APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INFORMING OF AVAILABLE DEVICES IN CONTENTS SHARING NETWORK

• US 20130198638A1
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-Wook, Kim, Young-Ki, Kim, Chul-Seung, Na, Sang-Tae
• Granted Patent: US 9,854,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel

Abstract

A contents sharing network is provided. An operating method of a control device includes determining a current state of possible states in a contents sharing process over a network; and displaying an icon indicating the current state among a plurality of predefined icons. The states are defined as a combination of at least one item of network connection, device discovery, a type of the discovered device, the number of the discovered devices, and existence of an available additional service.

Claims

1. A method for an operation of a control device in a contents sharing network, the method comprising:

determining a current state of possible states in a contents sharing process over a network; and

displaying an icon indicating the current state among a plurality of predefined icons,

wherein the possible states are defined as a combination of at least one item of a network connection, a device discovery, a type of a discovered device, a number of discovered devices, and an existence of an available additional service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state comprises:

determining whether a network is connected,

wherein displaying the icon comprises;

if the network is not connected, displaying an icon indicating no network connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state comprises:

determining whether a network access command of a user has been generated,

wherein displaying the icon comprises;

displaying an icon indicating the network connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state comprises:

determining whether at least one device is discovered in the network,

wherein displaying the icon comprises;

if no device is discovered, displaying an icon indicating no device discovered.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the current state comprises:

determining whether at least one device is discovered in the network,

wherein displaying the icon comprises;

if one device is discovered, displaying an icon indicating the one device discovered.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the icon indicating the one device discovered comprises a mark indicating a type of the one device discovered.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state comprises:

determining whether at least one device is discovered in the network,

wherein displaying the icon comprises;

if a plurality of devices is discovered, displaying an icon indicating multiple devices discovered.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the icon indicating the multiple devices discovered comprises a mark indicating the number of the discovered devices.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

if the icon indicating the multiple devices discovered is clicked, displaying a list of the multiple devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current state comprises:

determining whether it is possible to provide at least one additional service relating to contents which are played,

wherein displaying the icon comprises

if it is possible to provide the at least one additional service, displaying an icon comprising a mark indicating at least one of the existence of the available additional service and a number of available additional services.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

if the icon comprising the mark indicating at least one of the existence of the available additional service and the number of the available additional services is clicked, displaying a list of the available additional services.

12. An apparatus of a control device in a contents sharing network, comprising:

a display unit;

a processor;

a memory; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to execute at least one instruction to determine a current state of possible states in a contents sharing process over a network and cause display of an icon indicating the current state among a plurality of predefined icons, and

the states are defined as a combination of at least one item of a network connection, a device discovery, a type of a discovered device, a number of discovered devices, and an existence of an available additional service.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a network is connected, and cause display of an icon indicating no network connection if the network is not connected.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a network access command of a user has been generated and cause display of an icon indicating the network connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether at least one device is discovered in the network, and cause display of an icon indicating no device discovered if no device is discovered.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether at least one device is discovered in the network, and cause display of an icon indicating one device discovered if the one device is discovered.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the icon indicating the one device discovered comprises a mark indicating a type of the one device discovered.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether at least one device is discovered in the network, and cause display of an icon indicating multiple devices discovered if a plurality of devices is discovered.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the icon indicating the multiple devices discovered comprises a mark indicating the number of the discovered devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein, if the icon indicating the multiple devices discovered is clicked, the processor is further configured to cause display of a list of the multiple devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether it is possible to provide at least one additional service relating to contents which are played, and if it is possible to provide the at least one additional service, the processor is configured to cause display of an icon comprising a mark indicating at least one of the existence of the available additional service and a number of available additional services.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, if the icon comprising the mark indicating at least one of the existence of the available additional service and the number of the available additional services is clicked, the module processor is further configured to cause display of a list of the available additional services.