FR3035995A1 - METHOD FOR MANAGING DOMESTIC EQUIPMENT - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for managing equipment (1a, 1b) in a local area network (20) connecting: - a device (2, 3) comprising a data processing module (21, 31); said equipment (1a, 1b); a mobile terminal (2); the method being characterized in that it comprises the implementation by the data processing module (21, 31) of the device (2, 3) of steps of: (a) estimating a physical distance between said equipment (1a, 1b) and the mobile terminal (2); (b) detecting the verification for at least a predetermined duration of a condition relating to said physical distance; (c) sending a command request to the equipment (1a, 1b).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for managing equipment in a home network. STATE OF THE ART Numerous devices make it possible to provide services to users in a home network, such as rendering multimedia contents. For example, connected TVs can project photos, personal videos, TV channels, etc. Similarly, wireless headsets can connect to audio sources and play for the music user. These technologies provide full satisfaction, but we note that increasing their number within the same household complicates their management. For example, if the user has several equipment capable of rendering multimedia content, he must choose the equipment that will ensure the return manually. Many techniques allow this choice of equipment, such as selection on a screen, retrieval of an NFC / QRCode tag, etc. These techniques bring satisfaction as long as the user remains in front of the equipment he has chosen. If it moves from room to room, it is necessary to continue to manually choose the equipment that implements the restitution, which is not very ergonomic. It would thus be desirable to facilitate control of equipment in a home network. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention thus relates in a first aspect to a method of managing equipment in a local area network connecting: a device comprising a data processing module; - said equipment; a mobile terminal; the method being characterized in that it comprises the implementation by the data processing module of the steps device of: (a) estimating a physical distance between said equipment and the mobile terminal; (b) detecting the verification for at least a predetermined duration of a condition relating to said physical distance; (c) sending a command request to the equipment. The present method makes it possible to automatically control the target equipment as a function of the proximity of the user, so as to detect the user's desire to implement this equipment or not, and without having Act.

According to other advantageous and nonlimiting features: said condition relating to said physical distance is the fact that the physical distance is greater than a first threshold and / or less than a second threshold (this is a way of defining conditions easily and efficiently); said request sent to step (c) is a request to modify the energy state of the equipment (the modification of an energy state of a device is a type of action particularly adapted to the distance criterion) ; said condition is chosen from among a plurality of conditions stored on a data storage module of the device (it is possible to control a database of conditions which are tested regularly); - said request sent to step (c) comprises a control parameter function of said distance (this allows complex actions depending on the distance); the equipment and the mobile terminal are adapted to directly exchange a signal via a wireless link, said physical distance being estimated in step (a) as a function of a measured parameter of said signal exchanged between the equipment and the mobile terminal (the direct wireless link makes it easy to measure distance); the equipment is connected to the local network via an access point, the access point and the mobile terminal being adapted to directly exchange a signal via a wireless link, said physical distance being estimated at step (a) a measured parameter of said signal exchanged between the access point and the mobile terminal (if the equipment can not communicate wirelessly with the terminal, its position is approximated by its access point); Or the signal is an electromagnetic signal and said parameter is a signal strength, the signal is a sound signal and said parameter is a signal propagation time the signal strength and the propagation time are two reliable, effective methods and accurate); a spatial position of the equipment is known, step (a) comprising estimating the spatial position of the mobile terminal, said physical distance being estimated as a function of the respective spatial positions of the equipment and the mobile terminal ( even in the absence of interactions with the equipment, for example if it is fixed, the distance can be calculated by simple triangulation of the terminal, which is also reliable, simple and effective); The method comprises a step of adjusting a condition if a user sends an auxiliary command request to the equipment that is contradictory to the request sent by the data processing module in step (c) (it it is quite possible to implement a learning mode which makes it possible to adapt the conditions to the real life of the user, without any intervention of the latter); the mobile terminal comprises said device (thus no other apparatus is necessary); A box for accessing the Internet of the home network comprises said device (a box is a central piece of equipment of the network and with a good computing power which can easily and transparently implement the method).

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device management device in a home network connecting at least said equipment and a mobile terminal; the device being characterized in that it comprises a data processing module configured to implement: a module for estimating a physical distance between said equipment and the mobile terminal; a detection module for checking for at least a predetermined duration of a condition relating to said physical distance; A module for sending a command request to the equipment. The invention relates more particularly to an internet access box of a home network comprising a device according to the second aspect of managing the reproduction of multimedia content in the home network.

