Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
  • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
  • H04L12/2805—Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/50—Network services
  • H04L67/51—Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/02—Details
  • H04L12/12—Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
  • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
  • H04L12/2807—Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network
  • H04L12/2814—Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
  • H04L12/2803—Home automation networks
  • H04L12/2816—Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities
  • H04L12/282—Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities based on user interaction within the home
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/34—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications involving the movement of software or configuration parameters 
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/50—Network services
  • H04L67/56—Provisioning of proxy services
  • H04L67/564—Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
  • H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
  • H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
  • H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
  • H04L9/40—Network security protocols
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/436—Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home

Definitions

• Application management system dedicated to devices connected to a network, application management method, access terminal, application server and apparatus for such a system
• the present invention relates to an application management system dedicated to devices connected to a network.
• the invention relates to such a system, comprising means for detecting the connection of a device to the network and an access terminal to at least one application server.
• the access terminal is connected to the network and includes means for downloading these applications from the application server.
• the invention also relates to a method for managing applications dedicated to devices connected to a network, an access terminal to at least one application server, the access terminal being connected to a network suitable for the connection of devices, and a device adapted to be connected to a network to which are also connected at least one other device and an access terminal to at least one application server.
• the OSGi forum offers a system which, when a device is connected to the network and declares itself, runs a recognition program for this device. This program consults a table of correspondence between the various devices likely to be connected to the network and a list of sets of devices, each set being associated with a generic Java type interface.
• a generic Java type interface For example, different devices but from the same set, for example all the printers for printers manufactured by different manufacturers, are associated with a common Java type interface comprising Java methods allowing access to the common functions of these printers.
• an application server can download, to an access terminal connected to the network, applications dedicated to the connected devices and then execute these applications, within the framework of the use of one devices connected to the network.
• each device connected to the network has its own control interface which is imposed by the designer of this device.
• device-specific applications are implemented in the device itself and are downloaded to the access terminal as soon as the device is connected to the network. These specific applications are executed to allow for example a system user to control the corresponding device from another device connected to the network and comprising a display screen.
• the invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of a conventional application management system by providing a system making it possible to use the devices connected to the network as well as the applications dedicated to them, without requiring the user to know the modes of use of all these devices.
• the subject of the invention is therefore a system for managing applications dedicated to devices connected to a network, comprising:
• means for detecting the connection of a device to the network and a terminal for accessing at least one application server, the access terminal being connected to the network and comprising means for downloading these applications from of the application server, characterized in that it further comprises means for triggering the downloading means, for downloading at least one application dedicated to said device, when the latter is connected to the network.
• An application management system makes it possible to download, from an application server, applications dedicated to devices, as soon as these are connected to the network.
• these dedicated applications are not designed by the designers of the devices, but by an independent application supplier, which allows for example their standardization.
• the application management system may also include one or more of the following characteristics: - at least one application dedicated to said device is an application for controlling this device;
• the system comprises a single portal for accessing the various services offered by the devices connected to the network, this access portal comprising means for executing the applications dedicated to each connected device; - the access portal is accessible from at least one of the devices connected to the network;
• the access portal comprises a unified man-machine interface for controlling the connected devices and means for integrating the control applications in this unified man-machine interface; - comprising means for detecting the disconnection of a device from the network, the system further comprises means for triggering the removal of applications dedicated to this device when it is disconnected from the network;
• the system includes storage means accessible in reading by the access terminal, for the storage of mapping information between each device likely to be connected to the network and a list of applications dedicated to this device;
• the list of applications includes, for each application, the universal address from which this application can be downloaded by the access terminal; - the network is a local network;
• the application server is accessible by the access terminal through an external information transmission network
• the system includes at least one software bus implemented on the network for the connection of the devices to it and to each other.
• the invention also relates to a method for managing applications dedicated to devices connected to a network comprising a step of detecting the connection of a device to the network, characterized in that it further comprises a step of triggering the download. , by an access terminal to at least one application server, from at least one application dedicated to said device, when the latter is connected to the network.
• At least one application dedicated to said device is a control application for this device, and the method further comprises a step of integrating this control application in a unified man-machine interface for controlling devices connected to the network;
• the method further includes a step of triggering the removal, by the access terminal, of applications dedicated to this device, when the one is disconnected of the network.
