KR20150002471A - Gateway and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a home network, and more specifically, to a meta-information management structure for connecting and controlling various devices by using a gateway, the gateway using the same, and a method for controlling the same. The gateway related to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a communications unit which switches a wired/wireless signal with at least one external device; and a control unit. The control unit receives a first report, including meta-information about at least one service which first and second devices participate in, from the first device. If a second report about a state of a third device is received from the third device, the control unit transmits the meta-information of the service, which the third device participates in, among at least one service to the third device. If a change request for participating in a specific service among the service which the third device participates in is received from the third device, the control unit controls the transmission of a change command to at least one among the first device and the second device.

Description

[0001] GATEWAY AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THEREOF [0002]

The present invention relates to a home network, and more particularly, to an information management structure for connecting and controlling various devices using a gateway, a gateway device using the same, and a control method thereof.

Recently, with the spread of smart related technology, smart home technology that supports the connection function between home appliances is getting attention. In order to establish a smart home, the introduction of a home gateway supporting various wired and wireless connectivity can be considered to enable interoperability and management of other devices.

However, when a gateway is used, it is desirable to standardize a platform in order to control various home appliance products of various manufacturers and to perform a linkage function through them. This is because the gateway's meta-information management structure must be standardized so that linkage between various devices of different manufacturers is guaranteed and service development becomes easy.

The present invention is intended to provide a gateway for providing a more convenient home network service.

In particular, the present invention provides a meta information management structure of a gateway for connecting and controlling various external devices.

The present invention also provides a method of performing a service requiring participation and control of a plurality of devices in an execution using a meta information management structure.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a gateway including: a communication unit for exchanging signals with at least one external device; And a first report containing meta information for at least one service in which the first device and the second device participate are received from the first device and a second report from the third device about the status of the third device The third device is allowed to transmit meta information of a service to which the third device can participate among the at least one service to the third device, The control unit may control the first device and the second device to transmit a change command to at least one of the first device and the second device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a gateway, the method comprising: receiving a first report including meta information of at least one service in which a first device and a second device participate, ; Transmitting meta information of a service among the at least one service to which the third device can participate, when a second report on the status of the third device is received from the third device; And transmitting a change command to at least one of the first device and the second device when a change request for a specific service among the services to which the third device participates is received from the third device.

According to the present invention, a more diversified and reliable service can be provided in a home network environment.

In particular, it is efficient because the gateway configures and manages various meta information about external devices in the form of a tree.

In addition, control of a service in which a plurality of devices participate can be performed more efficiently.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 shows an example of a hierarchical structure applied to a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a top classification type of the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 3A to 3C show an example of a sub-configuration of a device item of the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.
4 illustrates an example of an operation procedure performed when an external device is connected to a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5A and 5B show an example of the sub-configuration of the device functional items of the meta information management tree according to the embodiment of the present invention, respectively.
6A and 6B show an example of a sub-configuration of location items in the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.
7 to 10 show an example of a user item, a service item, a device adapter item, and a sub-configuration of a customer premises device in the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.
FIG. 11 shows an example of a form in which items of the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention are referred to each other.
FIG. 12 shows an example of operations performed when a service of two different users collide in a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 shows an example of a mode in which remote door control using a plurality of gateways is performed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 shows an example of a process in which external devices are connected through a router, and FIG. 15 shows an example of a process in which one of devices participating in providing a service according to an embodiment of the present invention is changed when external devices are connected in a face-to-face manner.
FIG. 16 shows an example of a process of changing a device participating in a mirroring service according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 shows another example of a process of changing a device participating in a mirroring service according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 shows an example of a block diagram of a gateway that can be applied to embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a gateway related to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In addition, the gateway referred to in the present invention may be referred to as a smart home gateway or a customer premises equipment (CPE). Of course, the gateway referred to in the present invention is desirably installed indoors, but this is illustrative and is not limited to the place where the gateway is installed. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

In the general home network, devices are directly connected to each other to perform a linking function by exchanging signals. However, in the present invention, in order to ensure connectivity and linkage between various devices, each device is connected through a gateway, So that it can be controlled through the network. In addition, the gateway proposes to manage meta information (executable functions, location, status, etc.) of a connected device through a meta information management tree (i.e., a meta information management tree) in a tree form. Here, the meta information management tree may be a kind of database and defines information for providing a standardized / generalized interface between a service and a middleware platform. Accordingly, the service developer can improve the development environment of the service by acquiring the structure and contents of the information necessary for executing the service based on the meta information management tree according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a gateway configuration including a meta information management tree according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

1 shows an example of a hierarchical structure applied to a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an application layer, a middleware platform layer, an interface, a process and a meta information management tree are provided in the uppermost layer, and a plurality of device adapters are provided in the driver layer in the lowermost layer.

