Method and device for searching for and controlling controllees in smart home system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10862698-B2
Application number	US-201415105803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for searching for and controlling controllees in a smart home system. The method for searching for and controlling controllees existing on two or more networks from controllers in a smart home system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: requesting a list of the controllees and receiving the list of the controllees from a server; transmitting a response request signal for requesting a response to the controllees existing in the received list of the controllees; and, when a response signal has not been received from one or more controllees, generating a non-response list for controlling, by the server, the controllees from which the response signal has not been received.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for a control device to discover and control controllees located on two or more networks in a smart home system, the method comprising:
receiving a list of the controllees from a server by transmitting a request for the list of the controllees;
transmitting a reply request signal to the controllees included in the list; and
generating, when no response signal is received from at least one of the controllees, a non-replied controllee list for controlling the controllees from which no response signal is received via the server,
wherein the non-replied controllee list includes controllees determined to not be controllable by the control device, and to be controlled by the server, when the non-replied controllee list is generated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reply request signal comprises an identifier of the controllee and a reply request message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response signal comprises an identifier of the controllee and a response message.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, when a request for controlling a controllee included in the list of the controllees is made, whether the controllee is present in the non-replied controllee list; and
controlling, when the controllee is present in the non-replied controllee list, the controllee via the server by transmitting a control request message.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising receiving a control result message from the server.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising displaying at least one of control result and state of the controllee which are acquired based on the control result message received from the server.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising transmitting, when the controllee is absent in the non-replied controllee list, the control signal to the controllee.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving a control response signal from the controllee.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising displaying at least one of control result and state of the controllee which are acquired based on the control result message received from the controllee.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the reply request signal to the controllees comprises transmitting the reply request signal via an access point capable of communicating with the control device.

11. A control device for discovering and controlling controllees located on two or more networks in a smart home system, the control device comprising:
a communication interface for communicating data with the networks and data with a server;
a memory for storing a list of the controllees and a non-replied controllee list; and
a control unit which controls receiving the list of the controllees from a server and storing the list in the memory, transmitting a reply request signal to the controllees included in the list through the communication interface, and generating, when no response signal is received from at least one of the controllees, the non-replied controllee list for controlling the controllees from which no response signal is received via the server and storing the non-replied controllee list in the memory,
wherein the non-replied controllee list includes controllees determined to not be controllable by the control device, and to be controlled by the server, when the non-replied controllee list is generated.

12. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the reply request signal comprises an identifier of the controllee and a reply request message.

13. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the response signal comprises an identifier of the controllee and a response message.

14. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the control unit determines, when a request for controlling a controllee included in the list of the controllees is made, whether the controllee is present in the non-replied controllee list and controls, when the controllee is present in the non-replied controllee list, the controllee via the server by transmitting a control request message.

15. The control device of claim 14 , further comprising a display for displaying state information of the controllee,
wherein the control unit controls the display to display at least one of control result and state of the controllee which are acquired based on the control result message received from the server through the communication interface.

16. The control device of claim 14 , wherein the control unit controls transmitting, when the controllee is absent in the non-replied controllee list, the control signal to the controllee through the communication interface.

17. The control device of claim 16 , further comprising a display for displaying
state information of the controllee,
wherein the control unit controls displaying, when a control response signal is received from the controllee, at least one of the control result and state of the controllee which is acquired from the received control response signal.

18. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the control unit controls transmitting the reply request signal by means of the communication interface via an access point capable of communicating with the control device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bae Eunhui
• Kong Dongkeon
• Kim Sehoon
• Kim Junhyung

Classifications

• H04W76/00

  Connection management · CPC title

• H04L12/12

  Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• H04L12/2834

  Switching of information between an external network and a home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856) · CPC title

• H04L12/2809

  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 title