System and method for application communication

• US 6,980,868 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autotools Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Autotools Group Company Limited
• Inventors: Huang, C. J. Jason, Deng, Jong-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Douglas S.
• Application Number:
  US10/852,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/426.19, 340/426.26, 340/825.72, 340/825.22, 370/252, 700/2, 700/11, 700/83, 709/202, 709/208, 709/224, 709/226, 715/716
• US Class Current: 700/11
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23027 Database with information on how to control or test different appliances
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23093 Input a code representing a device function
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25167 Receive commands through mobile telephone
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25168 Domotique, access through internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2613 Household appliance in general
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2615 Audio, video, tv, consumer electronics device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

A system and a method for integrating electronic apparatuses, e.g. information appliances, are provided. The present invention detects and stores the functions of each electronic apparatus in advance. When one of the electronic apparatuses transmits a signal to execute a particular function, the present invention determines which electronic apparatus is the most suitable to execute the function and sends the signal to the very electronic apparatus without manual operations.

Claims

1. A system for integrating information appliances, comprising:

an intranet;

a plurality of information appliances, each information appliance comprising;

an appliance I/O module connected to the intranet;

a function module for storing a first piece of information, the first piece of information comprising a function of each corresponding information appliance; and

a generation module for generating a second piece of information, the second piece of information comprising an instruction for execution generated by each corresponding information appliance;

an integrated platform, comprising;

a platform I/O module connected to the intranet;

an identification module, according to the first piece of information, for identifying and storing the function of each information appliance; and

a transmission module, according to the function stored in the identification module, for selectively transmitting the second piece of information to one of the plurality of information appliances; and

a sensor, connected to the platform I/O module via the intranet, for detecting a location of a user, the transmission module transmitting the second piece of information to the one of the plurality of information appliances according to the location of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface, connected to the platform I/O module via the intranet, for a user to monitor the plurality of information appliances.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform I/O module, connected to an Internet, is configured for a user to monitor the plurality of information appliances from a remote terminal outside the intranet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the generation module comprises a memory for storing the second piece of information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, before transmitting the second piece of information, the transmission module converts a format of the second piece of information to a format the one of the plurality of information appliances can recognize.

6. A system for integrating information appliances, comprising:

an intranet;

a plurality of information appliances, each information appliance comprising;

an appliance I/O module connected to the intranet;

a function module for storing a first piece of information, the first piece of information comprising a function of each corresponding information appliance; and

a generation module for generating a second piece of information, the second piece of information comprising an instruction for execution generated by each corresponding information appliance;

an integrated platform, comprising;

a platform I/O module, connected to the intranet and an Internet, for a user to monitor the plurality of information appliances from a remote terminal outside the intranet;

an identification module, according to the first piece of information, for identifying and storing the function of each information appliance; and

a transmission module, according to the function stored in the identification module, for selectively transmitting the second piece of information to one of the plurality of information appliances;

an interface, connected to the platform I/O module via the intranet, for the user to monitor the plurality of information appliances; and

a sensor, connected to the platform I/O module via the intranet, for detecting a location of the user, the transmission module transmitting the second piece of information to the one of the plurality of information appliances according to the location of the user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the generation module comprises a memory for storing the second piece of information.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein, before transmitting the second piece of information, the transmission module converts a format of the second piece of information to a format the one of the plurality of information appliances can recognize.

9. A method for integrating a plurality of information appliances, comprising:

(a) storing function information of the plurality of information appliances;

(b) one of the plurality of information appliances generating an output signal;

(c) analyzing the output signal; and

(d) transmitting the output signal to one of the plurality of information appliances according to an attribute of the output signal;

wherein the step (d) further comprises;

(e) determining at least one of the plurality of information appliances that are able to execute the output signal;

(f) sensing a location of a user; and

(g) transmitting the output signal to one of the at least one of the plurality of information appliances determined in the step (e) according to the location of the user.