Method and apparatus for controlling devices for smart home service

• US 9,686,094 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Se-Hoon, Bae, Eun-Hui, Kim, Jun-Hyung, Chun, Jai-Ick, Kong, Dong-Keon
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Santiago
• Application Number:
  US14/484,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20150087278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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 12/282 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 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 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling devices for a smart home service are provided. The method includes grouping devices to receive at least one command simultaneously from among devices registered to the smart home service into a group for one mode, generating mode configuration information for each mode including grouped devices for the mode and at least one command for the mode, transmitting the mode configuration information for each mode to the registered devices, selecting one of each mode for which the mode configuration information has been generated, and transmitting a mode activation request for activating the selected mode to the registered devices.

Claims

1. A method to control devices for a home service by a controller device, the method comprising:

generating configuration information of a mode based on information on devices selected to operate in the mode;

transmitting, to the selected devices, the configuration information comprising information identifying the selected devices and information indicating at least one action intended to be operated by the selected devices in the mode; and

transmitting an activation request for activating the mode to the selected devices,

wherein the at least one action comprises an action which is intended to be commonly operated by at least two or more of the selected devices of different types in the mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is broadcasted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is transmitted to the selected devices in relay based on a predetermined relay order.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information further comprises at least one of execution time information of the at least one action, path information indicating a relay order for relaying the configuration information, or information indicating whether the configuration information is to be reused.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information further comprises information identifying the controller device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the configuration information comprises:

transmitting, to a gateway, the configuration information in order that the gateway transmits, to the selected devices, the configuration information comprising information identifying the controller device.

7. A method for executing a home service by a device, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information of a mode generated based on information on devices selected to operate in the mode;

obtaining, if an activation request for activating the mode is received, information identifying the selected devices and information indicating at least one action intended to be operated by the selected devices in the mode included in the configuration information;

executing an action of the device indicated by the information indicating the at least one action; and

transmitting a result of the execution to a controller device,

wherein the at least one action comprises an action which is intended to be commonly operated by at least two or more of the selected devices of different types in the mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is broadcasted from the controller device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is received in relay based on a predetermined relay order.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the configuration information further comprises at least one of execution time information of the at least one action, path information indicating a relay order of relaying the configuration information, or information indicating whether the configuration information is to be reused.

11. The method of claim 7,

wherein the configuration information is received from a gateway, and

wherein the configuration information is transmitted from the controller device to the gateway in order that the gateway transmits, to the selected devices, the configuration information comprising information identifying the controller device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving at least one configuration information from the gateway; and

storing each configuration information mapped to information identifying each controller device included in each of the at least one configuration information.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether there is configuration information of a first mode among configuration information of each mode restored in the device if an activation request for activating the first mode is received;

executing, when there is the restored configuration information of the first mode, an action of the device indicated by information indicating at least one action included in the configuration information of the first mode; and

discarding, when there is not the restored configuration information of the first mode, the activation request for activating the first mode.

14. A control device to control devices for a home service, the control device comprising:

at least one processor configured to generate configuration information of a mode based on information on devices selected to operate in the mode; and

a transceiver configured to;

transmit, to the selected devices, the configuration information comprising information identifying the selected devices and information indicating at least one action intended to be operated by the selected devices in the mode, and

transmit an activation request for activating the mode to the selected devices,

wherein the at least one action comprises an action which is intended to be commonly operated by at least two or more of the selected devices of different types in the mode.

15. The control device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is broadcasted.

16. The control device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is transmitted to the selected devices in relay based on a predetermined relay order.

17. The control device of claim 14, wherein the configuration information further comprises at least one of execution time information of the at least one action, path information indicating a relay order for relaying the configuration information, or information indicating whether the configuration information is to be reused.

18. The control device of claim 14, wherein the configuration information further comprises information identifying the controller device.

19. The control device of claim 14, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit, to a gateway, the configuration information in order that the gateway transmits, to the selected devices, the configuration information comprising information identifying the controller device.

20. A device for executing a home service, the device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive configuration information of a mode generated based on information on devices selected to operate in the mode;

at least one processor configured to, if an activation request for activating the mode is received;

obtain information identifying the selected devices and information indicating at least one action intended to be operated by the selected devices in the mode included in the configuration information, and

execute an action of the device indicated by the information indicating the at least one action; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a result of the execution to a controller device,

wherein the at least one action comprises an action which is intended to be commonly operated by at least two or more of the selected devices of different types in the mode.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is broadcasted from the controller device.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the configuration information or the activation request is received in relay based on a predetermined relay order.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the configuration information further comprises at least one of execution time information of the at least one action, path information indicating a relay order of relaying the configuration information, or information indicating whether the configuration information is to be reused.

24. The device of claim 20,

wherein the configuration information is received from a gateway, and

wherein the configuration information is transmitted from the controller device to the gateway in order that the gateway transmits, to the selected devices, the configuration information comprising information identifying the controller device.

25. The device of claim 24,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive at least one configuration information from the gateway, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store each configuration information mapped to information identifying each controller device included in each of the at least one configuration information.

26. The device of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether there is configuration information of a first mode among configuration information of each mode restored in the device if an activation request for activating the first mode is received,

execute, when there is the restored configuration information of the first mode, an action of the device indicated by information indicating at least one action included in the configuration information of the first mode, and

discard, when there is not the restored configuration information of the first mode, the activation request for activating the first mode.