KR100704624B1 - Universal interface device and method for communication using by universal interface device - Google Patents

Abstract

An integrated interface device and a communication method using the same are provided.

An integrated interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connection unit connected to a plurality of connectors supporting different communication interfaces, a memory unit for storing pin information allocated for each connector of a plurality of pins including the connection unit; And converting the control signal into a control signal of a communication interface applied to a digital information device when the control signal is transmitted through the connection unit, determining a type of a communication interface corresponding to the control signal with reference to the pin information. Contains wealth.

Home network, home control, integrated interface, interface conversion

Description

Universal interface device and method for communication using by universal interface device

1 is a block diagram of a home network applied to the present invention.

2 illustrates a structure of a digital information device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 illustrates a structure of an integrated interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 illustrates an embodiment of a connection unit in the integrated interface device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a digital information device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

260: integrated interface device

310: connection part

330: converter

350: interface bus

312 general purpose pin

The present invention relates to a home network, and more particularly, to an integrated interface device and a communication method using the same in a home network.

As the demand for PCs in the home increases and the provision of various multimedia contents through internet access and data sharing becomes active, the home network related market regarding the combination between home multimedia terminals and the PC is emerging. A home network means that two or more devices in a home communicate with each other.A home network used in a home is a PC network that connects various peripheral devices around a PC and shares the Internet usage. There is an AV network for transmitting multimedia data between products, a white household appliance such as a washing machine, a refrigerator and an air conditioner, and a living network for automatically controlling energy such as power and water.

As a technology used in home networks, wireless network technologies including Bluetooth, HomeRF, etc., and wired network technologies including interfaces such as telephone lines, power lines, and IEEE 1394 are being studied. Currently, such as Internet refrigerators, digital TVs, washing machines, and the like, Digital information devices supporting the interface as described above are being released.

However, digital information devices currently being released for the home network market are generally released to support only one interface. For example, a PLC interface module is embedded in a product to support only a PLC interface or an IEEE 1394 module is embedded to support only an IEEE 1394 interface.

However, as in the related art, digital information devices released to support only one type of interface cannot be controlled through the home network when the interface for constructing the home network is changed because they are not compatible with the changed interface.

As a method for solving this problem, there is a method of adding an interface module to the digital information device for compatibility with the changed interface, but this method has a problem in that the cost for adding the interface module increases.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an integrated interface device and a communication method using the same.

However, the objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above object, an integrated interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connection part connected to a plurality of connectors supporting different communication interfaces, and a pin assigned to each connector among a plurality of pins including the connection part. When a control signal is transmitted through the memory unit for storing information and the connection unit, the type of the communication interface corresponding to the control signal is determined by referring to the pin information, and the communication interface is applied to the digital information device. And a converting unit for converting the control signal to.

In addition, a communication method using an integrated interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention to achieve the above object, the integrated interface device including a connection portion connected to a plurality of connectors supporting different communication interfaces, the connection portion includes Storing pin information allocated to each connector among the plurality of pins; and when a control signal is transmitted through the connection unit, determining a type of a communication interface corresponding to the control signal with reference to the pin information. And converting the control signal into a communication interface signal applied to the digital information device.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings, and the advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings.

However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be embodied in various different forms, and the present embodiments merely make the disclosure of the present invention complete and common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person having the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Prior to describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described for the technology to be mentioned herein.

First, home network technology is classified into wired network technology and wireless network technology. Wired network technologies include the Home Phoneline Network Alliance (Home PNA), Power Line Control (PLC), Ethernet, IEEE 1394 and USB (Universal Serial Bus). IrDA (Infrared Communication), IEEE 802.11x-based wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11), HomeRF (IEEE 802.15), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15), UWB (UltraWideBand), Zigbee, HiperLAN and the like.

Home PNA refers to a home networking standardization organization based on wired technology. It has the advantage of not having to rescue a separate communication line because a home network is constructed at a transmission speed of 10 Mbps using a telephone line installed in a house. These Home PNAs are compatible with IEEE 802.3 Ethernet networks, modems, ISDN, etc., and use bandwidth higher than the bandwidth used by telephones or other services, thus avoiding any interference on the telephone line while the network is in use. Home PNA allows any computer on the network to share the Internet, even if only one computer is connected to the Internet. It is also available in combination with 10Mbps Ethernet technology or 56Kbps modem technology, allowing multiple people to play Internet games and chat at the same time on one Internet line at home.

