System, computer program product and method for managing and controlling a local network of electronic devices

• US 7,136,914 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US09/921,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-224, 455/226.1, 455/226.2, 455/522, 455/69
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/246 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter calculated in said terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/287 when the channel is in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method, control device and computer program product for remotely controlling wireless network devices broadcasting a wireless menu request from a control device to electronic devices connected to a wireless local area network (LAN), receiving a wireless menu response from one of the electronic devices, selecting the one of the electronic devices, and establishing a control connection with the selected electronic device via the wireless LAN. Broadcasting may include transmitting a menu request to a wide variety of electronic devices, or only electronic devices capable of communicating using a predetermined protocol compatible with the control device, such as http. The wireless menu request may be transmitted at a predetermined power that is adjustable to change the communication area of the wireless LAN. Where a plurality of the wireless menu responses are received from a plurality of electronic devices connected to the wireless LAN, the electronic device is selected by displaying a list of the plurality of electronic devices, and selecting one of the plurality of electronic devices based on user selection from the list. The list may be continued on multiple screens and in a predetermined order.

Claims

1. A method of remotely controlling wireless network devices comprising:

broadcasting a wireless menu request from a hand held control device to electronic devices connected to a wireless local area network (LAN);

receiving a wireless menu response from one of said electronic devices, said wireless menu response including an identifier and a menu location associated with said one of said electronic devices;

displaying a representation of said one of said electronic devices on a display of said hand held control device;

selecting said one of said electronic devices based on a user input to said hand held device; and

establishing a control connection with said selected electronic device via said wireless LAN, wherein

said step of broadcasting a wireless menu request comprises broadcasting said menu request to at least one incompatible electronic device connected to the wireless LAN using a communication protocol incompatible with said control device, and

said step of establishing a control connection comprises establishing a control connection between said control device and said selected electronic device via a main server of said wireless LAN, the main server including protocol conversion software for translating communication messages between the control device and selected electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein,

said step of broadcasting comprises transmitting a menu request to electronic devices capable of communicating using a predetermined protocol compatible with the control device, and

said step of receiving comprises also receiving a menu response from another electronic device which is capable of communicating using said predetermined protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting a menu request to electronic devices capable of communicating using a hypertext transfer protocol (http).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of establishing a control connection comprises establishing a control connection directly between the control device and the another electronic device using said predetermined protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said broadcasting comprises transmitting said wireless menu request at a predetermined transmit power corresponding to a communication area of said wireless LAN.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising adjusting said predetermined transmit power on said control device to change said communication area of said wireless LAN.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said transmitting at a predetermined transmit power comprises:

determining a signal strength of said wireless menu response; and

setting a transmit power of said control device based on said signal strength determined.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a plurality of said wireless menu responses from a plurality of electronic devices connected to said wireless LAN.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of selecting said electronic device comprises:

displaying a list of said plurality of electronic devices; and

selecting one of said plurality of electronic devices based on user selection from said list.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying a list comprises displaying a text list of said plurality of electronic devices.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying a list comprises displaying a graphical menu including said plurality of electronic devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of displaying a list comprises:

displaying a first portion of said plurality of electronic devices from which a wireless identification message is received;

displaying an option to display others of said plurality of electronic devices; and

displaying a second portion of said plurality of devices based on user selection of said option to display others of said plurality of electronic devices.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying a list comprises displaying a list of said plurality of electronic devices in a predetermined order.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said displaying a list of said plurality of electronic devices in a predetermined order comprises displaying a list of said plurality of electronic devices based on the frequency of user access to the electronic devices.

31. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a computer system, which when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to perform the steps in the method recited in any one of claims 1–

4 and 5–

14.

