Patent Document

[0001]     The present application claims priority of Japanese application JP 2006-188785 filed on Jul. 10, 2006, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a gateway apparatus and a system, and it relates, in particular, to a gateway apparatus and a system, enabling to execute a service application among a plural number of service undertakers with safety.  
         [0003]     Conventionally, a home network system for controlling equipments or apparatuses, which are connected with a home network, is connected through the home network, and thereby proposing or achieving one, which controls mutually between two (2) or more of the equipments or apparatuses installing a standard protocol, such as, UPnP or ECHONET, for example.  
         [0004]     However, with such the conventional home network system, there are following problems; i.e., communication cannot be made between the equipments or apparatus, one being operable with the protocol different from that of the other, and also that it is difficult to extend the functions to others, which are owned by the application installed in the equipment in advance, if it is desired after introduction of the system.  
         [0005]     For this reason, in recent years is proposed a means for enabling to extend the functions of home appliances under an environment of the home network, by conducting installation and management of an application into the equipment to be controlled at home, through a framework for assisting an integration of home network middleware, such as, HAVi, UPnP, Jini, HWW, etc., for example, but without being controlled by the home network middleware (for example, Patent Document 1).  
         [0006]     The home network system in the Patent Document 1 introduces an application server, which installs OSGi framework for integrally assisting the various kinds of home network middleware, so as to provide a middleware service for accessing various kinds of devices, as a bundling function, and thereby achieving a home network system without being restricted with such the middleware.  
         [0007]     [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-213612 ( FIG. 3 )  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     With the method shown in the Patent Document 1, since there is taken no consideration about the restriction, in particular, for the application to access to the equipment to be controlled, there is a possibility that a specific application controls an equipment to be controlled, unexpectedly; therefore, it is still insufficient in the usability thereof for a user.  
         [0009]     Also, with the method shown in the Patent Document 1, no consideration is paid on management of resources, such as, a memory, etc., on the application server; i.e., there is a possibility that, in particular, in case where applications of a plural number of undertakers are executed at the same time, for example, an application(s) of other service undertaker(s) cannot start even if trying to start, later, because of consumption of the memory too much by the other applications of the service undertakes, which are already started in advance, and therefore, it is insufficient in the usability thereof for the user.  
         [0010]     Then, an aspect according to the present invention is to provide a gateway apparatus and a system, being improved in the usability thereof.  
         [0011]     For example, a home gateway apparatus comprises: a control means for controlling equipments, which are connected with said home network; and a download means for downloading an application from said home network, wherein said control means makes such control that the application downloaded by said download means controls a predetermined one of said equipments.  
         [0012]     Also, said control means controls said equipment upon basis of information relating to use memory for said application.  
         [0013]     With this, it is possible to provide a gateway apparatus or a system, which is improved in the operability for a user, for example. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0014]     Those and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an example for showing a network construction, according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is an example for showing a network construction, according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is an example for showing hardware structures of the home gateway;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is an example for showing hardware structures of an apparatus to be controlled;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is an example for showing a memory information table for use by a service undertaker;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is an example for showing an equipment information table for use of a service AP;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is an example for showing the equipment information table;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is an example for showing software of home gateway and the table structures thereof;  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is an example for showing a service AP information table;  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is an example for showing a service undertaker information table;  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  is an example of a flowchart for starting a service AP;  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  shows an example of a flowchart for controlling equipment at home;  
         [0027]      FIG. 13  shows an example of a flowchart of processing for obtaining a list of equipment informing for controlling the equipments at home; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 14  shows an example of a flowchart for obtaining detailed informing of controlling the equipments at home and for controlling the equipment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]     Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be fully explained by referring to the attached drawings.  
         [0030]      FIG. 1  shows an example of network construction of a home network system, into which a home gateway can be applied, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also,  FIG. 3  shows an example of the hardware structures of a home server within the network construction shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0031]     In  FIG. 1 , a reference numeral  10  depicts an application download server,  40  a public communication network or a communication network for exclusive use, using a wire or radio waves,  50  a rooter,  60  a home gateway,  70  an equipment to be controlled, which the home gateway controls, and  100  a home network with using a wire or radio waves.  