• the invention also relates to an access terminal to at least one application server, the access terminal being connected to a network suitable for the connection of devices, and comprising means for downloading applications from the server. applications, characterized in that it further comprises means for triggering the downloading means, for downloading at least one application dedicated to a device, during the connection of the latter to the network.
• the access terminal according to the invention may also include one or more of the following characteristics:
• It includes means for reading access to means for storing correspondence information between each device capable of being connected to the network and a list of applications dedicated to this device.
• the invention also relates to an application server characterized in that it comprises applications dedicated to at least one device connected to a network to which is also connected an access terminal to the application server, these applications being adapted to be integrated into a unified man-machine interface.
• the invention relates to a device suitable for being connected to a network to which at least one other device is also connected and an access terminal to at least one application server dedicated to devices capable of being connected to the network, characterized in that it comprises means for displaying a unified man-machine interface, which comprises means for integrating at least one application dedicated to a device, when the latter is connected to the network.
• the apparatus according to the invention may further include the characteristic that said at least one application is a control application.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the general structure of an application management system according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 shows the successive steps of an application management method, implemented in the system of Figure 1.
• the application management system represented in FIG. 1 comprises a local area network 10 comprising, on the one hand, a local subnet 12 of the IEEE 1394 type, supporting a software bus of the HAVi® type and, on the other hand, an Ethernet type sub-local 14 supporting a software bus of the Jini TM type.
• a video recorder 16 is connected to the IEEE ⁇ 39 subnetwork.
• a digital multimedia terminal 18 (from the English “Set Top Box”) is connected to the same IEEE 1394 subnet. This digital multimedia terminal 18 is also connected to a television set 20 and to a satellite dish. reception of broadcast digital programs.
• a microcomputer 24 associated with a digital camera 26 is, for its part, connected to the Ethernet subnet 14 and includes means for exchanging information with the Jini TM software bus, to simulate a Jini TM camera. Subsequently, we will therefore designate Jini TM 27 digital camera, this assembly consisting of the microcomputer 24 and the digital camera 26.
• an access terminal 28 is connected to the local network 10, that is to say to the local Ethernet subnet and to the local IEEE 1394 subnet.
• This access terminal 28 is also connected to an external network 30 for transmitting information, such as the Internet. Conventionally, this connection is ensured by means of a link 32 of the xDSL type.
• An application server 34 is also connected to the Internet network 30.
• This application server includes a plurality of applications dedicated in particular to devices 16, 18, 20, 24 and 26 connected to the local network 10.
• these dedicated applications include control applications for each of the aforementioned devices.
• the access terminal 28 can access, through the Internet 30, the application server 34, in order to download the applications dedicated to the devices connected on the local network 10.
• the access terminal 28 is connected to a database 36 which, as shown in FIG. 1, can be directly connected locally to the access terminal 28, or else connected to the latter by the Internet network 30.
• the database 36 comprises, for example, in the form of a correspondence table, several lists of applications dedicated to devices capable of being connected to the local network 10.
• the database 36 includes a list of applications dedicated to this Jini TM digital camera 27.
• the database 36 includes, for each device capable of being connected to the local network 10, and therefore for the Jini® digital camera 27:
• the access terminal 28 comprises means for managing the software buses implemented on the subnets to which it is connected.
• the access terminal 28 includes means 38 for managing the HAVi® software bus.
• it includes means 40 for managing the Jini TM software bus.
• These management means 38 and 40 are suitable for the automatic detection of the connection of a device to the local network 10. Likewise, they are suitable for the detection of the automatic disconnection of this device.
• the management means 38 and 40 of the software buses are connected to an interface 42 of the access terminal 28.
• This interface 42 materializes the separation between the part of the access terminal 28 connected to the local network 10 and the part of the terminal. access 28 connected to the Internet 30.
• the access terminal 28 comprises means 44 for downloading applications dedicated to devices connected to the local network 10.
• the access terminal 28 also comprises means 46 for triggering the download or deleting applications.
