KR20070095638A - A distributed home network system supporting ubiquitous environments - Google Patents

Abstract

A distributed home network system supporting a ubiquitous environment is provided to allow a user to input a target value of energy and later receive a warning notification when an excess of the usage amount of energy is expected. A distributed control module is installed in devices(100) such as a home appliance, an OA(Office Automation) device, an electric device, a communication device, a lighting device, an energy monitoring device, and a home security unit, and groups the devices as members of a home network. When each device is given the authority according to an internal setting, it serves as a home server for managing the home network, however, if each device is not given the authority, it serves as a client. Each device performs autonomous distributed control in the home network centering on a device set as a server. When the device set as the server has a problem, one of the other normal client devices is set as a server to manage the home network. When the arbitrary client device breaks down, it is excluded from the network and the normal remaining devices form the home network. The device set as the server has the authority to control the respective clients from within or outside the home network.

Description

A distributed home network system supporting ubiquitous environments

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a distributed home network system according to the present invention;

2 is a block diagram of each device shown in FIG.

<Description of Symbols for Major Parts of Drawings>

100: device 200: modem

300: router 1000: home network system

The present invention relates to a home network system supporting a ubiquitous environment. In particular, the present invention relates to a network system characterized in that each device is installed in a home or office by connecting a distributed network to each device to perform a distributed function of the server.

In the past, all home servers were developed centrally. For this reason, if the server failed, it was impossible to monitor or control other equipment. In order to solve this problem, there was no choice but to provide a server. However, this was inefficient and inefficient system configuration. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, it is necessary to configure the home server in a distributed manner to give autonomy to each device, thereby making the system more robust and robust.

In addition, there is a need for a comprehensive energy management by providing a control function for transferring commands from a user to a higher monitoring system.

On the other hand, many technical developments have been made in relation to ubiquitous, but there are still no visible results. Convergence of services such as wired / wireless convergence and communication / broadcast convergence is becoming full-fledged. IT is creating a lot of new things in the process of modularization, and broadband ubiquitous and the development of interworking technology between devices and humans are emerging as major issues. In other words, the second information revolution requires the emergence of technologies that enable communication between people and things, and this concept also includes the convergence of communication, network, and power technologies. Therefore, the necessity of complementing home network technology to ubiquitous environment is emerging.

The present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the conventional home network systems, and can autonomously and intelligently monitor and control each controlled device in the home remotely, and in particular, each device is distributed to suit the ubiquitous environment. An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed home network system that is connected to and controlled by a network.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

One preferred embodiment of the home server system 1000 according to the present invention may be configured in a ring or star shape as shown in FIG. 1. In the example of Figure 1 shows an example configured in a ring shape.

Various devices installed in the home are connected to a ring network as shown in FIG. 1, and the home network is connected to an external network (including the Internet) again using a modem and a router. Each device is then connected to the network by a node (indicated by a small circle in FIG. 1). As a node, a PLC can be used as an example.

2 shows a basic internal configuration of each of these devices. Although the configuration is inevitably different for each device, the configuration has the configuration shown in FIG. 2. In other words, it is a kind of home network management program distributed control module, antenna, interface unit for wired / wireless communication, communication protocol, arithmetic means, control means, communication means, data input / output means, own program for each device to operate the device, memory, device Each device must have a hardware device in common for the present invention.

In the distributed home network system of the present invention, a home appliance including a PC, a TV, an audio device, a video device, a mobile phone, a radio, a game machine, a refrigerator, and a washing machine; OA machines including printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines; Electrical equipment including a small electric motor; Communication devices including mobile phones and PDAs; Lighting equipment for monitoring and controlling indoor and outdoor lighting equipment and lighting switches; Energy monitoring device for monitoring the status of air conditioning equipment, gas equipment, hot and cold water heaters, distribution boards; And a variety of devices (hereinafter referred to as 'devices') including a home security unit for monitoring and controlling a variety of sensors including a plurality of cameras, lightning arresters, fire alarms, crime prevention sensors, earthquake sensors, and temperature sensors installed in a home or office. Connected to a home network, the devices each having at least a wireless network connection means, arithmetic means, control means, communication means, data input / output means and data storage means, the home network being wired and / or wireless with an external network. Is connected to the user through the home network and the external network can be connected to the home network from a remote location.

