KR20070102008A - Home server with the function of processing data and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A home server having a data processing function and an operation method thereof are provided to establish a multimedia environment through a multimedia output unit having a user interface without the necessity of high performance multimedia processing device. A communication interface unit(200) is connected with devices existing in a home network. A data processing unit(204) decodes inputted data according to its data format. When a data processing command with respect to certain data is received from a device connected with the communication interface unit(200), a controller(208) inputs the corresponding data to the data processing unit(204) according to the received data processing command, and transmits data which has been decoded by the data processing unit(204) to the device which has transmitted the processing command of the corresponding data.

Description

Home server with the function of processing data and operating method

1 is a diagram showing a network configuration to which the present invention can be applied,

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a home server according to the present invention;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a home server according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

100: home server 200: communication interface

202: data transmission and reception unit 204: data processing unit

206: storage unit 208: control unit

The present invention relates to a home server having a data processing function for building a multimedia environment in a home network and a method of operating the same.

The home network has been started for the purpose of establishing a central control system that can control various home appliances such as TVs, washing machines, refrigerators and the like.

Home network related technologies are currently being standardized by various organizations, and their types are classified into wired and wireless.

Representative wire types include Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (PNA), IEEE 1394, and Power Line Communication (PLC), and wireless types include Bluetooth, HomeRF (Home Radio Frequency), and WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network). And IrDA (Infrared Data Association).

Power line communication has recently attracted attention among home network technologies using wired communication.

Power Line Communication (PLC) refers to a method of converting a communication signal into a high frequency signal on a power line installed in a home or office, and receiving the signal separately by using a high frequency filter. Power lines, like telephone lines, consist of copper and are ten times as thick as telephone lines. So it's been a long time since the idea that power lines can be used enough for communication.

However, the use of power lines as communication lines has not received much attention because of technical problems such as severe noise, attenuation and frequent disconnection. However, in the 1990s, error correction was developed to solve the noise phenomenon and other technical problems gradually began to be solved, opening the possibility of commercialization of power line communication.

In particular, since the US Consumer Electronics Association developed the E-Bus protocol, which is an open technology in 1990, various power line communication companies around the world have been actively developing products applying the same.

The biggest advantage of powerline communication as a home networking and subscriber network solution is economical. Since power lines are already hypothesized worldwide, it is possible to build indoor / outdoor communication networks such as home networking and subscriber networks at low cost.

When the power line communication is applied to the home network, it can be used as a middleware, which is a connection medium and a kind of operating system of home networking. Recently, power line products applying the medium / low speed technology are being used to control home appliances and lighting devices, and thus, the adoption of home networking solutions is spreading.

On the other hand, the recent trend is to build a high-quality multimedia environment to build a home network and enjoy a variety of entertainment on the home network using such a technology.

For example, a home theater including a large-screen television receiver, a DVD system, and a 5.1-channel sound system in a living room of a home is provided with a personal computer in each room, thereby upgrading the multimedia environment.

However, in order to provide such a multimedia environment, a plurality of high-performance multimedia devices can be provided, thereby increasing the cost.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a home server having a data processing function for enabling a multimedia environment to be constructed at a low cost on a home network and a method of operating the same.

In order to achieve the above object, a home server having a data processing function according to the present invention comprises a communication interface connected to one or more devices on the home network; A data processor for decoding the input data according to the format of the data; And receiving a data processing command for predetermined data from a device connected to the communication interface unit, inputting the corresponding data into the data processing unit according to the received data processing command, and the data decoded by the data processing unit may be used. And a control unit to transmit the processing command to the device that has transmitted the processing command.

Here, the home server according to the present invention further comprises a data transmission and reception unit for transmitting and receiving data in accordance with the corresponding network communication protocol to enable communication between the external network and the home network based on different communication, wherein the control unit is the communication interface unit When a data storage command for data existing on the external network is received from a device connected to the device, the data storage command acquires and stores the corresponding data from the external network through the data transmission / reception unit according to the received data storage command. do.

