WO2007029952A1

WO2007029952A1 - Home network system

Info

Publication number: WO2007029952A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/003510
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gyeong Ju Kwon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-09-05
Filing date: 2006-09-05
Publication date: 2007-03-15
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-05
Also published as: KR20070025675A

Abstract

A home network system is provided. The home network system includes a non-networking adaptor installed to face an infrared (IR) receiver receiving an IR control signal of a non-networking home electronic appliance, receiving a wirelessly transmitted control code and transmitting the IR control signal corresponding to the received control code to the IR receiver; and a home server connected to the communication network and having a non-networking controller configured to wirelessly transmit the control code to the non-networking adaptor upon receiving a control command signal for the non-networking home electronic appliance. The home network system is configured to control conventional non-networking home electronic appliances incapable of accessing to a network and remotely controlled by an infrared control signal. In addition, the home network system can overcome hindrance to infrared signal transmission due to an obstacle existing between a home server and a non-networking home electronic appliance, thereby reducing a layout limitation associated with the home server and the non-networking home electronic appliance.

Description

HOME NETWORK SYSTEM

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a home network system, and more particularly, to a home network system configured to control conventional non-networking home electronic appliances incapable of accessing to a network. Background Art

[2] A conventional home electronic appliance that does not support networking capability cannot control a home network system even if installation of the home network system is made.

[3] To overcome the problem, Korean Patent Application Publication No.

2004-0020363 discloses a home network control system, having already been on the market prior to commercialization of a home network system and capable of controlling non-networking home electronic appliances operable by an infrared (IR) remote controller.

[4] According to the disclosed technology, however, the home network control system may not exert its desired control function in any event where there is hindrance to IR signal transmission between distributed non-networking home electronic appliances in controlling a plurality of non-networking home appliances without home network accessing capabilities. In general, infrared rays travel linearly and non-networking home appliances are distributed at optional locations according to user's use. Thus, it is quite difficult to avoid the hindrance to the IR signal transmission without ensuring linearity of IR signal transmission. For example, in a case where a non-networking air- conditioner is installed in a bedroom, another non-networking television system is installed in a living room, and the home network control system is installed in the living room, it is difficult to control the air-conditioner installed in the bedroom by means of the home network control system using an infrared transmission control method.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[5] To solve the above problem, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a home network system which can suppress signal transmission hindrance to non- networking home electronic appliances based on the linearity of infrared ray signal transmission.

Technical Solution

[6] To accomplish the above object of the present invention, there is provided a home network system connected to a communication network and controlling appliances accessed to a home network by transmitting/receiving signals to/from the communication network, the home network system comprising: a non-networking adaptor installed to face an infrared (IR) receiver receiving an IR control signal of a non- networking home electronic appliance, receiving a wirelessly transmitted control code and transmitting the IR control signal corresponding to the received control code to the IR receiver; and a home server connected to the communication network and having a non-networking controller configured to wirelessly transmit the control code to the non-networking adaptor upon receiving a control command signal for the non- networking home electronic appliance.

[7] Preferably, the non-networking adaptor comprises: a wireless receiver receiving a wireless signal transmitted from the non-networking controller; an IR transmitter outputting the IR control signal to the IR receiver of the non-networking home electronic appliance; and a module controller reading the control code received through the wireless receiver and controlling the corresponding IR signal to be output via the IR transmitter.

[8] In addition, the home network system preferably further comprises: a database accessed to the internet and storing information concerning an IR control signal system by kind and model of the non-networking home electronic appliance; and a service support server configured to download IR control code data stored in the database to the home server by kind and model of the non-networking home electronic appliance to be controlled, as requested by the accessed home server via the internet.

[9] The home server preferably comprises an input unit configured to allow a user to input information; a subscriber interface accessed to the communication network; a home network controller processing signals received through the subscriber interface and controlling the non-networking controller; and a display unit displaying display information under the control of the home network controller.

