Home network system and control method thereof

• US 20060178777A1
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jun-Ku, Park, Jong-Ho, Park, Jae-Seok, Lee, Jong-Chang
• Application Number:
  US11/348,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178777A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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

Abstract

A home network system and a control method thereof. A user with a mobile station at a remote location can control a home robot and monitor security conditions and home appliance conditions at a house via a wireless network. In the home network system, the mobile station is adapted to transmit a control request message for the remote control of the home robot and monitoring-request messages for the monitoring at a house via a first network, and receive control result information related to the home robot control and monitoring information via the first network for display. A server is adapted to analyze the request messages received from the mobile station via the first network, transmit a corresponding request message to the home robot via a second network, and receive the control result information and the monitoring information from the home robot via the second network to transmit to the mobile station.

Claims

1. A home network control system comprising:

a home robot;

a mobile station adapted to transmit a control request message for remote control of the home robot and monitoring-request messages for monitoring a house via a first network, and to receive control result information related to home robot control and monitoring information via the first network for display; and

a server adapted to analyze the request messages received from the mobile station via the first network, transmit the corresponding request messages to the home robot via a second network, and receive the control result information and the monitoring information from the home robot via the second network to transmit to the mobile station.

2. The home network control system according to claim 1, wherein each of the control request messages and the monitoring-request messages includes at least one of real-time dynamic image data of the house photographed by the home robot, map information of the house, key-map information on the mobile station for controlling the home robot, setting-change request information on a change of the home robot setting, setting-confirmation request messages on the change of the home robot setting and home robot selection information if there exists a plurality of home robots.

3. The home network control system according to claim 2, wherein the setting-confirmation request messages include at least one of a plurality of sampling frames of dynamic image data photographed by the home robot to transmit to the server, a rotation angle of a camera mounted on the home robot and a movement step of the camera.

4. The home network control system according to claim 2, wherein real-time dynamic image data of the monitoring information transmitted from the server to the mobile station is compressed into a predetermined frame according to bandwidth of the mobile station and display size of the mobile station.

5. The home network control system according to claim 2, wherein map information transmitted from the server to the mobile station comprises text data of X-Y coordinates for structures of the house, and includes present position information of the home robot.

6. The home network control system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile station comprises a plurality of mobile stations registered for the control of the home robot, and the server is adapted to authorize a first accessing mobile station as a master, and other accessing mobile stations as sub-stations, the sub-stations being authorized to monitor real-time dynamic images and home map information.

7. The home network control system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile station comprises a plurality of mobile stations, and the server is adapted to allow home robot control and monitoring authority to a first accessing mobile station.

8. The home network control system according to claim 1, wherein the first network comprises a mobile communication network, and the second network comprises a local area wireless network, the local area wireless network comprising at least one of a Bluetooth network, a Radio Frequency (RF) communication network and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

9. The home network control system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile station is adapted to initially register product information including key-map information and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) size information and authentication information in the server in order to control the home robot.

10. A control method of a home network system using a mobile station, comprising:

transmitting a control request message for remote control of a home robot and monitoring-request messages to a server via a first network;

at the server, interfacing the received request messages to the home robot via a second network and receiving control result information and monitoring information from the home robot to transmit to the mobile station via the first network; and

at the mobile station, displaying the control result information and the monitoring information received from the server via the first network.

11. The control method of a home network system according to claim 10, wherein each of the control request messages and the monitoring-request messages contains at least one of real-time dynamic image data of the house photographed by the home robot, map information of the house, key-map information on the mobile station for controlling the home robot, setting-change request information on a change of home robot setting, setting-confirmation request messages on a change of home robot setting and home robot selection information if there exists a plurality of home robots.

12. The control method of a home network system according to claim 11, wherein the setting-confirmation request messages includes at least one of a number of sampling frames of dynamic image data photographed by the home robot to transmit to the server, a rotation angle of a camera mounted on the home robot and a movement step of the camera.

13. The control method of a home network system according to claim 11, wherein real-time dynamic image data of the monitoring information transmitted from the server to the mobile station is compressed into a predetermined frame according to bandwidth of the mobile station and display size of the mobile station.

14. The control method of a home network system according to claim 11, wherein map information transmitted from the server to the mobile station comprises text data of X-Y coordinates for structures of the house, and includes present position information of the home robot.

15. The control method of a home network system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile station comprises a plurality of mobile stations registered for the control of the home robot, and the server is adapted to authorize a first accessing mobile station as a master, and other accessing mobile stations as sub-stations, the sub-stations being authorized to monitor real-time dynamic images and home map information.

16. The control method of a home network system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile station comprises a plurality of mobile stations, the server being adapted to allow home robot control and monitoring authority to a first accessing mobile station.

17. The control method of a home network system according to claim 10, wherein the first network comprises a mobile communication network, and the second network comprises a local area wireless network, the local area wireless network comprising at least one of a Bluetooth network, a Radio Frequency (RF) communication network and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

18. The control method of a home network system according to claim 10, further comprising:

at the mobile station, initially registering authentication information, product information including key-map information, and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) size information in order to control the home robot; and

at the server, if the mobile station accesses the server to control the home robot or request the monitoring information, executing authentication to the mobile station.