Home network system

• US 7,715,325 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Koo, Ja-In, Choi, Hwan-Jong, Koo, Feel-Young, Kang, Seong-Hwan, Kim, Yong-Tae, Baek, Seung-Myun, Lee, Koon-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho; Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US10/558,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,500 Days
• Field of Search: 710/109, 710/104, 710/113, 710300-304, 710 8- 14, 709/710, 709/221, 709/245, 709/209, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 370/400, 370/252, 370/254, 370/473
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A home network system which can efficiently configure a new home appliance in the home network system. The home network system includes at least one new device newly connected to a master device through a network, for transmitting a plugged-in request message containing an initial address through the network, receiving an address change request message containing a logical address, and changing the initial address to the logical address, and at least one master device connected to the new device through the network, for receiving the plugged-in request message from the new device, setting the logical address for the new device, and transmitting the address change request message containing the logical address to the new device, wherein the initial address comprises at least a product code and a logical address of the new device, and the new device changes the logical address to the logical address set by the master device.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

at least one new device newly connected to a master device through a network, for transmitting a plugged-in request message containing an initial address through the network, receiving an address change request message containing a logical address, and changing the initial address to the logical address; and

at least one master device connected to the new device through the network, for receiving the plugged-in request message from the new device, setting the logical address for the new device, and transmitting the address change request message containing the logical address to the new device;

wherein when the master device receives a plurality of plugged-in request messages within a predetermined time, the master device decides whether the plugged-in request messages are inputted from the same kind of product devices before setting the logical address, transmits join request messages containing temporary logical address ranges to the same kind of new devices when there are the messages inputted from the same kind of product devices, or transmits the join request messages containing the temporary logical address ranges respectively to the new product devices when there is no message inputted from same kind of product devices,

wherein the new device sets an arbitrary value as a temporary logical address within the temporary logical address range, changes the logical address to the temporary logical address, and transmits a join ACK response message containing the temporary logical address to the master device,

wherein the master device decides whether the temporary logical addresses contained in the join ACK response messages are identical, re-transmits join request messages containing new temporary logical address ranges to the new devices transmitting the same temporary logical addresses, and transmits address change request messages containing new logical addresses to the other new devices,

wherein the initial address comprises at least a product code and a logical address of the new device, and the new device changes the logical address to the logical address set by the master device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the master device receives and stores product information of the new device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the master device sets an area code of the new device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the master device sets option values.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the options comprise an alive notification period.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the master device updates a network list by registering the new device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the master device displays the updated network list through a display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the new device transmits an address change ACK response message to the master device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the master device decides whether the logical address contained in the initial address of the new device is an initial logical address before setting the logical address, and sets the logical address when the logical address of the new device is identical to the initial logical address.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the address change request message which the master device transmits to the new device comprises the temporary logical address and the logical address set by the master device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the new temporary logical addresses are not identical to the new logical addresses set in the other new devices.

12. A configuration method of a network system including at least one master device and new device, comprising the steps of:

transmitting, at the new device, a plugged-in request message containing an initial address of the new device to the master device;

setting, at the master device, a logical address for the new device;

transmitting, at the master device, an address change request message containing the logical address to the new device; and

changing, at the new device, the initial address to the logical address,

wherein deciding, at the master device, whether the plugged-in request messages are inputted from the same kind of product devices before the step for setting the logical address, when the master device receives a plurality of plugged-in request messages within a predetermined time;

when the messages are inputted from the same kind of product devices, transmitting, at the master device, join request messages containing temporary logical address ranges to the new devices, or when the messages are inputted from different kinds of devices, transmitting, at the master device, the join request messages containing the temporary logical address ranges respectively to the same kind of product devices;

setting, at the new device, an arbitrary value as a temporary logical address within the temporary logical address range;

changing, at the new device, the logical address to the temporary logical address;

transmitting, at the new device, a join ACK response message containing the temporary logical address to the master device;

deciding, at the master device, whether the temporary logical addresses contained in the join ACK response messages are identical;

re-transmitting, at the master device, join request messages containing new temporary logical address ranges to the new devices transmitting the same temporary logical addresses; and

transmitting, at the master device, address change request messages containing new logical addresses to the other new devices,

wherein the initial address comprises at least a product code and a logical address of the new device and the new device changes the logical address to the logical address set by the master device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step for setting, at the master device, an area code of the new device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step for setting option values.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step for transmitting, at the new device, an address change ACK response message to the master device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the address change request message which the master device transmits to the new device comprises the temporary logical address and the logical address set by the master device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the new temporary logical addresses are not identical to the new logical addresses set in the other new devices.

18. A configuration method for configuring a new device in a network system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting, at a new device, a plugged-in request message containing an initial address of the new device to the network system;

receiving an address change request message from the network system; and

changing the initial address to a logical address contained in the address change request message,

wherein the initial address comprises a product code and an initial logical address of the new device,

wherein the change step changes the initial logical address to a logical address set by the network system,

wherein, further comprising the steps of;

deciding whether a join request message containing the initial address and the temporary logical address range is inputted from the network system after transmitting the plugged-in request message;

selecting an arbitrary value as a temporary logical address within the temporary logical address range according to the decision result;

changing the initial logical address to the temporary logical address, and storing the changed address; and

transmitting a join ACK response message containing the temporary logical address to the network system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step for transmitting an address change ACK response message to the network system after the change step.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the address change request message comprises the temporary logical address and the logical address set by the network system, and the temporary logical address of the initial address of the new device is changed according to the logical address contained in the address change request message.