Patent Publication Number: US-2016240079-A1

Title: Electronic production control method and electronic production controller thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Taiwan Patent Application No. 104105508, filed on Feb. 17, 2015, in the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office, the content of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The following description relates to an electronic production control method, particularly to carry out the electronic production control method by using an electronic production controller. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The more diverse the technology of digital audio-visual to be shared, the more serious the problem of compatibility is. In order to mitigate such problem, making users to enjoy audio-visual experience with relaxation, it is necessary to integrate completely and seamlessly between apparatus. Digital Living Network Alliance, DLNA was developed based on the concept of the digital family. The purpose of the alliance is to establish a unified transmission standard, so that different brands and types of audio-visual machines may communicate with each other, to prevent different electronic products from requiring different remote controls. 
     The audio-visual machines designed according to the DLNA criteria, its terminal product may transmit the high-quality multimedia streaming content to each other through wireless or wired connection. Apart from the network support being an essential condition, DLNA also employs the technology of UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to achieve seamless connection for home digital products. 
     However, there are still many defects in the current technology of DLNA, for example, its function does not have flexibility. The current technology of DLNA only can read relevant audio-visual files or photos from another electronic product, such as computer, media player and display on a playback platform, but cannot carry out control functions such as modification through different instructions. Also, how to control other electronic products in the current DLNA standard through a seamless integration and low cost way becomes a problem required to be solved as soon as possible. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the conventional problems described above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electronic production control method, so that apart from the reading function, the original control method through the DLNA standard will be more flexible in the operation. 
     In view of the conventional problems described above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electronic production control method, so that other electronic products may be controlled by using low cost way on the existing DLNA. 
     In view of the conventional problems described above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electronic production control method, so that other electronic products may be controlled by using an integrated manner on the existing DLNA. 
     According to the aforementioned purpose, the present invention provides an electronic production control method applicable to an electronic production controller and a playback platform transmitting data to each other in a same network domain according to DLNA standard (Digital Living Network Alliance Standard). The control method includes the following steps: coupling an electronic product to the electronic production controller electrically; inputting a reading instruction to the electronic product via the playback platform; transmitting the reading instruction from the playback platform to the electronic production controller according to the DLNA standard; searching reading data and a corresponding built-in program corresponding to the reading instruction in the electronic production controller; executing the built-in program by the electronic production controller to drive the electronic product; and returning the reading data to the playback platform and display the reading data on the playback platform. 
     Preferably, the playback platform includes a television, a set top box or a blue-ray disc player which support the DLNA standard. 
     Preferably, the electronic production controller further includes a socket. The electronic product is installed in the socket, such that the electronic production controller controls switch-on/switch-off of the electronic product. 
     Preferably, the electronic production controller further includes a wireless remote control module corresponding to the electronic product. The electronic production controller executes the built-in program to drive the wireless remote control module transmitting a control instruction to the electronic product wirelessly. The electronic product carries out corresponding operations after receiving the control instruction. 
     Preferably, the reading instruction, the reading data and the built-in program are stored in a lookup table of the electronic production controller. 
     According to the aforementioned purpose, the present invention also provides an electronic production controller applicable to support a playback platform of DLNA standard (Digital Living Network Alliance Standard) in a same network domain. The electronic production controller includes a network transmission module, a storage module and a processing module. The network transmission module may receive a reading instruction from the playback platform, or transmit a reading data to the playback platform according to the DLNA standard. The storage module may include the reading instruction, a built-in program corresponding to the reading instruction and the reading data. The processing module may electrically couple to an electronic product. The processing module searches the corresponding built-in program in the storage module and the reading data according to the reading instruction. The processing module uses the built-in program to drive the electronic product and return the reading data to the playback platform, such that the reading data is displayed on the playback platform. 
     Preferably, the playback platform includes a television, a set top box or a blue-ray disc player which support the DLNA standard. 
     Preferably, the electronic production controller further includes a socket. The electronic product is installed in the socket. The electronic production controller may control switch-on/switch-off of the electronic product via the socket. 
