Method and apparatus for universally accessible command and control information in a network

• US 7,043,532 B1
• Filed: 05/07/1999
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Dongyan, Humpleman, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/307,004
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/208, 709/328, 709/227, 345/329, 345/733, 345/734, 707/102, 715/733, 715/734, 719/317, 719/328
• US Class Current: 709/208
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204

Abstract

A method and system for performing a service on a home network, by: connecting a first and a second home device to the home network; providing a database including a plurality of application interface description data objects, where each application interface description data object includes information in a structured format for commanding and controlling of a home device by one or more other home devices connected to the network; the second home device accessing a first application interface description object for the first home device in the database; the first home device accessing a second application interface description object for the second home device in the database; sending control and command data from the first home device to the second home device utilizing the second application interface description object over the network; and sending control and command data from the second home device to the first home device utilizing the first application interface description object over the network. Whereby, the first and second home devices perform said service.

Claims

1. A method for performing a service on a home network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting a first home device to the home network;

(b) connecting a second home device to the home network;

(c) (1) querying the first home device to obtain first application interface description data, and querying the second home device to obtain second application interface description data, wherein each application interface description data includes information for commanding and controlling of the corresponding home device by another device connected to the network, and (2) storing the obtained first and second application interface description data in a data base;

(d) the second home device accessing the first application interface description data for the first home device in the database;

(e) the first home device accessing the second application interface description data for the second home device in the database;

(f) sending control and command data from the first home device to the second home device utilizing said second application interface description data for the second home device over the network; and

(g) sending control and command data from the second home device to the first home device utilizing said first application interface description data for the first home device over the network;

whereby the first and second home devices autonomously perform said service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one application interface description data includes XML format.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) includes connecting a database device to the network, wherein the database device stores said database.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

(i) the first home device stores the first application interface data therein;

(ii) the second home device stores the second application interface data therein; and

(iii) step (c) includes the steps of querying the first and second home devices to transfer said application interface data for the first and second home devices to the database device over the network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) includes providing the first application interface description data for the first home device from the database to the second home device over the network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) includes providing the second application interface description data for the second home device from the data base to the first home device over the network.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising connecting three or more home devices to the network, wherein at least one home device accesses the database to query the application interface description data of a plurality of home devices for sending command and control data to the plurality of home devices over the network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each application interface description data includes data in a structured format.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further includes the steps of providing an agent that creates the data base.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further includes the steps of providing an agent that creates the data base by obtaining the application interface description data of each device and storing it in the database.

11. A network system for providing a service, comprising:

(a) a physical layer, wherein the physical layer provides a communication medium that can be used by devices to communicate with each other;

(b) first home device;

(c) a second home device;

(d) a controller that queries the first home device to obtain first application interface description data, and queries the second home device to obtain second application interface description data, wherein each application interface description data includes information for commanding and controlling of the corresponding home device by another device connected to the network, wherein the controller stores the obtained first and second application interface description data in a data base;

the second home device including application control means for accessing the first application interface description data for the first home device in the database and sending control and command data from the second home device to the first home device utilizing said first application interface description data; and

the first home device including application control means for accessing the second application interface description data for the second home device in the database and sending control and command data from the first home device to the second home device utilizing said second application interface description data;

whereby the first and second home devices autonomously perform said service.

12. The network system of claim 11 wherein at least one application interface description data includes XML format.

13. The network system of claim 11 wherein the controller further comprises a data base device storing said database.

14. The network system of claim 13 wherein:

(i) the first home device stores first application interface description data therein;

(ii) the second home device stores second application interface description data therein; and

(iii) said database device forms said database by querying the first and second home devices to transfer said first and second application interface description data, respectively, to the database device over the network.

15. The network system of claim 11 wherein the control application means of the second home device obtains the first application interface description data for the first home device from the database.

16. The network system of claim 11 wherein the control application means of the first home device obtains the second application interface description data for the second home device from the data base.

17. The network system of claim 11 further comprising three or more home devices, wherein at least one home device accesses the database to query the application interface description data of a plurality of home devices for sending command and control data to the plurality of home devices over the network.

18. The network system of claim 11 wherein each application interface description data includes data in a structured format.

19. The network system of claim 18 wherein the structured format includes XML format.

20. The network system of claim 11 wherein the controller includes an agent that creates the data base.

21. The network system of claim 11 wherein the controller includes an agent that creates the data base by obtaining the application interface description data of each device and storing it in the database.

22. In a network system for providing a service, the network system including a physical layer, wherein the physical layer provides a communication medium that can be used by devices connected to the layer to communicate with each other, a controller comprising an agent that generates a database accessible by said devices, the database including a plurality of application interface description data objects, each application interface description data object including information for commanding and controlling of a home device by one or more other home devices connected to the network, whereby a first device can access an application interface description object for another device in the database and send control and command data to that other device utilizing said application interface description object, such that the two devices perform said service.

23. A method for performing a service on a home network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting a first home device to the home network;

(b) connecting a second home device to the home network;

(c) providing a database including a plurality of application interface description data objects, each application interface description data object including information for commanding and controlling of a home device by one or more other home devices connected to the network;

(d) the first home device accessing an application interface description object for the second home device in the database; and

(e) the first device sending control and command data to the second home device utilizing said application interface description object for the second home device over the network, whereby the first and second home devices autonomously perform said service.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein step (c) includes connecting a database device to the network, wherein the database device stores said database.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein:

(i) the second home device stores its application interface data therein; and

(ii) step (c) includes an initial step of forming said database by steps including querying the second home device to transfer said application interface data for the second home devices to the database device.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein step (d) includes providing the application interface description object for the second home device from the database to the first home device over the network.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising the steps of connecting three or more home devices to the network, wherein at least one home device accesses the database to query the application interface description objects of a plurality of home devices for sending command and control data to the plurality of home devices over the network.