The service is similar in functionality to a general application layer that controls application programs, so that duplicate descriptions are omitted for clarity of description.

The interface and process of the middleware platform layer are middleware for facilitating communication between the device adapter and the service connected to the external device, and can operate by referring to the meta information management tree.

The device adapter may functionally include a driver and a semantic conversion unit. The driver provides connectivity with a variety of different devices, and the semantic conversion unit converts the event related signal coming from the connected devices into a signal Conversion function can be performed.

In order to provide the information required by the middleware platform and the service in a block (not shown) of the devices connected to the lower layer of the driver layer, the definition of the meta information is required. It is desirable that some are stored and managed in the device as a list / database in the form of a modified structure.

Hereinafter, a detailed classification of the meta information management tree according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a top classification type of the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a top level classification of the meta information management tree includes a device, a device function, a location, a user, a service, a device adapter, connectivity, and customer premises equipment (CPE, i.e., gateway). Here, each item can be divided into a group 210 for interworking between a service and a middleware platform according to the purpose, and a group 220 for analysis / execution between services. Here, the device may be replaced with a device set, and the device function may be replaced with a semantic term.

Hereinafter, each item belonging to the top-level tree will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG.

FIGS. 3A to 3C show an example of a sub-configuration of a device item of the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 3A, a Device deals with a classification scheme for a device model that is actually connected to a gateway. Referring to FIG. 3, the device can be divided into brown appliances, white appliances, lights, and CPE. The lowest attributes include an owner, a priority, a supported device function or a supported semantic ), A cluster, and the like.

The owner defines the ownership of the product, and the priority defines a ranking, such as primary / secondary, for the product group (e.g., TV). In addition, the support function definition is a definition of the functions supported by each product family, and indicates whether it supports mandatory items or optional items. It is preferable that the functions which are supported by each product group are determined in advance in the form of function profiles, and the support function definition items at the end of each device can refer to these function profiles .

An example of such a functional profile is shown in Table 1 below.

Funtion Set Get Event Support start O M stop O M target 온도 O O M wind speed O O M wind swing O O M operation fail O M filter change alert O M operation mode O O O special function O O O target humidity O O O smart energy operation O O O current 온도 O O operation status changed O O smart meter O O O O motion detector O O O O Etc .

Referring to Table 1, it is possible to indicate, for each function of the refrigerator, whether it is a settable parameter, whether a value can be obtained, or whether it is essential support. For example, in FIG. 3, the attribute of the supported device function is mandatory. In Table 1, M is supported in the support. Optionally, O is supported in the support. Therefore, it is desirable that each device is defined in advance as shown in Table 1. Of course, unlike Table 1, item category of S (supported) / N (Not supported) may be used instead of item category of M / O.

This is because it is not easy for a service developer to investigate and develop all the functional support items for each device manufacturer, and thus it is easy to define the necessity / option specification. Of course, it is desirable for the middleware platform to be able to discover optional items between the service and the driver of the device adapter, i.e., to perform function discovery.

On the other hand, a cluster can be applied when a device is classified into a cluster in advance for a situation in which a plurality of devices operate together, such as a lamp.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, a unique name of a device, a vendor, a utilization internal resource (for example, a tuner in the case of a TV), a location, and the like may be further included. In addition, a user priority and a service priority may be set for each user.

In the case of FIG. 3B, a gateway (CPE) may be included in the lower item of the stereo device item, which will be described later in detail with reference to FIG. 9C.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3C, a user priority and a service priority may be set for each utilized internal resource item. In such a case, a more detailed resource management It is possible.

Next, an example of a process of performing the above-described discovery of necessity / selection is described with reference to FIG.