     Preferably, the electronic production controller further includes a wireless remote control module corresponding to the electronic product. The electronic production controller executes the built-in program to drive the wireless remote control module transmitting a control instruction to the electronic product wirelessly. The electronic product carries out corresponding operations after receiving the control instruction. 
     Preferably, the reading instruction, the reading data and the built-in program are stored in a lookup table. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by illustrating the exemplary embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram according to the electronic production controller of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is the first schematic diagram of the electronic production controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2B  is the second schematic diagram of the electronic production controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2C  is the third schematic diagram of the electronic production controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a step flowchart according to the control method of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to facilitate the understanding of the features, the contents and the advantages of the present invention, and the effectiveness thereof that can be achieved, the present invention will be illustrated in detail below through embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. On the other hand, the diagrams used herein are merely intended to be schematic and auxiliary to the specification, but are not necessary to be true scale and precise configuration after implementing the present invention. Thus, it should not be interpreted in accordance with the scale and the configuration of the accompanying drawings to limit the scope of the present invention on the practical implementation. 
     The advantages, the features and the achieved technical method of the present invention will be more readily understood by illustrating in greater detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The present invention may be embodied in different forms, and thus should not be construed as only limited to the embodiments stated herein. On the contrary, to the person having ordinary skilled in the concerned art, the embodiments provided would make this disclosure more thorough and complete and fully convey the scope of the present invention, and the present invention will only be defined by the appended claims. 
     In accordance with the embodiment(s) of the present invention, the components, process steps, and/or data structures described herein may be implemented using various types of operating systems, computing platforms, computer programs, and/or general purpose machines. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that devices of a less general purpose nature, such as hardwired devices, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or the like, may also be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Where a method comprising a series of process steps is implemented by a computer or a machine and those process steps can be stored as a series of instructions readable by the machine, they may be stored on a tangible medium such as a computer memory device (e.g., ROM (Read Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), FLASH Memory, Jump Drive, and the like), magnetic storage medium (e.g., tape, magnetic disk drive, and the like), optical storage medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, paper card and paper tape, and the like) and other known types of program memory. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which is the block diagram according to the electronic production controller of the present invention. The electronic production controller is applicable to a playback platform  10  having DLNA standard (Digital Living Network Alliance Standard)  40  in a same network domain. The electronic production controller  20  includes a network transmission module  21 , a storage module  22  and a processing module  23 . The playback platform  10  may be a television, a multimedia player, a set-top box or a blue-ray disc player which support DLNA functions, and the playback platform  10  is required to support wired/wireless network transmission. The electronic production controller  20  may be a small embedded type system. The processing module  23  may include a microcontroller or a central processor. The storage module  22  may be a random access memory. The network transmission module  21  may be a network transmission chip to receive or transmit data. 
     In detail, the network transmission module  21  may receive a reading instruction  41  from the playback platform  10  according to the DLNA standard  40 . The reading instruction  41  may be inputted in an interface menu of the playback platform  10  by the users, and the reading instruction  41  is used to operate an electronic product  30 . On the other hand, the network transmission module  21  may also be used to transmit a reading data  43  to the playback platform  10 . 
     The storage module  22  may include the reading instruction  41 , the built-in program  42  corresponding to the reading instruction  41  and the reading data  43 . The reading instruction  41 , the reading data  43  and the built-in program  42  may be stored in a lookup table. Processing module  23  is electrically coupled to the electronic product  30 . And when the processing module  23  receives the reading instruction  41 , the processing module  23  will search the corresponding built-in program  42  in the storage module  22  and the reading data  43  immediately. The processing module  23  then uses the built-in program  42  to drive electronic product  30  and return the reading data  43  to the playback platform  10 , such that the reading data  43  is displayed on the playback platform  10 . 
     For further explanation, electronic production controller  20  may further include a socket  24  or a wireless remote control module  25 . The electronic product  30  may be installed in the socket  24 , and the electronic production controller  20  may use the socket  24  to control switch-on/switch-off of the electronic product  30 . On the other hand, wireless remote control module  25  may also be used to control the electronic product  30 . The electronic production controller executes the built-in program  42  to drive the wireless remote control module  25  transmitting a control instruction  44  to the electronic product  30  by way of wireless transmission, such that the electronic product  30  carries out corresponding operations after receiving the control instruction  44 . 
