KR20040037670A - Device status display method for home network system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for displaying a device state in a home network system is provided to easily confirm the state of a desired device and adjust a desired function by displaying a changed state on a display device according as a connection state of a home network device is changed. CONSTITUTION: A home network engine requests a connection state to a plurality of devices connected in a home network. The home network engine checks a response signal with respect to the request, confirms the respective devices, and updates a state table with reference to the confirmed result. If an operation state display mode is set up, the home network engine displays the operation states of the devices which exist in the home network with reference to the operation state table. A user selects a certain device among the devices in which their operation states are displayed, and adjusts a desired function.

Description

How to display device status on a home network system {DEVICE STATUS DISPLAY METHOD FOR HOME NETWORK SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a home network system, and more particularly, to a method for displaying a device status of a home network system for displaying a connection status of a home networking device in a display device such as a TV.

As interest in home networking increases, many researches and efforts on standardizing home networking protocols based on technology based on PLC, IEEE1394, HomePNA, etc. have been conducted. Home networking is a technology for sharing and controlling information among information devices, AV devices, and home appliances distributed in a home.

In addition, as consumers' interest in intelligent home appliances with home networking functions increases, various home networking products are coming to the market. The range of home networking products includes not only IT products such as laptops, desktops, PDAs, tablet PCs, and digital home appliances such as DTVs and Internet STBs, but also conventional white appliances such as TVs, air conditioners, washing machines, lamps, microwave ovens, and refrigerators. Is expanding. The home network using the same can be configured as shown in FIG.

Accordingly, interest in home gateways is increasing along with digital home appliances such as home servers as media centers for integrated management of home networking products.

In addition, with the advent of digital TVs, the movement to construct home networks centered on digital TVs has been accelerated.

However, the connection state (ON / OFF, Plug-Out, ...) of the home networking devices existing in the home network may change dynamically with time, and the installation location of the devices may also change with time.

Therefore, an efficient display of the status of devices connected to the home network in consideration of spatial information in the home is a very important factor from the user's point of view. In other words, if the connection state and installation location of the devices connected to the home network are implemented to be displayed on the screen, the user may easily check the state of the device that the user wants to control and adjust the desired functions to provide convenience to the user. .

However, although the screens for supporting the screen setting, the volume setting, the On / Off control, etc. are conventionally configured as functions of the device itself, the screen configuration for dynamically supporting the connection status of each device in the home network is provided. And since the user interface is not implemented, there is a disadvantage in that the user cannot use the home networking product because the user cannot provide the connection state and the installation location of the devices existing in the home network.

Accordingly, in order to solve the conventional problem, the present invention can easily check the state of the device that the user wants to control by displaying the changed state on the screen of the display device in conjunction with the change of the connection state of the home networking device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for displaying device status of a home network system that can be adjusted.

1 is a configuration diagram of a home network.

2 is a device state detection / display device for an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of detecting and displaying a device state in an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a table illustrating the state of the device over time in an embodiment of the invention.

5 is an exemplary diagram of a device status display screen in consideration of FIG.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

210: application module 220: home network engine

230: data link / physical layer module

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a user interface method of a home network system, the method comprising: connecting an IT device and a home appliance to a home network, checking a connection state of devices registered to the home network; And displaying the connection status of the devices identified above.

The displaying of the connection state of the devices may include dynamically relocating the connection state in consideration of the priority of the devices.

The priorities of the devices are determined by referring to the plug-in state and the frequency of use.

The registration of any device on the home network may be configured to be automatically performed at the time of connecting the device to the home network and connecting power.

The step of checking an operation state and adjusting a desired function is selected by selecting any device among the devices displayed as the operation state.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a method of dynamically displaying a connection state of various home appliances existing in a home network on the screen will be described by assuming a digital TV (DTV) as a server managing home appliances in a home.

2 is a block diagram of a device state detection / display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, a data link / physical layer module for communicating with a plurality of devices 241 to 245 connected to a home network bus ( 230 and a home for checking a connection state of the plurality of devices 241 to 245 through the data link / physical layer module 230 and updating a state table to display the confirmed state on a user interface screen. The digital TV (DTV) includes a network engine 220 and an application program module 210 for providing a control program of the home network engine 220.