4 illustrates an example of an operation procedure performed when an external device is connected to a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, firstly, information related to the device can be stored in the meta information management tree as an external device is connected to the gateway. At this time, whether or not the supported device function for the device is required or optional may be set. 2) The service reads the connected device information from the meta information management tree and performs function discovery on the corresponding item when there is an optional function. 3) For this purpose, the service sends a function discovery request message to the device adapter, and the device adapter transmits the option item of the connected device based on the received message to the service discovery response message . At this time, optional items of the connected device can be used if they are defined in advance in the form similar to Table 1.

5A and 5B show an example of the sub-configuration of the device functional items of the meta information management tree according to the embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 5A, a device function may be a form that lists functions of devices. By combining these device functions, the entire function of each device can be expressed, and the necessity / optional specification of each device function can also be defined similarly to Table 1. [ The device function may include items such as on, off, display, input, broadcast, web browser, TV program, energy measurement, and the like. Here, the input item may be configured again for each input means (e.g., primary key, mouse, keyboard, voice recognition, etc.). The device function may be associated with an Open Application Program Interface (API) provided at the gateway, which further exemplifies the form of the primary key input of the input in FIG. 5A. In order to express such a structure, a language / method for describing a general tree structure such as XML, oBIX schema, and SOAP can be used.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5B, the sub items of the device function items may be configured to specify the device and the function together. For example, each of the TV on / off and TV key input can be configured as one sub-item. In addition, each lower item may be specified as required / optional for each input means.

6A and 6B show an example of a sub-configuration of location items in the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

In order to provide a smart home service, it is desirable that location information of each device is provided. For this purpose, a classification of the type shown in FIG. 6A may be considered. Specifically, there can be a home location, an indoor / outdoor, a floor, a room classification from upper to lower, and each room is classified into a name, a common / personal space, an owner You can have attributes for.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6B, an attribute (Installed Devices) may be added to each lowest position item (for example, a room or an outdoor area of a room).

This classification scheme may be particularly useful when collectively controlling devices in a specific location / space.

7 to 10 show an example of a user item, a service item, a device adapter item, and a sub-configuration of a customer premises device in the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, when a user, a service, a device adapter, CPE information, and the like are provided, when independent services running on the gateway are simultaneously executed, Problems that may arise due to conflicts can be resolved through priorities, owners, notifications, conflict prevention procedures, and so on.

In the case of the user item, as shown in FIG. 7A, each attribute value may be listed as a lower part of the user item, or the family and the guest may be firstly distinguished as shown in FIG. 7B, , Available service, ID, and the like may be given.

In the case of the service item, as shown in FIG. 8A, the request meta information, the request device, the category, the service name, and the version information may be configured as attribute values of each service. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8B, the attribute value of each service may include a required function (Required function / Required semantic) item for defining what a function is required to execute the service, a required resource item for confirming the occurrence of a conflict with another service, A Resource Access Priority item for defining a priority of resource use for each service may be additionally included.

In the case of a device adapter, it may have attributes such as type, support device, firmware / platform version, etc. as shown in FIG. 9A (a).

In the case of a gateway, it may be configured with a Type attribute indicating whether the device is standard compatible / incompatible with the device as shown in (b) of FIG. 9A, and a connected devices attribute indicating a device connected thereto.

On the other hand, when a device (e.g., a stereo headphone) connected to a non-compliant CPE participates in a smart home network configuration, a non-compliant CPE is recognized as a sub-device of the standard CPE, A home network can be constructed. In other words, a non-compliant CPE provider can act as a proxy by supplying a device adapter to the CPE, which allows the necessary meta information to be reflected in the overall meta information management tree, Interconnectivity to connected devices can be provided. In this case, if all rights are granted to incompatible CPEs, it may be impossible to distinguish compatible devices. Therefore, it is necessary to restrict the receiving of limited meta information, and thus differentiate the incompatible devices (lower connected devices item of non-conpliant CPE) Can be provided.

In addition, the noncompliant CPE item may be located in a sub item of the device item as shown in FIG. 9B, and the stereo headphone may be included in the tree as a sub device set item of the corresponding CPE. Therefore, the stereo headphone item can be managed by assigning attribute values such as user, priority, support function, and the like to other devices.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9C, the stereo headphone is registered as a sub item of the device item, and the information of the incompatible CPE may be configured as an attribute of the stereo headphone item.

