Network system

• US 8,089,896 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Yoshihiko, Hatanaka, Tomoyuki, Oda, Tomohiro, Komoda, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Onamuti, Gbemileke
• Application Number:
  US12/281,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/224, 370/252
• US Class Current: 370/252
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components

Abstract

A network system is provided, in which a system change can be easily performed by adding or exchanging an equipment(s) to be controlled or monitored. The equipment has an object with an object identifier defined according to a service content provided by the equipment. Upon the receipt of a service request using the object identifier from a network device connected to the equipment via a network, the equipment executes the service defined in the object according to this service request. By assigning a same object identifier to objects of a plurality of equipments, it is possible to provide the same service from those equipments according to the service request performed from the network device by use of the same object identifier.

Claims

1. A network system comprising a plurality of equipments and a client terminal device connected to said plurality of equipments via a network, and configured such that said plurality of equipments executes an object according to a service request input from said client terminal device,

each of said plurality of equipments has at least one object, to which an object identifier is assigned;

said client terminal device has an identifier specifying portion configured to specify said object identifier, and a function of sending the service request with said object identifier via the network,

when said plurality of equipments comprise a specific equipment having plural objects, to which different object identifiers are assigned, and said client terminal device performs the service request by use of one of the different object identifiers specified by said identifier specifying portion, the specific equipment provides a service defined in said object having the specified object identifier,

when said plurality of equipments comprise plural specific equipments having objects, to which a same object identifier is assigned, and

when said client terminal device performs the service request by use of the same object identifier specified by said identifier specifying portion, the plural specific equipments provide same service, which is defined in said objects having the same object identifier,

said object identifier comprises a unique identifier of said object of an equipment, and at least one interface identifier defined according to a function(s) of an equipment,

when said client terminal device performs the service request by use of a same interface identifier assigned to plural objects of said plurality of equipments, said plurality of equipments provide same service corresponding to a definition content of the same interface identifier,

when said client terminal device performs the service request by use of a combination of said unique identifier and said interface identifier, a specific one of said plurality of equipments provides a service corresponding to the definition content of said interface identifier,

the network system further comprises a first object access server and a second object access server connected between said plurality of equipments and said client terminal device via the network,

said first object access server is configured to detect said equipment connected to said first object access server, and prepare a first routing table showing a correspondence relation between combination information of said unique identifier and said interface identifier of said detected equipment and first connection address information for network communication for accessing said object, and send the combination information and second connection address information for network communication for accessing said first object access server to said second object access server,

said second object access server is configured to receive the combination information and the second connection address information from said first object access server, and prepare a second routing table showing a correspondence relation between the combination information and the second connection address information, and send the combination information to said client terminal device,

said second object access server is configured to, upon receiving the service request from said client terminal device via said network, refer to said second routing table, and select said first object access server associated with the combination information corresponding to said object identifier used for said service request, and send the service request to the selected first object access server,

said first object access server is configured to, upon receiving the service request from said second object access server, refer to said first routing table, and select said equipment which corresponds to the combination information corresponding to said object identifier used for said service request, and send the service request to the selected equipment.

2. The network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said equipments comprises a function portion configured to execute processing for providing the service of said equipment, and an information processing portion configured to give and receive information defined in said object and needed to provide the service with said function portion.

3. The network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the information defined in said object is a variable showing a current status of said function portion, which is provided to said client terminal device when said object is accessed by the request of said client terminal device.

4. The network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the information defined in said object is event information, which is provided to said client terminal device when a status change of said function portion occurs under a condition that said object is previously accessed by said client terminal device.

5. The network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the information defined in said object is an operation instruction function for providing a service, which is sent from said information processing portion to the said function portion when said object is accessed by said client terminal device.

6. The network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said server executes a server-side object according to a service request provided from said client terminal device, thereby performing a service request for executing an equipment-side object to said equipment(s),

said client terminal device performs the service request by use of a first identifier assigned to said server-side object, and said server performs the service request by use of a second identifier assigned to said equipment-side object,

said second identifier includes at least one identifier defined according to a function(s) of said equipment that executes said equipment-side object according to the service request for executing said server-side object provided from said client terminal device by use of said first identifier, and

said server has an identifier setting portion configured to set a correspondence relation between said first identifier and said second identifier.

7. The network system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said first object identifier comprises a unique identifier of said server-side object and at least one interface identifier defined according to a service content(s) provided to a client,

said second object identifier comprises a unique identifier of said equipment-side object and at least one interface identifier defined according to a function(s) of said equipment, and

said identifier setting portion is configured to set the correspondence relation between a combination of said unique identifier and said at least one interface identifier of said first identifier and a combination of said unique identifier and said at least one interface identifier of said second identifier.

8. The network system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said server processes data, which is obtained by allowing said equipment(s) to execute said equipment-side object through the service request of said server-side object provided from said client terminal device, according to a content of said server-side object, and then sends the processed data to said client terminal device.

9. The network system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said server has functions of converting a prescribed communication protocol into SOAP and then sending the converted SOAP, and converting received SOAP into the prescribed communication protocol.

10. The network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of equipments comprise an equipment located at a house or a building.