CN112152889A

CN112152889A - Method of controlling electronic device, computing device, and computer-readable storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN112152889A
Application number: CN201910576989.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 冯俐俐; 吴钦浩
Original assignee: Schneider Electric Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Schneider Electric Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2019-06-28
Filing date: 2019-06-28
Publication date: 2020-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-28
Also published as: CN112152889B

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods of controlling electronic devices, computing devices, and computer-readable storage media. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising: establishing a connection with a multifunctional interface device via a first protocol; receiving information of an electronic device connected with the multi-function interface apparatus through a second protocol, the second protocol being different from the first protocol; and sending the information of the electronic equipment to the cloud network equipment. In this way, the embodiments of the present disclosure can implement connection of the electronic device with the cloud network device, thereby enabling a user of the electronic device to control the electronic device through the cloud network device.

Description

Method of controlling electronic device, computing device, and computer-readable storage medium

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of device control, and more particularly, to a method of controlling an electronic device, a computing device, and a computer-readable storage medium.

Background

The intelligent home is characterized in that a home is used as a platform, facilities related to home life are integrated by utilizing a comprehensive wiring technology, a network communication technology, a safety precaution technology, an automatic control technology, an audio and video technology and the like, an efficient management system of home facilities and family schedule affairs is constructed, home safety, convenience, comfortableness and artistry are improved, and an environment-friendly and energy-saving living environment is realized.

The cloud technology or the cloud network technology is a hosting technology for unifying series resources such as hardware, software, networks and the like in a wide area network or a local area network to realize the calculation, storage, processing and sharing of data. With the development of cloud technology, the smart home based on the cloud technology can better provide control over home electronic equipment for a user. However, so far, smart home devices based on cloud technology are still rarely implemented.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, computing devices, and computer-readable storage media for controlling electronic devices.

In a first aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling an electronic device is provided. The method comprises the following steps: establishing a connection with a multifunctional interface device via a first protocol; receiving information of an electronic device connected with the multifunctional interface apparatus through a second protocol, the second protocol being different from the first protocol; and sending the information of the electronic equipment to the cloud network equipment.

In a second aspect of the disclosure, a computing device is provided. The computing device includes at least one processing unit; at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit, the instructions when executed by the at least one processing unit causing a computing device to perform acts comprising: establishing a connection with a multifunctional interface device via a first protocol; receiving information of an electronic device connected with the multifunctional interface apparatus through a second protocol, the second protocol being different from the first protocol; and sending the information of the electronic equipment to the cloud network equipment.

In a third aspect of the disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer readable storage medium has stored thereon machine executable instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform any of the steps of the method described according to the first aspect of the disclosure.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Drawings

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts throughout the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented;

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of an example method for controlling an electronic device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary identifier of an electronic device generated in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of an example device that may be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure.

Like or corresponding reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

The term "include" and variations thereof as used herein is meant to be inclusive in an open-ended manner, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "or" means "and/or". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions are also possible below.

In the context of the present disclosure, many cloud network devices provided by cloud providers only support connecting with cloud network devices using a particular communication protocol and a particular type of electronic device to enable the electronic device to use various services provided by the cloud network device. For an electronic device that does not use a specific communication protocol or a device other than a specific type (for example, a multifunction interface device other than a specific type), it is impossible to connect with a cloud network device, and thus control of the electronic device is impossible through the cloud network device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure propose a solution for controlling an electronic device to address one or more of the above problems and other potential problems. The scheme can realize the control of the electronic equipment by utilizing the multifunctional interface device connected with the electronic equipment, the information of the electronic equipment and the cloud network equipment. In this way, the user of the electronic device is enabled to control each electronic device individually, and the location of the device can be known, and also a unified control of a group of electronic devices connected to the multifunction interface device can be achieved.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example environment 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. As shown in fig. 1, environment 100 includes cloud network device 110, network switching device 120, multifunction interface device 130, and electronic devices 140-1 to 140-5 (for convenience of description, electronic devices 140-1 to 140-5 are also collectively referred to as electronic devices 140 hereinafter). It should be understood that the architecture of environment 100 is described for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of the disclosure. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to environments other than environment 100. It should be understood that the specific numbers of the devices described above are given for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the disclosure. For example, embodiments of the disclosure may also be applied to more or fewer devices.

The cloud network device 110 may be, for example, a distributed computer, a virtual machine, a server, etc., provided by a cloud provider, having powerful computing capabilities. The network switching device 120 is a device that implements interconnection between networks different in protocol, such as an IP gateway or the like. The multifunction interface device 130 is a device having a plurality of protocol interfaces, which can be connected to apparatuses using different protocols. The multifunction interface device 130 has a plurality of channels and can be connected to several tens of different types of electronic apparatuses. The electronic device 140 is a household device such as an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a television, a floor heating, a fresh air system, and the like.

