Device customized home network top-level information architecture

• US 7,610,559 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2000
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• 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): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/592,598
• Time in Patent Office: 3,424 Days
• Field of Search: 345733-740, 345/700, 345/764, 345/835, 345/853, 345/969, 709/203, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 715733-740, 715/700, 715/764, 715/853, 715/835
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation 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 12/2814 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 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• 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 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and system for generating a user interface in a plurality of multiple devices connected to the network system for controlling devices that are currently connected to a network. A network system includes a physical layer, wherein the physical layer provides a communication medium than can be used by devices to communicate with each other, and multiple devices connected to the physical layer, one or more of the multiple devices storing information including device information. A plurality of the multiple devices each including an agent adapted for: (a) obtaining information from devices currently connected to the network, the information including device information; (b) generating a user interface description in each of the one or more devices based at least on the obtained information, the user interface description in each device including at least one reference associated with the device information of each of the devices currently connected to the network; and (c) displaying one or more user interfaces each based on one of the one or more user interface descriptions, on one or more devices connected to the network capable of displaying a user interface, for user control of the devices that are currently connected to the network.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface for controlling devices that are currently connected to a network, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface on one or more devices connected to the network capable of displaying a user interface, the user interface including at least one reference associated with each of said devices connected to the network for user selection of said one or more devices that are currently connected to the network; and

in response to selection of a reference associated with a device from the user interface, using the selected reference for communicating with the selected device over the network to directly access information for the selected device and dynamically generating a web-based control page for display on a browser for user interaction with the selected device via the web-based control pages

wherein the user interface for controlling the selected device is generated based on the information directly accessed from the selected device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said accessed information for the selected device comprises an HTML page contained in that selected device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the user interface comprises displaying the user interface on a browser on said one or more devices capable of displaying a user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

connecting at least one client device to the network capable of displaying a user interface; and

displaying a user interface on the client device for controlling server devices that are currently connected to the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the accessed information resides in each device, and further includes a user control interface description for user interaction with the device,

the method further comprising, upon detecting user selection of a device from the user interface, using the associated reference to access the selected device and obtain the user control interface description in the selected device, and then displaying the obtained user control interface description as the control page for user command and control of the selected device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the user interface such that the reference in that user interface provides access to at least the information for each associated device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the user interface such that the user interface further includes device data corresponding to each device based on the information obtained from each device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed information in each device includes device identification information and device description information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed information in each device includes a user control interface description for user interaction with the device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating each user interface such that each reference in that user interface is linked to at least the user control interface description in each corresponding device;

and

detecting user selection of a device from one of said user interfaces, and using a reference in the user interface to access the control interface description in the device and then display the control interface description as a control page for user command and control of the device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating each user interface wherein that user interface further includes device data corresponding to each device based on the information obtained from each device, the device data providing reference to the user control interface description in each device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the control page comprises the steps of:

accessing said selected device in response to the selection of the reference associated with the selected device, and accessing the information contained in the selected device;

generating the control page including the device data corresponding to said selected device using the accessed information contained in the selected device; and

displaying the control page on the one or more devices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based control page is generated by receiving the information for the selected device directly from the selected device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface for controlling the selected device is generated from the selected device without accessing a remote controlled device memory.

15. A webpage-based network system for performing a service, comprising:

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

one or more devices connected to the physical layer, each device storing information including device description information;

an agent in each of the one or more devices adapted for;

(a) obtaining device description information directly from the one or more devices;

(b) dynamically generating a webpage-based user interface utilizing the directly obtained device description information, the webpage-based user interface including one or more references associated with the information in one or more of said devices;

(c) displaying said user interface on one or more client devices connected to the network, each client device including a browser capable of displaying the webpage-based user interface, for user control of said one or more devices; and

(d) in response to selection of a reference associated with a device from the webpage-based user interface via a browser, using the reference to access the selected device and directly access the information in the selected device to display a dynamically-generated control interface using the directly accessed information of the selected device for user interaction with the selected device,

wherein the user interface for controlling the selected device is generated based on the information directly accessed from the selected device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said accessed information in each device comprises an HTML page contained in that device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each agent is further adapted for displaying the user interface on a browser on said one or more devices capable of displaying a user interface.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising at least one client device connected to the network capable of displaying a user interface, wherein the one or more agents are further adapted for displaying a user interface on the client device, for controlling devices that are currently connected to the network.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the devices currently connected to the network is capable of displaying a user interface, and the one or more agents are further adapted for:

