Legacy device bridge for residential or non-residential networks

• US 8,793,746 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ID8 Group R2 Studios Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Krzyzanowski, Paul, Lin, Wayzen
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US13/178,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110261834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 725 78- 85, 710/65, 710/72, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• 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 12/282 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 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A legacy device bridge for use in a network, such as a wired or wireless residential network, is provided. The legacy device bridge performs protocol conversion to enable a network-attached entity that uses a packet-based communication protocol to communicate with and control legacy devices, such as consumer electronics, that rely exclusively on infrared (IR) or serial communication protocols. The legacy device bridge also performs a virtualization function that allows legacy devices to be advertised to the network as devices that comply with a packet-based discovery and control protocol, and to be controlled as such. The legacy device bridge is also adapted to probe, deduce and publish information relating to the state of a legacy device to other entities on the network.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a consumer electronic device via a network that communicates information in accordance with a packet-based communication protocol, wherein the consumer electronic device is not adapted for communication in accordance with the packet-based communication protocol, comprising:

receiving a command from a device communicatively coupled to the network, wherein the command is formatted in accordance with the packet-based communication protocol;

determining if the command originated from a particular control server communicatively coupled to the network;

in response to determining that the command did originate from the particular control server,

converting the command into a format suitable for communication with the consumer electronic device; and

transmitting the converted command to the consumer electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the command from the device communicatively coupled to the network comprises receiving a command formatted in accordance with an Internet Protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the command originated from the particular control server communicatively coupled to the network comprises comparing an address associated with the command to a network address associated with the particular control server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing the network address associated with the particular control server, wherein storing the network address associated with the particular control server comprises storing an address associated with a first packet received from the control server after becoming communicatively connected to the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the command comprises a generic command for controlling devices communicatively coupled to the network, and wherein the converting the command into the format suitable for communication with the consumer electronic device comprises:

translating the generic command to at least one proprietary command for controlling the consumer electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an infrared signal from an infrared beacon to a portable controller device communicatively coupled to the network, the infrared signal for providing the portable controller device with location awareness information, wherein the infrared signal and signals for communicating with the consumer electronic device are multiplexed onto a single infrared emitter/receiver pair.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring a network address for communication with the consumer electronic device; and

providing the network address to one or more devices communicatively coupled to the network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular control server communicatively coupled to the network is a unique control server.

9. A legacy device bridge for controlling a consumer electronic device via a network that communicates information in accordance with a packet-based communication protocol, wherein the consumer electronic device does not communicate in accordance with the packet-based communication protocol, the legacy device bridge comprising:

a network interface that receives a command from a device communicatively coupled to the network, wherein the command is formatted in accordance with the packet-based communication protocol;

determining means for determining if the command originated from a particular control server communicatively coupled to the network;

conversion means for converting the command into a format suitable for communication with the consumer electronic device; and

a legacy device interface for transmitting the converted command to the consumer electronic device;

wherein the conversion means and the legacy device interface operate only responsive to a determination by the determining means that the command originated from the particular control server.

10. The legacy device bridge of claim 9, wherein the command is formatted in accordance with an Internet Protocol.

11. The legacy device bridge of claim 9, wherein the network interface comprises a wireless network interface, and wherein the legacy device interface comprises a wireless infrared interface.

12. The legacy device bridge of claim 9, wherein the determining means comprises means for comparing an address associated with the command to a network address associated with the particular control server.

13. The legacy device bridge of claim 12, further comprising:

storing means for storing the network address associated with the particular control server, wherein the storing means comprises means for storing an address associated with a first packet received from a control server after becoming communicatively connected to the network.

14. The legacy device bridge of claim 9, wherein the command comprises a generic command for controlling devices communicatively coupled to the network, and wherein the conversion means comprises means for translating the generic command to at least one proprietary command for controlling the consumer electronic device.

15. The legacy device bridge of claim 9, further comprising:

a beacon that transmits an infrared signal to a portable controller device communicatively coupled to the network, the infrared signal for providing the portable controller device with location awareness information, wherein the infrared signal and signals for communicating with the consumer electronic device are multiplexed onto a single infrared emitter/receiver pair.

16. The legacy device bridge of claim 9, further comprising:

virtualization means for acquiring a network address for communication with the consumer electronic device and for providing the network address to one or more devices communicatively coupled to the network.

17. The legacy device bridge of claim 9, wherein the particular control server communicatively coupled to the network is a unique server.

18. A network system, comprising:

a network that communicates information in accordance with a packet-based communication protocol;

a consumer electronic device that does not communicate in accordance with the packet-based communication protocol;

a legacy device bridge coupled to the network; and

a controller device coupled to the network that generates a command for controlling the consumer electronic device, wherein the command is formatted in accordance with the packet-based communication protocol;

wherein the legacy device bridge receives the command via the network, determines if the command originated from a particular control server communicatively coupled to the network, and, in response to a determination that the command did originate from the particular control server;

converts the command into a format suitable for communication with the consumer electronic device, and

transmits the converted command to the consumer electronic device.

19. The network system of claim 18, wherein the command comprises a generic command for controlling devices communicatively coupled to the network, and wherein the particular control server receives the generic command from the controller device, translates the generic command to at least one proprietary command for controlling the consumer electronic device, and transmits the at least one proprietary command to the legacy device bridge.

20. The network system of claim 18, wherein the legacy device bridge stores a network address associated with the particular control server and ignores commands received from devices coupled to the network having a network address that is not the same as the network address of the particular control server.

21. The network of claim 20, wherein the legacy device bridge stores the network address associated with the particular control server by storing an address associated with a first packet received from a control server after becoming communicatively connected to the network.

22. The network system of claim 18, wherein the legacy device bridge transmits an infrared signal comprising a particular identifier of the legacy device bridge to the controller device, wherein the controller device accesses location awareness information associated with the particular identifier, and wherein the infrared signal and signals for communicating with the consumer electronic device are multiplexed onto a single infrared emitter/receiver pair.

23. The network system of claim 18, wherein the particular control server communicatively coupled to the network is a unique control server.