Transferring operating environment of registered network to unregistered network

• US 9,326,126 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Jeong-Yeop
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Santiago
• Application Number:
  US14/484,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The disclosure is related to providing an operation environment of a registered network having first devices to a user in an unregistered network having second devices. In order to provide, the second devices in the unregistered network may be detected when user equipment associated with the user enters a service area of the unregistered network. As compatible devices, devices compatible with the first devices in the registered network may be selected from the detected second devices. Then, system images of the first devices compatible with the selected compatible devices may be obtained. The obtained system images of the first devices may be installed at the selected compatible devices, respectively.

Claims

1. A method of providing an operation environment of a registered network having first devices to a user in an unregistered network having second devices, the method comprising:

detecting the second devices in the unregistered network when user equipment associated with the user enters a service area of the unregistered network;

as compatible devices, selecting devices compatible with the first devices in the registered network from the detected second devices;

obtaining system images of the first devices compatible with the selected compatible devices; and

installing the obtained system images of the first devices at the selected compatible devices, respectively,

wherein the installing the obtained system images of the first devices comprises transmitting an installation instruction message with the obtained system images of the first devices to a gateway of the unregistered network, and

wherein the gateway of the unregistered network identifies the compatible devices in the unregistered network based on identifiers of the compatible devices in the installation instruction message and transmits an installation message and a corresponding system image to a respective one of the identified compatible devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises:

receiving second device information on the second devices in the registered network; and

extracting a list of the second devices, user identification information associated with the user equipment, network identification information associated with the registered network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting devices comprises:

identifying the registered network based on user identification information associated with the user equipment;

obtaining first device information of the registered network based on the identified registered network; and

selecting the compatible devices from the second devices based on the obtained first device information of the registered network and second device information received from the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first device information includes hardware information and operation information of the first devices in the registered network;

the second device information includes hardware information and operation information of the second devices in the unregistered network;

the hardware information includes information on a serial number, a model name, and a manufacturer of a respective device; and

the operation information includes information on an operating system, a license of the operating system, device and operation settings, programs, and files of a respective device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining system images comprises:

transmitting an inquiry message to the user equipment for requesting the user to choose a type of providing the operation environment of the registered network;

receiving a response message from the user equipment in response to the inquiry message; and

performing a procedure of installing a system image when the response message indicates system image installation as the type of the providing the operation environment.

6. The method of claim 1, after the installing the obtained system images, comprising:

generating a user interface for enabling the user to control at least one of the compatible devices; and

transmitting the generated user interface the user equipment,

wherein the user equipment provides the user interface, receives a user input to control the at least one of the compatible devices through the user interface, and controls the at least one of the compatible devices installed with the system image and in the unregistered device based on the received user input by generating a control signal based on the user input and transmitting the generated control signal to the at least one of the compatible devices.

7. The method of claim 1, after the installing the obtained system images, comprising:

receiving a restoration message from the user equipment; and

transmitting a deletion instruction message to a gateway of the unregistered network,

wherein the gateway of the unregistered network identifies second devices installed with the system images of the first devices in the registered network based on information included in the deletion instruction message and controls the identified second devices to restore an original operation environment by deleting the installed system image.

8. The method of claim 1, prior to the detecting the second devices, comprising:

receiving device information on devices in a corresponding network from a gateway of the corresponding network upon generation of a predetermined event,

wherein the device information includes hardware information, operation information, and a system information of each device in the corresponding network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the gateway is configured to:

search for devices supporting an associated network service in the corresponding network;

collecting the hardware information of the searched devices through communication with the searched devices;

obtaining the operation information of the searched devices through communication with the searched devices;

generating system images of the searched devices based on the collected hardware information and the obtained operation information;

generating the device information of the searched devices by including the hardware information, the operation information, and the generated system images of the searched devices; and

transmitting the generated device information with network identification information of the corresponding network to a service server.

10. A method of providing, by a service server, an operation environment of a first home network having first smart devices to a user visiting a second home network having second smart devices, the method comprising:

detecting the second smart devices in the second home network when user equipment associated with the user enters a service area of the second home network;

as compatible smart devices, selecting smart devices compatible with the first smart devices in the first home network from the detected second smart devices;

generating a management interface for managing the selected compatible smart devices in the second home network; and

transmitting the generated management interface to the user equipment,

wherein the method comprises;

receiving a request of using one of the selected compatible smart devices from the user equipment;

identifying one of the first smart devices in the first home network corresponding to the requested compatible smart device based on the received request;

obtaining a system image of the identified first smart device as a system image of the requested compatible smart device; and

transmitting an installation instruction message with the obtained system image to a second gateway of the second home network.

11. The method of claim 10, prior to the generating a management interface, comprising:

transmitting an inquiry message to the user equipment for requesting the user to choose a type of providing the operation environment of the registered network;

receiving a response message from the user equipment in response to the inquiry message; and

performing a procedure of providing the management interface when the response message indicates the management interface as the type of the providing the operation environment.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising;

by the second gateway, receiving the installation instruction message from the service server;

by the second gateway, determining target smart devices to install a system image and obtaining corresponding system images from the received installation instruction message;

by the second gateway, transmitting an installation instruction message to the determined target smart devices with the obtained corresponding system images.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

by one of the target smart devices, receiving the installation instruction message from the second gateway;

by the one of the target smart devices, extracting a system image from the installation instruction message; and

by the one of the target smart device, installing the extracted system image.

14. A method of providing, by a service server, an operation environment of a first home network having first smart devices to a user visiting a second home network having second smart devices, the method comprising:

detecting the second smart devices in the second home network when user equipment associated with the user enters a service area of the second home network;

as compatible smart devices, selecting smart devices compatible with the first smart devices in the first home network from the detected second smart devices; and

providing a virtual machine for managing the selected compatible smart devices in the second home network,

wherein the providing a virtual machine comprises;

selecting first smart devices corresponding to the selected compatible second smart devices from the first smart devices in the first home network;

obtaining system images of the selected first smart devices from smart device information of the first home network;

generating the virtual machine of each one of the selected compatible smart devices by including the obtained system images and a user interface for controlling the selected compatible smart devices; and

transmitting the generated virtual machine to the user equipment.

15. The method of claim 14, prior to the providing a virtual machine, comprising:

transmitting an inquiry message to the user equipment for requesting the user to choose a type of providing the operation environment of the registered network;

receiving a response message from the user equipment in response to the inquiry message; and

performing a procedure of providing the virtual machine when the response message indicates the virtual machine as the type of the providing the operation environment.

16. The method of claim 14 by the user equipment, comprising:

receiving the virtual machine from the service server;

installing the received virtual machine in the user equipment;

providing the user interface for controlling the selected compatible smart device to the user;

receiving a user input through the user interface of the installed virtual machine;

selecting at least one compatible smart device to control based on the user input;

obtaining a system image of the selected at least one compatible smart device from a plurality of the stored system images through the virtual machine;

obtaining device identification information of the selected at least one compatible smart device;

generating a device control message including the obtained device identification information and the obtained system image; and

transmitting the device control message to a second gateway of the second home network.

17. The method of claim 16, by the second gateway, comprising;

receiving the device control message from the user equipment;

determining target smart devices to install a system image based on the device identification information included in the device control message; and

obtaining corresponding system images from the received device control message;

generating an installation instruction message for each one of the determined target smart devices to include a corresponding one of the obtained system images; and

transmitting the generated installation instruction messages to the determined target smart devices, respectively.