Method and system for generating a space signature

• US 20080313320A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Messer, Alan, Cheng, Doreen, Song, Yu, Kalasapur, Swaroop
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method and system implementing a process for generating a signature for a network space using existing resources in the space. The process for generating a signature for a space involves discovering the resources in the space and generating a signature for the space using the identification of the devices.

Claims

1. A method of generating a signature for a space using networked resources in the space, comprising the steps of:

discovering resources in the space; and

generating a signature for the space using the identifications of the set of discovered resources.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a universally unique identifier (UUID) for every resource in the space.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources include one or more of devices, content and services.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the space includes subspaces;

discovering resources in the space further includes discovering resources in each subspace; and

generating a signature for the space further includes;

generating a signature for each subspace using the identifications of the set of discovered resources in each subspace, and generating a signature for the space based on the subspace signatures.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the space comprises a physical space such that the signature provides the location of the space.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the resources comprise existing resources in the space.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

verifying that a previously set of discovered resources remain in the space;

updating the set of discovered resources as necessary based on the verification; and

if the set of discovered resources has changed, then generating an updated signature for the space based on the identification of the resources in the updated set.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of verifying includes attempting to reach each resource in the space, such that if a resource cannot be reached, then it is assumed the resource no longer remains in the space.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein resource identification includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address of a resource.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein resource identification includes a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) UUID of a resource.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein generating the signature further includes generating an ordered list of the hash values of the UUIDs.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein generating the signature further includes generating an ordered list of the hash values of the UUIDs and a list of name-value pairs, wherein the name represents the resource.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the name of a resource allows access to the resource.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the signature further comprises including location information for the space in the signature.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the network space implements a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) network including a DHCP server and one or more DHCP clients;

the step of discovering resources includes obtaining a DHCP client table from the DHCP server, and constructing a list of a set of reachable resources by pinging all or a subset of the resources in the client table to determine if they are reachable; and

the step of generating the signature further includes computing a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the network space implements a UPnP network including a UPnP control point and one or more DHCP resources;

the step of discovering resources includes discovering reachable resources using UPnP protocols, and constructing a list of a set of the reachable resources; and

the step of generating the signature further includes computing a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the network space implements a wireless network including wireless resources;

the step of discovering resources includes discovering reachable resources using wireless protocols, and constructing a list of a set of the reachable resources; and

the step of generating the signature further includes computing a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of generating the signature further includes generating the signature in a wireless device in the network.

19. An apparatus for generating a signature for a space using networked resources in the space, comprising:

a resource finder configured to discover resources in the space, wherein a plurality of resources include a unique identification; and

a signature generator configured to generate a signature for the space using the identifications of the set of discovered resources.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the unique identification for a resource comprises a universally unique identifier (UUID).

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the resources include one or more of devices, content and services.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

the space includes subspaces;

the resource finder is further configured to discover one or more resources in each subspace; and

the signature generator is further configured to generate a signature for each subspace using the identifications of the set of discovered resources in each subspace, and to generate a signature for the space based on the subspace signatures.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the space comprises a physical space such that the signature provides the location of the space.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the resources comprise existing resources in the space.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

the resource finder is further configured to verify that a set of previously discovered resources remain in the space, and to update the set of discovered devices as necessary based on the verification; and

the signature generator is configured such that if the set of discovered devices has changed, then the signature generator generates an updated signature for the space based on the identification of the resources in the updated set.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the resource finder is further configured to attempt to reach each resource in the space, such that if a resource cannot be reached, then it is assumed the resource no longer remains in the space.

27. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein resource identification includes a MAC address of a resource.

28. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein resource identification includes a UPnP UUID of a resource.

29. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the signature generator is further configured to generate the signature as an ordered list of the hash values of the UUIDs.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the signature generator is further configured to generate the signature as an ordered list of the hash values of the UUIDs and a list of name-value pairs, wherein the name represents the resource.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the name of a resource allows access to the resource.

32. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the signature generator is further configured to generate a signature that further includes location information for the space in the signature.

33. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

the network space implements a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) network including a DHCP server and one or more DHCP clients;

the resource finder is further configured to obtain a DHCP client table from the DHCP server, and construct a list of a set of reachable resources by pinging all or a subset of the resources in the client table to determine if they are reachable; and

the signature generator is further configured to generate the signature by computing a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

34. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

the network space implements a UPnP network including a UPnP control point and one or more DHCP resources;

the resource finder is further configured to discover reachable resources using UPnP protocols, and construct a list of a set of the reachable resources; and

the signature generator is further configured to compute a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

35. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

the network space implements a wireless network including wireless resources;

the resource finder is further configured to discover reachable resources using wireless protocols, and constructing a list of a set of the reachable resources; and

the signature generator is further configured to generate a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

36. A system for generating a signature for a space, comprising:

a network of multiple resources;

a resource finder configured to discover resources in the space, wherein a plurality of resources include a unique identification; and

a signature generator configured to generate a signature for the space using the identifications of the set of discovered resources.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the unique identification for a resource comprises a UUID.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the resources include one or more of devices, content and services.

39. The system of claim 36 wherein:

the space includes subspaces;

the resource finder is further configured to discover one or more resources in each subspace; and

the signature generator is further configured to generate a signature for each subspace using the identifications of the set of discovered resources in each subspace, and to generate a signature for the space based on the subspace signatures.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein the space comprises a physical space such that the signature provides the location of the space.

41. The system of claim 36 wherein the resources comprise existing resources in the space.

42. The system of claim 36 wherein:

the resource finder is further configured to verify that a previously set of discovered resources remain in the space, and updates the set of discovered devices as necessary based on the verification; and

the signature generator is configured such that if the set of discovered devices has changed, then the signature generator generates an updated signature for the space based on the identification of the resources in the updated set.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the resource finder is further configured to attempt to reach each resource in the space, such that if a resource cannot be reached, then it is assumed the resource no longer remains in the space.

44. The system of claim 36 wherein resource identification includes a MAC address of a resource.

45. The system of claim 36 wherein resource identification includes a UPnP UUID of a resource.

46. The system of claim 37 wherein the signature generator is further configured to generate the signature as an ordered list of the hash values of the UUIDs.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the signature generator is further configured to generate the signature as an ordered list of the hash values of the UUIDs and a list of name-value pairs, wherein the name represents the resource.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the name of a resource allows access to the resource.

49. The system of claim 36 wherein the signature generator is further configured to generate a signature that further includes location information for the space in the signature.

50. The system of claim 36 wherein:

the network space implements a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) network including a DHCP server and one or more DHCP clients;

the resource finder is further configured to obtain a DHCP client table from the DHCP server, and construct a list of a set of reachable resources by pinging all or a subset of the resources in the client table to determine if they are reachable; and

the signature generator is further configured to generate the signature by computing a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

51. The system of claim 36 wherein:

the network space implements a UPnP network including a UPnP control point and one or more DHCP resources;

the resource finder is further configured to discover reachable resources using UPnP protocols, and construct a list of a set of the reachable resources; and

the signature generator is further configured to compute a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

52. The system of claim 36 wherein:

the network space implements a wireless network including wireless resources;

the resource finder is further configured to discover reachable resources using wireless protocols, and constructing a list of a set of the reachable resources; and

the signature generator is further configured to generate a space signature using the identification list of the set of reachable resources.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the signature generator is implemented in a wireless device in the network.