Network communication device for universal plug and play and internet multimedia subsystems networks

• US 7,783,771 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: PANTALONE, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yi, David
• Application Number:
  US11/313,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/201, 709/202, 709/221, 709/227, 709/229, 709/238, 709/248, 370/352, 370/401
• US Class Current: 709/230
• 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 12/2818 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 12/2836 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 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A device and method for seamlessly internetworking local area networks utilizing the Universal Plug and Play protocol with wide area networks utilizing the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem architecture. The network communication device includes a universal plug and play (UPnP) interface and an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) interface. Circuitry is communicatively coupled to the UPnP interface and the IMS interface, wherein the circuitry associates an UPnP session key with an associated electronic equipment for allowing communication between the one or more associated devices and the associated electronic equipment.

Claims

1. A network communication device comprising:

a universal plug and play (UPnP) interface for transmitting and receiving information related to one or more associated devices connected to an associated local area network, wherein at least a portion of the associated local area network utilizes a UPnP protocol and the network communication device is registered on the associated local area network by obtaining a first unique address in the associated local area network;

an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) interface for transmitting and receiving information related to an associated electronic equipment registered to an associated wide area network, wherein at least a portion of the associated wide area network utilizes an IMS protocol and the network communication device is registered on the associated wide area network by obtaining a second unique address in the associated wide area network; and

circuitry communicatively coupled to the UPnP interface and the IMS interface, wherein when a request for information is received from the associated electronic equipment for access to one or more of the associated devices on the associated local area network, authenticating the request by one or more associated devices on the associated local area network, wherein a UPnP session key related to the request for information wherein the UPnP session key is generated by one or more associated devices on the associated local area network, the circuitry associates the UPnP session key with an associated electronic equipment to establish a communication session between the one or more associated devices and the associated electronic equipment and the circuitry provides network address translation to facilitate communication between the one or more associated devices on the associated local area network and the one or more associated electronic equipment on the associated wide area network.

2. The network communication device of claim 1, wherein the UPnP interface receives and transmits signals from at least one of the associated devices through a wireless medium.

3. The network communication device of claim 2, wherein the wireless medium is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, wireless local area network or infrared.

4. The network communication device of claim 1, further including security circuitry coupled to the circuitry to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the one or more associated devices.

5. The network communication device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry converts a format associated with information stored on the one or more of the associated devices to another format for operation on the associated electronic equipment.

6. A program stored on a non-transitory machine readable medium, the program being suitable for use in a network communication device for associating a UPnP session key with an associated electronic equipment to establish a communication session between the one or more associated devices and the associated electronic equipment, wherein;

when the program is loaded in memory in the network communication device and executed, causes the network communication device to register on a local area network by obtaining a first unique address in the local area network, wherein at least a portion of the associated local area network utilizes a UPnP protocol and register on a wide area network by obtaining a second unique address in the wide area network, wherein at least a portion of the associated wide area network utilizes an IMS protocol, and receives a request for information from the associated electronic equipment for access to one or more of the associated devices on the local area network, authenticating the request by one or more associated devices on the local area network, wherein a UPnP session key related to the request for information wherein the UPnP session key is generated by one or more associated devices on the local area network, to facilitate an exchange of information between the one or more associated devices available on the local area network and the associated electronic equipment during the communication session based at least in part on the UPnP session key, wherein the program utilizes network translation to facilitate communication between the one or more associated devices on the local area network and the one or more associated electronic equipment on the wide area network.

7. A communication method that enables a mobile device to join a local area network that utilizes a universal plug and play (UPnP) protocol, the method comprising:

providing a network communication device that includes a UPnP interface, an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS)interface and circuitry coupled to the UPnP interface and the IMS interface, wherein the UPnP interface transmits and receives information related to one or more devices that form at least a portion of the local area network, wherein at least a portion of the local area network utilizes a UPnP protocol; and

the IMS interface transmits and receives information related to the mobile device; and

the circuitry associates a UPnP session key from the local area network with the mobile device to establish a communication session between the one or more devices on the local area network and the mobile device, and the circuitry provides network address translation to facilitate communication between the local area network and the associated wide area network;

registering the network communication device on the local area network;

obtaining a first unique address in the local area network, wherein the local area network includes one or more associated devices utilizing the UPnP protocol;

obtaining a second unique address in a wide area network associated with the mobile device, wherein the wide area network includes one or more devices utilizing the IMS protocol;

receiving a request for information from the mobile device for access to one or more of the devices on the local area network;

authenticating the request by one or more devices coupled to the local area network;

establishing the UPnP session key related to the request for information, wherein the UPnP session key is generated by one or more devices coupled to the local area network; and

associating the UPnP session key with the mobile device to facilitate communication between mobile device and the one or more devices on the local area network.

8. The method of claim 7 further including translating at least a portion of the information requested from the one or more devices on the local area network for use by the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of translating includes translating an address associated with the one or more associated devices to a second address for use by the associated electronic equipment.

10. The method of claim 7 further including transmitting at least a portion of the information requested from the one or more devices on the local are network through the network communication device to the mobile telephone.

11. The method of claim 10 further including encrypting at least the portion of the information transmitted.

12. The method of claim 7 further including parsing the request to determine a requested service desired by the mobile telephone.

13. The method of claim 7 further including converting a format associated with information stored on the one or more of the devices on the local area to another format for operation on the mobile telephone.