System and a method for remotely using electrical devices

• US 9,049,040 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
• Original Assignee: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
• Inventors: Latvakoski, Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Samwel, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/519,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

A controller device (209) is enabled to provide a virtual user interface of an electrical device (201) to be remotely used and to generate control messages (241) for controlling the electrical device by providing the controller device with a proxy (211) of the electrical device. The proxy is a movable software package which can be used for representing the electrical device in the controller device. The proxy can be configured to have a limited time-to-live in the controller device and/or a surrounding system may have been arranged to send to the controller device a proxy removal message when the corresponding electrical device is leaving the system or a data transfer connection to it has otherwise been lost. Therefore, a sufficiently up-to-date awareness of the electrical devices and a capability of remotely using them can be maintained in the controller device.

Claims

1. A controller device (400) comprising:

user interface equipment (401) configurable with software, and

a data interface (402) for transmitting and receiving data,

wherein the controller device further comprises a processing system (403) arranged to;

transmit a request message in order to request a proxy (411) from an external device wherein the request message contains identifier data of the controller device that identifies the controller device from other controller devices,

configure the user interface equipment to provide a virtual user interface of an electrical device to be remotely used on the basis of the received proxy (411) related to the electrical device to be remotely used, the received proxy including user interface software (421) for configuring the user interface equipment and driver software (431) for generating control messages for controlling the electrical device to be remotely used,

generate, using the driver software, a control message (441) on the basis of a control action (440) given through the virtual user interface, and

transmit the control message to the electrical device to be remotely used,

wherein the request message is received by one of plural server devices having respective memory devices (151, 152, 251, 252, 253, 254) for storing data and relaying data traffic between the data interface and the electrical device, each said memory device comprising a database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device connected to each of the server devices so that each proxy is stored in at least two distinct servers, the proxies being stored into nested hierarchical groups corresponding to child-parent relationships, with the electrical devices being children and each server being a parent of the child-parent relationships,

wherein the proxy of the electrical device is retrievable by the controller device from either of the at least two distinct servers upon receipt of the request message comprising the identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices.

2. A controller device according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is arranged to use software contained by the proxy for interpreting a data format of a message received from the electrical device to be remotely used.

3. A controller device according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is arranged to transmit the request message via a wireless signalling link to the electrical device to be remotely used in order to make the electrical device to be remotely used to send the proxy.

4. A controller device according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is arranged to transmit the request message to a server device distinct from the electrical device to be remotely used in order to make the server device to send the proxy.

5. A controller device according to claim 1, wherein the controller device comprises a transceiver (404) connected to the data interface.

6. A controller device according to claim 1, wherein the data interface is capable of providing data transfer connections to and from an external transceiver device.

7. A controller device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface equipment comprises a touch sensitive screen (405).

8. A controller device according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is arranged to configure, as a response to receiving proxies (211, 212, 213, 214) relating to many electrical devices to be remotely used and arranged into nested hierarchical groups (215, 216, 217), the user interface equipment to provide the virtual user interface as a hierarchical virtual user interface having hierarchically arranged user interface levels (370, 371, 372, 373) corresponding to the hierarchical grouping of the proxies relating to the many electrical devices to be remotely used.

9. An electrical device (500) comprising:

a data interface (501) for transmitting and receiving data,

functional elements (502) for carrying out actions defined by a received control message (541), and

a memory device (503), wherein,

data stored in the memory device comprises a proxy (511) including user interface software (521) with the aid of which a controller device is capable of configuring user interface equipment of the controller device to provide a virtual user interface of the electrical device and driver software (531) with the aid of which the controller device is capable of generating the control message on the basis of a control action given through the virtual user interface, and

the electrical device is connected in as a child in a child-parent relationship to a server, the server being one of plural server devices having respective memory devices (151, 152, 251, 252, 253, 254) for storing data and relaying data traffic between the controller device and the data interface (501) of the electrical device, each said memory device comprising a database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device connected to each of the server devices so that each proxy is stored in at least two distinct servers, the proxies being stored into nested hierarchical groups corresponding to the child-parent relationships of the electrical devices and each server,

wherein the proxy of the electrical device is retrievable from either of the at least two distinct servers upon receipt of a request message comprising an identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices, each server being arranged to transmit the proxy as a response to receiving the request message.

