Remote control system based on the internet and a method thereof

• US 7,346,661 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: YU Byong-Zoo
• Original Assignee: YU Byong-Zoo
• Inventors: Yu, Byong-Zoo
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/398,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,353 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/205, 709/219, 709/224, 358/1.15, 379/88, 379/93, 702/188, 348/143
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• 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 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention discloses a remote control system based on the Internet and a method thereof utilizing an IPAC (Internet Protocol Adapter/Converter) module which collects data and forms an interface with the peripheral devices which are executing tasks through the electrical connection of arbitrary analog/digital signals, in accordance with signals are programmed by the users. If this programmed commands and controlled results are recognized by a target device, the IPAC uploads the data to the Internet and controls, transmits and receives the data in sequence in order to store to a NxtView server of the website. The system according to this present invention remotely controls various devices through the Internet and comprises NxtView IPACs installed in each of the various devices, a NxtView server connected to the IPACs through the Internet, the clients connected to the server through the Internet and a means for transmitting the status of each device connected to the server.

Claims

1. An Internet based remote control system for remote control of a plurality of devices, the system comprising:

a NxtView Internet Protocol Adapter/Converter (hereinafter called an ‘

IPAC’

) installed in each of the devices, wherein the IPAC includes a CPU for controlling the IPAC,

a power supply for supplying power to the CPU,

a switch for directly controlling the IPAC,

a clock signal generator for generating a clock signal and a calendar signal and transmitting the clock signal and the calendar signal to the CPU, and

a port multiplexer having a plurality of serial ports and a plurality of parallel ports for data transmission;

a NxtView server (hereinafter called a ‘

server’

) connected to the IPAC through the Internet, wherein the IPAC includes a modem for communicating with the server, wherein the server classifies data inputted through a data parser and the IPAC into error data and normal data, stores the error data and normal data in different databases, and transmits the normal data to a client homepage;

a plurality of clients connected to the server through the Internet, wherein the IPAC includes a storing means for storing the data inputted from the plurality of clients to the IPAC; and

a plurality of means for transmitting the status of the plurality of devices,

wherein said plurality of devices includes one of a security system, an industrial controller, a tank monitor, a sensor, a factory temperature sensor, and a vending machine sensor.

2. The Internet based remote control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of devices further includes another different device selected from one of a computer, a security system, an industrial controller, a tank monitor, a sensor, a factory temperature sensor and a vending machine sensor.

3. The Internet based remote control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of transmitting means includes a facsimile machine, a telephone, a pager, a computer and an alarm machine.

4. The Internet based remote control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said data storing means is a non-volatile memory.

5. The Internet based remote control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said modem connects to a telephone line, via an RJ11 port and an Internet Service Provider (“

ISP”

), in order to connect to the Internet.

6. The Internet based remote control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said IPAC communicates with said server through a NxtView hub on the Internet.

7. A method for remotely controlling various devices by using a NxtView IPAC (hereinafter called an ‘

IPAC’

) and a NxtView server (hereinafter called a ‘

server’

) on the Internet, wherein said method comprises;

supplying power to the IPAC;

initializing said power supplied IPAC;

configuring said initialized system for a determined time;

confirming whether said configured IPAC is directly connected to a client;

configuring a client Personal Computer (“

PC”

) if directly connected;

operating the IPAC through said configured client PC;

accessing, by the client, the server and initializing the IPAC via the Internet if not connected directly but connected via the Internet;

determining a means for controlling the IPAC;

manually changing over a switch to an operational mode if said determined means is a switch;

operating the IPAC by said switch change-over;

automatically operating the IPAC at a predetermined time interval if said determined means is an automatic control means in accordance with the time interval;

sending a call signal of an operator to the IPAC via a telephone and immediately receiving by the IPAC said sent call signal if said determined means is said telephone;

transmitting data to the server by the IPAC via the Internet;

classifying the data input through a data parser and the IPAC into error data and normal data by the server;

storing the error data and normal data in different databases by the server; and

transmitting the normal data to a client homepage by the server.

8. The remote control method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said transmitting data to the server step comprises:

executing a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (“

TCP/IP protocol”

) by the IPAC;

preparing to log in the server by using a PPP Negotiation through said executed protocol by the IPAC;

uploading IPAC data files to the server by a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (“

TFTP protocol”

);

reading the IPAC data files to the server by the TFTP protocol; and

transmitting said uploaded and read data files to the IPAC server via the Internet.

9. The remote control method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said IPAC data files read through the TFTP protocol include an IPAC Part setting information, an IPAC answering call information, an IPAC data and clock setting information, an IPAC alarm time, an IPAC telephone number, an IPAC setting time interval, an ISP customer name, an ISP password and IPAC peripheral commands.