Device for aggregating, translating, and disseminating communications within a multiple device environment

• US 8,457,671 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slemmer, John B., Olsson, Stefan, Kreiner, Barrett, Jarboe, Andre, Kleinfelter, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/628,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20100075702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 455/500, 709/200, 709204-206, 709/230, 709/245, 709/246, 340/500, 340/539.14, 340/539.17, 340/539.19, 340/313, 370/270, 370/243
• US Class Current: 455/500
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805

Abstract

Aggregator devices and methods are disclosed for establishing device interaction in an environment containing other electronic devices and the aggregator device. The aggregator device has a transmitter, receiver, memory storing interaction rules, and a processor for implementing the interaction rules in association with the transmitter, receiver, and other devices of the environment. The methods involve transmitting a message to the aggregator from a first device, referencing rules of device interaction for the environment, and then according to the rules of device interaction, transmitting a message from the aggregator to a second device. The rules of device interaction may include instructions that are to be transmitted from the aggregator in response to the aggregator receiving change of state messages from devices of the environment.

Claims

1. An aggregator in a multiple device environment, the aggregator comprising:

a receiver receiving a change of state from one device of a plurality of devices;

memory storing interaction rules for the plurality of devices;

a processor communicating with the receiver and the memory, the processor querying the interaction rules for the change of state and retrieving a rule associated with the change of state, the processor interpreting the rule to require a broadcast of the change of state to the plurality of devices;

a list stored in the memory, the list defining impermissible associations between devices among the plurality of devices, the impermissible associations related to inappropriate rules to be excised by the processor; and

a transmitter in communication with the processor, the processor instructing the transmitter to broadcast the state of change to the plurality of devices,

wherein the aggregator disseminates the change of state of the one device to the plurality of devices.

2. The aggregator of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are configured to communicate using at least one of frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, code division multiplexing, and optical multiplexing.

3. The aggregator of claim 1, further comprising a state sensor to detect states from the plurality of devices.

4. The aggregator of claim 1, wherein the processor separates the plurality of devices into classes.

5. The aggregator of claim 4, wherein a first device in a first class only affects devices in the first class.

6. The aggregator of claim 4, wherein class rules are stored by the memory.

7. The aggregator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to develop rules based on conditional logic.

8. The aggregator of claim 1, wherein the interaction rules are performed in series.

9. The aggregator of claim 1, wherein the interaction rules are performed in parallel.

10. The aggregator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to translate among different communication transports.

11. The aggregator of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are combined as a transceiver.

12. A method of device interaction, the method comprising:

receiving a change of state at a receiver of an aggregator, the change of state sent from one device in a network of a plurality of devices;

storing interaction rules for the plurality of devices in memory of the aggregator;

defining impermissible associations in the interaction rules between devices among the plurality of devices, the impermissible associations related to inappropriate rules to be excised by a processor;

querying the interaction rules for the change of state;

retrieving a rule associated with the change of state;

interpreting the rule by the aggregator to require a broadcast of the change of state from the aggregator to the plurality of devices; and

broadcasting the state of change from a transmitter to the plurality of devices,

wherein the aggregator disseminates the change of state of the one device to the plurality of devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising broadcasting the change of state using at least one of frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, code division multiplexing, and optical multiplexing.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting states of the plurality of devices.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising defining the interaction rules according to changes in state within a period of time.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising separating the plurality of devices into classes.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising developing the interaction rules based upon conditional logic.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether a destination device among the plurality of devices requires a translation of the change of state.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a change of state at a receiver of an aggregator, the change of state sent from one device in a network of a plurality of devices;

storing interaction rules for the plurality of devices in memory of the aggregator;

defining impermissible associations in the interaction rules between devices among the plurality of devices, the impermissible associations related to inappropriate rules to be excised by a processor;

querying the interaction rules for the change of state;

retrieving a rule associated with the change of state;

interpreting the rule by the aggregator to require a broadcast of the change of state from the aggregator to the plurality of devices; and

broadcasting the state of change from a transmitter to the plurality of devices,

wherein the aggregator disseminates the change of state of the one device to the plurality of devices.