10. An electrical device according to claim 9, wherein the electrical device is arranged to transmit the proxy as a response to a situation in which a data transfer connection from the electrical device to at least one of the following is established:

the controller device, a server device.

11. An electrical device according to claim 9, wherein electrical device is capable of receiving the request message from the controller device via a wireless signalling link between the controller device and the electrical device.

12. An electrical device according to claim 9, wherein electrical device is capable of receiving the request message from a server device distinct from the controller device, the server device being arranged to request and store the proxy and forward the proxy to the controller device directly or via one or more other server devices.

13. An electrical device according to claim 9, wherein electrical device is capable of receiving an updated version of the proxy from a server device.

14. A system comprising:

a controller device (109, 209) comprising user interface equipment configurable with software,

wherein the controller device is arranged to transmit a control message comprising an identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device from other controller devices,

at least one electrical device (101, 102, 201, 202, 203, 204) comprising functional elements for carrying out actions defined by a received control message, the electrical device being capable of transmitting data to the controller device and the controller device being capable of transmitting data to the electrical device, the at least one electrical device comprising a memory device that stores a proxy (211) that is a movable package comprised of a user interface software and a driver software,

wherein the user interface software configures the user interface equipment of the controller device to provide a virtual user interface of the at least one electrical device, the driver software generating, in the controller device, the control message for carrying out actions on the at least one electrical device, on a basis of a control action given by a user through the virtual user interface of the at least one electrical device configured on the controller device, and

plural server devices having respective memory devices (151, 152, 251, 252, 253, 254) for storing data and relaying data traffic between the controller device and the at least one electrical device, each said memory device comprising a database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device connected to each of the server devices so that each proxy is stored in at least two distinct servers, the proxies being stored into nested hierarchical groups corresponding to child-parent relationships, with the electrical devices being children and each server being a parent of the child-parent relationships,

wherein the proxy of the at least one electrical device is retrievable from either of the at least two distinct servers upon receipt of the request message comprising the identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the controller device is arranged to use software contained by the proxy for interpreting a data format of a message received from the electrical device.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein one of the one or more memory devices (151, 152) storing the proxy is a part of the electrical device (101, 102).

17. A system according to claim 14, wherein the server devices are arranged to exchange request and reply messages related to the proxy of the at least one electrical device with each other in order to maintain the database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device, in each of the server devices, as an up-to-date database of the respective proxy of each electrical device.

18. A system according to claim 14, wherein the server devices, the at least one electrical device, and the controller device are arranged to exchange search and advertisement messages with each other in order to maintain awareness of data transfer topology of a network constituted by the server devices, the at least one electrical device, the controller device, and data transfer links there between.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the network has a hierarchical topology in which the controller device (209) constitutes a root node, the at least one electrical device (201, 202, 203, 204) constitutes one or more leaf nodes, and the server devices (261, 262) constitute intermediate nodes between the root node and the leaf nodes.

20. A system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrical device (101, 102) is arranged to transmit its proxy to the controller device as a response to receiving the request message via a wireless signalling link (110) between the controller device (109) and the electrical device.

21. A system according to claim 14, wherein at least one electrical device is arranged to transmit, as a response to receiving the request message, its proxy to a source of the request message, the source of the request message being one of the following:

one of the server devices, the controller device.

22. A system according to claim 14, wherein at least one electrical device is arranged to transmit its proxy via a data transfer connection having a starting point at the electrical device as a response to a situation in which the data transfer connection is established, the data transfer connection having an ending point at one of the following:

one of the server devices, the controller device.

23. A system according to claim 14, wherein the controller device is arranged to configure, as a response to receiving proxies (211, 212, 213, 214) relating to many electrical devices (201-204) to be remotely used and arranged into nested hierarchical groups (215, 216, 217), its user interface equipment to provide the virtual user interface as a hierarchical virtual user interface having hierarchically arranged user interface levels (370, 371, 372, 373) corresponding to the hierarchical grouping of the proxies relating to the many electrical devices to be remotely used.