In Figures 2 and 10, the Connectivity item is located at the top of the tree, but this item does not necessarily have to be located at the top level item, but may be located in a subtree of another item.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a form in which items of the meta information management tree according to an embodiment of the present invention are referred to each other.

Referring to FIG. 11, two or more top-level items in a tree may be referred to each other. For example, when a device and a functional item are referred to together, the meta information can be configured as supported semantics. In another example, meta information may be constructed as a required semantic when functional and service items are referenced together.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, specific functions that can be performed using the meta information management tree in the gateway will be described.

FIG. 12 shows an example of operations performed when a service of two different users collide in a gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12, it is assumed that the terminal 1110 of the user A, the terminal 1140 of the user B, and the TV 1130 are connected to the gateway 1120 according to the present invention after being registered. That is, it is assumed that the information of each device is already registered in the meta information management tree of the gateway 1120 through the above-described procedure of function discovery and the like. For inter-device connection and message exchange, the TV 1130 can be directly or wirelessly connected to the gateway 1120. In the case of the terminals 1110 and 1140, the terminal may be directly connected to the gateway in the local environment or may be connected to the gateway in the remote environment via the Internet. It is also assumed that the priority of the user A is higher than the priority of the user B.

12, it is assumed that 1) a user A transmits a reservation recording (for example, 2013.5.28 11:00 channel 200, 1 hour program) for the TV 1130 to the gateway 1120 via the terminal 1110 Can be requested. 2) Accordingly, the gateway 1120 can set the reserved recording function on the TV 1130 by referring to the device, the device function, the location, the user, and the service item in the meta information management tree. For example, the gateway 1120 can look up the priority of the A user in the user entry and check the location of the TV in the location entry. In addition, the gateway can confirm whether or not the TV 1130 supports recording by checking whether the TV 1130 supports the reserved recording function, and can acquire information related to the reserved recording in the service.

3) On the other hand, the user B may also request the gateway 1120 for reservation recording (for example, 2013.5.28 10:00 channel 210, 2 time program) for the TV 1130 through the terminal 1140. 4) The gateway can transmit the content to the terminal 1140 of the B user by referring to the information registered in the meta information management tree when the scheduled recording requested by the B user overlaps with the scheduled recording requested by the A user and the time zone overlaps with the channel have. 5) A user's priority is set high, user B requests whether user A can change the scheduled recording, and 6) user A requests information of user B based on the information in the meta information management tree May be received via the gateway 1120. 7) As a result, the user A can deliver the decision on the acceptance / rejection to the user B, and 8) The user B can receive the decision on the acceptance / rejection from the user A 9) If the user A accepts, the reservation recording request desired by the user B is transmitted to the gateway 1120, and 10) the gateway 1120 can transmit the reservation recording request information of the user B to the TV 1130 have.

Of course, according to the setting, the reservation recording may be set according to the information requested by the user B in step 3 only by accepting the user A without step 9) and step 10).

Next, referring to FIG. 13, a case where a service using a plurality of gateways is performed will be described.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a mode in which remote door control using a plurality of gateways is performed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 13, two gateways are used, one of which is provided in the user's home and the other is provided in the user's office and is assumed to be connected to each other via the Internet. In addition, the front door lock system 1210 is connected to the home gateway 1221 and is assumed to include a door bell, a door lock, and a camera. In addition, it is assumed that the user terminal 1230 is directly connected to the office gateway 1223 through wire / wireless connection.

13, 1) As a visitor presses the door bell of the home entrance, the gateway 1221 receives the device, location, and service information for the door lock system 1210 stored in the meta information management tree as a service layer (application) . 2) Accordingly, the gateway 1221 can operate the camera using the device and the location information. 3) Also, the gateway 1221 inquires the user's location information using the user and the location information. 4) As a result, when the location of the user is confirmed as the office, the gateway 1221 can perform service interworking with the gateway 1223 provided in the office using the CPE item and service information. 5) The gateway 1223 in the office calls the user's terminal 1230 using the information of the device item, and 6) transmits and receives data between the camera 1210 and the terminal 1230 using the information of the device adapter item You can determine the optimal video codec by checking the speed. 7), the home gateway 1221 transmits the screen and voice of the entrance camera to the office gateway 1223 using the device function information, so that the user and the visitor can make a video call. 8) When the user inputs a door open command through the terminal, the home gateway 1221 can release the door lock and stop the camera using the device and device function information.