In the plurality of devices 241 to 245, '241' is a washing machine (WM), '242' is an air conditioner (AC), '243' is a microwave oven (MWO), '244' is a refrigerator (REF), and '245' Is Kimchi Refrigerator (KREF).

According to an embodiment of the present invention using such a configuration, as shown in the operation flowchart of FIG. 3, requesting a connection state to a plurality of devices connected to a home network, and checking a response signal for the request to connect each device. Checking the status and updating the status table with reference to the result of the verification; if the operation status display mode is set, displaying the operation status of a device existing in the home network on the screen with reference to the operation status table; In step S, select any device from among the devices on which the operation status is displayed to adjust a desired function.

Referring to the operation and effect of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

In the embodiment of the present invention, each state of the plurality of devices existing in the home network is largely divided into Plug-In (On / Off), Plug-Out, and No-Registered states.

First, the home network engine 220 executes a control program provided by the application program module 210 to connect the devices 241 to 245 connected to the home network bus at predetermined times through the data link / physical layer module 230. This will check the connection status.

Thereafter, the home network engine 220 determines a connection state of the devices 241 to 245 by checking the response signal from the devices 241 to 245. In this case, when the home network engine 220 receives the ACK signal from the devices 241 to 245, the home network engine 220 determines the state of the corresponding device as the PlugIn state, checks which state is On / Off, and receives the NACK signal or if there is no response. Judging by Plug-Out status.

Accordingly, the home network engine 220 updates the state table to reflect the connection state of each device 241 to 245 determined above.

Subsequently, when the user sets a mode for displaying the status of the device existing in the home network on the user screen by using the remote controller or the keypad, the home network engine 220 refers to the device 241 ˜245 with reference to the updated status table. ) Will dynamically display the connection status.

Meanwhile, the connection state of the devices 241 to 245 may change with time. 4 is a table illustrating a connection state according to time T1 to T4 for a plurality of devices 241 to 245 in an embodiment of the present invention. Here, Plug-In means that the device is connected to the home network, Plug-Out means that the device is not connected to the home network, and no-registered means that the device is not registered in the home network.

At this time, it is assumed that the priority of each device 241 to 245 is AC> WM> MWO> KREF> REF. In general, priority is determined in consideration of functions and characteristics of each product, and priority is given to devices with many control and monitoring factors in consideration of user's operation convenience. That is, when the connection state of the devices 241 to 245 existing in the home network changes, in dynamically relocating the devices displayed on the user screen, any device is connected to the home network to the home network. If there are a plurality of devices in the home network, the device with a high frequency of use has priority over a low device in consideration of the actual frequency of use of the device.

Therefore, referring to the table of FIG. 4, the user screen is displayed as the example of FIG. 5 as time T1 to T4 elapses. That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, even if the function and characteristics of the device, even if the product in the same state, in order to determine the priority of the device, in the case of the device that can be monitored as well as control, the frequency of use of the user is increased, so that the priority is increased and arranged can do.

Thereafter, when any device is selected among the devices on which the operation state is displayed on the user screen, the home network engine 220 displays the current operation state of the corresponding device and adjusts to the corresponding function when the user selects any function.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the home network engine 220 may be configured to automatically register a corresponding device at a time point when power is turned on after any device is connected to the home network.

As described in detail above, the present invention supports home networking by using a display device, and checks the status of dynamically changing devices existing in the home network and reflects priorities according to whether the devices are connected and the frequency of use. By rearranging the status display positions of the devices, it is possible to improve convenience for the user to adjust any device.

Claims (5)

In the user interface method of a home network system, A first step of registering devices existing in the home network; A second step of checking a connection state of devices registered in a home network; And performing a third step of displaying the connection status of the identified devices. The method of claim 1, wherein the first step of registering devices with a home network is Device status display method of the home network system, characterized in that the device is configured to be automatically made when the power is turned on when connected to the home network. The method of claim 1, wherein the third step of displaying the connection status of the devices is And relocating the connection state dynamically in consideration of the priorities of the devices. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the priority of the devices is Device status display method of the home network system, characterized in that determined by referring to the plug-in status, the frequency of use. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting any device among devices displayed in a connected state and adjusting a desired function.