Each device of the system is provided therein and has a distributed control module for tying each device as a member of the home network, and each device in which the distributed control module is installed is authorized by an internal configuration. It functions as a home server that manages and functions as a client if it is not authorized.

Each device performs autonomous dispersion control in a home network centered on a device set as a server among the devices, and when a device set as the server fails, any device among other normal client devices set as servers is set as a server. If any client device fails, the device is removed from the network and the home network is composed of only the remaining devices. In this system, the device set as a server has the authority to control each client from inside or outside the home network.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the server can be carried by a person. But even a device that is inconvenient to carry, such as a desktop PC, can be used as a server.

Each device in the present invention, the antenna for wireless communication with other devices in the home network; And a wired and / or wireless interface for connecting to a home network.

And the home network system of the present invention, a modem for connecting to an external network; A router connected to the modem; And a plurality of nodes connecting the devices to the home network.

In the present invention, the energy monitoring device is characterized in that the remote meter reading of electricity, water, gas and hot water to the server in real time and automatically settle.

In addition, the home network adopts at least one of HomePNA, USB, Ethernet, IEEE1394, and power line (PLC) as a wired communication protocol for connecting to an external network, and at least one of Bluetooth, HomeRF, and wireless LAN as a wireless communication protocol. .

In addition, the energy monitoring device is characterized in that to install a load control device (DLC: Direct Load Controller) between the node and the cooling device to monitor and control the cooling device.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include an OSGi service gateway.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include a middleware for controlling each control object.

In the present invention, the home network adopts at least one of HomePNA, USB, Ethernet, IEEE1394, and power line (PLC) as a wired communication protocol for connecting to an external network, and at least one of Bluetooth, HomeRF and WLAN as a wireless communication protocol. It is desirable to.

In the present invention, the power line protocol method does not require a separate communication line, and accesses the communication medium through the power line through a plurality of outlets in the home or SOHO, and is not limited by the transmission power, load interference and noise Low and frequency selectable.

On the other hand, the present invention provides a control function for transmitting a command between the user and the upper home server system to enable comprehensive energy management. For energy management, the data can be collected by the power line communication with the home server system of each consumer, and the data can be transmitted to the management server system of the utility company via the Internet.

And the electric and gas meter of each customer receives digital or analog data from the meter and collects the data by using the power line communication module.The water meter is usually installed outdoors and there is no power line. Use to collect data.

Select the air conditioner, the largest load in the home, and install a load control device (DLC: Direct Load Controller) in front of the air conditioner to obtain data to control the load during power peaks due to the increase of the customer's power energy. .

The home network system of the present invention collects used energy (electricity, gas, water, etc.) information in the home and provides metered energy information to consumers, thereby managing energy savings and efficient energy management.

In addition, the present invention implements the protocol of the home network to operate the kitchen equipment, including the refrigerator in the home by the home automation, crime prevention of the home. In addition to various sensors for implementing home security functions for disaster prevention, an earthquake detection is predicted in advance to generate an alarm.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to control a set top box, a digital video camera, a printer, and the like on the home network. HomePNA2.0 also allows you to bundle multiple PCs in your home network and connect to the Internet via a modem.

On the other hand, in the future ubiquitous environment, the ultimate goal is for computers to disappear. This means that the computing environment will move to real-world computing through tiny, autonomous objects and groups that focus on mobility. In other words, the core issues of ubiquitous computing are Smart Object, Intelligent Cooperation, and Anywhere Connection, and it is based on intelligent computing objects to perform their tasks autonomously.

Ubiquitous computing is characterized by autonomy (autonomous sensing, environmental adaptation, cooperation, control, situational awareness), communication platform (internet connectivity, networking) and mobility (easiness of portability and attachment by miniaturizing computing objects). Among these, the present invention provides a technology for a home server system focused on autonomy.

Conventional home servers have been centralized. However, the home server system of the present invention is characterized by being configured as a distributed system. In other words, many computing devices in the home (such as digital TVs in the living room, PCs in the living room, refrigerators in the kitchen, washing machines, electrical distribution panels, gas appliances, etc.) are all home appliances with minimal computing, control, communication and networking capabilities. Bundled together, they are characterized by performing a conventional home server function by a distributed control technique. Therefore, conventionally, when the home server fails, overall control in the home network is not possible. However, according to the present invention, since each device independently performs control functions and they achieve comprehensive control management through organic connection with each other, even if one device fails, the whole home networking has no problem. to be. And in order to bundle them together into a home network, it is enough to install a distributed control module (a kind of program) in each device. Each device in which the distributed control module is installed may perform a function of a home server. Therefore, for convenience, any device in the home (for example, a PC) where the distributed control module is installed is nominally designated as a home server, and the remaining devices function as clients having autonomy. Setting the device as a home server allows the home network to run reliably.