An access box to the Internet (or home gateway) is indeed as explained a device generally still present in a home network and having all the characteristics to effectively implement the method according to the first aspect.

According to a third and fourth aspect, the invention relates respectively to a computer program product comprising code instructions for executing a method of managing equipment in a home network according to the first aspect of the invention. invention when the program is run on a computer; and computer-readable storage means on which a computer program product comprises code instructions for executing a method of managing home equipment in a home network the first aspect of the invention .

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment. This description will be given with reference to Figure 1 in the appendix showing an example of a network architecture in which is implemented the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION General Architecture The method according to the invention is a method of managing a device 1a, 1b in a local area network 20 of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. This is typically the home network of a home network. home. The devices 1a, 1b can be any connectable and controllable peripherals. Equipment management refers to the control of this equipment. In general, this can, as will be seen, consist in the modification of an energy state of the equipment. By energy state of a device, one naturally understands a level of power supply of the equipment (completely on, completely off, on a light standby, deep standby, etc.), but also a combination of the energetic states of the various modules dial 25 equipment. Indeed, it is possible to modify the energy consumption of a device by degrading (even completely deactivating) certain functionalities. For example, if a device 1a, lb is a WiFi printer, one of its energetic states can be "on but with the Wi-Fi module turned off". It then allows only wired communications. It will thus be understood that the present method is not limited to any specific list of energetic states of equipment, and that those skilled in the art will be able to adapt it to these.

3035995 6 If the equipment 1 a, lb is a device capable of restoring a content (which is the case for the two devices 1 a, lb shown in Figure 1, the equipment being a wireless headphone capable of to restore audio content and the equipment lb being a connected television, in particular 5 compliant with the DLNA standard, Digital Living Network Alliance, capable of rendering video content) then the management of the equipment can be the triggering of the return of a content, its interruption, or the modification of this reproduction, for example a variation of the volume, a change of brightness, a customization of a user environment (HMI), the start of a filtering of the contents, etc. The multimedia contents involved can be any kind of digital audio and / or video content such as e-mails, SMS (displayed or vocalized), photos, videos, internet pages, the weather, the stock market, etc. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to equipment for rendering content, any equipment that may be concerned, for example lamps, routers, shutters, etc. The local network 20 comprises a plurality of devices including: a mobile terminal 2 (a smartphone, a touch pad, a connected watch, etc.); A device 2, 3 comprising a data processing module 21, 31 (such as a processor), which is the device that will in particular implement the steps of the present method; at least one equipment 1a, 1b to be managed, if necessary a plurality. The device 2, 3 is in particular either the mobile terminal 2 itself (the network 20 can then be limited to devices connected to the terminal 2), or an Internet access box 3 (IAD, Internet Access Device, commonly called "box" or domestic gateway), but it will be understood that it may be a network server 20, a multimedia box (set-top box), etc. The device 2, 3 is equipped with a data processing module 21, 31 (a processor) and a data storage module 22, 32 (a memory, typically flash or a hard disk).

In the remainder of the present description, we will take the particular example of an embodiment in which the device is the housing 3, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this case. In general, any device of the network 20 comprising a data processing module and advantageously a data storage module (see below why) can fulfill the role of device. The use of a housing 3 is preferred because it is a central device of the network 20 naturally having physical capabilities for the implementation of the method.

Preferably, each device 1a, 1b has either a wireless connection capacity (through which it is connected to an access point 2, 3 13 of the network 20), or is connected wired to the point d access 2, 3, 13 (advantageously an access point having such a wireless connection capacity). By wireless means many electromagnetic technologies (radio waves, light, etc.) such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, InfraRed, or a sound technology (ultrasound inaudible to humans), etc. It is desirable that the mobile terminal 2 and a device 1a, 1b (or its access point 3, 13 if it is not the terminal 2) can be adapted to directly exchange a signal via a link wireless.