[10] More preferably, the non-networking adaptor comprises an adhesive pad having an adhesive agent coated thereon to attach a main body of the non-networking adaptor to the periphery of the IR receiver of the non-networking home electronic appliance. Brief Description of the Drawings

[11] FlG. 1 is a block diagram of a home network system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[12] FlG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a position of a non-networking home electronic appliance shown in FlG. 1 at which a non-networking adaptor is installed;

[13] [14] FlG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the non-networking home electronic appliance is combined with the non-networking adaptor shown in FlG. 2;

[15] FlG. 4 is a rear view of the non-networking adaptor shown in FlG. 2; and

[16] FlG. 5 is a block diagram of a non-networking adaptor shown in FlG. 1.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[17] Hereinafter, a home network system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. FlG. 1 is a block diagram of a home network system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[18] Referring to FlG. 1, the home network system includes a home server 100, and a non-networking adaptor 150.

[19] The home server 100 includes a subscriber interface 110, a display unit 112, a home network controller 114, an input unit 116, a storage unit 118, a networking controller 120, and a non-networking controller 130.

[20] The subscriber interface 110 transmits/receives data to/from an external appliance via the Internet 140. The subscriber interface 110, which is an element of transmitting/ receiving signals in compliant with home network protocol standards, receives a signal instructing a specified one among a plurality of home electronic appliances to execute a predetermined operation and provides the received signal to the home network controller 114. In addition, the subscriber interface 110 transmits information to be transmitted to an external device, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA, or a user's personal computer (PC), under the control of the home network controller 114.

[21] The display unit 112 displays display information under the control of the home network controller 114.

[22] The input unit 116 is configured to input information to the home server 100, to instruct the home server 100 to execute predetermined menu, or to issue a variety of commands, including a control command issued to a networking home electronic appliance (not shown) or a non-networking home electronic appliance 160. A variety of known input devices, for example, a keypad, an infrared (IR) remote controller, or a wireless input unit, may be used as the input unit 116. Here, the wireless input unit and the home network controller 114 may be wirelessly connected with each other via a variety of known wireless communication methods, including wireless radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, and so on.

[23] The storage unit 118 stores various kinds of data, including control codes for controlling the networking home electronic appliance and the non-networking home electronic appliance 160.

[24] The networking controller 120 receives various kinds of data, including information regarding the operation of the networking home electronic appliance, by communicating with the networking home electronic appliance configured to support a home network at a time of delivery, provides the same to the home network controller 114, and controls the corresponding networking home electronic appliance according to the control command received from the home network controller 114.

[25] The non-networking controller 130 controls the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 not configured to support a home network at a time of delivery.

[26] The non-networking controller 130 controls the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 provided with an IR receiver so as to be controlled by the IR remote controller through the non-networking adaptor 150.

[27] The non-networking controller 130 is configured to wirelessly transmit control data including control codes to the non-networking adaptor 150.

[28] The non-networking controller 130 and the non-networking adaptor 150 may be wirelessly connected with each other via a variety of known wireless communication methods, including wireless radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth, and so on.

[29] The home network controller 114 processes the signals received through the input unit 116 and the subscriber interface 110 and controls a corresponding control code to be wirelessly transmitted to the non-networking adaptor 150 through the non- networking controller 130 when receiving a control command signal for the non- networking home electronic appliance.

[30] The non-networking adaptor 150 is installed to face the IR receiver 161 of the non- networking home electronic appliance 160. For example, when an IR receiver 161 is installed at a right lower end of a non-networking television 160a, as shown in FIG. 2, the non-networking adaptor 150 is combined with the IR receiver 161, as shown in FIG. 3, to transmit IR rays. The non-networking adaptor 150 has an adhesive pad 151 having an adhesive agent coated thereon, provided on its reverse surface to which the IR receiver 161 is attached, as shown in FIG. 4. The non-networking adaptor 150 is attached the IR receiver 161 of the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 by a variety of known engagement mechanisms, for example, a magnet, a clip, or the like.

[31] As shown in FIG. 5, the non-networking adaptor 150 includes a wireless receiver

153, a module controller 155, an IR transmitter 157, and a memory 158.

[32] The wireless receiver 153 receives a wireless signal transmitted from the non- networking controller 130.

