KR20060078430A - Device controlling method for network based to upnp - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a device in a UPnP-based network. In particular, in a home network in which a plurality of UPnP devices are connected in a serial manner, when an arbitrary UPnP device transmits an M-search command, an adjacent device is associated with its own device information. The purpose of this is to allow any UPnP device to control a UPnP device that is not connected to itself by responding to UPnP device information connected to it. According to the present invention for this purpose, when a plurality of UPnP devices 210 to 240 are connected in a serial manner as shown in FIG. 2, a control point CP is mounted on the UPnP devices 220 and 230, and the UPnP device 220 is connected. In the device control method of a network assuming that the UE discovers and controls the UPnP devices 230 and 240, the UPnP device 220 transmitting an M-search command and receiving the M-search command The UPnP device 230 checks whether there is specification information of the adjacent UPnP device 240, and the UPnP device 240 acquired by the UPnP device 230 before its specification information and the M-search command are received. It is characterized in that it is configured to perform the step of transmitting the specification information of) to the UPnP device 220.

Description

DEVICE CONTROLLING METHOD FOR NETWORK BASED TO UPnP}

1 is a block diagram of a typical UPnP network.

2 is a network diagram connected in a serial manner.

3 illustrates an example of an RDD message format in the UPnP protocol.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a device discovery process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a device control process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

210 ~ 240: UPnP device

The present invention relates to home networking, and more particularly, to a device control method in a UPnP based network.

Currently, home networks built in homes include a data network connecting various peripheral devices and sharing Internet usage around a personal computer (PC), and an AV network for transmitting multimedia data between AV products.

Recently, a network for controlling home appliances or security devices is also actively developed and spread.

For example, in connecting home appliances in a home, home networking, which includes network devices such as various home appliances, network printers, and Internet gates, incorporates Internet standard technologies such as TCP / IP, HTTP, and XML. UPnP has been proposed as a technology to enable this.

The UPnP device architecture 1.0 includes a plurality of devices providing a service and a control point (CP) for controlling the plurality of devices.

The control point (CP) is a software object that is mainly mounted on a device having a user interface such as a desktop PC, a notebook PC, a TV (TV) and controls various devices, and discovers various devices according to a user's key input. Are configured to identify and control functions.

The device is a device such as a PC or a network device connected to a home network. The device notifies an event to a control point and provides a presentation page to the control point to enable device control and status determination using a web page. It is composed

In the UPnP Device Architecture 1.0 specification, a control point can find a device on a UPnP network using the Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP), and a device can inform its control point of its existence using the SSDP. The communication process between the control point (CP) and the device is briefly described as follows.

First, when the control point is connected to the UPnP network, the control point multicasts the discovery message, and when the device receiving the discovery message unicasts its own information, the control point checks the information of the device from the information.

When the device is connected on the UPnP network, the device multicasts an advertisement message, and the control point recognizes the existence of the device through the multicast message.

In addition, the control point uses the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to control the device on the current network, and also receives a response from the device using the SOAP.

Meanwhile, a device on a network transmits an event message using a generic event notification architecture (GENA) to inform the control point of the changed information.

That is, in the UPnP AV device 1.0 specification, the control point may obtain information about a device existing in the UPnP network by using M-Search or from an advertisement message transmitted while the device enters the network. .

Therefore, the control point controls the device based on the information about the device.

Typically, a UPnP-based home network is illustrated in FIG. 1, where a plurality of UPnP devices 121 ˜ 124 are connected to a hub (or switch) 110.

The UPnP devices 121 to 124 should be equipped with a control point CP in order to discover and control other UPnP devices. That is, the control point CP is mounted in at least one of the UPnP devices 121 ˜ 124.

Here, it is assumed that the control point CP is mounted only on the UPnP device 121.

The UPnP device 121 transmits an M-search ssdp: discover message through the hub 110 to discover UPnP devices 122 to 124 connected to the home network, and the UPnP devices 122 to 124 connected to the home network It sends its own Root Device Description (hereinafter abbreviated as "RDD") message to the UPnP device 121. The RDD message is as illustrated in FIG.