It should be understood, however, that the existence of a wireless capability does not preclude the equipment from being wired equally, by a cable (eg Ethernet). The present method is not limited to the systematic existence of wireless connectivity, but will see later that the existence of wireless links facilitates the implementation of the present method.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the wireless headset is connected directly to the mobile terminal 2 in Bluetooth. Note that the mobile terminal 2 acts as a network access point 20 for the headset 1 a. Alternatively, the television 1b is connected to a Set-Top Box 13 by a wired connection (Ethernet), the STB 13 acting as its access point to the network 20 since it is connected to it in Wifi (so we have a Wifi connection between the STB 13 and the terminal 2).

The present method proposes to manage the equipment 1a, 1b as a function of the physical distance with the terminal 2. In fact, it can be assumed that the user is carrying the terminal 2 (particularly if it is a smartphone or a watch), this distance representing an estimate of the real distance between the user and the equipment. It will be understood that the present distance is indeed a distance in the metric sense (difference between the respective spatial positions of the terminal 2 and the equipment 1b), as opposed to a topological distance or the like. For this, the method comprises the implementation by the data processing module 31 of the device 3 (we take the example where the device is the access box to the Internet 3) of steps of: (a) estimation of a physical distance between said equipment 1a, 1b and the mobile terminal 2; (b) detecting the verification for at least a predetermined duration of a condition relating to said physical distance; (c) sending a control request to the equipment 1a, 1b; This makes it possible to trigger behaviors according to the proximity or not of the user with the equipment involved. Distance Calculation In step (a), the method estimates the distance, in meters, between the equipment 1a, 1b and the terminal 2. Preferably, the module 21, 31 estimates this distance for all equipment 1 a, lb listed (ie for which there is a condition, see below), and if applicable for all terminals 2 (there may indeed be several, associated with different family members).

Numerous ways are known for estimating such a physical distance.

If the equipment 1a, 1b and the mobile terminal 2 are adapted to directly exchange a signal via a wireless link, said physical distance being estimated in step (a) as a function of a measured parameter of said signal exchanged between the equipment 1 a, lb and the mobile terminal 2. Thus, if the signal is electromagnetic (typical case of a Wifi connection, Bluetooth, etc.), said parameter can be the strength of the received signal. Indeed the attenuation is a function of the distance. If it is the gateway 3 which implements step (a), then the equipment 1a, 1b and the terminal 2 each transmit via the network 20 to the data processing module 31 the strength of the signal sent and the 10 of the received signal, the module 21 processes these values and calculates the physical distance. This is the case of the headset 1a in the example of FIG. 1, at a distance d / from the terminal 2. Alternatively, if the signal is a sound signal, the parameter may be a propagation time. Knowing the speed of sound, the time taken by the sound to cross the space between the equipment 1a, lb and the terminal 2 makes it possible to obtain the distance of this space. The same techniques can be implemented without the equipment 1a, 1b and the mobile terminal 2 being adapted to directly exchange a signal via a wireless link, if the access point 3, 13 via which Equipment 1a, 1b is connected to the network 20 and the mobile terminal 2 are adapted to directly exchange a signal via the wireless link. The idea is to assume that the equipment 1a, 1b and the access point 3, 13 are close (for example it can be assumed that a television will be in the immediate vicinity of the STB), so as to approximate the position of the equipment via the position of the access point 3, 13. The same techniques (estimation of the strength of the received signal / propagation of the signal) can be used. This is the case of the television 1b in the example of FIG. 1, at a distance d2 from the terminal 2 (estimated at the level of the STB 13).

Alternatively, especially if there is no possibility of establishing a direct wireless link between the equipment 1a, 1b or an access point 3, 13 (for example, connection to the purely wired network). then we can estimate spatial positions. It is possible that the position of the equipment 1a, 1b is predefined, especially if it is a fixed equipment without a wireless connection (for example a lamp). It is then sufficient to determine the spatial position of the terminal 2, by one or other of the known techniques (GPS, triangulation, etc.). Distance is estimated mathematically by comparison of spatial positions.

10 Verification of conditions Once the distance is estimated with sufficient precision, one or more conditions relating to this distance are tested. If a condition is satisfied (i.e. satisfied) for a predetermined duration (time associated with the condition), an action is taken by sending a request to the equipment 1, 1b, said request comprising data interpretable by the equipment 1a, lb as controlling the implementation of the planned action, in particular what is called a control parameter. There may be several command parameters inserted in the query as we will see. A plurality of conditions can be stored on a data storage module 22, 32 of the device 2, 3 in a database of conditions for this purpose, and each tested during the implementation of the method.

