transmitting said display information from said management facility to said terminal;

displaying, with said terminal, a screen showing the status of said home-located electronic devices and a screen to prompt for input of a control instruction of said home-located electronic devices on the basis of the received display information;

transmitting, by said terminal, said terminal identifier and first control information;

generating, by said management facility, second control information that directs said server to perform control of said home-located electronic devices, on the basis of said first control information;

transmitting, by said management facility, said second control information to said server, said server being identified by said server identifier that corresponds to said terminal identifier, and

controlling, by said server, said home-located electronic devices on the basis of said second control information.

2. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said management facility generates said display information depending upon the communication capability of said terminal, said terminal being identified by a terminal identifier, said terminal identifier corresponding to said server identifier.

3. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said management facility modifies the size of a picture, a number of display colors, a number of gradations, and a data format for said display information dependent upon the display capability of said terminal, said terminal being identified by a terminal identifier, said terminal identifier corresponding to said server identifier.

4. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said management facility generates the same display information to be displayed on display screens of terminals that perform differently.

5. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said terminal identifier and said server identifier are the same.

6. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said management facility generates said display information based on at least one of a user'"'"'s age or sex.

7. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1,

wherein said server is able to control at least one control item of at least one home-located electronic device;

and

said management facility stores a security level indicative of said at least one control item that said user is permitted to control,

said method further comprising the step of said management facility excluding from said generated display information prompts to input control instructions of said home-located electronic devices that are for at least one control item outside of said security level.

8. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 7, wherein said management facility configures said security level based on said user'"'"'s age.

9. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said server and said home-located electronic devices are installed in a house used by said user, and configured in a local network in said house.

10. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said server and said home-located electronic devices are installed in a vehicle used by said user, and said server configures a local network in said vehicle.

11. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein an engine control unit for controlling an amount of at least one of gasoline or air supplied to an engine of a vehicle is included in said home-located electronic devices;

and

said server controls said engine control unit to control the amount of at least one of gasoline or air supplied to said engine based on said second control information.

12. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1,

wherein a location information unit for obtaining location information of a vehicle is included in said home-located electronic devices;

and

wherein said server controls said location information unit for obtaining location information of said vehicle based on said second control information.

13. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting, by said management facility, said second control information, and charging said user when said server transmits a notification that designated control is performed by said second control information.

14. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein said management facility transmits said second control information to said server via a mobile communication network.

15. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 1, wherein:

said management facility is connected to a mobile communication network; and

said terminal transmits first control information to said management facility via said mobile communication network.

16. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices, comprising the steps of:

transmitting from one of a plurality of home-located electronic devices an emergency signal to a server via a local network when said one of said home-located electronic devices detects that an object is in a designated status for detection;

transmitting from said server to a management facility an alarm showing an emergency and a server identifier that identifies said server;

generating, with said management facility, for display on a screen of a terminal, display information that provides alarm notification and a prompt for input of a control instruction for said home-located electronic devices on the basis of said alarm, said terminal being identified by a terminal identifier that corresponds to said server identifier;

accessing a stored capability of said terminal based on said terminal identifier to determine at least one of a display capability or a communication capability of said terminal;

formatting said display information on the basis of at least one of said display capability or said communication capability of said terminal;

transmitting said formatted display information from said management facility to said terminal;

displaying, with said terminal, a screen that includes alarm notification and a prompt to input a control instruction for said home-located electronic devices on the basis of said received display information;

transmitting from said terminal to said management facility a terminal identifier and first control information, said terminal identifier identifying said terminal;

generating, with said management facility, second control information on the basis of said first control information, wherein said second control information directs said server to control said home-located electronic devices;

transmitting from said management facility to said server said second control information, said server being identified by said server identifier corresponding to said terminal identifier; and

controlling said home-located electronic devices on the basis of said second control information with said server.

17. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 16, wherein said method further comprising the step of said management facility transmitting said alarm to a predetermined notification place when transmittal of said alarm to said predetermined notification place is elected on the basis of a prompt displayed as part of said display information.

18. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices according to claim 16, wherein said terminal identifier and said server identifier are the same.

19. A management facility of home-located electronic devices, comprising:

storing means for storing server identifiers and corresponding terminal identifiers;

means for receiving from a terminal a request signal that includes a terminal identifier identifying said terminal;

means for identifying a server, said server being identified by a server identifier obtained from said storing means based on said terminal identifier included with said request signal;

means for receiving status information and said server identifier, said status information indicative of the status of home-located electronic devices that are controlled by said server;

generating means for generating display information for a screen of said terminal based on the performance capability of said terminal, wherein said display information includes a status of said home-located electronic devices and a prompt for input of a control instruction to direct said home-located electronic devices;

means for transmitting said display information to said terminal;

means for generating second control information based on said first control information, wherein said home-located electronic devices are controllable by said server based on said second control information; and

means for transmitting said second control information to said server.