The network switching device 120 may be directly connected to the cloud network device 110 through a network such as a cellular network, an LTE network, or the like. The network switching device 120 may also be connected to the multifunction interface apparatus 130 via a first protocol such as Zigbee, and the multifunction interface apparatus 130 may be connected to the electronic device 140 via a second protocol such as RS-485.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a flowchart of an example method 200 for controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, method 200 may be performed by network switching device 120 as shown in fig. 1. It should be understood that method 200 may also be performed by other devices, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. It should also be understood that method 200 may also include additional acts not shown and/or may omit acts shown, as the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this respect. The method 200 is described in detail below in conjunction with fig. 1.

At 210, the network switching device 120 establishes a connection with the multifunction interface device 130 via a first protocol.

In some embodiments, the first protocol is such as the Zigbee protocol or the like. Since the electronic device 140 cannot support the first protocol but supports a second protocol different from the first protocol, for example, RS-485 protocol, the electronic device 140 can only communicate with the multifunction interface apparatus 130 that also supports the second protocol, but cannot directly communicate with the network switching device 120, and thus cannot communicate with the cloud network device 110. In case the multifunction interface device 130 is configured with suitable parameters, the network switching apparatus 120 may establish a connection with the multifunction interface device 130 and thus indirectly with the electronic apparatus 140.

In some embodiments, the parameters are such as baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits, and the like. It should be noted that the examples of parameters given herein are merely illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this respect.

At 220, the network switching device 120 receives information of the electronic device 140 connected with the multifunction interface apparatus 130 through the second protocol.

In some embodiments, the network switching device 120 may receive user input to obtain information for the electronic device 140. Alternatively, the network switching device 120 may receive the information of the electronic device 140 through other manners. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. The information of the electronic device 140 is used to describe or identify the electronic device 140, such as, but not limited to, an identifier, a type, a location, a name, etc. of the electronic device 140.

In particular, in some embodiments, the information related to the electronic device 140 received by the network switching device 120 may include an identifier of the electronic device 140. The identifier may be a unique identifier, such as a Media Access Control (MAC) address or the like, addressable by cloud network device 110 and network switching device 120. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the identifier may be another identifier that can uniquely identify the electronic device 140.

Additionally or alternatively, in other embodiments, the information related to the electronic device 140 received by the network switching device 120 may also include the type, location, name, etc. of the electronic device 140. The type of the electronic device 140 may indicate which of an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a television, a floor heating, a fresh air system, etc., the electronic device 140 belongs to, for example. The location of the electronic device 140 may include, for example, a location, floor, room, etc. in which the electronic device 140 is installed. The name of the electronic device 140 may be, for example, an Identification (ID), a model number, etc. of the electronic device 140.

It should be understood that the above description of information regarding electronic device 140 is exemplary only, and not limiting. In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the information related to the electronic device 140 received by the network switching device 120 may also include other suitable information.

At 230, the network switching device 120 sends the information of the electronic device 140 to the cloud network device 110. After receiving the information, the cloud network device 110 may store the information in association with the electronic device 140, for example, in a predetermined database or storage. In this manner, cloud network device 110 is able to subsequently communicate with electronic device 140, such as to send instructions to electronic device 140 or to receive information from electronic device 140, via network switching device 120 and multifunction interface device 130.

Additionally, in some embodiments, after the connection between electronic device 140 and cloud network device 110 is established, when network switching device 120 receives a message for electronic device 140 from cloud network device 110, network switching device 120 may send the message to multifunction interface device 130 to cause multifunction interface device 130 to send the message to electronic device 140 to enable control of electronic device 140. The message is, for example, control information of the electronic device 140 that is sent to the cloud network device 110 by a user of the electronic device 140 through a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer connected to the cloud network device 110, or may be control information or an operation command of the cloud network device itself for the electronic device 140. Similarly, the electronic device 140 may also send local information, such as temperature, humidity, running time, timing information, etc., to the cloud network device 110 via the multifunction interface device 130 and the network switching device 120.

The method according to the above-described exemplary embodiment may implement connection of the electronic device with the cloud network device using the multifunctional interface apparatus connected with the electronic device, information of the electronic device, and the cloud network device, thereby enabling a user of the electronic device to control the electronic device through the cloud network device.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary identifier 300 of the generated electronic device 140, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An exemplary identifier 300 of the electronic device 140 is described in detail below in conjunction with fig. 1 and 3.

In some embodiments, the identifier 300 of the electronic device 140 may be generated by address information 310 of the multi-function interface device 130, a channel number 320 corresponding to a connection between the multi-function interface device 130 and the electronic device 140, and a serial number 330 of the electronic device 140.

As shown in fig. 1, the multi-function interface device 130 is communicatively coupled to a set of electronic devices 140. In some embodiments, the multifunction interface device 130 is configured to: to connect with different kinds of electronic devices 140 on different channels. For example, the channel 1 is connected with two air conditioners 140-1 and 140-2, the channel 2 is connected with a fresh air system 140-3, and the channel 3 is connected with two floor heaters 140-4 and 140-5.