Each condition is defined by the equipment 1a, 1b concerned, the concerned terminal (s) 2, the value of the predetermined duration, the intended action, and the condition itself (which may be a logical combination of several conditions elementary). Conditions can be enabled / disabled on request.

A condition relating to said physical distance is typically that the physical distance is greater than a first threshold and / or less than a second threshold.

In particular, it can be provided that if the equipment 1a, 1b is sufficiently approached, it goes into an active state or even restores content (for example automatic reading of e-mails). Similarly, if one moves too far away from the equipment 1a, 1b (first threshold above the second threshold), then the equipment 1a, 1b interrupts all or part of its operation. There may be more than two thresholds (this can define several conditions). For example it can be expected that: - if it is less than 3m (second threshold of condition 1) of the television lb for at least 5s, it turns on; 10 - if it is more than 4m (first threshold of condition 1) of the television lb for at least 5s, it turns off (flow cut or standby); - if it is less than 50cm (third threshold of condition 1, or second threshold of a separate "protection" condition, which may be independently enabled or disabled) of the television lbs for at least 10s, it goes out because you are too close. Note that the condition may logically include as a parameter the state of the equipment 1a, lb (see other equipment 1a, 1b). For example, if the distance is 2m and the television lb is already on, then no request will be sent to turn it on since this is already the case.

Similarly, external parameters may be used, such as linked to a type of content, in particular for filtering (see parental control later). These external parameters are also associated with the condition in the condition base.

In a preferred embodiment at least one control parameter inserted into the request is a function of the distance. For example, it can be expected that the sound volume will vary depending on the distance (it decreases when one gets closer). Thus, if one is in the distance range 50cm-3m evoked before, a variation of distance in this interval while the television is on will cause a request not to turn on the television, but to change the sound volume so as to adapt it to this distance. Thus, a control parameter inserted into the request is relative to a volume change, and a parameter expresses a desired value of the volume as a function of the distance. For the convenience of the user, steps (a) to (c) can be carried out periodically, but with a medium frequency (for example once a minute) so as not to react too impromptuly , which could annoy the user. The correct choice of a refresh rate and predetermined durations associated with the conditions allows maximum comfort (the idea being not to react by mistake if the user for example brushes against a device, but the reaction is not too slow if the user 10 really wants the implementation of equipment). We can consider "pull-out" conditions for more precision: at 3m the television lights up in 5s, at 2m50 the television lights up in 4s, at 2m the television lights up in 3s, etc. (In fact, the data processing module 21, 31 is increasingly certain of the user's intention to watch television as the distance decreases). Filtering and parental control As explained, it is possible to do parental control, having specific conditions associated with a terminal that is for example that of a child. As such, there may be priorities of the parental control type conditions. For example, suppose that there is a condition that if the television lb renders content "forbidden to the under-12s" whereas a mobile terminal 2 associated with a child is less than 4m, then the television is off. If this condition is verified and at the same time an adult is within 3m of the television, the television will remain off because the condition of type "parental control" will be priority.

Similarly, there may be provided a daily / weekly / monthly time counter that provides a user with a quota. For example if a child is less than 3m from the television it may remain lit but the meter is running. Once it has expired the condition is no longer verifiable (the television will not be switched on even if the child is at a safe distance) 5 Adjustment Preferably, the present method comprises a step (d) of adjustment of a condition stored on the data storage module 22, 32. This adjustment consists in particular of modifying at least one parameter associated with the condition, typically one of the first or second (or other) thresholds if the user sends a contradictory request. This is a learning step. For contradictory purposes, we mean in view of an action that is incompatible with the action provided for by the request sent by the data processing module 21, 31 in step (c). For example, the contradictory request may be the ignition (via the remote control) of the television lb while it is 4.50m, while the television has gone out when the user has exceeded 4m. The first threshold of the rule (4m) is then modified. Either the data processing module takes the new value as a reference (replacement of 4m by 4m50), or it averages (replacement of 4m by 4m25) so as to limit the "artifacts". Similarly, if the user is in the right range but turns on the television before the end of the predetermined time is that it is too long. Its value is therefore reduced in the database of conditions. All this is done automatically and in the greatest comfort for the user. It should be noted that certain "parental control" type conditions (i.e. associated with a terminal 2 of a child) may be specified as non-adjustable. According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a device 2, 3 for managing a device 1a, 1b in a home network 20 for implementing the method according to the first aspect.

