Method and apparatus for a home network auto-tree builder

• US 7,039,858 B2
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Humpleman, Richard James, Harms, G. Kevin, Deacon, Michael S., Wolff, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BASHORE, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/104,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,869 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-218, 709/321, 348/461, 348/10, 370/352, 370/356, 379/90.01, 715/501.1, 345/733
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• 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 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• 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 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 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 12/2818 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 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/462 LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 : using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 : for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• 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 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• 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 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 : characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 : home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 : Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 : Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 : Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 : Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 : Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A method and system is provided for detecting, commanding and controlling diverse home devices currently connected to a home network. An interface is provided for accessing the home devices that are currently connected to a home network. According to the method, a device link file is generated, wherein the device link file identifies home devices that are currently connected to the home network. A device link page is created, wherein the device link page contains a device button that is associated with each home device that is identified in the device link file. A hyper-text link is associated with each device button, wherein the hyper-text link provides a link to an HTML page that is contained on the home device that is associated with the device button, and the device link page is displayed on a browser based home device.

Claims

1. A method for providing an interface for accessing home devices that are currently connected to a home network, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a device list file in an autonomous and dynamic manner, wherein the device list file identifies home devices that are currently connected to the home network, and periodically refreshing the device list file by;

autonomously detecting that a home device is currently connected to the home network,

associating a logical device name with the home device, and

storing the logical device name in the device list file;

creating a device link page, wherein the device link page contains at least one graphical or textual representation of corresponding devices that are identified in the device list file;

associating a hyper-text link with each device representation, wherein the hyper-text link provides a link to a web page that is contained in the device that is associated with the device representation; and

displaying the device link page on a browser based device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the device link page includes the step of:

retrieving a logical device name from the device list file;

storing the logical device name in the device link page; and

converting the logical device name to a device button.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the device link page includes the steps of:

retrieving a device ICON image from a home device;

creating a device button based on the device ICON image; and

storing the device button in the device link page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the device link page includes the steps of:

retrieving a device LOGO image from a home device;

creating a manufacturer device button based on the device LOGO image; and

storing the manufacturer device button in the device link page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of storing the manufacturer device button in the device link page includes the steps of storing the manufacturer device button in a user definable area of the device link page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating a hyper-text with each device representation, includes the steps of:

retrieving a URL from a home device, wherein the URL is maintained in a properties file associated with the home device; and

associating the URL with the device representation that is associated with the home device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of retrieving the URL from the home device includes the steps of retrieving the URL from a properties file that is stored on the home device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of generating the device list file further includes the steps of dynamically and autonomously updating the device list file as devices are connected to the home network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of generating the device list file further includes the steps of dynamically and autonomously updating the device list file as devices are disconnected from the home network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of generating the device list file further includes the steps of dynamically and autonomously updating the device list file as devices are connected to, and disconnected from, the home network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of generating the device list file further includes the steps of autonomously determining the network location and availability of the devices that are connected to the home network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of generating the device list file further includes the steps of dynamically and autonomously updating the device list file as devices are connected to the home network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of generating the device list file further includes the steps of dynamically and autonomously updating the device list file as devices are disconnected from the home network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of generating the device list file further includes the steps of dynamically and autonomously updating the device list file as devices are connected to, and disconnected from, the home network.

15. An agent that provides an interface for accessing home devices that are currently connected to a home network, the agent comprising:

a list file generator that generates a device list file in an autonomous and dynamic manner, wherein the device list file is dynamically refreshed periodically to identify home devices that are currently connected to the home network;

a link page generator that creates a device link page, wherein the device link page contains at least one graphical or textual representation of corresponding devices that are identified in the device list file, the device link page further including a hyper-text link associated with each device representation, wherein the hyper-text link provides a link to a web page that is contained in the device that is associated with the device representation; and

a renderer that displays the device link page on a browser based device as a graphic user interface.

16. The agent of claim 15 further comprising a session manager that matches device capabilities and user selections in one graphic user interface with device capabilities and user selections in another graphic user interface, to facilitate compatible device selection, thus simplifying use of the home network.

17. The agent of claim 16 wherein the session manager further enables a user to initiate an available service on the home network that can be performed by one or more home devices by:

obtaining particular capabilities of a selected home device by accessing the selected device;

searching particular capabilities of other home devices listed in the device link page for matches to the particular capabilities of the selected home device;

for each other home device found to have a matching capability to the selected home device, allowing the user to select that other home device.