And, the home network is a power line communication network and the external network is a LAN, the data transmission and reception unit a power line communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving data with devices on the home network connected to the communication interface; A LAN transceiver for transmitting and receiving data with devices connected to the external network; And a data transmission / reception control unit controlling an operation of the power line communication transceiver or the LAN transceiver according to a corresponding network communication protocol so that data inputted under the control of the controller is transmitted to a predetermined device connected to the home network or the external network. It is characterized by.

A method of operating a home server having a data processing function according to the present invention is that when a home server receives a data processing command for predetermined data from one or more devices connected on a home network, the home server operates according to the received data processing command. Decoding the data; And causing the decoded data to be transmitted to a device that has transmitted a processing command of the corresponding data.

Here, the data decoded according to the data processing command is transmitted and received according to a communication protocol of the corresponding network so that the home server can communicate between the external network based on the different communication and the home network, and from a device connected on the home network. When a data storage command for data existing on the external network is received, the data is obtained and stored from the external network according to the received data storage command.

The home network is a power line communication network, and the external network is a LAN.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described the present invention in more detail. However, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

1 is a diagram illustrating a network configuration to which the present invention can be applied. As shown in FIG. 1, an external network, a home network, and a home server 100 serving as a home gateway for interconnecting the same are shown. do.

The home server 100 connects a home network to an external network, and manages distribution of signals to an external network on one side and home networks on the other side.

The home server 100 interconnects and arbitrates a home network and an external network to provide one or more devices 102-1, 102-2,. It can be defined as a device to provide a network, and provides an intelligent interface that can connect a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN).

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a home server according to the present invention.

The home server 100 proposed in the present invention relays communication between an external network and a home network based on different communication.

And a function for processing or transmitting data obtained from or previously acquired from an external network according to a command transmitted from one or more devices 102-1, 102-2, .., 102-n connected to the home network. It is characterized by performing.

As shown in the drawing, the home server 100 according to the present invention includes a communication interface 200, a data transmission / reception unit 202, a data processing unit 204, a storage unit 206, and a control unit 208. It consists of.

The communication interface 200 is connected to one or more devices 102-1, 102-2,..., 102-n existing on a home network.

The data transmission / reception unit 202 transmits and receives data in accordance with a corresponding network communication protocol to enable communication between a different communication-based external network and a home network.

The data processor 204 decodes the input data according to the format of the data.

The controller 208 receives a user command transmitted from the devices 102-1, 102-2,..., 102-n connected to the communication interface 200 through the data transceiver 202.

If the received user command is a data storage command for data existing on the external network, the control unit 208 obtains the corresponding data from the external network through the data transmission / reception unit 202 and stores it in the storage unit 206.

When the received user command is a data processing command for predetermined data among the data stored in the storage unit 206, the data is transmitted to the data processing unit 204. The control unit 208 causes the data decoded by the data processing unit 204 to be transmitted to the device that transmitted the data processing command through the data transmission / reception unit 202.

Here, when the home network is a power line communication network and the external network is a LAN, the data transceiver 202 of the home server 100 may include a power line communication transceiver 202-2, a LAN transceiver 202-6, And a data transmission / reception control unit 202-4.

The power line communication transceiver 202-2 transmits and receives data with devices 102-1, 102-2,..., 102-n on a home network connected through the communication interface 200.

Each of the devices 102-1, 102-2, .., 102-n connected to the home network also includes a power line communication transceiver (not shown), and each power line communication transceiver (not shown) is provided according to a user's command. Send and receive data through

The LAN transceiver 202-6 transmits and receives data with devices connected to an external network.

The data transmission / reception control unit 202-4 transmits data received through the power line communication transceiver 202-2 or the LAN transceiver 202-6 to the control unit 208. In addition, the power line communication transceiver 202-2 or the LAN transceiver 202 according to the corresponding network communication protocol is received so that data to be transmitted is received under the control of the controller 208 and the received data is transmitted to a predetermined device connected to a home network or an external network. -6) to control the operation.