     Please also refer to  FIG. 2A ,  FIG. 2B  and  FIG. 2C , which are the first schematic diagram, the second schematic diagram and the third schematic diagram of the electronic production controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. The electronic product  30  of this embodiment takes a light bulb  31  as an example for implementation, the playback platform  10  takes a television which supports DLNA function as an example for implementation, but it is not limited thereto, the playback platform  10  may connect to the electronic production controller  20  through a wired network or a wireless network. In this embodiment, the electronic production controller  20  is an embedded type device which is electrically coupled to the light bulb  31 . The embedded type device may have a socket  24  which includes the light bulb  31 , such that the light bulb  31  may be placed in the embedded type device. 
     When the users intend to control the light bulb  31  through the present invention, it is only required to hold a remote control  51  and select a device which is available to use the DLNA standard  40  for communication in the current environment on a switch-on power playback platform  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , the screen  52  shows an icon of the corresponding light bulb  31  immediately at this moment. When the users intend to switch on the power of the light bulb  31 , it is only required to press the “Enter” or “Select” button of the icon to transmit a signal. And after the playback platform  10  receives the signal of the remote control  51 , a reading instruction  41  to the light bulb  31  is transmitted to the electronic production controller  20  through the DLNA standard  40  immediately. The reading instruction  41  is transmitted by the network transmission module  21  at this moment, and the processing module  23  searches the corresponding built-in program (not shown in the figure) in the storage module  22  and the reading data  43  according to the reading instruction  41 . The light bulb  31  is then driven by the built-in program drive and thus switches on the power at this moment, whereas the reading data  43  is returned to the playback platform  10  through the DLNA standard  40  players and is displayed on the screen  52 , wherein the reading data  43  may a text or an image to show the operation of controlling the light bulb  31  as a successful operation. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2C , the electronic production controller  20  may also be installed on the air conditioner  32  which may receive the driving instructions of the electronic production controller  20 . The electronic production controller  20  may be installed and connected to the circuit board of the air conditioner  32  during the manufacturing of the air conditioner  32 , or connected to the air conditioner  32  through a regulated standard connection, whereas the way by which the users use the remote control  51  to operate the air conditioner  32  is similar to the descriptions of  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , and thus it is not repeated herein. 
     It should be noticed that it is necessary for the electronic production controller  20  to be directed to different types of electronic products  30  to provide different driving designs. The reason is that different types of electronic products  30  has its different ways and interfaces for receiving the driving instructions. Therefore, for the implementation, it is also necessary for the electronic production controller  20  to have a corresponding design directing to different interfaces and different ways of driving instructions. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is a step flowchart according to the control method of the present invention. The control method is applicable to an electronic production controller and a playback platform transmitting data to each other in a same network domain according to DLNA standard (Digital Living Network Alliance Standard). The control method includes the following steps. 
     Step S 1  coupling an electronic product to the electronic production controller electrically. 
     Step S 2  inputting a reading instruction to the electronic product via the playback platform. 
     Step S 3  transmitting the reading instruction from the playback platform to the electronic production controller according to the DLNA standard. 
     Step S 4  searching reading data and a corresponding built-in program corresponding to the reading instruction in the electronic production controller. 
     Step S 5  executing the built-in program by the electronic production controller to drive the electronic product. 
     Step S 6  returning the reading data to the playback platform and display the reading data on the playback platform. 
     The details of the above steps S 1 -S 6  have been described in the contents of implementation of  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , and thus it is not repeated herein. 
     To conclude above as one can know, the control method and the electronic production controller provided by the present invention enable the control method through the DLNA standard to be more flexible. And the users may control other electronic products on the existing DLNA standard by a low-cost and integrated manner. This makes users living in a real intelligent environment. 
     The embodiments described are merely to illustrate the technical thinking and features of the present invention, the purpose thereof is to enable those skilled in the art can understand the contents of the present invention and implement accordingly. Thus, the scope of claims of the present invention should not be limited by this, that is, the equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with all spirits disclosed by the present invention should still be encompassed within the scope of claims of the present invention.