Method and apparatus for a home network auto-tree builder

• US 7,231,592 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Humpleman, Richard, Harms, G. Kevin, Deacon, Michael S., Wolff, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BASHORE, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US10/797,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/733, 709219-221
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• 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 12/281 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 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• 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 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 : using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 : for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 : involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• 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 21/4108 : characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 : home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 : Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 : Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 : Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 : Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 : Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A method and system is provided for detecting, commanding and controlling diverse home devices currently connected to a home network. An interface is provided for accessing the home devices that are currently connected to a home network. According to the method, a device link file is generated, wherein the device link file identifies home devices that are currently connected to the home network. A device link page is created, wherein the device link page contains a device button that is associated with each home device that is identified in the device link file. A hyper-text link is associated with each device button, wherein the hyper-text link provides a link to an HTML page that is contained on the home device that is associated with the device button, and the device link page is displayed on a browser based home device.

Claims

1. A method for implementing command and control for home devices via a home network, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a first home device to the home network;

connecting a second home device to the home network, which is capable of being controlled by said first home device;

detecting presently connected home devices on the home network in an autonomous manner;

accepting user input from a user by a presently connected home device that is capable of displaying a user interface; and

controlling the second home device by sending control and command information from the first home device to the second home device based on the user input.

2. The method of claim 1, the second home device stores user interface data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of the second home device storing user interface data includes the step of storing the user interface data as one or more formats selected from the group consisting of:

HTML, XML, JAVA, JAVASCRIPT, GIF, and JPEG.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first home device is capable of being controlled by another home device to perform a function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the first home device to the home network includes the step of signaling a configuration manager that the first home device is connected to the home network, wherein the configuration manager maintains a list of home devices that are currently connected to the home network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of signaling the configuration manager that the first home device is connected to the home network includes the step of signaling a dynamic host configuration protocol server that the first home device is connected to the home network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first home device performs the further step of accessing the list of home devices maintained by the configuration manager.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of displaying a device link page that contains a button identifying a manufacturer of the second home device, wherein the button is a hyperlink that provides a link to a home page associated with the manufacturer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of displaying the device link page comprises the step of accessing and displaying the list of home devices maintained by the configuration manager.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the first home device to the home network includes the step of connecting the first home device to a 1394 serial bus.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the second home device to the home network includes the step of connecting the second home device to a 1394 serial bus.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the first home device to the home network includes the step of connecting the first home device to an Ethernet bus.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the second home device to the home network includes the step of connecting the second home device to an Ethernet bus.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of connecting a first home device to the home network includes the step of connecting the first home device to a first bus; and

the step of connecting a second home device to the home network includes the step of connecting the second home device to a second bus;

wherein the first bus is connected to the second bus using a bridge proxy, wherein the bridge proxy provides a communication interface between the first bus and the second bus.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting the home network to the Internet.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a user interface comprises displaying a user interface on the first home device, the user interface comprising an HTML page associated with the second home device, such that the HTML page is stored on the second home device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the second home device to the home network includes the step of signaling a configuration manager that the second home device is connected to the home network, wherein the configuration manager maintains a list of home devices that are currently connected to the home network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of signaling the configuration manager that the second home device is connected to the home network includes the step of signaling a dynamic host configuration protocol server that the second home device is connected to the home network.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the first home device to the home network comprises the step of using an Internet Protocol (IP) and the step of connecting the second home device to the home network comprises the step of using an IP.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the home network uses a layer other than an IP network layer as a communication layer therefor.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the home network uses a Function Control Protocol (FCP) for communication.

22. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of receiving user interface data at the home device capable of displaying a user interface, over said home network;

and

the step of controlling the second home device by sending control and command information includes the step of controlling the second home device by sending control and command information over the Internet.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second home device stores user interface data in a selected format that defines a user interface for commanding and controlling of the second home device;

the method further including the steps of;

receiving the user interface data at the home device capable of displaying a user interface, via the home network from the second home device; and

displaying the user interface defined by the user interface data on the home device capable of displaying a user interface;

such that;

the step of accepting user input further includes the steps of accepting user input from a user in response to the user interacting with the user interface displayed on the home device capable of displaying a user interface; and

the step of controlling the second home device further includes the steps of controlling the second home device by sending control and command information from the first home device to the second home device based on the user input, the first home device and the second home device both being operational during the sending of the control and command information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second home device stores the user interface data as a selected interface data.