Method and apparatus for universally accessible command and control information in a network

• US 20050273508A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Dongyan, Humpleman, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/188,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273508A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] 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 12/2814 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 12/282 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 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0266 using meta-data, objects or commands for formatting management information, e.g. using eXtensible markup language [XML]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 : Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 : in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 : in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/328 : in the presentation layer [OSI layer 6]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 : Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A method and system for performing a service on a home network, by: connecting a first and a second home device to the home network; providing a database including a plurality of application interface description data objects, where each application interface description data object includes information in a structured format for commanding and controlling of a home device by one or more other home devices connected to the network; the second home device accessing a first application interface description object for the first home device in the database; the first home device accessing a second application interface description object for the second home device in the database; sending control and command data from the first home device to the second home device utilizing the second application interface description object over the network; and sending control and command data from the second home device to the first home device utilizing the first application interface description object over the network. Whereby, the first and second home devices perform said service.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for performing a service on a network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) querying a device to obtain application interface description data when the device is connected to the network, wherein the application interface description data includes information for commanding and controlling of the device by another device connected to the network;

(b) storing the obtained application interface description data in a database; and

;

(c) providing an application interface description of a first device from the database to a second device, wherein the second devices interacts with that first device utilizing said application interface description of the first device for command and control.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one application interface description data includes XML format.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein step (c) further comprises the steps of the first device accessing an application interface description for another device in the database and sending control and command data to that other device utilizing said application interface description.

20. In a network system for providing a service, a controller comprising an agent that:

(a) queries a device to obtain application interface description data when the device is connected to the network, such that the application interface description data includes information for commanding and controlling of the device by another device connected to the network, (b) stores the obtained application interface description data in a database, and (c) makes accessible to a first device an application interface description of a second device from the database wherein the first device interacts with the second device utilizing said application interface description of the second device for command and control.

21. The controller of claim 20, wherein at least one application interface description data includes XML format.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the first device accesses an application interface description for another device in the database and sends control and command data to that other device utilizing said application interface description.