20. A management facility of home-located electronic devices according to claim 19, wherein said generating means generates said display information to be a web page that includes a link to a page of more detailed information.

21. A management facility of home-located electronic devices, comprising:

means for storing one or more sets of server identifiers and terminal identifiers;

means for receiving from a server a server identifier and an alarm, said server identifier identifying said server;

identifying means for identifying a terminal, said terminal being identified with a terminal identifier that corresponds to said server identifier, wherein said identifing means is configured to format said display information based on a stored capability of said terminal that includes at least one of a display capability or a communication capability of said terminal;

means for generating display information that is formatted to be displayed on a screen of said terminal, wherein said display information includes alarm notification and a prompt for input of a control instruction for said home-located electronic devices on the basis of said received alarm;

means for transmitting said display information to said terminal;

means for receiving from said terminal a terminal identifier and first control information that includes said control instruction;

means for generating second control information to direct said server to control said home-located electronic devices, on the basis of said first control information; and

means for transmitting said second control information to said server, said server being identified by said server identifier corresponding to said terminal identifier.

22. A method for remote control of home-located electronic devices, the method comprising:

a home network management system receiving over a network a request to access a plurality of home-located electronic devices coupled with a respective home network, wherein said request includes an identifier of a remote terminal that originated said request;

said home network management system determining at least one of the display capability or the communication capability of said remote terminal based on said identifier;

said home network management system formatting status data pertaining to said home-located electronic devices that is displayable on said remote terminal based on at least one of said determined display capability or said determined communication capability or combinations thereof, of said remote terminal; and

said home network management system transmitting said formatted status data for receipt and display by said remote terminal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving comprises said home network management system identifying a server within said home network that is in communication with said home network management system and said home-located electronic devices.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving comprises said home network management system determining a server that corresponds to said identifier of said remote terminal, and requesting a status of said home-located electronic devices from said server.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein formatting comprises determining a predefined security level assigned to a user of said remote terminal and including in said status data only that status data identified as providable based on said predefined security level.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said status information is storable with said home network management server as a table and the method further comprises said home network management system modifying said table in response to receipt of an instruction from said remote terminal to modify the status of at least one of said home-located electronic devices.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein modifying said table comprises generating a control instruction that is directed to at least one of said home-located electronic devices in response to said table modification;

and transmitting said control signal for receipt by said home network.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the display capability of said remote terminal comprises accessing a predetermined level of capability of said remote terminal stored in a database.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein said identifier is a manufacturer model identifier of said remote terminal.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein formatting comprises the initial step of requesting said status information from said home network in response to receipt of said request to access, and receiving said status information from said home network.

31. A management facility of home-located electronic devices, the system comprising:

a database;

a network server in communication with said database, wherein said network server is configured to access said database to determine at least one of the display capability or the communication capability of a remote terminal in response to a status request receivable from said remote terminal,

wherein said status request includes a remote terminal identifier and a request for status of at least one of a plurality of home-located electronic devices;

wherein said network server is configured to further access said database to determine a server identifier corresponding to said remote terminal identifier, said server identifier indicative of a home server in communication with said home-located electronic devices; and

a network management server in communication with said network server and configured to communicate with said home server, wherein said network management server is configured to retrieve a status of said home-located electronic devices based on said server identifier.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said network server is configured to format display information indicative of said status in accordance with at least one of said display capability or said communication capability or combinations thereof, said display information to be transmitted for receipt and display by said remote terminal.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said network server is configured to determine a predefined security level assigned to a user of said remote terminal and include in said status data only that status data identified as providable based on said predefined security level.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said status information is storable in said database as a status information table, and modifications to the status information in said table are performable by said network server in response to receipt of an instruction from said remote terminal to modify the status of at least one of said home-located electronic devices.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said network server is configured to generate a control instruction that is directed to at least one of said home-located electronic devices in response to a modification to said status information received from said remote terminal, said control instruction transmittable for receipt by said home server.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein said database includes indication of a predetermined level of capability of said remote terminal.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein said identifier is a manufacturer model identifier of said remote terminal.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein said network server is configured to request said status information from said home network in response to receipt of said status request, and further configured to receive said status information from said home network.