Hereinafter, a service control method according to the present invention will be described in the case where a plurality of devices participate in the execution of one service based on the gateway.

Particularly, in the present embodiment, a service control method is provided when a plurality of devices are interlocked and operated to provide one service and when some devices are required to be replaced with another device.

Here, the control of the service is performed through the gateway, but direct data exchange between the devices participating in the service provision can be performed through a router or a peer-to-peer (P2P) . Here, the router is not limited to any method and kind as long as it can provide a path for data exchange between two or more devices, irrespective of its name.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a process in which external devices are connected through a router, and FIG. 15 shows an example of a process in which one of devices participating in providing a service according to an embodiment of the present invention is changed when external devices are connected in a face-to-face manner.

14 and 15, it is assumed that the device 2 is replaced with the device 3 while one service is being executed through the device 1 and the device 2. Here, it is assumed that the subject of the service (that is, the master device that provides the contents of the service or performs control during execution) is device 1.

Referring to FIG. 14, the devices 1 and 2 are connected to both a router and a gateway. When a service is started according to a predetermined procedure, the device 1 and the device 2 Exchange service-related data through the router.

As a specific service is executed, the device 1 and the device 2 report the matter (that is, meta information) to the gateway (1, 2). At this time, step (2) can be performed selectively. That is, all of the devices associated with the service may perform reporting to the gateway, and the master device (i.e., device 1) may report to the gateway together with the information of the other device (i.e., device 2).

The meta data reported here includes Session state, Connectivity name, Connectivity service category, Channel, Service contents, Device type, ), A device address, a device role, and the like. Of these, the device type, device address, and device role may be information already held at the gateway. In this case, the information may be managed by the gateway in the form of the meta information management tree described above.

After that, the device 3 is turned on or a request for a specific service can be reported to the gateway (3). The meta information reported here may include a connectivity capability, a connectivity service capability, a device type, a device address, a device role, Can also be managed at the gateway in the form of a meta information management tree.

Based on the meta information reported in step (3), the gateway can select an item of service that can be switched to the device 3 among currently executing services (4).

Meta information about the selected service can be reported to device 3 (5). The meta information reported here may include the connection name, connection service category, channel, device type, device address, device role, and the like.

The received metadata may be used to determine whether to join the service in the device 3 (6). For example, the metadata can be visually output through the display means provided in the device 3, thereby helping the user to decide.

As the user determines the service participation of the device 3 (i. E., The device 3 replaces the device 2), the service change request message can be communicated to the gateway device 3 (step 7). At this time, the service change request message may include meta information such as a connection name, a connection service category, a channel, a device type, a device address, and a device role.

The gateway receiving the change request message can transmit a control command to change the configuration of the device 1 and the device 2 connected to the corresponding service item (steps (8) and (9)). At this time, the control command may include a connection name, a connection service category, a target device address, and the like.

Thereafter, the service session between the device 1 and the device 2 is stopped, and the device 3 can participate in the execution of the service instead of the device 2.

In the case of FIG. 15, similar to the process of FIG. 14 except that the service-related data is directly exchanged between the devices without going through the router, redundant description will be omitted for simplicity of the description.

A specific example of each meta information in the above-described processes is as follows.

- Connectivity name: WiFi, WiFi Direct, Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS), Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE (Low Energy), etc.

- Connectivity service category: Miracast, DLNA, A2DP (Advance Audio Distribution Profile), etc.

- Service contents: Video, audio, image, screen, etc.

- Device type: TV, mobile terminal, Network Attached Storage (NAS), etc.

- Device role: source / sink, master / slave, digital media server (DMS), digital media player (DMP), digital media A digital media renderer (DMR), a digital media controller (DMC), etc.

- Session state: ongoing, expired, etc.