PLC converts communication signal into high frequency signal of 100KHz ~ 30MHz by using power line installed in home or office and transmits it by using high frequency filter.

Ethernet is a networking technology based on the IEEE 802.3 standard and has long been proven in data communications. It is the foundation of home networks, including corporate networks, and is attracting attention for its speed (currently 10Mbps and 100Mbps), safety, high reliability and, above all, lower cost than competing technologies.

IEEE 1394 was originally developed as a hard disk interface. IEEE 1394, also called FireWire, is a serial bus interface technology that has been developed due to the digitization of AV devices and the provision of a multimedia environment. Up to 63 terminals can be connected. Depending on the mode, it supports high data rates such as 100Mb㎰, 200Mb㎰, and 400Mb㎰, enabling high-speed real-time data transmission, bidirectional communication, and Plug and Play (PnP).

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a technology that has the characteristics of being a Human Interface Device (HID), easy connection with peripheral devices, sufficient interrupt request (IRQ) resources, and Plug and Play (PnP) functions.

On the other hand, the wireless LAN technology of the IEEE802.11x series has emerged as a wireless home networking technology because it does not require cable wiring and is a form of communication that can be connected to the base LAN even when mobile, and the LAN configuration is quick and the network structure can be easily changed. There are various wireless technology standards, including 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11e and 802.11i.

HomeRF (Home Radio Frequency) is a technology that is being standardized by companies leading the PC, peripheral, communication, software, and semiconductor industries, and the standard for the Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP) 1.1 standard has been completed. It aims to build a home network using RF method, not infrared.

Bluetooth is a low-power, low-cost, short-range wireless communication technology that enables communication between various devices within a distance of about 10m. Initially, it was restricted by the scope of application. It is attracting attention as a technology for establishing a personal area network (PAN) between devices, PC peripherals such as headsets / keyboards / speakers / printers, and devices connected to a PC by wire.

Ultra-wideband (UWB), a technology primarily used for military radar or remote detection, was licensed as a commercial technology by the FCC in February 2002. In the early stages of application in the field of communication, evaluation samples of UWB chipsets for wireless video transmission such as VTRs and DVD players have been released. Since 2003, development of 100Mbps chips for wireless video transmission in homes is expected.

So far, the techniques that can be applied to the embodiments of the present invention have been described. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a home network applied to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the home network applied in the practice of the present invention includes a home gateway 120, a home server 130, and digital information devices 140, 150, and 160. do.

The home gateway 120 is a device that acts as a bridge between the Internet 110 or a wide area service network and the home server 130. The home gateway 120 performs a built-in routing function for managing an IP address, and Multiple services such as voice, data and video provided are supported throughout the house.

The home server 130 controls information on all digital information devices and electromagnetics connected to each other in the home through interfaces such as Home PNA, Bluetooth, PLC, and the like, and controls external information coming and going through the Internet 110. Manage and store so that digital information devices in the home can be connected to the external Internet network 110.

Digital information equipment (140, 150, 160) is a device having a digital circuit for processing digital data, computers, printers, scanners, pagers, digital cameras, fax machines, digital copiers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, digital phones For example, digital projects, digital video recorders, digital camcorders, digital TV broadcast receivers, digital satellite broadcast receivers, set-top boxes and digital home appliances such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, rice cookers, and air conditioners.

Hereinafter, in the description of the present invention, a case in which the present invention is applied to a digital home appliance such as a washing machine will be described as an embodiment.

Washing machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with functions such as washing, rinsing, dehydration, drying, and although not shown has a opening and closing on the outside of the washing machine 100, there is provided a drum for putting laundry therein do. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The input unit 210, the display unit 220, the control unit 240, the driving unit 270, the storage unit 230, and the network communication unit 250 are illustrated in FIG. It includes. The function and operation of each part will be described with reference to the following.

The input unit 210 may include buttons for functions such as washing, rinsing, dehydration, drying, and time setting, and may be provided at the front of the washing machine 100. In addition, when each function button is applied, the input unit 210 generates a command signal corresponding thereto and provides the same to the controller 240. For example, when the [rinse] button is applied, a command signal corresponding thereto is generated and provided to the controller 240.

The display unit 220 is provided outside the washing machine 100 and displays washing information such as washing and drying time in the form of numbers or letters.

The driving unit 270 includes a drying device including a drum motor for rotating the drum, a water supply valve, a drain valve, a fan device driven by a fan motor, various sensors such as a water level and a water temperature sensor, a heater for warm air, and the like.

