Apparatus and method for controlling remote user interface servers using a multicast message in a home network

• US 8,930,444 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: So, Young-Wan, Ryu, Young-Sun, Song, Jae-Yeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US13/185,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• 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 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• 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 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a Remote User Interface Server (RUIS) in a Remote User Interface Client (RUIC), wherein the method includes rendering an RUI page for controlling RUISs, receiving an input of a control command for controlling the RUISs from a user through the RUI page, generating a multicast control message for transmitting the input control command in a form of multicast, and transmitting the multicast control message to the RUISs.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a plurality of controlled devices by a controlling device in a home network, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface (UI) page for controlling the plurality of controlled devices;

receiving input of control commands for controlling the plurality of controlled devices from a user through the UI page;

generating a control message for transmitting the control commands in a multicast manner, the control message including a common control command for controlling the plurality of controlled devices and at least one additional control command for controlling at least one of the plurality of controlled devices; and

transmitting the control message to the plurality of controlled devices in the multicast manner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control message further includes at least one of flag information indicating that the control message includes control commands and a uniform resource location (URL) to which the plurality of controlled devices having performed a control command included in the control message will respond.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input of the control commands comprises receiving inputs of at least one control command for one or more controlled devices among the plurality of controlled devices within the home network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the UI page uses a UI page stored in the controlling device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information for generating the UI page from the plurality of controlled devices; and

generating the UI page using the information obtained from the plurality of controlled devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a performance result response from the plurality of controlled devices having performed an operation corresponding to a control command included in the control message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance result response is received from the plurality of controlled devices by using an HTTP POST command.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance result response is received from the plurality of controlled devices by using an HTTP GET command.

9. A controlling device for controlling a plurality of controlled devices in a home network, the controlling device comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with the plurality of controlled devices; and

a controller configured to control displaying a user interface (UI) page for controlling the plurality of controlled devices, receiving an input of control commands for controlling the plurality of controlled devices from a user through the UI page, generating a control message including a common control command for the plurality of controlled devices and an additional control command for at least one of the plurality of controlled devices, and transmitting the control message to the plurality of controlled devices in a multicast manner.

10. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein the control message further comprises at least one of flag information indicating that the control message includes control commands and a uniform resource location (URL) to which the plurality of controlled devices having performed a control command included in the control message will respond.

11. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein the communication interface receives one or more inputs for one or more controlled devices among the plurality of controlled devices within the home network.

12. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein the UI page uses a UI page stored in the controlling device.

13. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein the controller obtains information for generating the UI page from the plurality of controlled devices and generates the UI page by using the information obtained from the plurality of controlled devices.

14. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein the controller receives a performance result response from the plurality of controlled devices having performed an operation corresponding to a control command included in the control message.

15. The controlling device of claim 14, wherein the performance result response is received from the plurality of controlled devices by using an HTTP POST command.

16. The controlling device of claim 14, wherein the performance result response is received from the plurality of controlled devices by using an HTTP GET command.

17. A method for receiving control commands from a controlling device by a controlled device, the method comprising:

receiving a control message from the controlling device in a multicast manner; and

performing an operation corresponding to a control command by identifying whether there is a service to be controlled by the controlling device according to the control commands included in the control message, the control message including a common control command for controlling a plurality of controlled devices and at least one additional control command for controlling at least one of the plurality of controlled devices.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the control message further includes at least one of flag information indicating that the control message includes control commands and a uniform resource location (URL) to which the plurality of controlled devices having performed a control command included in the control message will respond.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting a performance result of the control command or commands performed by the controlled device to the controlling device in response to the control message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the performance result is transmitted to the controlling device by using an HTTP POST command.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the performance result is received by the controlling device from the plurality of controlled devices by using an HTTP GET command.

22. A controlled device for receiving control commands from a controlling device, the controlled device comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with the controlling device; and

a controller configured to control receiving a control message from the controlling device in a multicast manner, and performing an operation corresponding to a control command by identifying whether there is a service to be controlled by the controlling device according to the control commands included in the control message, the control message including a common control command for controlling a plurality of controlled devices and at least one additional control command for controlling at least one of the plurality of controlled devices.

23. The controlled device of claim 22, wherein the control message further comprises at least one of flag information indicating that the control message includes control commands and a uniform resource location (URL) to which the plurality of controlled devices having performed a control command included in the control message will respond.

24. The controlled device of claim 22, wherein the controller controls transmission of a performance result of the control command or commands performed by the controlled device to the controlling device in response to the control message.

25. The controlled device of claim 24, wherein the performance result is transmitted to the controlling device by using an HTTP POST command.

26. The controlled device of claim 24, wherein the performance result is received by the controlling device from the plurality of controlled devices by using an HTTP GET command.