The device 2, 3 comprising, as explained, a data processing module 21, 31 configured to implement: a module for estimating a physical distance between said equipment 1a, 1b and the mobile terminal 2; a verification detection module for at least a predetermined duration of a condition relating to said physical distance; a module for sending a control request to the equipment 1a, 1b. Can also be put if necessary a condition adjustment module. The device 2, 3 may include a data storage module 22, 32 for storing a condition database. Preferably, the mobile terminal 2 or an internet access box 3 (home gateway) of a home network 20 comprises this management device 2, 3.

Computer Program Product According to a third and fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer program product comprising code instructions for execution (on a data processing module 31, in particular that of the device 2). 3, advantageously the Internet access box 3 or the terminal 2) of a device management method 1a, 1b in the network 20 according to the first aspect of the invention, as well as storage means readable by a computer equipment (for example the memory 32 of the box 3) on which we find this product computer program. 30

Claims (16)

REVENDICATIONS1. A method of managing an equipment (1a, 1b) in a local area network (20) connecting: - a device (2, 3) comprising a data processing module (21, 31); said equipment (1a, 1b); a mobile terminal (2); the method being characterized in that it comprises the implementation by the data processing module (21, 31) of the device (2, 3) of steps of: (a) estimating a physical distance between said equipment (la, I b) and the mobile terminal (2); (b) detecting the verification for at least a predetermined duration of a condition relating to said physical distance; (c) sending a control request to the equipment (1a, 1b). The method of claim 1, wherein said condition relating to said physical distance is that the physical distance is greater than a first threshold and / or less than a second threshold. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said request sent to step (c) is a request to change the energy state of the equipment (1a, 1b). The method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said condition relating to said distance is selected from a plurality of conditions stored on a data storage module (22, 32) of the device (2, 3). 3035995 16 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said request sent to step (c) comprises a control parameter function of said distance. 5 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the equipment (1a, 1b) and the mobile terminal (2) are adapted to directly exchange a signal via a wireless link, said physical distance being estimated in step (a) as a function of a measured parameter of said signal exchanged between the equipment (1a, 1b) and the mobile terminal (2). 10 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the equipment (1a, 1b) is connected to the local network (20) via an access point (3, 13), the access point ( 3, 13) and the mobile terminal (2) being adapted to directly exchange a signal via a wireless link, said physical distance being estimated at step (a) of a measured parameter of said signal exchanged between the point access (3, 13) and the mobile terminal (2). The method according to one of claims 6 and 7, wherein either the signal is an electromagnetic signal and said parameter is a signal strength, or the signal is a sound signal and said parameter is a signal delay. 9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a spatial position of the equipment (1a, 1b) is known, step (a) comprising estimating the spatial position of the mobile terminal ( 2), said physical distance being estimated according to the respective spatial positions of the equipment (1a, 1b) and the mobile terminal (2). 10. Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a step of adjusting a condition if a user sends an auxiliary command request to the equipment (1a, 1b) which is contradictory with the request issued. by the data processing module (21, 31) in step (c). 3035995 17 11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the mobile terminal (2) comprises said device (2, 3). 12. Method according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein 5 an internet access box (3) of the home network (20) comprises said device (2, 3). 13. Device (2, 3) for managing equipment (1a, 1b) in a home network (20) connecting at least said equipment (1a, 1b) and a mobile terminal (2); the device (2, 3) being characterized in that it comprises a data processing module (21, 31) configured to implement: a module for estimating a physical distance between said equipment (1a, 1 b) and the mobile terminal (2); A module for detecting the verification for at least a predetermined duration of a condition relating to said physical distance; a module for sending a control request to the equipment (1a, 1b). 14. An internet access box (3) of a home network (20) comprising a device (2, 3) according to claim 13 for managing the reproduction of a multimedia content in the home network (20). A computer program product comprising code instructions for executing a method of managing a device (1a, 1b) in a home network (20) according to one of claims 1 to 12 when the program is run on a computer. 16. A storage medium readable by computer equipment on which a computer program product includes code instructions for executing a method of managing a device (1a, 1b) in a home network (20). ) according to one of claims 1 to 12.