Service framework for a home network

• US 8,396,918 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyle, Park, In-ho, Lee, Sang-ho
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US11/358,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,575 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/226, 719/310, 455/414, 455/422, 707/3, 707/7, 370/485
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625

Abstract

A service framework which can control devices to be controlled according to a device/service profile by creating the device/service profile to control a plurality of the controlled devices. Accordingly without using a middleware with a complicated structure, it is possible to control home devices.

Claims

1. A controlling method of a home network comprising a plurality of devices having different respective functions and which are to be controlled, and a server for requesting a service from the plurality of the controlled devices, wherein the operation of the server comprises:

registering a device profile and a service profile of the controlled devices; and

requesting a service by transmitting the device profile and the service profile to the plurality of devices having different respective functions requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service, and by controlling the plurality of devices having the different respective functions requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service,

wherein the different respective functions of the plurality of devices, requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service are specific to each of the plurality of devices, and

wherein each of the different respective functions relate to controlling the plurality of devices, respectively.

2. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 1, wherein the registering a device profile and a service profile comprises:

receiving the device profile and the service profile converted into a transmission message from the controlled devices; and

converting the converted message into a device profile and a service profile and registering.

3. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 1, wherein the requesting a service from the controlled device comprises:

converting the registered device profile and the registered service profile into a transmission message so as to transmit the message through a network; and

transmitting the device profile and the service profile converted into a transmission message to the controlled devices.

4. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 3, wherein the controlled device stores the converted device profile and the converted service profile into a memory and transmits the device profile and the service profile to the server.

5. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 4, wherein the controlled devices compare the device profile and the server profile transmitted from the server with the device profile and the server profile stored in a memory and only if they are judged to be identical, the controlled devices execute a service.

6. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 5, wherein the controlled device notifies whether the service is executed to the server.

7. A controlling method of a home network comprising a plurality of devices having different respective functions and which are to be controlled, and a server for requesting a service by transmitting a device profile and a service profile to the plurality of devices having the different respective functions requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service, and by controlling the plurality of devices having the different respective functions requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service from the plurality of the controlled devices to provide or perform the service, wherein the different respective functions of the plurality of devices, requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service are specific to each of the plurality of devices, and wherein the operation of the controlled devices comprise:

transmitting the device profile and the service profile of the controlled devices to the server;

receiving a device profile and a service profile corresponding to the service from the server;

comparing the device profile and the service profile corresponding to the service with the device profile and service profile stored in the controlled devices; and

executing the service according to the result of the comparison,

wherein each of the different respective functions relate to controlling the plurality of devices, respectively.

8. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting the device profile and the service profile to a server comprises:

generating the device profile and the service profile; and

converting the generated device profile and the generated service profile into a transmission message so as to be transmitted to the sever through a network and transmitting it to the server.

9. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 7, wherein the receiving the device profile or/and the service profile comprises:

receiving the device profile and the service file converted into a transmission message from the server; and

converting the received message into a device profile and a service profile.

10. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 8, further comprising storing the generated device profile and service profile into a memory.

11. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 7, wherein the executing the service according to the result of the comparison comprises executing the service if the device profile and service profile transmitted from the server and the device profile and service profile stored in the memory are judged to be identical.

12. The controlling method of a home network according to claim 7, further comprising notifying whether the service is executed to the server.

13. A server for requesting a service to controlled devices in a home network having a plurality of devices to be controlled to provide or perform a service, wherein the server requests a service by transmitting a pre-stored device profile and a pre-stored service profile to devices having different respective functions requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service, and by controlling the devices having different respective functions requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service,

wherein the different respective functions requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service are specific to each of the plurality of devices,

wherein each of the different respective functions relate to controlling the plurality of devices, respectively.

14. The server according to claim 13, comprising:

a device profile list section for registering a device profile and a service profile of the controlled device;

a profile manager for managing the device profile and the service profile of the device profile list section, and for processing at least one function regarding the service profile; and

a service logic section for forming a message for connection between a real service and a structure of a profile having a meta data format defined in the server, and generating and controlling the device profile and/or the service profile.

15. An apparatus for providing a service according to a request by a server in a home network including a plurality of devices having different respective functions, which are to be controlled, and the server, wherein the apparatus executes a service according to the result of the comparison between a device profile and a service profile provided by the server and a pre-stored device profile and a pre-stored service profile,

wherein the apparatus executes the service with at least one device which receives the device profile and the service profile and has a different function requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service,

wherein the different respective functions of the plurality of devices, requested to be applied simultaneously to perform the service are specific to each of the plurality of devices,

wherein each of the different respective functions relate to controlling the plurality of devices, respectively.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, comprising:

a device profile section for storing a device profile and a service profile of the controlled devices;

a controller which includes an application or a logic element for generating each profile, storing the profile to the device profile section, and executing a corresponding operation or a service; and

a service I/O (input and output) section which acts as an interface for controlling an inside device logic executing the services or a service, wherein the service I/O is controlled by the controller to provide a service.

17. The controller according to claim 16, wherein the controller transmits a corresponding device profile and a service profile stored in the device profile section to the server, and registers the corresponding device profile and a service profile to the server.

18. The controller according to claim 16, wherein if a message formed by the device profile and/or the service profile is transmitted from the service, the controller confirms the information from the device profile section, and controls the controlled devices to provide the services through the service I/O section.