         [0032]     The home gateway  60  is connected with the communication network  40  through the home network  80  and the rooter  50 . Also, to the communication network  40  is connected the application download server  10 . And, to the home network  80  are connected the equipments  70 ,  71  and  72 .  
         [0033]     The application download server  10  is built up with a general PC server, and it is able to download an application into the home server responding to a request from the home gateway  60 .  
         [0034]     The home gateway  60  communicates with the application download server  10  through the communication network  40 , thereby to download an application enabling to control the equipments  70  to be controlled from the application download serve, and therefore it can communicate and/or control the equipment  70  to be controlled by executing the application.  
         [0035]     The equipment  70  to be controlled is an equipment, which is connected with the home network  80  through the radio wave or the wires, and it can send/receive (i.e., communicate) information between the application(s) on the home gateway  60 . According to the present embodiment, it is assumed that the equipment  70  to be controlled is the equipment, which is connected with an IP communication network at home through the wires or the radio wave; however, as far as it can communicate the information between the home gateway  60 , it may be an equipment that uses the communication network other than the IP, such as, Specification small electricity radio communication network, a serial communication network, and an IEEE 1394 communication network, etc., for example.  
         [0036]      FIG. 3  attached herewith is a hardware structure view of the home gateway  60 , which the present embodiment can be applied therein.  
         [0037]     The home gateway  60  comprises a CPU  601 , a main memory  602 , a EPROM  603 , a non-volatile memory device  604 , a LAN I/F  605 , a display device  606 , and an input device  607 . And, each of those constituent elements is connected with a bus  608 , so that necessary information can be communicated among those elements. But, not shown in the figure, in case when connecting the equipments  70  to be controlled with the Specification small electricity radio communication network, the serial communication network, and the IEEE 1394 communication network, etc., it is necessary to add an apparatus or device corresponding to it.  
         [0038]     Within the EPROM  603  is stored a boot program. Into the non-volatile memory device  604  is stored various kinds of programs. And, when the gateway  60  starts, then the CPU  601  starts up responding to this boot program. The CPU  601  loads the various kinds of programs mentioned above from the non-volatile memory device  604  into the main memory  602 . The CPU  601  conducts transmission of signals to the LAN I/F  605 , the display device  606 , and the input device  607 , by executing the various kinds of programs, which are loaded into the main memory  60 , and thereby conducting the transmission of information between the application download server  10  and/or the equipment  70  to be controlled.  
         [0039]     The non-volatile memory device  604  stores the various kinds of programs and information, which the CPU  601  loads them on the main memory  602  to execute, and it may be achieved by a flash memory or a hard disk, etc.  
         [0040]     The LAN I/F  605  is connected with the home network  80 , so that it can communicate the information with the various kinds of devices connected with the home network or the communication network  40 , and it may be achieved by a network card, etc.  
         [0041]     The input device  607 , accepting an input from a user, may be achieved with a keyboard, a mouse, an infrared remote controller, etc.  
         [0042]     The display device  606  communicates necessary information for connecting with a CRT tube television or a PC monitor, to make drawing on a screen thereof, and it may be achieved with a VGA card, or a video output terminal, etc.  
         [0043]     Among the elements shown in  FIG. 3 , an unnecessary one(s) can be omitted from those. For example, in case when not needing an output to the monitor and an input from the keyboard, but being connected with the home gateway  60 , from the Web browser, etc., via the network, it is possible omit the input device  607  and the display device  606  from the construction thereof.  
         [0044]      FIG. 4  is a view for showing the hardware construction of the equipment  70  to be controlled, into which the present embodiment can be applied.  
         [0045]     The equipment  70  to be controlled comprises a CPU  701 , an EPROM  703 , a non-volatile memory device  704 , and a LAN I/F  705 . And, each of those constituent elements is connected with through a bus  706 , so that each can communicate necessary information between them in the structures thereof. Although not shown in the figure, in case when connecting the above-mentioned equipment  70  to be controlled through the Specification small electricity radio communication network, the serial communication network, and the IEEE 1394 communication network, etc., it is necessary to add an apparatus or device corresponding to it.  