As such, the present invention may be variously modified and may take various forms, and only the specific embodiments thereof are described in the detailed description of the present invention. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the specific forms mentioned in the detailed description of the invention, but rather includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood to do.

The effects expected from this invention are as follows:

First, it can calculate and display the current usage and estimated charges for gas, water and electricity.

Second, enter the target value of energy so that consumers can plan their energy use, and receive an alert when an energy consumption is expected to be exceeded.

Third, it is possible to receive the announcement of the management office in the form of SMS, and real-time transmission of energy-related announcements such as power outages, singular numbers, and various living information such as weather and traffic.

Fourth, the data read for each energy may be analyzed monthly, daily, and hourly, and displayed in graph form.

Fifth, the system can be easily operated through the small LCD display device of about 5 inches and the convenient user interface of the keypad.

Sixth, the emergency situation can be easily sent to the management office in case of emergency through the one-touch key, and it is possible to transmit to the upper server which performs security office or security work through the Internet.

Seventh, it is possible to realize a ubiquitous environment of power IT by implementing home automation such as a dishwasher, a gas oven, and an air conditioner including a refrigerator installed in a user's home from outside.

Eighth, there is a home security function that can install a device for preventing a surge caused by a lightning strike flowing in a household ship, and can perform a preliminary alarm due to crime prevention, disaster prevention and earthquake.

Ninth, home audio and video in the home, and various education (Edutainment) can be implemented through a home network system using the IEEE 1394 protocol.

Tenth, since it is a distributed system, the reliability of the system is improved.

Claims (8)

Home appliances including PCs, TVs, audio equipment, video equipment, mobile phones, radios, game machines, refrigerators and washing machines; OA machines including printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines; Electrical equipment including a small electric motor; Communication devices including mobile phones and PDAs; Lighting equipment for monitoring and controlling indoor and outdoor lighting equipment and lighting switches; Energy monitoring device for monitoring the status of air conditioning equipment, gas equipment, hot and cold water heaters, distribution boards; And The home security unit monitors and controls various sensors installed in the home or office, including various cameras, lightning arresters, fire alarms, crime prevention sensors, earthquake sensors, and temperature sensors. A variety of devices (hereinafter referred to as 'devices') are connected to the home network, and each device includes at least a wireless network connection means, arithmetic means, control means, communication means, data input / output means and data storage means. In the home network system, the home network is wired and / or wirelessly connected to an external network, and the user can connect to the home network from a remote location through the home network and the external network. A distributed control module installed inside each device and tying each device to a member of a home network; Each device in which the distributed control module is installed performs a function of a home server managing a home network when an authority is granted by an internal setting, and functions as a client if the authority is not granted. Each device performs autonomous dispersion control in a home network centered on a device set as a server among the devices, and when a device set as the server fails, any device among other normal client devices set as servers is set as a server. If any client device fails, remove the device from the network and configure the home network with only the remaining healthy devices. The device set as a server is characterized in that it has the authority to control each client inside or outside the home network. The distributed home network system of claim 1, wherein the server is portable to a human body. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Each device is An antenna for wireless communication with other devices in a home network; And Has a wired and / or wireless interface for connecting to a home network, The home network system A modem for connecting to an external network; A router connected to the modem; And And a plurality of nodes for connecting each device to a home network. The distributed home network system of claim 1, wherein the energy monitoring device transmits and automatically settles a remote reading of electricity, water, gas, and hot water to a server in real time. The method of claim 1, wherein the home network uses at least one of HomePNA, USB, Ethernet, IEEE1394, and power line (PLC) as a wired communication protocol for connecting to an external network, and at least one of Bluetooth, HomeRF, and WLAN as a wireless communication protocol. A distributed home network system. 4. The distributed home network system of claim 3, wherein the node is a PLC. 7. The distributed home network system of claim 6, wherein the energy monitoring device installs a direct load controller (DLC) between the node and the air conditioner to monitor and control the air conditioner. . The distributed home network system of claim 1, wherein each device is connected to a home network in a ring or star shape.

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