Method and apparatus for a home network auto-tree builder

• US 7,640,327 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Humpleman, Richard James, Harms, G. Kevin, Deacon, Michael S., Wolff, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Philip C
• Application Number:
  US10/606,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,380 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 709/225, 709/218, 348/461, 700/83
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 12/2818 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 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• 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 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• 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 61/5038 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 21/4438 : 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 21/4821 : 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

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 a server device to communicate with a client device in a home network, comprising:

sending server device characteristic data that identify the server device from the server device to the client device in response to the client device transmitting a first request signal generated by said client device and sent to the server device;

receiving a second request signal requesting a web page contained within said server device and associated with a server device control that distinguishes the server device from other server devices, wherein said second request signal is generated in response to said server device characteristic data;

sending said web page in response to said second request signal;

generating a device link file, wherein the device link file identifies a plurality of server devices, wherein generating the device link file includes;

associating a logical device name with each of the plurality of server devices; and

storing the plurality of logical device names in the device link file;

creating a device link page including device controls associated with the plurality of server devices identified in the device link file, wherein the device link page includes at least one device control for each of the plurality of server devices, wherein creating the device link page further includes;

retrieving the plurality of logical device names from the device link file;

storing the plurality of logical device names in the device link page; and

converting the plurality of logical device names to the device controls;

selecting the at least one device control for one of the plurality of server devices; and

deactivating, on the device link page, the at least one device control for the plurality of server devices that have no matching capabilities to the one of the plurality of server devices selected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

sending the server device characteristic data further includes sending said server device characteristic data to the client device;

receiving the second request signal further includes the client device receiving said server device characteristic data and generating said second request signal in response to said server device characteristic data; and

sending said web page further includes sending the web page to the client device in response to said second request signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server device comprises a home device and includes at least one controllable function.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

creating a menu for selecting said server device among the plurality of server devices to activate said controllable function; and

displaying said menu on a browser based device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said menu comprises the web page including at least one hypertext link to the web page contained within said server device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

creating the menu further includes creating the device link page from the home network, and associating the hypertext link with each of the device controls wherein the hypertext link provides a link to at least one type of graphical and textual information contained in the server device and associated with the device control; and

displaying said menu includes displaying said device link page.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said device link page comprises a first web page or a first html page including at least one hypertext link to a second web page or a second html page contained within said server device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said device link page comprises a first web page or a first html page including at least one hypertext link to a second web page or a second html page contained within said server device.

9. The method of claim 3, further including detecting whether the server device is currently connected to the home network.

10. The method of claim 3, further including detecting an active status of the server device currently connected to the home network.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein upon said server device being powered on a unique IP address for said server device is generated.

11. A home network system comprising:

a server device including a processor coupled to a memory device for storing web page files;

a client device connected to the server device via a home network;

a detector for detecting an active status of devices currently connected to the home network; and

a control protocol for the server device to communicate with the client device by;

sending sewer device characteristic data that identify the server device from the sewer device to the client device in response to a first request signal generated by said client device and sent to the server device;

receiving a second request signal requesting a web page contained within said sewer device and associated with a server device control that distinguishes the server device from other sewer devices, wherein said second request signal is generated in response to said server device characteristic data;

sending said web page in response to said second request signal;

generating a device link file, wherein the device link file identifies a plurality of server devices, wherein generating the device link file includes;

associating a logical device name with each of the plurality of sewer devices; and

storing the plurality of logical device names in the device link file;

creating a device link page including device controls associated with the plurality of sewer devices identified in the device link file, wherein the device link page includes at least one device control for each of the plurality of sewer devices, wherein creating the device link page further includes;

retrieving the plurality of logical device names from the device link file;

storing the plurality of logical device names in the device link page; and

converting the plurality of logical device names to the device controls;

selecting the at least one device control for one of the plurality of server

devices and

deactivating, on the device link page, the at least one device control for the plurality of server devices that have no matching capabilities to the one of the plurality of server devices selected.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the server device sends said server device characteristic data to the client device;

the client device receives said server device characteristic data and generates said second request signal in response to said server device characteristic data; and

the server device sending the web page to the client device in response to said second request signal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the server device comprises a home device and includes at least one controllable function.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a menu generator for creating a menu for selecting said server device among the plurality of server devices to activate said controllable function; and

a browser displaying said menu on a browser based device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said menu comprises a first web page including at least one hypertext link to a second web page contained within said server device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the menu comprises the device link page such that the menu generator creates the device link page from the home network, the device link page including the at least one device control for each of the plurality of server devices, and the menu generator associates the hypertext link with each of the device controls wherein the hypertext link provides a link to at least one of graphical and textual information contained in the server device and associated with the device controls; and

the browser displays said device link page on the browser based device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said device link page comprises a first web page or a first html page including at least one hypertext link to a second web page or a second html page contained within each of said plurality of server devices.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the menu generator is a component of the client device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the browser is a component of the client device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the client device includes said browser based device.