15. A hand held control device for remotely controlling wireless network devices comprising:

a transmitter configured to broadcast a wireless menu request from the hand held control device to electronic devices connected to a wireless local area network (LAN);

a receiver configured to receive a wireless menu response from one of said electronic devices, said wireless menu response including an identifier and a menu location associated with said one of said electronic devices; and

a display configured to display a representation of said one of said electronic devices;

a processor in communication with said transmitter and receiver, said processor configured to select said one of said electronic devices in response to a user input to the hand held device, and establish a control connection with said selected electronic device via said wireless LAN, wherein

said transmitter is configured to broadcast a wireless menu request by broadcasting said menu request to at least one incompatible electronic device connected to the wireless LAN and using a communication protocol incompatible with said control device, and

said processor is configured to establish a control connection by establishing a control connection between said control device and said electronic device via a main sewer of said wireless LAN, the main server including protocol conversion software for translating communication messages between the control device and electronic device.

16. The control device of claim 15, wherein,

said transmitter is configured to broadcast a wireless menu request by transmitting a menu request to electronic devices capable of communicating using a predetermined protocol compatible with the control device, and

said receiver is configured to receive a wireless menu response by also receiving a menu response only from another electronic device which is capable of communicating using said predetermined protocol.

17. The control device of claim 16, wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit a menu request by transmitting the menu request to electronic devices capable of communicating using a hypertext transfer protocol (http).

18. The control device of claim 16, wherein said processor is configured to establish a control connection by establishing a control connection directly between the control device and the another electronic device using said predetermined protocol.

19. The control device of claim 15 wherein said transmitter is configured to broadcast a wireless menu request by broadcasting said wireless menu request at a predetermined transmit power corresponding to a communication area of said wireless LAN.

20. The control system of claim 19, further comprising an adjustment device for adjusting said predetermined transmit power on said transmitter to change said communication area of said wireless LAN.

21. The control system of claim 19, wherein said processor is configured to:

determine a signal strength of said wireless menu response; and

set a transmit power of said transmitter based on said signal strength determined.

22. The control system of claim 15, wherein said receiver is configured to receive a plurality of said wireless menu responses from a plurality of electronic devices connected to said wireless LAN.

23. The control system of claim 22, wherein said processor is configured to select said electronic device by:

displaying a list of said plurality of electronic devices on a display; and

selecting one of said plurality of electronic devices based on user selection from said list.

24. The control device of claim 23, wherein said processor is configured to display a list by displaying a text list of said plurality of electronic devices on said display.

25. The control device of claim 23, wherein said processor is configured to display a list by displaying a graphical menu including said plurality of electronic devices on said display.

26. The control device of claim 23, wherein said processor is configured to display a list by:

displaying on the display a first portion of said plurality of electronic devices from which a wireless identification message is received;

displaying on the display an option to display others of said plurality of electronic devices; and

displaying on the display a second portion of said plurality of electronic devices based on user selection of said option to display others of said plurality of electronic devices.

27. The control device of claim 23, wherein said processor displays a list by displaying a list of said plurality of electronic devices on the display in a predetermined order.

28. The control device of claim 27, wherein said processor displays a list of said plurality of electronic devices in a predetermined order by displaying on the display a list of said plurality of devices based on the frequency of user access to the electronic devices.

29. A hand held control device for remotely controlling wireless network devices comprising:

means for broadcasting a wireless menu request from a hand held control device to electronic devices connected to a wireless local area network (LAN);

means for receiving a wireless menu response from one of said electronic devices, said wireless menu response including an identifier and a menu location associated with the one of said electronic devices;

means for displaying a representation of said one of said electronic devices;

means for selecting said electronic device based on a user input to said hand held control device; and

means for establishing a control connection with said selected electronic device via said wireless LAN, wherein

said means for broadcasting a wireless menu request comprises means for broadcasting said menu request to at least one incompatible electronic device connected to the wireless LAN using a communication protocol incompatible with said control device, and

said means for establishing a control connection comprises means for establishing a control connection between said control device and said selected electronic device via a main server of said wireless LAN, the main server including protocol conversion software for translating communication messages between the control device and selected electronic device.

30. The control device of claim 29, wherein said means for broadcasting comprises means for transmitting said wireless menu request at a predetermined transmit power corresponding to a communication area of said wireless LAN, said system further comprising means for adjusting said predetermined transmit power on said control device to change said communication area of said wireless LAN.