         [0046]     Within the EPROM  703  is stored a boot program. In the non-volatile memory device  704  are stored various kinds of programs. And, when the equipment  70  to be controlled starts, then the CPU  701  operates responding to this boot program. The CPU  701  loads the various kinds of programs, from the non-volatile memory device  704  into the main memory  702 , with an aid of the boot program. The CPU  701  conducts transmission of signals to the LAN I/F  705  by executing the various kinds of programs loaded onto the main memory  702 , so that it makes communication of the information with the home gateway  60 .  
         [0047]     The non-volatile memory device  704  stores the various kinds of programs and information, which the CPU  701  loads them on the main memory  702  to execute, and it may be achieved by a flash memory or a hard disk, etc.  
         [0048]     The LAN I/F  705  is connected with the home network  80 , so that it communicate information with the home gateway  60 , and it may be achieved with a network card, etc.  
         [0049]     Among the elements shown in  FIG. 4 , an unnecessary one(s) can be omitted from the construction.  
         [0050]     Next, explanation will be made on operations of the present embodiment.  
         [0051]      FIG. 8  is the structure view of software and a table of the home gateway  60 . The home gateway  60  is built up with software and tables, such as, a Web server  61 , an equipment management portion  62 , a service management portion  63 , an application  64 , an application  65 , an application  66 , a service undertaker use memory information table  1000 , a service AP use equipment information table  1100 , an equipment information table  1200 , a service AP information table  1300 , a service undertaker information table  1400 , etc., for example.  
         [0052]     The Web server functions as a user I/F, so that the user can communicate information with the home gateway  60 , through making a connection from the browser installed into a PC or a digital television not shown in  FIG. 1 , which the user owns. Also, it is possible to execute a service application for making a downloading from the application download server  10  (hereinafter, being called “service AP”).  
         [0053]     The equipment management portion  62  manages information of the equipment  70  to be controlled, which is connected with the home network  80 , with using the equipment information table  1200 . It also provides home-equipment information, which is described on the equipment information table  1200 , to the service AP, or it manages connection to the home-equipment, with using the service AP use equipment information table  1100 .  
         [0054]     The service management portion  63  starts the service AP with using the service undertaker use memory information table  1000 .  
         [0055]     The applications  64 ,  65  and  66  are examples of the service APs, which are downloaded from the application download server  10 .  
         [0056]     The home gateway  60  manages the information relating to the equipment  70  to be controlled, which is connected with the home network  80 , with using the equipment information table  1200 , as shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  shows the service undertaker use memory information table  1000 . This service undertaker use memory information table  1000  is made up with a service undertaker ID  1001  and a use memory volume  1002 . Information of those are obtained at the time when downloading the service AP, together with that service AP.  
         [0058]      FIG. 6  shows the service AP use equipment information table  1100 . This service AP use equipment information table  1100  is made up with a service AP ID  1101  and a use equipment ID  1102 . Information of those are set up when downloading the service AP, etc., for example, by a user.  
         [0059]      FIG. 7  shows the equipment information table  1200 . This equipment information table  1200  is made up with an equipment ID  1201 , an equipment name  1202 , and an IP address  1203 . Information of those are obtained in advance through communication between the home gateway  60  and the equipment  70  to be controlled, or through setting up, which is made by the user to the home gateway  60 .  
         [0060]      FIG. 9  shows the service AP information table  1300 . This service AP information table  1300  is made up with a service AP ID  1301  and a service AP name  1302 . Information of those are obtained when downloading the service AP from the application download server  10 .  
         [0061]      FIG. 10  shows the service undertaker information table  1400 . This service undertaker information table  1400  is made up with a service AP IF  1401  and a service undertaker ID  1402 .  
         [0062]     The service AP is started upon the fact that the user transmits an instruction for a program (CGI), which is operable on the Web server  61 .  
         [0063]      FIG. 11  shows a flowchart from when the user transmits the instruction up to when the service AP is started.  
