System and method for automatically setting up configurations of home network

Provided are a system and method for automatically setting up configurations of a home network. The system includes a setting information manager, placed within an individual home, for collecting and managing setting information associated with configurations of the home network. The setting information manager shares the setting information with a remote setting information management server or another setting information manager. Since customized setting information of an individual home is shared, setting information of home network configurations can be effectively managed, thereby reducing costs and efforts required for maintenance and repair of the home network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. P2007-95662, filed on Sep. 20, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for automatically setting up configurations of a home network, and more particularly, to a system and method for automatically setting up configurations of a home network capable of automatically setting necessary setting information by sharing setting information associated with home-network configurations of a setting information management server or an individual home.

This work was supported by the IT R&D program of MIC/IITA [Work Management Number: 2006-S-066-02, Work Name: a development of ubiquitous home adaptive middleware with high-reliability]

2. Description of the Related Art

A home network management system refers to a system that controls a personal computer (PC), a peripheral device, a mobile phone, and a home appliance in a home by connecting them to a single network.

The range of an early home network management system was merely a home control system and home automation for automatic control of security, lighting, temperature and so on in a home.

Recent increase in number of households each having several PCs and peripheral devices has led to emergence of a networking technology that connects and integratedly manages those devices. Such a technology is called a home networking kit, and thus the concepts and techniques of a home network system begin to draw much attention.

In detail, a transmission medium has rapidly evolved from a related-art telephone line, a power line, or a wireless medium to the access network type of very high speed broadband Internet such as a digital subscriber line (DSL) and a cable modem. Also, the devices have been expanded to various digital information terminals including personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs) and mobile devices besides PCs.

The home networking system may serve as a path through which data can be exchanged between digital information appliances within the home, and also as a path through which intelligent communication can be provided via the external Internet network.

Using the home network system allows a user to access a system constructed in a home via the Internet or a telephone line from the outside as well as from the inside to thereby control electronic appliances such as a computer, a digital television, a digital video player, and an air conditioner.

A PC is a representative system that is generally used by a plurality of users, and the users can relatively easily learn and use its settings because an operating system for installation and a device for interface are limited.

In contrast, the home network management system is a large-scale system wherein various devices connected by various networks provide various application services. For this reason, it is difficult for an individual user to manually install all the configurations thereof.

Thus, providers of the home network management system manually install a device, a network, an application service, and the home network management system that manages them. Alternatively, the provider stores associated setting information in a setting information management server, and provides service for automatically setting up required configurations.

As the number of home network users increases, more users are requesting for customized application type home network management systems, not a standard type home network management system of the provider.

However, it is virtually impossible for the provider to learn all of the application types of the home network management system meeting various needs of the users. Even if the provider can learn every application type, it takes long time to standardize and provide the application types.

Also, if the provider standardizes the application type home network management system in response to demands of a minority, the production cost increases. Inevitably, setting information associated with configurations of a home network that the providers can standardize fails to meet requirements of the users.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for automatically setting up configurations of a home network capable of efficiently sharing setting information associated with configurations of an application type home network of an individual home where the home network is installed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for automatically setting up configurations of a home network capable of automatically setting or updating setting information associated with configurations of a home network related to a device, a network interface, a service and a system.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose(s) of the present invention as embodied and broadly described herein, an apparatus a system for automatically setting up configurations of a home network in accordance with an aspect of the present invention includes: a setting information manager, placed within an individual home, for collecting and managing setting information associated with configurations of the home network, wherein the setting information manager shares the setting information with a remote setting information management server or another setting information manager.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose(s) of the present invention, a system for automatically setting up configurations of a home network to manage home network home group in accordance with another aspect of the present invention includes: a setting information table for storing an error management record and setting information collected from at least one setting information manager within an individual home; a standard setting information generating unit for generating standard setting information for each home network configuration from the setting information table; and a transmission unit for transmitting properly selected standard setting information according to an inquiry of the setting information manager.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose(s) of the present invention, a method for automatically setting up configurations of a home network in accordance with another aspect of the present invention includes: initializing a management system within a home network of an individual home; recognizing the initialized home network configurations; determining whether initial setting information is present; inquiring presence of setting information to a setting information management server or a setting information manager of another home if the determination indicates that the initial setting information is not present; acquiring the corresponding setting information from the setting information management server or the setting information manager of another home; and automatically setting up home network configurations according to the acquired setting information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a view illustrating a system for automatically setting up configurations of a home network according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1, a home network of an individual home basically includes a device140, a network130, an application service120, and a management system110. The system for automatically setting up configurations of the home network according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a setting information manager100, and an error manager160. The setting information manager100collects and manages setting information associated with configurations of the home network. The error manager160informs the setting information manager100of home network error information and a user's error management detail.