The controller 240 controls the driver 270 according to the command signal provided from the input unit 210 or the network communication unit 250 to execute the corresponding command. For example, if a dehydration button is applied among the washing function buttons provided in the input unit 210, the controller 240 opens the drain valve and rotates the drum motor so that the laundry is dewatered. When controlling the washing function is controlled according to the washing function control program stored in the storage unit 230. For example, when executing the command for [dehydration], the control unit 240 refers to the information stored in the storage unit 230, for example, during the time set as the default value for [dehydration], Allow the drum motor to rotate for only 5 minutes.

The storage unit 230 stores basic information about a washing function, for example, time information about washing, rinsing, dehydration, drying, and a washing function control program. When a button implemented in the input unit 210 is operated or a specific signal is detected by various sensors, the driving unit 270 is controlled according to a washing function control program stored in the storage unit 230. The storage unit 230 may be implemented as a memory device such as a cache, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash, an SRAM, and a DRAM, but is not limited thereto.

The network communication unit 250 is a part for allowing the digital information device to be connected to the home server 130 and other digital information devices through a network. The network communication unit 250 processes data transmitted from the home server 130 and transmits the data to the control unit 240. do. The network communication unit 250 may be implemented to support any one interface, for example, such as PLC, Home PNA, IEEE 1394, Bluetooth, and the like. For example, when the network communication unit 250 supports the PLC interface, the home server 130 and the washing machine 100 are connected through a power line, and the washing function control signal transmitted from the home server 100 is transmitted through the power line. When received by the network communicator 250, the network communicator 250 processes the received signal and transmits the received signal to the controller 240.

In addition, the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an integrated interface device 260. The integrated interface device 260 converts a signal transmitted through a heterogeneous communication interface into an interface supported by the network communication unit 250. Therefore, even when the interface between the home server 130 and the washing machine 100 and the interface supported by the network communication unit 250 of the washing machine are different, the operation of the washing machine may be controlled on the home network. For example, even when the network communication unit 250 of the washing machine 100 supports the IEEE 1394 interface, the washing machine 100 and the home server 130 are connected to each other through a PLC interface on the network. The operation of the washing machine 100 may be controlled through the 130. A more detailed description thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

3 illustrates the structure of the integrated interface device 260 according to an embodiment of the present invention in more detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the integrated interface device 260 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connection unit 310, a conversion unit 330, and a memory unit 320.

The connection part 310 is a part that can be connected to a connector of an external communication interface. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of universal pins 312 may be connected to interface connectors of various communication standards. It is preferably implemented with a connector comprising pins.

Meanwhile, the general purpose pins 312 may be assigned a type of external communication interface that can be connected. For example, the IEEE 1394 communication connector and the Home PNA communication connector each include six and four connection pins. Among the general-purpose pins provided in the connection unit 310, pins 1 to 6 are used. Pins 7 and 10 can be set as pins to which the IEEE 1394 connector and the Home PNA connector can be connected, respectively, so that digital information devices can be controlled through the IEEE 1394 interface or the Home PNA interface. have. The type of external communication interface that can be connected to the connection unit 310 can be changed, added, or deleted, and can be set at the time of digital information device production.

The converter 330 determines the type of the signal provided through the interface bus 350 and converts the signal into an interface standard supported by the network communication unit 250. When determining the type of external communication interface connected to the connection unit 310, the physical connection state may be checked and distinguished, or may be distinguished according to a predetermined signal. For example, if pins 1 to 6 are connected at the connection unit, it is determined that the type of external communication interface connected to the current connection unit is IEEE 1394. Thereafter, based on the contents stored in the memory unit, the input signal is converted into an interface signal applied to the washing machine, for example, a signal suitable for a PLC interface. Alternatively, a part of the interface device may be provided with a predetermined device, for example, a switch or a jumper pin, to distinguish the type of external communication interface according to a signal provided from the switch or the jumper pin.

After determining the type of the input signal through this method, the input signal is converted into an interface standard supported by the network communication unit. For example, when the network communication unit 250 of the washing machine 100 supports a PLC interface, and the washing machine 100 and the home server 130 are connected through an IEEE 1394 interface, the conversion unit 330 may be an IEEE 1394 communication standard. Converts the transmitted signal into a signal compliant with PLC communication standard. Thereafter, the signal converted by the converter 330 is provided to the network communicator 250, and the network communicator 250 transmits the corresponding signal to the controller 240 so that the operation of the washing machine can be controlled.