Hereinafter, the apparatus change procedure described above with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a process of changing a device participating in a mirroring service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 16, while an image displayed through a terminal (for example, a smart phone) is being mirrored through a living room TV, it is assumed that the mirroring is continued through the bedroom TV as the user moves to the bedroom together with the terminal do. Here, the term 'mirroring' refers to a service for outputting a screen displayed on a terminal through an external display, and may be performed through various protocols (for example, mirrorcast, DLNA, etc.). In addition, it is assumed that the living room TV, the bedroom TV, and the terminal are already registered in the gateway and are in a state of being connected or being able to connect at any time.

Referring to FIG. 16, a mirroring service is started and a screen of a terminal can be mirrored to a living room TV (1).

Accordingly, the terminal can report meta information (e.g., session state, connection name, connection service category, service content, channel, device type, device address, device role, etc.) related to the mirroring service to the gateway .

During the mirroring process, the user can move to the bedroom together with the terminal (3).

As the user who moved to the bedroom turns on the bedroom TV (④), the bedroom TV can report the power on state to the gateway (⑤).

If there is no terminal of another user connected to the gateway, the gateway can determine that only the user exists in the house, and the user can determine that the user has moved to the bedroom when the bedroom TV is turned on. On the other hand, the gateway acquires the function of the bedroom TV in the initial connection and manages it in the form of a meta information management tree. Accordingly, the gateway can extract the service capable of switching from the living room TV to the bedroom TV and transmit the related meta information to the bedroom TV (6).

The bedroom TV can output the user interface for checking whether the output device of the mirroring service being executed to the user is changed from the living room TV to the bedroom TV using the received meta information (7).

Here, when the user selects the change to the bedroom TV, the bedroom TV can transmit a message of mirroring scene change request to the gateway (8).

The gateway may transmit a mirroring scene change command message to the terminal according to the request message (9). At this time, the mirroring change command message may include meta information such as the address, type, and capability of the bedroom TV to indicate that the role of the living room TV is replaced with the bedroom TV.

The terminal receiving the mirroring change command message can change the output device of the mirroring service to the bedroom TV (10). Of course, in this process, a user interface for receiving confirmation of the user can be provided through the display of the terminal.

When the transition from the living room TV to the bedroom TV is completed, the terminal can report the completion of the mirroring switching to the gateway (11).

As the completion of the transition is reported, the gateway can instruct the living room TV to turn off the power (12). At this time, the living room TV may be turned off immediately, or information about the power off notice may be output to the screen through a predetermined user interface. In this case, the living room TV may be turned off if there is no user input for a certain period of time.

FIG. 17 shows another example of a process of changing a device participating in a mirroring service according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 17, contents stored in a network attached storage (NAS) are transmitted to a living room TV through a wireless router (AP) and played back (i.e., shared scene) It is assumed that the reproduction of the content is continued. It is also assumed that the user wears Bluetooth headphones and can pair with both the living room TV and the bedroom TV.

Referring to FIG. 17, the Bluetooth earphone is connected to the living room TV, and the sound of the living room TV is output to the Bluetooth earphone. When the specific contents stored in the NAS are transmitted to the living room TV through the AP, the contents are outputted through the living room TV (1).

The living room TV can thus be configured to display meta information (e.g., session state, connection name, connection service category, service content, channel, device type, device address, device role, Device type, connection name, connection service category, device address, device role, etc.) for the headphone to the gateway (2).

During playback of the content, the user can move to the bedroom while wearing the Bluetooth headphones (3).

As the user who moved to the bedroom turns on the bedroom TV (④), the bedroom TV can report power on to the gateway (⑤).

Accordingly, the gateway can determine that the user has moved to the bedroom. On the other hand, the gateway acquires the function of the bedroom TV in the initial connection and manages it in the form of a meta information management tree. Accordingly, the gateway can extract the service capable of switching from the living room TV to the bedroom TV and transmit the related meta information to the bedroom TV (6).

The bedroom TV can output a user interface for confirming from the user whether or not to change the output device of the content sharing service being executed to the user from the living room TV to the bedroom TV using the received meta information (7).

Here, when the user selects the change to the bedroom TV, the bedroom TV can transmit a share scene change request message to the gateway (8).