24. A method for remotely using an electrical device with a controller device comprising user interface equipment configurable with software, wherein the method comprises carrying out the following actions at the controller device:

transmit a request message in order to request a proxy (411) from an external device wherein the request message contains identifier data of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices,

receiving (601) the proxy related to the electrical device to be remotely used, the proxy including user interface software for configuring the user interface equipment and driver software for generating control messages for controlling the electrical device to be remotely used,

configuring (602), using the user interface software, the user interface equipment to provide a virtual user interface of the electrical device to be remotely used,

generating (603), using the driver software, a control message on the basis of a control action given through the virtual user interface, and

transmitting (604) the control message to the electrical device to be remotely used,

wherein plural server devices having respective memory devices (151, 152, 251, 252, 253, 254) store data and relay data traffic between the controller device and the electrical device, each said memory device comprising a database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device connected to each of the server devices so that each proxy is stored in at least two distinct servers, the proxies being stored into nested hierarchical groups corresponding to child-parent relationships, with the electrical devices being children and each server being a parent of the child-parent relationships, and

wherein the proxy of the electrical device is retrievable from either of the at least two distinct servers upon receipt of the request message comprising the identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices.

25. A method for enabling a controller device to remotely use an electrical device comprising functional elements for carrying out actions defined by a control message, wherein the method comprises:

plural server devices having respective memory devices (151, 152, 251, 252, 253, 254) storing data and relaying data traffic between the controller device and the electrical device, each said memory device comprising a database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device connected to each of the server devices so that each proxy is stored in at least two distinct servers, the proxies being stored into nested hierarchical groups corresponding to child-parent relationships, with the electrical devices being children and each server being a parent of the child-parent relationships, and

wherein the proxy of the electrical device is retrievable from either of the at least two distinct servers upon receipt of the request message comprising the identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices,

transmitting (701) to the controller device in response to the receipt of the request message comprising the identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device from other controller devices, the proxy including user interface software with the aid of which the controller device is capable of configuring its user interface equipment to provide a virtual user interface of the electrical device and driver software with the aid of which the controller device is capable of generating the control message on the basis of a control action given through the virtual user interface,

at the electrical device, receiving (702) from the controller device the control message, and

at the electrical device, carrying out (703) actions defined by the control message received.

26. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for remotely using an electrical device with a controller device that comprises a programmable processor and user interface equipment configurable with software, wherein the computer program comprises computer executable instructions for controlling the programmable processor of the controller device to:

receive, in response to a receipt of a request message comprising an identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices, a proxy related to the electrical device to be remotely used, the proxy including user interface software for configuring the user interface equipment and driver software for generating control messages for controlling the electrical device to be remotely used,

configure, using the user interface software, the user interface equipment to provide a virtual user interface of the electrical device to be remotely used,

generate, using the driver software, a control message on the basis of a control action given through the virtual user interface, and

transmit the control message to the electrical device to be remotely used,

wherein the request message is received by one of plural server devices having respective memory devices (151, 152, 251, 252, 253, 254) for storing data and relaying data traffic between the data interface and the electrical device, each said memory device comprising a database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device connected to each of the server devices so that each proxy is stored in at least two distinct servers, the proxies being stored into nested hierarchical groups corresponding to child-parent relationships, with the electrical devices being children and each server being a parent of the child-parent relationships, and

wherein the proxy of the electrical device is retrievable by the controller device from either of the at least two distinct servers upon receipt of the request message comprising the identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing thereon a computer program for enabling a controller device to remotely use an electrical device comprising a programmable processor and functional elements for carrying out actions defined by a control message, wherein the computer program comprises computer executable instructions for controlling a programmable processor of a server device to:

transmit to the controller device, in response to a receipt of a request message comprising an identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices, a proxy including user interface software with the aid of which the controller device is capable of configuring its user interface equipment to provide a virtual user interface of the electrical device and driver software with the aid of which the controller device is capable of generating the control message on the basis of a control action given through the virtual user interface, which control messages controls the functional elements to carry out the actions defined by the control message received from the controller device,

wherein server device is one server of plural server devices having respective memory devices (151, 152, 251, 252, 253, 254) that store data and relay data traffic between the controller device and the electrical device, each said memory device comprising a database storing the respective proxy of each electrical device connected to each of the server devices so that each proxy is stored in at least two distinct servers, the proxies being stored into nested hierarchical groups corresponding to child-parent relationships, with the electrical devices being children and each server being a parent of the child-parent relationships, and

wherein the proxy of the electrical device is retrievable from either of the at least two distinct servers upon receipt of the request message comprising the identifier of the controller device that identifies the controller device sending the request message from other controller devices.