Method and apparatus for a home network auto-tree builder
First Claim
1. A method for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, the method comprising:
- discovering a plurality of devices that are currently connected to the home network, each device being associated with a respective Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices has a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server capability;
retrieving a description of at least one device and its capability;
based on the retrieved description and capability of the discovered devices, dynamically creating a menu listing the discovered devices for individually selecting each of the discovered devices to cause two devices of the discovered devices to communicate with each other over the home network, wherein creating the menu further includes dynamically creating and updating a device link page from the home network upon adding devices to and removing devices from the home network, wherein the device link page includes at least a device control that is associated with a device that is discovered; and
displaying the menu on a display device for a user to individually select each listed device and navigate from the menu.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, the method comprising:
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discovering a plurality of devices that are currently connected to the home network, each device being associated with a respective Internet Protocol (IP) address, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices has a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server capability; retrieving a description of at least one device and its capability; based on the retrieved description and capability of the discovered devices, dynamically creating a menu listing the discovered devices for individually selecting each of the discovered devices to cause two devices of the discovered devices to communicate with each other over the home network, wherein creating the menu further includes dynamically creating and updating a device link page from the home network upon adding devices to and removing devices from the home network, wherein the device link page includes at least a device control that is associated with a device that is discovered; and displaying the menu on a display device for a user to individually select each listed device and navigate from the menu. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, the method comprising:
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detecting a plurality of devices that are currently connected to the home network, said devices having at least one controllable function; based on the detected devices, dynamically creating a menu for individually selecting each of said devices to activate said controllable function, wherein creating the menu further includes;
dynamically creating a device link page and dynamically generating and updating a device list file upon adding devices to and removing devices from the home network, the device list file identifying the detected devices, wherein the device link page includes at least a device control that is associated with a device that is detected, and associating a hypertext link with each device control, wherein the hypertext link provides a link to graphical or textual information that is contained in the detected device that is associated with the device control; anddisplaying said menu on a display device by displaying said device link page, for a user to individually select each device and activate said controllable function. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, the method comprising:
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detecting an active state of a plurality of devices that are currently connected to the home network, said devices having at least one controllable function; based on the detected devices, dynamically creating a menu including a top menu that lists the detected devices for individually selecting each of said detected devices to activate said controllable function, wherein creating the menu further includes dynamically creating a device link page and dynamically generating and updating a device list file upon adding devices to and removing of devices from the home network, the device list file identifying the detected devices, wherein the device link page includes at least a device control that is associated with a device that is detected; displaying said top menu on a display device for a user to individually select each listed device and navigate from the top menu through the menu to activate said controllable function. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, the method comprising:
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detecting an active state of a plurality of devices that are currently connected to the home network, said devices having at least one controllable function; based on the detected devices, dynamically creating a menu for individually selecting each of said devices to activate said controllable function wherein creating the menu further includes;
dynamically creating a device link page and dynamically generating and updating a device list file upon adding devices to and removing devices from the home network, the device list file identifying the detected devices, wherein the device link page includes at least a device control that is associated with a device that is detected, and associating a hypertext link with each device control, wherein the hypertext link provides a link to graphical to textual information that is contained in the detected device that is associated with the device control; anddisplaying said menu on a display device by displaying said device link page, for a user to individually select each device and activate said controllable function. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A home network system for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, comprising:
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at least one processor and a memory operatively coupled to said at least one processor; a detector device that operates to detect devices that are currently connected to the home network, said devices having at least one controllable function; a menu generator module that operates to create a menu including a top menu that lists the detected devices, individually selects each of said detected devices to activate said controllable function, wherein creating the menu further includes dynamically creating a device link page and dynamically generating and updating a device list file upon adding devices to and removing devices from the home network, the device list file identifying the detected devices, wherein the device link page includes at least a device control that is associated with a device that is detected; a display device that operates to display said top menu on a browser for a user to individually select each listed device and navigate from the top menu through the menu to activate said controllable function. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A home network system for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, comprising:
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at least one processor and a memory operatively coupled to said at least one processor; a detector device that operates to detect devices that are currently connected to the home network, said devices having at least one controllable function; a menu generator module that operates to create a menu for individually selecting each of said devices to activate said controllable function, wherein the menu comprises a device link page such that the menu generator module dynamically creates the device link page and dynamically generates and updates a device list file upon addition of devices to and removal of devices from the home network, the device list file identifying the detected devices, the device link page including at least a device control that is associated with a device that is detected by the detector, and the menu generator further associates a hypertext link with each device control, wherein the hypertext link provides a link to graphical to textual information that is contained in the detected device that is associated with the device control; and a display device that operates to display said menu on a browser by displaying said device link page on the browser based device, for a user to individually select each device and activate said controllable function. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A home network system for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, comprising:
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at least one processor and a memory operatively coupled to said at least one processor; a detector device that operates to detect an active state of a plurality of devices that are currently connected to the home network, said devices having at least one controllable function; a menu generator module that-operates to create a menu structure comprising a top menu that lists the detected devices for individually selecting said detected devices to activate said controllable function, wherein creating the menu further includes dynamically creating a device link page and dynamically generating and updating a device list file upon addition of devices to and removal of devices from the home network, the device list file identifying the detected devices, wherein the device link page includes at least a device control that is associated with a device that is detected; a display device that operates to display said menu on a browser for a user to individually select each listed device and navigate from the top menu through the menu structure to activate said controllable function. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A home network system for providing an interface for accessing devices that are currently connected to a home network, comprising:
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at least one processor and a memory operatively coupled to said at least one processor; a detector device that operates to detect an active state of a plurality of devices that are currently connected to the home network, said devices having at least one controllable function; a menu generator module that operates to create a menu for individually selecting said devices to activate said controllable function wherein the menu comprises a device link page such that the menu generator module dynamically creates the device link page and dynamically generates and updates a device list file upon addition of devices to and removal of devices from the home network, the device list file identifying the detected devices, the device link page including at least a device control that is associated with a device that is detected by the detector, and the menu generator module associates a hypertext link with each device control, wherein the hypertext link provides a link to graphical to textual information that is contained in the detected device that is associated with the device control; and a display device that operates to display said menu on a browser by displaying said device link page on the display, for a user to individually select each device and active said controllable function. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification