System and method of controlling external apparatus connected with device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9842490-B2
Application number	US-201314022556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2013
Priority date	Sep 10, 2012
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A method of controlling an external apparatus connected with a device includes: providing user input information used to determine a user's intention; identifying an external apparatus controllable by a device; providing apparatus information of the identified external apparatus; receiving control information about the external apparatus, which is generated based on the based on the user's intention and the apparatus information; and transmitting a control command to the external apparatus which is generated based on the received control information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an external apparatus, the method comprising:
providing, to a server, a user input information, which is input by a user into a mobile device;
identifying one or more external apparatuses, from a plurality of external apparatuses, which are communicable with and controllable by the mobile device based on the user input information;
providing apparatus information of the one or more external apparatuses, to the server;
receiving, by the mobile device from the server, control information for controlling the one or more external apparatuses based on a user's input and the apparatus information; and
transmitting, by the mobile device, a control command to the one or more external apparatuses, the control command being generated based on the received control information.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a user's intention based on the user's input,
wherein a control condition for controlling the one or more external apparatuses is determined by the server based on the user's intention, and
wherein the control information is generated by the server based on the control condition.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the control information comprises information for checking whether the control condition is satisfied and information for controlling an operation of the one or more external apparatuses when the control condition is satisfied.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising obtaining condition information related to the control condition,
wherein the transmitting the control command comprises transmitting the control command to the one or more external apparatuses when it is determined that the control condition is satisfied based on the obtained condition information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the obtaining the condition information comprises obtaining the condition information from the one or more external apparatuses.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the condition information comprises information about at least one among a location of the mobile device, an environmental condition around the mobile device, and traffic at a preset location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control information comprises a plurality of control commands for controlling an operation of the one or more external apparatuses, and
the plurality of control commands are executed by the one or more external apparatuses in a predetermined order.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input information comprises at least one among a text input by the user, a voice of the user, and a gesture of the user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus information comprises at least one among an identification value of the one or more external apparatuses, a type of the one or more external apparatuses, and a command used to control the one or more external apparatuses.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of external apparatuses provide functions different from one another,
the identifying comprises selecting the one or more external apparatuses configured to execute a function related to a user's intention, from the plurality of external apparatuses, and
the control command is a command for operating the one or more external apparatuses to execute the function according to the user's intention.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program which, when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to execute the method of claim 1 .

12. A method of providing control information, the method comprising:
receiving a user input information from a mobile device;
receiving an apparatus information of a plurality of external apparatuses;
selecting one or more external apparatuses, from the plurality of external apparatuses, which is communicable with and controllable by the mobile device based on the user input information;
generating the control information for controlling the one or more external apparatuses based on a user's input and the apparatus information; and
providing the control information to the mobile device, for transmission to the one or more external apparatuses.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a control condition for controlling the one or more external apparatuses, based on a user's intention,
wherein the user's intention is determined based on the user's input,
wherein the generating the control information comprises generating the control information based on the control condition.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control information comprises information for checking whether the control condition is satisfied and information for controlling an operation of the one or more external apparatuses when the control condition is satisfied.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein condition information related to the control condition is obtained based on the control information, and
wherein the control information is transmitted to the one or more external apparatuses when it is determined that the control condition is satisfied, based on the obtained condition information.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the condition information is obtained by the mobile device by using the one or more external apparatuses.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the condition information comprises information about at least one among a location of the mobile device, an environmental condition around the mobile device, and traffic at a preset location.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control information comprises a plurality of control commands for controlling an operation of the one or more external apparatuses, and
the plurality of control commands are executed by the one or more external apparatuses in a predetermined order.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user input information comprises at least one among a text input by a user, a voice of the user, and a gesture of the user.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus information comprises at least one among an identification value of the one or more external apparatuses, a type of the one or more external apparatuses, and a command used to control the one or more external apparatuses.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of external apparatuses provide functions different from one another,
the one or more external apparatuses configured to execute a function based on a user's intention, is selected from the plurality of external apparatuses, and
the control information is information for operating the one or more external apparatuses to execute the function according to the user's intention.

22. A mobile device comprising:
a memory configured to store a program; and
a processor configured to control one or more external apparatuses, of a plurality of external apparatuses, by executing the program,
wherein the program comprises commands which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
identify the one or more external apparatuses communicable with and controllable by the mobile device based on user input information, from the plurality of external apparatuses;
provide apparatus information of the one or more external apparatuses, to a server;
receive, from the server, a control information for controlling the one or more external apparatuses, the control information being generated based on the user input information and the apparatus information; and
transmit

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Hang-Sik
• Ko Jae-Woo
• Park Se-Jun

Classifications

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04L67/303

  Terminal profiles · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04W88/02 Primary

  Terminal devices · CPC title