         [0064]     First of all, the user connects with the Web server through the browser, so as to select the service AP to be started (S 1001 ), and next, the CGI operable on the Web server  61  transmits a service start request and the service AP ID, which the user selects, to the service management portion  63  (S 1002 ). Next, the service management portion  63  obtains the service undertaker ID corresponding to that service AP ID, from the service undertaker information table  1400  (S 1003 ), and next the service management portion  63  obtains the use memory volume corresponding to that service undertaker ID, from the service undertaker user memory information table  1000  (S 1004 ). Next, the service management portion  63  starts that service AP, so that the memory does not exceeds that use memory volume (S 1005 ).  
         [0065]     The steps of S 1005  are achieved, as follows.  
         [0066]     First of all, explanation will be made on the case when the service AP is Java (registered trade mark).  
         [0067]     The Java (registered trade mark) is able to designate a maximum heap region, when starting a Java (a registered trade mark) VM. Then, by designating the use memory volume to be such the maximum heap region, it is possible to designate so that the service AP does not use the memory exceeding that use memory volume. For example, in case where the use memory volume of “AP64.class” is 10 MB, a Java (the registered trademark) command is “Java (registered trade mark) −Xmx10m AP64”.  
         [0068]     Next, explanation will be given about the case where the service AP is not the Java (registered trade mark), but is a native program.  
         [0069]     First of all, the service AP is executed with a normal procedure. Next, by means of the system call, a process number of that service AP is obtained. Next, a memory volume consumed by the service AP of that process number is obtained through the system call, and it is observed. In case when the consumed memory volume exceeds the use memory volume of the service, it is possible to start up the service AP so that it cannot use the memory exceeding the use memory volume, by compulsively ending the process of that process number.  
         [0070]     Starting the service AP in accordance with the steps mentioned above enables to executed the service APs of plural number of service undertakers, so that the service AP of a certain service undertaker does not give an ill influence upon the service APs of other service undertakers.  
         [0071]      FIG. 12  is a flowchart for showing steps for the service AP to control the equipment  70  to be controlled.  
         [0072]     First of all, a list is obtained about the equipments, which the service AP can control (S 1101 ). Next, the service AP obtains the detailed information of the equipment at desire, so as to make communication (S 1102 ).  
         [0073]     The details of steps in S 1101  will be shown in  FIG. 13  attached herewith.  
         [0074]     First of all, the service AP transmits a request for obtaining the list of controllable equipments and the service AP ID, to the equipment management portion (S 1201 ). Next, the equipment management port obtains the list of the use equipment IDs corresponding to that service AP, from the service AP use equipment information table  1100  (S 1202 ). Next, the equipment management portion returns the list of controllable equipments back to that service AP (S 1203 ).  
         [0075]     Also, the details of steps in S 1102  will be shown in  FIG. 14  attached herewith.  
         [0076]     First of all, the service AP transmits a request for obtaining the detailed information of equipments, the equipment IDs of the equipments to be controlled and the service AP ID, to the equipment management portion (S 1301 ). Next, the equipment management portion obtain a list of the use equipment IDs corresponding to that service AP ID from the service AP use equipment information table (S 1302 ) Next, determination is made on whether that equipment ID is included or not within the list of use equipment ID (S 1303 ), and if it is included, the equipment management portion obtains the IP address corresponding to that equipment ID, so as to send it to the service AP (S 1304 ), and the service AP makes connection with the equipment of that IP address, to make communication therewith (S 1305 ). In case when that equipment ID is not included within the list of use equipment IDs, in the step of S 1303 , the equipment management portion transmits error information to the service AP (S 1306 )  
         [0077]     Controlling the equipment  70  to be controlled, which the service AP connects to the home network  80  in the manner mentioned above, it is possible for the service AP to make control only upon the predetermined equipment(s) to be controlled.  
         [0078]     As was mentioned above, according to the present embodiment, with controlling the volume of memory, which the service application operating on the home gateway uses within a home where the service applications of plural number of service undertakes are mixed with, the plural number of the service undertakers are operable without obstructing with each other. Also, by making the service applications unable to connect with others than the equipments within the home, which are determined in advance, it is possible to achieve smooth facilities of services within a home network system where the service applications of the plural number of service undertakes are mixed with.  
         [0079]     While we have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with our invention, it should be understood that disclosed embodiments are susceptible of changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, we do not intend to be bound by the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the ambit of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 5