displaying a user interface on said at least one device, for controlling the devices that are currently connected to the network.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating a user interface such that the reference in the generated user interface provides access to at least the information in each corresponding device.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating a user interface such that the user interface further includes device data corresponding to each device based on the portion of information obtained from each device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the accessed information in each device includes device identification information.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the accessed information in each device includes a user control interface description for user interaction with the device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating each user interface such that each reference in that user interface is linked to at least the user control interface description in each corresponding device, and upon detecting user selection of a device from one of said user interfaces, the agent uses a reference in the user interface of the selected device to access the control interface description in the selected device and then display the control interface description as a control interface for user command and control of the selected device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating a user interface that includes device data corresponding to each device based on the device description information obtained from each device, the device data providing reference to the user control interface description in each device.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein each agent is further configured for displaying the control interface by:

accessing said selected device in response to the selection of the reference associated with the selected device, and accessing the information contained in the selected device;

generating the control interface including the device data corresponding to said selected device using the accessed information contained in the selected device; and

displaying the control interface on one or more devices connected to the network capable of displaying a user interface.

27. A network system for performing a service, comprising:

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

multiple devices connected to the physical layer, one or more of said multiple devices storing information including device information; and

an agent adapted for;

(a) obtaining device information for devices currently connected to the network directly from the devices;

(b) dynamically generating a webpage-based user interface based at least on the directly obtained device information, the user interface including one or more references associated with the information in one or more of said devices currently connected to the network;

(c) displaying said webpage-based user interface on one or more client devices connected to the network capable of displaying the webpage-based user interface, for user control of said devices that are currently connected to the network; and

(d) in response to selection of a reference associated with a device from the webpage-based user interface, using the selected reference for accessing information for the device directly from the device to display a webpage-based control interface on a web browser using the accessed information of the selected device for user interaction with the selected device,

wherein the user interface for controlling the selected device is generated based on the information directly accessed from the selected device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said accessed information in each device comprises an HTML page contained in that device.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein each agent is further adapted for displaying a user interface on a browser on said one or more devices capable of displaying a user interface.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising at least one client device connected to the network capable of displaying a user interface, wherein the one or more agents are further adapted for displaying a user interface on the client device, for controlling devices that are currently connected to the network.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein at least one of said devices currently connected to the network is capable of displaying a user interface, and the one or more agents are further adapted for displaying a user interface on said at least one device for controlling devices that are currently connected to the network.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating a user interface such that the reference in the generated user interface provides access to at least the information in each corresponding device.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating each user interface such that the user interface further includes device data corresponding to each device based on the information obtained from each device.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the accessed information in each device includes device identification information.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the accessed information in each device includes a user control interface description for user interaction with the device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating each user interface such that each reference in that user interface is linked to at least the user control interface description in each corresponding device, and upon detecting user selection of a device from one of said user interfaces, the agent uses a reference in the user interface of the selected device to access the control interface description in the selected device and then display the control interface description as a control interface for user command and control of the selected device.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein each agent is further adapted for generating each user interface wherein the generated user interface further includes device data corresponding to each device based on the information obtained from each device, the device data providing reference to the user control interface description in each device.

38. The system of claim 27, wherein each agent is further configured for displaying the control interface by:

accessing said selected device in response to the selection of the reference associated with the selected device, and accessing the information contained in the selected device

generating the control interface including the device data corresponding to said selected device using the accessed information contained in the selected device; and

displaying the control interface on one or more devices connected to the network capable of displaying a user interface.

39. A method for displaying a webpage-based user interface for controlling application devices that are currently connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a first set of device information directly from the application devices;

(b) dynamically generating a webpage-based user interface based at least on the directly obtained first set of device information, the webpage-based user interface including one or more references associated with a second set of device information directly stored in one or more of said application devices;

(c) displaying said webpage-based user interface on a web browser for user control of said application devices; and

(d) in response to selection of a reference from the webpage-based user interface associated with an application device, displaying a control page on the web browser by accessing the selected application device over the network and accessing the second set of device information of said selected application device directly from said selected application devices

wherein the user interface for controlling the selected device is generated based on the first and second sets of information directly accessed from the selected device.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein displaying the control page comprises the steps of:

accessing said selected application device in response to the selection of the reference associated with the selected application device, and accessing the second set of device information contained in the selected device;

generating the control page using the accessed second set of device information contained in the selected device; and

displaying the control page on the web browser in a control device.