[33] The module controller 155 reads the control code received through the wireless receiver 153 and controls the IR transmitter 157 to output a corresponding IR signal.

[34] The IR transmitter 157 includes an IR emitter that emits the IR signal, and outputs an IR control signal under the control of the module controller 155.

[35] The memory 158 stores various kinds of information, e.g., the IR control signal cor- responding to the control code, conversion system information, or the like.

[36] In the above-described home network system, the non-networking adaptor 150 is independently attached to the IR receiver 161 of the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 to be controlled, e.g., each IR receiver of a television, an audio system, or an air conditioner.

[37] Wireless signal transmission can be performed between the non-networking controller 130 of the home server 100 and the non-networking adaptor 150. Accordingly, hindrance to signal transmission is not caused even if there is an obstacle along an imaginary straight line between the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 to be controlled and the non-networking controller 130. In addition, since the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 is configured to receive the IR control signal from the non-networking adaptor 150 facing the IR receiver 161, a layout limitation associated with the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 can be overcome.

[38] Meanwhile, a service support server 181 and a database (DB) 183 are accessed to the internet 140 so as to supply the home server 100 with data concerning an IR control signal system by kind and model of the non-networking home electronic appliance 160, which are required to control the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 using the IR control signal.

[39] The database (DB) 183 stores various kinds of data, including information regarding control code data by kind and model of the non-networking home electronic appliances, which are commercially available in the market.

[40] The service support server 181 is connected to a user's PC (not shown) or the input unit 116 of the home server 100 via the internet 140, and is configured to download the control code data to the home server 100 by kind and model of the non-networking home electronic appliance 160, as requested by the accessed home server 100 or user's PC.

[41] Therefore, in order to register a new non-networking home electronic appliance prior to use, the control code data corresponding to the non-networking home electronic appliance 160 is stored in the storage unit 118 by accessing to the service support server 181 using the home server 100 or the user's PC connected to the home server 100, thereby allowing the home network controller 114 to make use of the control code data. Industrial Applicability

[42] As described above, the home network system according to the present invention is configured to control conventional non-networking home electronic appliances incapable of accessing to a network and remotely controlled by an infrared control signal. In addition, the home network system according to the present invention can overcome hindrance to infrared signal transmission due to an obstacle existing between a home server and a non-networking home electronic appliance, thereby reducing a layout limitation associated with the home server and the non-networking home electronic appliance.

Claims

[1] A home network system connected to a communication network and controlling appliances accessed to a home network by transmitting/receiving signals to/from the communication network, the home network system comprising: a non-networking adaptor installed to face an infrared (IR) receiver receiving an IR control signal of a non-networking home electronic appliance, receiving a wirelessly transmitted control code and transmitting the IR control signal corresponding to the received control code to the IR receiver; and a home server connected to the communication network and having a non- networking controller configured to wirelessly transmit the control code to the non-networking adaptor upon receiving a control command signal for the non- networking home electronic appliance.

[2] The home network system of claim 1, wherein the non-networking adaptor comprises: a wireless receiver receiving a wireless signal transmitted from the non- networking controller; an IR transmitter outputting the IR control signal to the IR receiver of the non- networking home electronic appliance; and a module controller reading the control code received through the wireless receiver and controlling the corresponding IR signal to be output via the IR transmitter.

[3] The home network system of claim 2, further comprising: a database storing information concerning an IR control signal system by kind and model of the non-networking home electronic appliance; and a service support server configured to download IR control code data stored in the database to the home server by kind and model of the non-networking home electronic appliance to be controlled, as requested by the accessed home server via the internet.

[4] The home network system of claim 3, wherein the home server comprises: an input unit configured to allow a user to input information; a subscriber interface accessed to the communication network; a home network controller processing signals received through the subscriber interface and controlling the non-networking controller; and a display unit displaying display information under the control of the home network controller.

[5] The home network system of claim 1, wherein the non-networking adaptor comprises an adhesive pad having an adhesive agent coated thereon to attach a main body of the non-networking adaptor to the periphery of the IR receiver of the non-networking home electronic appliance.