Portable device-interoperable home network system

• US 7,106,176 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Oh Sung, La, In Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trieu, Van T.
• Application Number:
  US10/752,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.01, 340/286.02, 340/286.04, 340/286.05, 340/286.06, 340/509, 340/506, 713/300, 713/340, 707/100, 707/102, 702/150, 702/189, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 340/286.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation

Abstract

A portable device-interoperable home network system includes a home server controls data transmission and reception of an internal network to which a plurality of home appliances are connected in a home. An image server outputs information regarding at least one image in the home to the home server. A portable device server receives the image information from the image server via the home server and transfers it to a portable electronic device. Therefore, a user can recognize a situation in the home through the portable electronic device from anywhere outside of the home, resulting in an increase in convenience of use.

Claims

1. A home network system interoperable with a portable electronic device, comprising:

a home server that controls data transmission and reception of an internal network to which a plurality of home appliances are connected in a home;

an image server that outputs image information regarding at least one image in the home to said home server; and

a portable device server, connected to said home server via the Internet, that receives said image information from said image server via said home server and the Internet and transfers the image information to said portable electronic device.

2. The home network system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one camera that captures said at least one image in the home and sends it to said image server.

3. The home network system according to claim 2, wherein said image server includes:

a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) communication module that sends said image information to said home server according to a TCP/IP communication protocol;

a database that stores said image information; and

an image server microcomputer that controls data transmission and reception of said TCP/IP communication module and the storage of said information regarding said image captured by said at least one camera in said database.

4. The home network system according to claim 2, further comprising a display that displays said information regarding said image sent from said at least one camera to said image server.

5. The home network system according to claim 4, wherein said image server further includes an image information output unit that outputs said image information to said display.

6. The home network system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising an alarm that senses an intrusion into the home,

wherein said alarm sends a sensed result to said image server upon sensing the intrusion.

7. The home network system according to claim 6, wherein said alarm includes:

at least one sensor that senses an intrusion into the home;

an alarm microcomputer that determines whether said sensor has sensed an intrusion into the home and generates a security request signal upon determining that said sensor has sensed the intrusion; and

a security request signal output unit connected to an external security service provider server that sends said security request signal thereto.

8. The home network system according to claim 6, wherein said image server further includes an alarm information input unit that receives the sensed result sent from said alarm.

9. The home network system according to claim 6, wherein the alarm is installed in an entrance of the home.

10. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein said home server includes:

a network interface that transmits and receives data to and from said internal network;

a TCP/IP communication module that transmits and receives data to and from said portable device server and said image server, respectively, over the Internet and a TCP/IP network; and

a home server microcomputer that controls the data transmission and reception of said network interface and TCP/IP communication module and sends said image information from said image server to said home appliances connected to said internal network.

11. The home network system according to claim 1, wherein said image server includes a door phone server that acquires image information through a camera contained in a door phone and sends the acquired image information to said home server to provide a security state of the home to a user.

12. The home network system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said door phone server includes:

a TCP/IP communication module that transmits and receives data to and from said home server over a TCP/IP network;

a database that stores said image information acquired through said door phone; and

a door phone server microcomputer that controls the data transmission and reception of said TCP/IP communication module and the storage of said image information acquired through said door phone in said database.

13. The home network system according to claim 11, further comprising an alarm that senses an intrusion into the home,

wherein said alarm sends a sensed result to said door phone server upon sensing the intrusion.

14. The home network system according to claim 13, wherein said door phone server further includes an alarm information input unit that receives the sensed result sent from said alarm.

15. A portable device server, configured to connect to a home server via the Internet, comprising:

a receiver that receives image information, regarding at least one image in a home, from a home server via the Internet, the home server controlling data transmission and reception of an internal network to which a plurality of home appliances are connected in a home; and

a transmitter that transmits the image information to a portable electronic device.

16. The portable device server according to claim 15, wherein the receiver comprises an Internet communication module, and the transmitter comprises a wireless communiction module.

17. The building network system interoperable with a portable electronic device, comprising:

a building server that controls data transmission and reception of an internal network to which a plurality of building appliances are connected in a building;

an image server that outputs image information regarding at least one image in the building to said building server; and

a portable device server, connected to said building server via the Internet, that receives said image information from said image server via said building server and the Internet and transfers the image information to said portable electronic device.

18. The building network system according to claim 17, further comprising at least one camera that captures said at least one image in the building and sends it to said image server.

19. The building network system according to claim 17, wherein said building server includes:

a network interface that transmits and receives data to and from said internal network;

a TCP/IP communication module that transmits and receives data to and from said portable device server and said image server, respectively, over the Internet and a TCP/IP network; and

a building server microcomputer that controls the data transmission and reception of said network interface and TCP/IP communication module and sends said image information from said image server to said building appliances connected to said internal network.

20. The building network system according to claim 17, wherein said image server includes a door phone server that acquires image information through a camera contained in a door phone and sends the acquired image information to said building server to provide a security state of the building to a user.