The device140within the home network is a digital electronic appliance connected to a network and managed by the management system110. Examples of the digital electronic appliance may include a PC, a digital television, a digital video player, a digital video disc (DVD) player, an air conditioner, a security camera, and lighting.

The network130within the home network may be various wired/wireless networks, network equipment, and a modem managed by the network manager131.

The wire/wireless network may be a telephone line, a power line, IEEE1394 or the like, which connects a plurality of devices140.

Besides, a residential gateway150connecting an external setting information management server300and the home network is included in the network130within the home network.

The application server120within the home network is an application program installed and used in the device140or a system103within the home network.

For example, the application service120may be, e.g., Explorer, Word program, and Photoshop installed in a PC.

The home network management system110is software that manages overall operation of the home network, which includes the device140, the network130and the application service120within the home network.

The setting information manager100collects or manages setting information associated with configurations of the home network, and shares setting information with the setting information management server300and/or between setting information managers100.

The error manager160recognizes a home network error, informs a user of the error, and reports error information and a user error management detail to the setting information manager100.

The error information and the user error management detail may be stored in an error management record storage unit205within the setting information manager100.

FIG. 2is a block diagram of the setting information manager100according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 2, the setting information manager100includes a setting information storage unit204, the user error-management record storage unit205, a setting information inquiry unit201, a server transmission unit202, and a setting information sharing unit203. The setting information storage unit204stores setting information and a list of the device140, the network, the management system110and the application server120within the home network. The user error-management record storage unit205records error information and a user's error management detail. The setting information inquiry unit201inquiries required setting information to an external device right after initialization or in occurrence of a configuration change. When setting information is changed or a new disposition record is generated, the server transmission unit202transmits the setting information and the error management record to the setting information management server300. The setting information sharing unit203allows a setting information manager100within another home to access the set information and the error management record.

The setting information inquiry unit201inquiries the presence of home network configuration setting information to an individual home.

The setting information storage unit204stores setting information and a list or configurations of the device140, the network130, the application service120and the management system110within the home network.

For example, setting information of the device140may be, e.g., a channel of a digital television, a basic temperature of an air conditioner, or brightness of lighting. Setting information of the network130may be, e.g., a QoS parameter or an available band of a wired/wireless network including a power line, a telephone network and IEEE1394.

For example, setting information of the application service120may be, e.g., a default homepage of an Internet browser, a channel of an Internet protocol (IP) TV, a pleasant temperature range of a pleasant temperature service, or a camera resolution. Setting information of the management system110may be, e.g., a system version or a patch.

The user disposition record storage unit205stores error contents and user's error management details.

In detail, when a user properly manages an error recognized and warned by the error manager160, the user error-management record storage unit205may store error contents and user error-management records.

The server transmission unit202uploads the setting information stored in the user disposition record storage unit205and the setting information storage unit204to the setting information management server300.

The setting information sharing unit203shares the setting information stored in the user error-management record storage unit205and the setting information storage unit204so that a setup information manager100of another home can use it.

FIG. 3is a block diagram of the setting information management server300according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 3, the setting information management server300includes a setting information table310, a standard setting information generating unit320, and a transmission unit330. The setting information table310stores setting information and a disposition record collected from at least one setting information manager100. The standard setting information generating unit320generates standard setting information for each home network configuration on the basis of the setting information table310. The transmission unit330transmits properly selected standard setting information according to inquiry of the setting information manager100.

The setting information management server300is a server that stores and manages setting information about a home network home group200including at least one home network.

The setting information table stores the setting information and an error-management record collected from the setting information manager100by each individual home.

For example, if the setting information table310stores information for each individual home for each cell number, the setting information table310may store and manage setting information of home1200_1in cell1311, and setting information of home2200_2in cell2312.

The standard setting information generating unit320generates standard setting information for each home network configuration from the setting information stored in the setting information table310.

The standard setting information may be acquired according to at least one reference of a mean value and a maximum value of the setting information stored in the setting information table310.

The transmission unit330transmits properly selected standard setting information according to an inquiry of the setting information manager100.

In detail, the transmission unit330transmits to the setting information table310, information received from the setting information storage unit204within the setting information manager100of an individual home. Also, the transmission unit330searches for setting information requested by the setting information inquiry unit210from the standard setting information to transmit the searched setting information to the setting information manager100.

FIG. 4is a flowchart of a method for sharing setting information of a home network home group according to the embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 5is a block diagram of a home network home group that shares setting information by peer-to-peer (P2P) according to the embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart ofFIG. 4will now be described, also referring to the block diagram ofFIG. 5.

If the setting information management server300exists in a system for automatically setting up configurations of a home network in operation S401, setting information of an individual home is managed by the setting information management server300.

To this end, in operation S402, the server transmission unit202of an individual home uploads setting information stored in the setting information storage unit204and a user error-management record storage unit205to the setting information management server300.

