Network system

• US 8,732,292 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Yoshihiko, Hatanaka, Tomoyuki, Oda, Tomohiro, Komoda, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, PETER C
• Application Number:
  US13/401,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• 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 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A network system suitable for remote monitoring or remote control of equipments is provided. When an execution of a server-side object is requested from a client terminal device to a server, the server requests an execution of an equipment-side object to the equipment(s). The execution request of the server-side object from the client terminal device is performed by use of a first identifier assigned to the server-side object, and the execution request of the equipment-side object is performed by use of a second identifier assigned to the equipment-side object. Since the server has an identifier setting function of setting a correspondence relation between the first identifier and the second identifier, it is possible to reduce burden on the client terminal device, and flexibly cope with cases of exchanging and increasing the equipment(s) in the network system without considering specific identification information of the equipments such as IP address.

Claims

1. A network system comprising at least one equipment, a client terminal device, and a server connected between said equipment and said client terminal device via a network, and configured such that said client terminal device requests an execution of a server-side object to said server, and then said server requests an execution of an equipment-side object to said equipment,

the execution request of said server-side object from said client terminal device is performed by use of a first identifier assigned to said server-side object, and the execution request of said equipment-side object from said server is performed by use of a second identifier assigned to said equipment-side object,

said second identifier comprises a unique identifier of said equipment-side object and an interface identifier defined according to a function of said equipment, which executes said equipment-side object according to the execution request of said server-side object using said first identifier from said client terminal device,

said server has a service provision function portion, a service request function portion, and an identifier setting portion configured to set a correspondence relation between said first identifier and said second identifier,

said correspondence relation between said first identifier and at least one of said unique identifier and said interface identifier of said second identifier is set in said identifier setting portion,

said service provision function portion has said server-side object and is configured to, upon receiving the execution request of said server-side object using said first identifier from said client terminal device, execute said server-side object corresponding to said first identifier,

said service request function portion is configured to, when said server-side object is executed, perform the execution request of said equipment-side object using said second identifier including said unique identifier of said equipment-side object or said interface identifier corresponding to said first identifier to said equipment via the network with reference to said correspondence relation set by said identifier setting portion,

said equipment has said equipment-side object, and is configured to, when the information processing portion receives said execution request of said equipment-side object using said second identifier, execute said equipment-side object corresponding to said second identifier, and

said identifier setting portion is configured such that the number of said second identifier of said equipment-side object associated with said first identifier of said server-side object is increased or decreased in response to an increase or decrease in the number of services provided when said equipment executes said equipment-side object according to the execution request of said server-side object from said client terminal device.

2. The network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said first identifier includes a unique identifier of said server-side object and at least one interface identifier defined according to contents of a provision service for client,

said second identifier includes a unique identifier of said equipment-side object and at least one interface identifier defined according to a function of said equipment, and

the correspondence relation between a combination of said unique identifier and said at least one interface identifier of said first identifier and a combination of said unique identifier and said at least one interface identifier of said second identifier is set in said identifier setting portion.

3. The network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said at least one equipment comprises a plurality of equipments having equipment-side objects with different second identifiers, and

the correspondence relation between said first identifier and said second identifiers is set in said identifier setting portion such that said server performs execution requests of said equipment-side objects to said equipments by use of said different second identifiers according to the execution request of said server-side object using said first identifier from said client terminal device.

4. The network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said at least one equipment comprises an equipment having a plurality of equipment-side objects with different second identifiers, and

the correspondence relation between said first identifier and said second identifiers is set in said identifier setting portion such that said server performs execution requests of said equipment-side objects to said equipment by use of said different second identifiers according to the execution request of said server-side object using said first identifier from said client terminal device.

5. The network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said equipment comprises a function portion configured to execute processing for providing a service of said equipment, and an information processing portion configured to give to and receive from said function portion information defined in said equipment-side object and needed to provide the service,

said service request function portion is configured to perform the execution request of said equipment-side object using said second identifier to said equipment via the network, and give to and receive from said equipment information corresponding to the service.

6. The network system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the information defined in said equipment-side object is an operation instruction function for service provision, which is given from said information processing portion to the said function portion when said equipment-side object is accessed from said server.