In some embodiments, the address information 310 of the functional interface device 130 may be, for example, a MAC address. Through the address information 310 of the functional interface device 130, the network switching device 120 and/or the cloud network device 110 may locate the functional interface device 130 in the network. The channel number 320 may indicate the category of the electronic device 140. The serial number 330 of the electronic device 140 may distinguish the electronic device 140 from other electronic devices 140 on the same channel.

It should be noted that the connection arrangements and the number of devices illustrated herein are exemplary and not limiting. In other embodiments, other connection arrangements of the multifunction interface device 130 with the electronic device 140 may be employed. A greater or lesser number of functional interface devices 130 and electronic devices 140 may also be employed. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

The identifier generated according to the above embodiments may enable the electronic device to have a unique identifier that may be located by the network switching device and/or the cloud network device in the network. Connection of the electronic device with the cloud network device is made possible. It is also possible for the user of the electronic device to control each electronic device individually and to know the location of the electronic device. In addition, a unified method of configuring the multi-function interface device may also be provided.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of an example device 400 that may be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, network switching device 120 as shown in fig. 1 may be implemented by device 400. As shown in fig. 4, device 400 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU)401 that may perform various appropriate actions and processes in accordance with computer program instructions stored in a Read Only Memory (ROM)402 or loaded from a storage unit 408 into a Random Access Memory (RAM) 403. In the RAM 403, various programs and data required for the operation of the device 400 can also be stored. The CPU 401, ROM 402, and RAM 403 are connected to each other via a bus 404. An input/output (I/O) interface 405 is also connected to bus 404.

A number of components in device 400 are connected to I/O interface 405, including: an input unit 406 such as a keyboard, a mouse, or the like; an output unit 407 such as various types of displays, speakers, and the like; a storage unit 408 such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or the like; and a communication unit 409 such as a network card, modem, wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 409 allows the device 400 to exchange information/data with other devices via a computer network, such as the internet, and/or various telecommunication networks.

The various processes and processes described above, such as method 200, may be performed by processing unit 401. For example, in some embodiments, the method 200 may be implemented as a computer software program tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, such as the storage unit 408. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program may be loaded and/or installed onto the device 400 via the ROM 402 and/or the communication unit 409. When loaded into RAM 403 and executed by CPU 401, may perform one or more of the acts of method 200 described above.

The present disclosure may be methods, apparatuses, systems, computer-readable storage media. Computer readable program instructions may be carried on a computer readable storage medium for carrying out various aspects of the present disclosure.

The computer readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store the instructions for use by the instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic memory device, a magnetic memory device, an optical memory device, an electromagnetic memory device, a semiconductor memory device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanical coding device, such as punch cards or in-groove projection structures having instructions stored thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer-readable storage media as used herein is not to be construed as transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., optical pulses through a fiber optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through electrical wires.

The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a respective computing/processing device, or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and/or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmission, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in the respective computing/processing device.

The computer program instructions for carrying out operations of the present disclosure may be assembler instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C + + or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, the electronic circuitry that can execute the computer-readable program instructions implements aspects of the present disclosure by utilizing the state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, such as a programmable logic circuit, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or a Programmable Logic Array (PLA).

Various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processing unit of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Having described embodiments of the present disclosure, the foregoing description is intended to be exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used herein were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or technical improvements to the techniques in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electronic device, comprising:

establishing a connection with a multifunctional interface device via a first protocol;

receiving information of an electronic device connected with the multifunctional interface apparatus through a second protocol, the second protocol being different from the first protocol; and

and sending the information of the electronic equipment to the cloud network equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information of the electronic device comprises:

an identifier of the electronic device is received.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier of the electronic device is generated based on:

address information of the multi-function interface device;

a channel number corresponding to a connection between the multi-function interface device and the electronic device; and

a serial number of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving information of the electronic device further comprises receiving at least one of:

a type of the electronic device;

a location of the electronic device; and

a name of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first protocol is a Zigbee protocol and the second protocol is an RS-485 protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving a message from the cloud network device for the electronic device, sending the message to the multifunction interface device to cause the multifunction interface device to send the message to the electronic device.

7. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processing unit;

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit, the instructions when executed by the at least one processing unit causing the computing device to perform acts comprising:

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein to receive information of the electronic device comprises to:

an identifier of the electronic device is received.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the identifier of the electronic device is generated based on:

address information of the multi-function interface device;

a serial number of the electronic device.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein receiving information of the electronic device further comprises receiving at least one of:

a type of the electronic device;

a location of the electronic device; and

a name of the electronic device.

11. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the first protocol is a Zigbee protocol and the second protocol is an RS-485 protocol.

12. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the actions further comprise:

13. A computer readable storage medium tangibly storing thereon machine executable instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-6.