Meanwhile, the memory unit 320 stores information about convertible interfaces, the number of pins required in each interface, information mapped to each pin number, and the like. For example, when the conversion unit 330 can convert an interface such as IEEE 1394 or Home PNA, pin information about the connector of the IEEE 1394 communication standard and pin information about the connector of the Home PNA communication standard are stored. . Specifically, according to the IEEE 1394 communication standard, the IEEE 1394 connector is composed of two power supply pins and four data transmission pins. The memory unit 320 stores information about each pin. This information is referred to later for the type determination and signal conversion of the external communication interface connected to the connecting portion. For example, as in the above-mentioned example, if a signal is input through pins 1 to 6 in a state in which a kind of external communication interface connectable to the general-purpose pin of the connector is assigned, 330 determines that the type of interface currently connected is IEEE 1394 according to the contents stored in the memory unit 320, and converts the input signal into an interface signal applied to the washing machine 100, for example, a PLC signal. . The memory unit 320 may be implemented as a memory device such as a cache, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a flash, an SRAM, and a DRAM, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, the integrated interface device 260 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a wireless communication unit 340 to receive a signal transmitted in a wireless standard. The signal received through the wireless communication unit 340 is converted into a signal suitable for the interface of the network communication unit 250 via the conversion unit 330.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the digital information device configured as described above.

First, it is determined whether there is a signal input through the connection unit 310 (S510). As a result of the determination, if no signal is input, the current state is maintained (S512). For example, if the washing was in progress, the washing process continues according to the washing function control program of the storage unit 230.

As a result of determining the input of the signal, if there is an input signal, the converter 330

Determine the type of input signal. When determining the type of the input signal, the pin connection state of the current connection unit 310 is checked to determine or according to a predetermined signal generated from a switch or a jumper. For example, as illustrated above, when the conversion unit 330 can convert the signal according to the communication standard of IEEE 1394 or Home PNA, the pins 1 to 6 are checked as a result of checking the pin connection state of the connection unit. If a signal is input through the current signal, it is determined that the current signal is a signal according to the IEEE 1394 communication standard.

Thereafter, the input signal is converted into a signal for the interface of the network communication unit 250 (S520). For example, if a wireless signal for the [pause] command is received by the wireless communication unit 340, the conversion unit 330 converts the received signal into a signal suitable for an interface of the network communication unit 250, for example, a PLC interface. Convert.

Thereafter, the converted signal is transmitted to the control unit 240 via the network communication unit 250, and the control unit 240 controls the operation of the washing machine 100 according to the transmitted signal (S530). For example, when a command signal corresponding to [pause] is received by the control unit 240, the control unit 240 stores information on the progress in the storage unit 230 and stops the rotation of the drum motor. Allow the laundry operation in progress to pause.

Although the integrated interface device and the communication method using the same according to the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings illustrated as above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, and the technical spirit of the present invention. Of course, various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope.

As described above, the integrated interface device and the communication method using the same according to the present invention have one or more of the following effects.

First, digital information devices using different interfaces can be compatible through one interface.

Second, there is an advantage that the range of selection of digital information devices is widened.

Claims (5)

A connection unit connected to a plurality of connectors supporting different communication interfaces; A memory unit configured to store pin information allocated to each connector among a plurality of pins included in the connection unit; And When a control signal is transmitted through the connection unit, a conversion unit for determining a type of a communication interface corresponding to the control signal with reference to the pin information and converting the control signal into a control signal of a communication interface applied to a digital information device. Integrated interface device including. The method of claim 1, And the conversion unit determines a type of a communication interface corresponding to the control signal according to a result of checking a physical connection state between the plurality of pins included in the connection unit and the connector. The method of claim 1, And the digital information device performs an operation according to the converted control signal. An integrated interface device comprising a connection portion connected to a plurality of connectors supporting different communication interfaces, Storing pin information allocated to each connector among a plurality of pins included in the connection unit; And When a control signal is transmitted through the connection unit, referring to the pin information, determining a type of a communication interface corresponding to the control signal, and converting the control signal into a communication interface signal applied to a digital information device. Communication method using an integrated interface device. The method of claim 4, wherein The converting may include determining a type of a communication interface corresponding to the control signal according to a result of checking a physical connection state between the plurality of pins included in the connection unit and the connector. Way.

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