Network system and method for relaying communication between devices

• US 7,881,305 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Myung-kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng; Fan
• Application Number:
  US12/131,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20090180496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.3
• US Class Current: 370/395.52
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625

Abstract

Provided is a network system for relaying communication between devices communicating with the Internet using different communication networks. The network system includes a first home network controller which controls first home network devices within a household; a repeater that is connected to the Internet via a first communication network and which relays communication between the Internet and the first home network controller; a second home network controller that is connected to the Internet via a second communication network and which relays communication between the Internet and each of second home network devices within the household; and a management server that is connected to the Internet and relays communication between the first and second home network devices within the household, wherein the first and second home network devices communicate using the first and second communication networks, respectively.

Claims

1. A network system for relaying communication between devices, the system comprising:

a first home network controller which controls first home network devices within a household;

a repeater that is connected to the Internet via a first communication network and which relays communication between the Internet and the first home network controller;

a second home network controller that is connected to the Internet via a second communication network and which relays communication between the Internet and each of second home network devices within the household; and

a management server that is connected to the Internet and relays communication between the first and second home network devices within the household via the Internet, wherein the management server is connected to the first and second communication networks via the Internet and enables service interaction between the first and second home network controllers, wherein the first and second home network devices communicate using the first and second communication networks, respectively, wherein the second communication network has wider bandwidth and higher QoS (Quality of Service) than the first communication network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management server receives information about the first and second home network devices, assigns device identifiers to the first and second home network devices based on the received information, and relays communication between the first and second home network devices using the device identifiers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, upon receipt of a request for allocating IP addresses to the respective first and second home network devices, the management server assigns IP addresses to the first and second home network devices and relays communication between the first and second home network devices using the IP addresses together with the device identifiers.

4. The system of claim 2,

wherein, if the first and second home network controllers are located within the different households, the management server relays the communication using home identifiers identifying households together with the device identifiers.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the information about the first and second home network devices includes a number of the first and second home network devices respectively connected to the first and second home network controllers and information about each type of the home network devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first home network controller is connected to the repeater using RS-485 or Local Area Network communication.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first home network controller comprises an interphone, the repeater comprises security surveillance equipment, connected to a plurality of interphones within different households, which controls entry and access to the households, and the second home network controller comprises a set-top box.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first home network devices include at least one of a lighting switch, a heating controller, a gas valve controller, and a door lock.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second home network devices include at least one of a television, a personal computer, and an Internet phone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication network has a wider bandwidth and higher Quality of Service than the first communication network.

11. A method for relaying communication in a management server between first and second home network devices respectively communicating with the Internet via first and second communication networks,

the method comprising:

receiving information about the first and second home network devices;

assigning device identifiers to the first and second home network devices based on the received information; and

relaying communication between the first and second home network devices using the device identifiers via the Internet,

wherein the second communication network has wider bandwidth and higher QoS (Quality of Service) than the first communication network, wherein the management server is connected to the Internet and relays communication between the first and second home network devices within a household via the Internet, wherein the management server is connected to the first and second communication networks via the Internet and enables service interaction between the first and second home network devices.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request for allocating IP addresses to the first and second home network devices; and

,

assigning IP addresses to the first and second home network devices in response to the request,

wherein the relaying of the communication comprises relaying communication using the IP addresses together with the device identifiers.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein, if the first and second home network devices are located within the different households, the relaying of the communication comprises relaying the communication using home identifiers identifying the different households together with the device identifiers.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the information about the first and second home network devices includes a number of the first and second home network devices and information about each type of the home network devices.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first home network devices include at least one of a lighting switch, a heating controller, a gas valve controller, and a door lock.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second home network devices include at least one of a television, a personal computer, and an Internet phone.

17. A network system for relaying communication between devices, the system comprising:

a first network device which communicates with the Internet via a first communication network;

a second network device which communicates with the Internet via a second communication network, different from the first communication network, wherein the second communication network has wider bandwidth and higher QoS (Quality of Service) than the first communication network;

means for receiving information identifying the first and second network devices and for assigning device identifiers to the first and second network devices based on the received information, wherein the means for receiving is connected to the first and second communication networks via the Internet and enables service interaction between the first and second network devices;

means for relaying, via the internet, communication between the first network device and the second network device, wherein the means for relaying is connected to the Internet and relays communication between the first and second home network devices within a household via the Internet.