The gateway can transmit a share scene change command message to the NAS and the bedroom TV according to the request message (9). At this time, the sharing change command message transmitted to the NAS may include meta information such as the address, type, and capability of the bedroom TV. In addition, the sharing change command message transmitted to the bedroom TV may include connection information for the Bluetooth headphone.

The NAS receiving the mirroring change command message can change the output device of the shared service to the bedroom TV (10). In addition, the bedroom TV can be paired with the Bluetooth headphone so that sound can be output through the Bluetooth headphone (11). At this time, the Bluetooth headphone can be paired with the living room TV.

When the transition from the living room TV to the bedroom TV is completed, the bedroom TV can report the completion of the sharing transition to the gateway (12).

As the completion of the conversion is reported, the gateway can instruct the living room TV to turn off the power (13). As described above, the living room TV may be turned off immediately, or information on the off-warning may be output to the screen through a predetermined user interface. In this case, the living room TV may be turned off if there is no user input for a certain period of time.

According to the above-described FIG. 16, even if the gateway does not directly support Bluetooth, since the pairing can be controlled through another device, there is an advantage that the service can be collectively changed for a plurality of devices participating in the service.

In addition, in the above-described embodiments, it has been determined that the user moves in a location different from the location of the device that is currently operating, whether or not there is a device newly powered on. However, If possible, it is not limited to the method through any device.

Hereinafter, the mechanical configuration of the gateway capable of performing the above functions will be described with reference to FIG.

18 shows an example of a block diagram of a gateway that can be applied to embodiments of the present invention.

The gateway 100 may include a wireless communication unit 110, a user input unit 120, an output unit 150, an interface unit 160, a memory 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, have. The components shown in FIG. 17 are not essential for implementing a gateway, and the gateway described in this specification can have more or less components than those listed above.

The wireless communication unit 110 may be connected to the gateway 100 through an external device or between the gateway 100 and another gateway 100 or between the gateway 100 and another gateway 100, May enable one or more modules to enable wireless communication between the networks in which they are located.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include at least one of a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short distance communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The user input unit 120 may include a touch key for receiving a control command from a user, a mechanical key, and the like.

The output unit 150 may include at least one of a display unit 151, an audio output unit 152, and a light output unit 153 to generate an output related to visual, auditory, tactile, or the like. The display unit 151 may have a mutual layer structure with the touch sensor or may be integrally formed to realize a touch screen. Such a touch screen may function as a user input 123 that provides an input interface between the gateway 100 and a user and may provide an output interface between the gateway 100 and the user.

The interface unit 160 serves as a channel with various types of external devices connected to the gateway 100. The interface unit 160 is connected to a device having a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, And may include at least one of a port, an audio I / O port, a video I / O port, and an earphone port. In the gateway 100, corresponding to the connection of the external device to the interface unit 160, it is possible to perform appropriate control related to the connected external device.

The memory 170 may store a plurality of application programs (application programs or applications) driven by the gateway 100, data for operation of the gateway 100, commands, and the above-described meta information management tree . At least some of these applications may be downloaded from an external server via wireless communication. Also, at least some of these applications may be connected to the gateway 100 at the time of shipment for basic functions of the gateway 100 (e.g., providing wired / wireless connectivity with external devices, Lt; / RTI > Meanwhile, the application program may be stored in the memory 170, installed on the gateway 100, and operated by the control unit 180 to perform the operation (or function) of the gateway.

In addition to the operations associated with the application program, the control unit 180 typically controls the overall operation of the gateway 100. [ The control unit 180 processes the input or output signals, data, items of the meta information management tree or the like through the above-mentioned components or drives an application program stored in the memory 170 to provide appropriate information or functions to the user, Can be processed.

In addition, the controller 180 may control at least some of the components illustrated in FIG. 18 to drive an application program stored in the memory 170. FIG. In addition, the controller 180 may operate at least two of the components included in the gateway 100 in combination with each other for driving the application program.

Specifically, the control unit 180 establishes a data path through the external device and the wireless communication unit 110 or the interface unit 160. When the external device is connected through the data path, the controller 180 reads the information of the external device according to a predetermined registration procedure It can be registered in the meta information management tree of the memory 170. [ When a service request message is transmitted from an external device, information necessary for performing the service is acquired from the meta information management tree, and a necessary procedure (for example, the above conflict resolution procedure, interworking with other gateways Etc.) can be performed.