In operation S403, the setting information management server300classifies the uploaded setting information of the individual home, and stores the classified setting information in a setting information table310.

In operation S404, a standard setting information generating unit320collects setting information stored in the setting information table310, and creates standard setting information.

The standard setting information may be set by any one reference of a mean value and a maximum value of setting information pieces stored in the setting information table310.

For example, there will be described a case where the setting information management server300manages a target temperature of setting information of air conditioners of three homes of a home network home group200.

The setting information management server300manages the air conditioners as the device140of the setting information table310, and a target temperature as the setting information. As detailed items of the setting information table310, 24° C. which is a setting temperature of home1200_1is stored in cell1311, 25° C. which is a setting temperature of home2200_2is stored in cell2312, and 27° C. which is setting temperature of home3200_3is stored in cell3313.

If a generation reference of standard setting information is set to a mean value, the setting information management server300sets standard setting information to 25.33° C., which is the mean value of the home1311, the home2312and the home3313.

As shown inFIG. 5, the system for automatically setting up configurations of a home network by P2P shares setting information associated with configurations of the home network with another home via a setting information sharing unit203of the individual home.

That is, the setting information sharing unit203of the individual home shares setting information stored in the setting information storage unit204and the user error-management record storage unit205with another home by P2P.

Thereafter, if a home200—nrequiring new setup inquiries the presence of desired setting information in operation S405, search for the setting information shared by the setting information management server300or between setting information managers100is performed.

If the corresponding setting information is present in operation S405, the home200—nwhich needs new setup receives the searched setting information from the setting information management server300or the setting information manager100of the individual home in operation S406.

Thereafter, the home200—nwhich needs new setup sets the provided setting information to use a desired function.

FIG. 6is a flowchart sequentially illustrating operations of the system for automatically setting up configurations of a home network according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 6, in operation S601, the management system110that manages the device140, the application service120and the network130within a home network is initialized.

In operation S602, the management system110recognizes setting information and configurations or a list of the device140, the network130, the management system110and the application service120within the home network.

The device140may be a device that is connected in the home network, such as a digital television, an air conditioner, a security camera, or lighting. The setting information may be a channel of the digital television, a default temperature of the air conditioner, or brightness of the lighting.

Also, the network130is a network device such as a power line, a telephone network, IEEE1394, a wireless interface network, network equipment, and a modem connected with the device140. Setting information of the network130may be, e.g., a QoS parameter or an available band of the network.

The application service120is a service such as an installed executable service and an expected service to be installed by downloading. Setting information of the application service120may be, e.g., a default homepage of the Internet browser, a channel of an IPTV, a pleasant temperature range of a pleasant temperature service, or a camera resolution of a security service.

The management system110is software that manages overall operation of the home network, and setting information of the management system110may be, e.g., a system version or a patch.

If initial setting information is present in an initialized home network system in operation S603, then a home network configuration setup is performed automatically in operation S604.

If the initial setting information is not present in operation S603, the home network system searches and acquires setting information of the device140, the application service120, the network130and the management system110.

If a setting information management server300is present in operation S605, the home network system of an individual home inquiries whether the setting information management server300includes a list of required setting information.

If the setting information management server300is not present in operation S605, the home network system of an individual home inquiries whether required setting information is present in another home by P2P in operation S607.

The P2P means that setting information is inquired between setting information managers100of individual homes.

If the home network system succeeds in searching the required setting information, the home network system tries to acquire the corresponding setting information from the setting information management server300or the setting information manager100of the individual home.

If the home network system succeeds in acquiring the setting information in operation S608, the home network system sets up configurations of the home network automatically by using the acquired setting information in operation S604.

In contrast, if the home network system fails to acquire the setting information in operation S608, it informs a user that configurations of the home network cannot be set up automatically.

Then, in operation S609, the user manually sets setting information required to use a desired function of the home network system.

In operation S610, the management system110that manages the home network system is executed according to the setting information established manually or automatically.

FIG. 7is a flowchart of a method for updating setting information of a home network according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 7, in operation S701, home network setting information is changed in operation of a home network management system. Then, the changed setting information is stored in a setting information storage unit204.

If a setting information management server300that manages a home network is present in operation S702, setting information stored in the information storage unit204and the user error-management record storage unit205of an individual home is uploaded to the setting information management server300through the server transmission unit202, and is shared in operation S703.

In contrast, the setting information management server300is not present in operation S702, the setting information of the setting information storage unit204is shared with a home network home group via the setting information sharing unit203by P2P in operation S704.

In the system and method for automatically setting up configurations of a home network according to the embodiments of the present invention, customized setting information for an individual home is shared in a home network management system where various devices are installed, so that setting information of home network configurations can be effectively managed.

Also, automatic setup of the home network configurations is supported by using information shared by individual users, thereby reducing costs and efforts required for maintenance and repair of the home network.