• trigger means 46 are connected to the interface 42, in order to receive information concerning the connection of a device to the local network 10 or its disconnection. They are also connected to the database 36, either directly or indirectly via the downloading means 44 and the Internet network 30, for the correspondence between the device detected as connected or disconnected and the list of corresponding dedicated applications. Finally, the triggering means 46 are connected to the download means 44, to request these when new applications dedicated to a device which has just been connected to the local network 10 must be downloaded from the application server 34, if they are not yet present on the access terminal 28.
• the access terminal 28 includes a portal 48 for accessing the downloaded applications.
• This access portal 48 includes means for storing the applications downloaded by the access terminal 28, or at least links allowing it to access them.
• the access portal 48 includes a man-machine interface 50 in the form of an HTML page.
• This man-machine interface 50 presents, for example, in symbolic form the local area network 10 and the various devices capable of being connected to it. It is accessible by the television set 20, which can then display it on its screen.
• the access portal 48 includes means 52 for integrating the applications downloaded by the means 44, in the man-machine interface 50.
• a control interface for this Jini TM 27 digital camera appears. on the screen, if the Jini TM 27 digital camera is actually connected to the Ethernet subnet.
• This control interface corresponds to the control application dedicated to the Jini TM 27 digital camera, this application being designed by the application supplier and made available on the application server 34.
• the application supplier is moreover also, for example, the supplier of the man-machine interface 50, so that the latter, integrating the various applications dedicated to devices connected to the local network 10, becomes a unified interface for controlling the apparatuses 16, 18, 20, 24 and 26.
• FIGS. 2 and 3 the successive stages of an application management method implemented in the system described above, during the connection of a device on the local network 10 or its disconnection.
• the method shown in Figure 2 and implemented when connecting an appliance to the local network 10, includes a first step 60 of connection.
• a user connects a device to the local network 10, for example the Jini TM digital camera 27.
• the Jini TM 2.7 digital camera spontaneously declares itself to the means 40 for managing the Jini TM software bus.
• the Jini TM digital camera 27 transmits to the management means 40 the information making it possible to uniquely identify it.
• This step constitutes an automatic detection of the connection of the Jini TM 27 digital camera.
• the management means 40 transmit this information to the triggering means 46, via the interface 42.
• the triggering means 46 consult the database 36 to search for the list of applications dedicated to the Jini TM 27 digital camera.
• the access terminal 28 checks, for each dedicated application in the list, if it is already installed in the access portal 48. If it is the case, we then go to a step 72 which will be described later, otherwise we go to a step 70 of downloading.
• the downloading means 44 connect to the application server 34 and, thanks to the universal URL address provided by the triggering means 46, download the corresponding dedicated application from the application server 34 This application is integrated into the access portal 48 during the next step 72.
• step 74 the man-machine interface 50 is updated.
• the method represented in FIG. 3 and implemented during the disconnection of an apparatus from the local network 10 comprises a first step 78 of disconnection of this apparatus.
• This first step 78 is followed by three steps 80, 82 and 84, respectively identical to steps 62, 64 and 66 of the method described above.
• Step 84 is followed by a test step 86, during which the access terminal 28 checks, for each of the dedicated applications in the list transmitted by the triggering means 46, whether this makes it possible to order other devices that are still connected to the local network 10.
• step 88 the access terminal 28 uninstalls this application.
• step 88 or following step 86 if the dedicated application is used for another connected device, we go to step 90, during which the man-machine interface 50 is updated, so that the applications dedicated to the disconnected device no longer appear on the display screen of the television device 20.
• the application management system described above allows a user to control devices connected to a local network simply and in a user-friendly manner.
• the man-machine interface 50 which he can visualize on the display screen of his television device 20, offers the user a unified way of accessing the control of the various connected devices. The user therefore no longer needs to know the specific operating instructions for each device.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
• Stored Programmes (AREA)
• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
• Small-Scale Networks (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8869766

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (14)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2001
  • 2001-11-23 FR FR0115234A patent/FR2832888B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2002
  • 2002-11-06 KR KR1020047007887A patent/KR20050043792A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2002-11-06 EP EP02795369A patent/EP1446922A2/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2002-11-06 WO PCT/FR2002/003795 patent/WO2003045011A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2002-11-06 US US10/496,596 patent/US20050076153A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-11-06 AU AU2002360164A patent/AU2002360164A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-11-06 JP JP2003546529A patent/JP2005510179A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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