However, in the related art, in order for a plurality of UPnP devices to control other UPnP devices, a home network should be configured as shown in FIG. 1. This means that if any UPnP device wants to control the UPnP device, it cannot control the UPnP device that is not connected to it.

For example, when a plurality of UPnP devices are connected in a serial manner as shown in FIG. 2, when the UPnP device 210 sends an M-search command, only the UPnP device 220 responds. Therefore, the UPnP device 210 may not control the UPnP devices 230 and 240.                         

Accordingly, the present invention provides a home network in which a plurality of UPnP devices are connected in a serial manner in order to improve a conventional problem. When an arbitrary UPnP device transmits an M-search command, an adjacent device connects to its own device information and to itself. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a device in a UPnP-based network, in which an UPnP device can control a UPnP device that is not connected to itself by responding device information.

The present invention provides a network control method in which a plurality of UPnP devices are connected in a serial manner in order to achieve the above object, wherein any UPnP device (hereinafter referred to as a "first device") sends a command for device discovery to an adjacent UPnP device ( Transmitting to a "second device", and the second device which has confirmed the discovery command has its own specification (Root Device Description, hereinafter abbreviated as "RDD") information and a UPnP device adjacent to it; And responding to the first device with RDD information of " third device ".

In addition, the present invention provides a network control method in which a plurality of UPnP devices are connected in a serial manner in order to achieve the above object, the first device transmitting a UPnP command for executing a specific function to the adjacent second device, Comparing, by the second device, whether a UDN (Unique Description Number, hereinafter abbreviated as "UDN") transmitted with the UPnP action matches its own UDN; and if the comparison result does not match, the UPnP action It characterized in that it is configured to perform the step of delivering to the adjacent third device.

The first to third devices may be configured by mounting control points CP on at least two adjacent devices.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of well-known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention will be omitted.

The configuration of a home network for explaining an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the connection between adjacent devices of the UPnP devices 210 to 240 may be connected by any communication method without being specified as Ethernet, IEEE1394, or the like.

In FIG. 2, it is assumed that a control point CP is mounted on the UPnP devices 220 and 230, and the UPnP device 220 discovers and controls the UPnP devices 230 and 240.

Since it is assumed in FIG. 2 that the control point CP is mounted on the UPnP device 220, the discovery and control of the UPnP device 210 are performed in the same process as the conventional method, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a device discovery process, in which the UPnP device 220 transmits an M-search command, and the UPnP device 230 receiving the M-search command is adjacent to a UPnP device ( Checking whether there is specification information of the 240; and the specification information of the UPnP device 240 acquired before the UPnP device 230 receives its specification information and the M-search command. To transmit).

In the process of FIG. 4, the UPnP device 230 updates its specification information when the UPnP device 240 is connected to the home network and acquires specification information of the UPnP device 240 after the M-search command is received. And transmitting the same to the UPnP device 220.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a device control process, in which the UPnP device 220 transmits a SOAP command for controlling a specific function to the UPnP device 230, and the UPnP device 230 performs a SOAP command. Extracting the UDN transmitted together with its own UDN, and if the UDN matches, the UPnP device 230 executes a SOAP command and transmits the execution result to the UPnP device 220; If the UDN does not match, the UPnP device 230 is configured to perform a step of transmitting a SOAP command to the UPnP device 240.

In the process of FIG. 5, when an action is received from the UPnP device 240, the UPnP device 230 extracts a UDN, compares the UDN with its own UDN, and executes the corresponding action if the comparison results match, and the comparison result does not match. If not, the process of transmitting the action to the UPnP device 220 is configured to be performed.

Referring to the operation and effect of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

First, the UPnP device discovery process will be described. The UPnP device 220 transmits an M-search command to the UPnP device 230.

If the UPnP device 230 knows the specification information of the UPnP device 240 before the M-search command is received, the UPnP device 230 responds to the UPnP device 220 not only its own RDD but also the RDD information of the UPnP device 230.

