Method and arrangement for assigning names to devices in a network

• US 9,374,268 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Budde, Wolfgang Otto, Helbig, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Henderson, Esther B
• Application Number:
  US10/542,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,550 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation

Abstract

A device arrangement for a network includes a plurality of devices that can be actuated electronically by a user. Each device has a name memory in which is stored a device name uniquely assigned to the device, to enable the particular device to be uniquely actuated within the network. The device name stored in the name memory can be individually selected and/or changed by the user by a mobile input unit that has a short-range electronic data link to the device to be selected.

Claims

1. A device arrangement for a network comprising:

a plurality of devices that are connected via a first electronic data link, wherein each device of the devices has a name memory for storing a device name uniquely assigned to a device of the plurality of devices, to enable the each device to be uniquely actuated within the network; and

a mobile input unit having an input device configured to allow input of a desired device name, said mobile input unit and each device of the plurality of devices being communicatively connected via a second electronic data link;

wherein the second electronic data link is configured for allowing communication between the mobile input unit and a particular one of the devices of the plurality of devices, and wherein said mobile input unit includes means to limit a communication range of the second electronic data link so that communication between the mobile input unit and the particular one of the devices via the second electronic data link exhibits a shorter range than communication between any two devices of said plurality of devices via the first electronic data link so that, by positioning the mobile input unit in a vicinity of the particular one of the devices, the particular one of the devices is selected among the plurality of devices on the network, wherein, when the particular one of the devices is selected by the mobile input unit, the mobile input unit is configured to select the device name stored in the name memory via the second electronic data link; and

wherein in response to said positioning of the mobile input unit within the vicinity of the particular one of the devices and thereby within the limited communication range of the mobile input device, the desired device name is automatically transmitted from the mobile input unit to the particular one of the devices and the name memory of the particular one of the devices is overwritten with the desired device name.

2. The device arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the devices of the plurality of devices have first transmission means of a first type for linking with other devices on the network;

and second transmission means of a second type for communication with the mobile input unit.

3. The device arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile input unit has a wireless transmission means, and the devices of the plurality of devices have a corresponding wireless transmission means for communicating with the mobile input unit and for transmitting the name.

4. The device arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the range of communication between the mobile input unit and the particular one of the devices is less than 3 meters.

5. A device arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the range of communication between the mobile input unit and the particular one of the devices can be set by the user.

6. The device arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile input unit has a display for displaying the device name read out from the particular one of the devices.

7. The device arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile input unit is suitable for input of a key for the particular one of the devices.

11. The device arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices on the network includes at least one of the following:

a home network having a plurality of electronic devices, building control devices, home entertainment electronics devices, and network control devices.

8. A mobile input unit for use in a network including a plurality of devices that are communicatively connected via a first electronic data link, the mobile input unit comprising:

an input means for input of a desired device name for a particular device of the plurality of devices;

a wireless transmission means for transmitting the desired device name to the particular device via a second electronic data link, the second electronic data link configured for communication between the mobile input unit and one such particular device at a time; and

means to limit a communication range of the second electronic data link so that communication between the mobile input unit and the particular one of the devices via the second electronic data link exhibits a shorter range than communication between any two devices of said plurality of devices via the first electronic data link so that, by positioning the mobile input unit in a vicinity of the particular device, the particular device is selected among the plurality of devices on the network;

wherein the mobile input unit is configured to change the device name stored in the name memory via the second electronic data link, and wherein in response to said positioning of the mobile input unit in the vicinity of the particular device and thereby within the limited communication range between the particular device and the mobile input unit, the mobile input unit is configured to transmit automatically the desired device name from the mobile input unit to the particular device so that a name memory of the particular device is overwritten with the desired device name.

9. A method of actuating a plurality of devices on a network, connected together in said network via a first electronic data link, each device having a name memory that stores a device name uniquely assigned to the device, to enable each device to be uniquely actuated within the network, the method comprising:

receiving a desired device name via an input means of a mobile input unit;

limiting a communication range of the second electronic data link for the mobile input unit so that communication between the mobile input unit and any one device via the second electronic data link exhibits a shorter range than communication between any two devices of said plurality of devices via the first electronic data link;

positioning the mobile input unit in a vicinity of a particular device of the plurality of devices and thereby within the limited communication range of the mobile input device;

wherein in response to the step of positioning;

selecting the particular device from among the plurality of devices on the network for communication with the mobile input unit;

when the particular device is selected, automatically transmitting the desired device name via the second electronic data link from the mobile input unit to the particular device; and

automatically changing the device name stored in the particular device to the desired device name received by the particular device over the second electronic data link.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of devices on the network includes at least one of the following:

a home network having a plurality of electronic devices, building control devices, home entertainment electronics devices, and network control devices.