In addition, the control unit 180 receives meta information of the service being executed from the external devices, determines whether or not the external service can be switched to the external device that is turned on when another external device is turned on, Information can be transmitted to a turned-on external device. Thereafter, it is possible to control the device in which the specific service is executed to be changed in accordance with the command input by the user. As described above, whether or not the apparatus is newly turned on can be replaced by other information that can determine whether or not the user is moved.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power to the components included in the gateway 100. The power supply unit 190 may include a battery.

The wireless communication unit 110 and the interface unit 160 may be collectively referred to as a "communication unit" when they are used for a common purpose of providing a data path to an external device.

At least some of the respective components may operate in cooperation with each other to implement a method of operation, control, or control of a gateway according to various embodiments described below. Also, the operation, control, or control method of the gateway may be implemented on the gateway by driving at least one application program stored in the memory 170. [

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

Furthermore, the present invention can be embodied as computer-readable codes on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) . Also, the computer may include a control unit 180 of the terminal.

Accordingly, the above description should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (16)

A communication unit for exchanging signals with at least one external device; And
A first report containing meta information for at least one service in which the first device and the second device participate is received from the first device and a second report on the status of the third device from the third device is received The meta information of the service to which the third device can participate among the at least one service is transmitted to the third device, and the third device can participate in the specific service among the services that the third device can participate in And a control unit that controls the first device and the third device to transmit a change command to the at least one of the first device and the third device when the request for change is received,
Wherein the first device provides the content to the second device or the third device, and the second device and the third device reproduce the content provided from the first device,
The meta information of the service to which the third device can participate,
A connection name, a connection service category, a channel, a content, a device type, a device address, and a device role,
Wherein,
Managing the device type, the device address, and the device role in a tree of a predetermined structure,
Wherein the tree is managed in a middleware platform layer and referenced in a service layer. The method according to claim 1,
When the change command is transmitted to the first apparatus,
Wherein the change command comprises meta information of the third device. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the meta information of the third device comprises:
And a connection name of the third device, a connection service category, and a device address. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the change instruction comprises:
And provide said content to said third device, and instruct said first device to stop providing to said second device. 5. The method of claim 4,
If a fourth device participates further in the specific service and the fourth device is connected only to the second device,
Wherein,
And instructs the third device to connect with the fourth device. The method according to claim 1,
The second report may include:
And indicates a power-on state of the third device. The method according to claim 1,
When the change instruction is transmitted to the second device,
Wherein the change command comprises a power off command. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein,
And controls the change instruction to be transmitted to the second device when a third report indicating completion of service change according to the change instruction is received from the first device. A method of controlling a gateway,
Receiving from the first device a first report comprising meta information for at least one service in which the first device and the second device participate;
Transmitting meta information of a service among the at least one service to which the third device can participate, when a second report on the status of the third device is received from the third device; And
And transmitting a change command to at least one of the first device and the second device when a change request for a specific service among the services that the third device can participate from the third device is received,
Wherein the first device provides the content to the second device or the third device, and the second device and the third device reproduce the content provided from the first device,
The meta information of the service to which the third device can participate,
A connection name, a connection service category, a channel, a content, a device type, a device address, and a device role,
Wherein the device type, the device address, and the device role are managed by a tree of a predetermined structure in the gateway,
Wherein the tree is managed at a middleware platform layer of the gateway and is referenced at a service layer. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the transmitting the change command comprises:
And transmitting a change command including meta information of the third device to the first device. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the meta information of the third device comprises:
And a connection name of the third device, a connection service category, and a device address. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the transmitting the change command comprises:
And sending a power off command to the second device. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the transmitting the power off command comprises:
And when a third report indicating that the service change according to the change command is completed is received from the first device. 10. The method of claim 9,
The second report may include:
And instructs the power-on state of the third device. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the transmitting the change command comprises:
And providing said content to said third device, and instructing said first device to stop providing to said second device. 16. The method of claim 15,
If a fourth device participates further in the specific service and the fourth device is connected only to the second device,
Further comprising instructing the third device to connect with the fourth device.

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