The home server 100 according to the present invention having such a configuration performs multiple processing according to each user command received from the devices 102-1, 102-2, .., 102-n connected on the home network. By acquiring data from an external network and processing and transmitting the acquired data, a home network environment that can provide multimedia functions through devices having only input / output functions can be formed.

Accordingly, as an example, the home server 100 may transmit a decoded video / audio signal to a video / audio output device having a user interface to enable a user to watch multimedia.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a home server according to the present invention.

The home server 100 according to the present invention capable of providing multimedia functions to the devices 102-1, 102-2, .., 102-n existing on the home network has an external communication base different from that of the home network and the home network. It is connected to a network and sends and receives data in accordance with the communication protocol of the network to enable communication between the two networks.

When a data storage command for data existing on the external network is received from a device connected to the home network, the device communicates with the external network according to the received command, and acquires and stores the corresponding data (S300, S302). .

In addition, when receiving a data processing command for a predetermined data from the data stored in advance from the device connected on the home network, the data is decoded according to the received command (S304, S306), and the data processing command is transmitted. The decoded data is transmitted to the device (S308).

Accordingly, even if the devices on the home network are input / output devices that do not have a data processing function, the decoded multimedia data can be provided from the home server to provide multimedia services to users.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments above, those skilled in the art may make various modifications within the scope of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. Will understand. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

According to the present invention, a home server relays communication between a home network and an external network based on different communications. And a function of acquiring data from an external network or processing and transmitting data previously acquired according to a user command transmitted from one or more devices connected to the home network.

Accordingly, when the home server proposed in the present invention is used to construct a home network, the home server acquires, processes, and provides the multimedia data desired by the user from an external network. It is possible to create a multimedia environment even through a multimedia output device having a user interface unit without having to provide a processing device.

As a result, the present invention enables the home network to be created in a multimedia environment more efficiently and cheaply.

Claims (6)

A communication interface connected to one or more devices existing on a home network; A data processor for decoding the input data according to the format of the data; And When a data processing command for predetermined data is received from the device connected to the communication interface unit, the data is input to the data processing unit according to the received data processing command, and the data decoded by the data processing unit is used to process the data. And a control unit for transmitting the command to the device that has transmitted the command. According to claim 1, And a data transceiver for transmitting and receiving data in accordance with a corresponding network communication protocol to enable communication between an external network based on a different communication and the home network. The control unit When a data storage command for data existing on the external network is received from a device connected to the communication interface unit, the data is acquired and stored from the external network through the data transmission / reception unit according to the received data storage command. Home server having a data processing function, characterized in that. The method of claim 2, The home network is a power line communication network and the external network is a LAN, The data transmission and reception unit A power line communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving data with devices on a home network connected to the communication interface unit; A LAN transceiver for transmitting and receiving data with devices connected to the external network; And And a data transmission / reception control unit controlling an operation of the power line communication transceiver or the LAN transceiver according to a corresponding network communication protocol so that data inputted under the control of the control unit is transmitted to a predetermined device connected to the home network or the external network. Home server having a data processing function, characterized in that. When the home server receives a data processing command for predetermined data from one or more devices connected to the home network, decoding the corresponding data according to the received data processing command; And And transmitting the decoded data to a device that has transmitted a processing command of the corresponding data. The method of claim 4, wherein The data decoded according to the data processing instruction is The home server transmits and receives data in accordance with a communication protocol of the corresponding network to enable communication between the external network based on a different communication and the home network, and data on data existing on the external network from a device connected to the home network. When the storage command is received, the operation method of a home server having a data processing function, characterized in that the data obtained from the external network and stored according to the received data storage command. The method of claim 5, And wherein the home network is a power line communication network and the external network is a LAN.

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