If the UPnP device 230 does not know the UPnP device 240 at the time when the M-search command is received, the UPnP device 230 responds to the UPnP device 220 only with its own RDD information.

In this case, the UPnP device 230 updates its RDD information using the RDD information of the UPnP device 240 at the time when the UPnP device 240 is connected, and responds to the UPnP device 220.

Accordingly, when all of the control points CP are mounted on the UPnP devices 210 to 240, the UPnP devices 210 to 240 have the same information in the above process. This method is also applicable when N UPnP devices are connected in series.

However, there may be a device having insufficient memory capacity among the N UPnP devices, and the device may not be able to maintain all the information because of the memory capacity.

In order to solve this problem, the corresponding UPnP device is configured to perform only a function of transmitting to another UPnP device connected to the UPnP device without updating its RDD information using the RDD information of the adjacent UPnP device. That is, the UPnP device having insufficient memory capacity executes only the control of the peripheral device, and when the peripheral device is added, only the function of transmitting the information to another UPnP device connected to the UPnP device.

In addition, in the above process, the number of UPnP devices connected to the home network should be transmitted so that the UPnP devices 210 to 240 may all have the same information.

Accordingly, when information is not received by the UPnP device serving as an intermediate bridge among a plurality of UPnP devices connected in series, the corresponding information may be acquired by transmitting an M-search command.

Meanwhile, arbitrary device control can be achieved through a SOAP action in the state of acquiring UPnP device information through the above process, which will be described below.

When the UPnP device 220 transmits a SOAP action for controlling the UPnP device to the UPnP device 230, the UPnP device 230 compares the UDN transmitted with the SOAP command with its UDN.

Accordingly, if the UDN comparison results match, the UPnP device 230 executes a specific function corresponding to the SOAP command, and responds to the UPnP device 220 with the execution result.

If the UDN comparison result does not match in the above process, the UPnP device 230 transmits the corresponding SOAP command to the UPnP device 240.

Accordingly, the UPnP device 240 compares the UDN, and if it matches, executes a specific function corresponding to the SOAP command, and responds to the UPnP device 230 with the execution result.

At this time, the UPnP device 230 compares the UDN transmitted from the UPnP device 240 with its own UDN, and transfers the execution result to the UPnP device 220 if the comparison result does not match.

Accordingly, the UPnP device 220 confirms the execution result of the SOAP command.

That is, in the present invention, a plurality of UPnP devices connected to a home network extracts a UDN and compares it with its own UDN when a UPnP action is transmitted from a neighboring UPnP device. It transfers the UPnP action to UPnP devices connected to other ports.

As described above in detail, the present invention has the following effects.

1. Even if multiple UPnP devices are connected in series, they can be discovered and controlled, allowing flexible network connection.

2. Since a plurality of UPnP devices can be connected in series, there is no need to provide equipment such as a hub or a switch, and the number of UPnP devices that can be connected is not limited.

Claims (4)

In a network control method in which a plurality of UPnP devices are connected in a serial manner, Transmitting, by any UPnP device (hereinafter referred to as "first device"), an UPnP command for device discovery to an adjacent UPnP device (hereinafter referred to as "second device"), The second device that has received the UPnP command has its own specification (Root Device Description, hereinafter abbreviated as "RDD") information and the RDD information of the UPnP device (hereinafter referred to as "third device") adjacent to the first device; And responding to the device. The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating its RDD information when the second device receives RDD update information from an adjacent third device after the UPnP command for discovery; And transmitting, by the second device, the updated RDD information to the first device. In a network control method in which a plurality of UPnP devices are connected in a serial manner, Transmitting, by the first device, a UPnP command for executing a specific function to an adjacent second device; Comparing, by the second device, whether a UDN (Unique Description Number, hereinafter abbreviated as “UDN”) transmitted together with a UPnP action matches its own UDN; And if the comparison result does not match, transmitting the UPnP action to an adjacent third device, wherein the second device is configured to perform a device control method in the UPnP-based network. The device according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, wherein the first to third devices are Device control method in a UPnP-based network, characterized in that the control point (CP) mounted on at least two adjacent devices.

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