Title of Invention

"METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DEVICE TO DEVICE COMMAND AND CONTROL IN A NETWORK"

Abstract

Method and system for command and control among a plurality of devices via a network by: connecting a first device to the network; connecting a second device to the network, where the second device stores application interface description data in a structured format for commanding and controlling the second device by other network devices; providing the Application interface description data to the first device over the network; and sending control and command data from the first device to the second device over the network utilizing the application interface description data to control the operation of the second device.

Full Text

Method and system for command and control among a plurality of devices via a network by: connecting a first device to the network; connecting a second device to the network, where the second device stores application interface description data in a structured format for commanding and controlling the second device by other network devices; providing the Application interface description data to the first device over the network; and sending control and command data from the first device to the second device over the network utilizing the application interface description data to control the operation of the second device. What is claimed is: : 1. - A method for command and control among a plurality of devices a network, the method comprising the steps of: (a) connecting a first device to the network; (b) connecting a second device to the network, the second devide storing application Interface description data in a structured format for commanding and controlling the second device by at least one other device connected to the network; (c) providing said application interface description data to the first'device over the network; and (d) sending control and command data from the first device to the second device over the network utilizing said application interface description data to control the operation of the second device. •• .. i,2, The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further includes locating said application interface description data via the network, and providing said application interface description data to the frst device via the network. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: (i) step (b) includes connecting two or more devices to the network, each device storing application interface description data in said structured format for commanding and controlling of the device by one ore more other devices connected to the network; (ii) step (c) includes providing the application interface description data of a plurality of said devices to the first device via the (iii) step (d) includes sending control and command data from the first device to said plurality of devices over the network utilizing the application interface description data corresponding to each of said plurality of devices to control the operation of said plurality of devices. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (ii) further includes locating said application interface description data via the network, and providing said application interface description data to the first device via the network. "d.' The method of claim 3, wherein step (ii) further includes providing the application interface data of a plurality of said devices to at least .the fTrst device,and wherein step (iii) includes sending control and command data from at least the first device to said plurality of devices connected to the network utilizing the application interface description data corresponding to each of said plurality of devices to control the operation of at least one of said plurality of devices. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes transferring at least a portion of said application interface description data to the first home device via the network. Ii * 7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the first device querying the application interface description data in the second device via the network. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the first device querying the application interface description from a database device connected to the network. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application interface description data includes remote procedure call information for the first home device to control the operation of the second home device. 10. ' The method of claim 1, wherein the application interface description data includes capabilities data for identifying the capabilities of the second device. ' 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said devices are incapable of displaying user interfaces. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said structured format includes XML format. , 13. A network system for commanding and controlling devices, (a) a physical layer, wherein the physical layer provides a communication medium than can be used by devices to communicate with each other; (b) at least one controlled device containing application interface description data in a structured format for commanding and controlling the controlled device by at least one other device; and (c) at least one controller device including control application means for obtaining said application interface description data, and sending Control and command data to the controlled device utilizing said application interface description data to control the operation of the controlled device. 14. The network system of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of controlled devices, each controlled device storing application interface description data in said structured format for commanding and controlling of each controlled device by at least said controller device, wherein said application control means selectively obtains the application interface description data of one or more of said controlled devices for sending control and command data to one or more of said controlled devices utilizing said application interface description data to control the operation of said one or more controlled devices. 15. The network system of claim 13 wherein said application control means obtains said application interface description data by transferring at least a portion of said application interface description data to the controller device for generating and sending said control and command data to the controlled device. 4 16. The network system of claim 13 wherein said application control means obtains said application interface description data by querying said application interface description data in the controlled device. 17. The network system of claim 13 wherein said application control means obtains said application interface description data by querying the application interface description data from a database device. 18. The network system of claim 13 wherein the application interface description data includes remote procedure call information for the contrpllerdevipe to control the operation of the controlled device. 19. The network system of claim 13 wherein the application interface description data includes capabilities data for identifying the capabilities of the controlled device. 20.The network system of claim 13 wherein said controller and controlled devices are incapable of displaying user interfaces. 21. , The network system of claim 13 wherein said structured format includes XML format. 22., The network system of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of controller devices, each controller device including application control means for obtaining application interface description data of one or more controller (devices for sending command and control information to said one or more controlled device utilizing said application interface description data to control the.^peration of said one or more controlled devices. 23. A method for performing a service via a home network, the method comprising the steps of: ' (a) connecting a client device to the home network, wherein the client device is capable of displaying user interface data; (b)., connecting a first home device to the home network, the first home device storing user interface data in a selected format that defines a user interface for user command and control of at least the first home device by a user via the network; (c). connecting a second home device to the home network, the second home device storing application interface description data in a strucl;i|reci format.for device command and control of the second home device by one or more other home devices connected to the network; (d) receiving the user interface data of the first home device at the client device via the home network; (e) displaying the user interface defined by the user interface data of the firs.t home device on the client device; bsiaennor ffliv accepting user input from a user in response to the user interacting with the user interface displayed on the client device; and (g) ( sending control and command data from the client device to the home device based on the user input to cause the first and second home devices to communicate with each other utilizing said application interface description data to perform the service. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein step (f) further includes accepting user, input for selecting the second home device from the user interface being displayed on the client device. 25. The method of claim 24, further including the step of the first home device, controlling the second home device by sending control and command information to the second home device utilizing said application interface description data based on the user input to the first home device via the client device. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of providing the application interface description data to the first home device via the network. 27. The method of claim 23, wherein said application interface description data includes capabilities data for the second home device, and further comprising the steps of: (i) querying the capabilities data within the application interface description data of the second home device, and (ii) updating said user interface data in the first home device using the capabilities data to allow commanding and controlling of the second home device by a user via the user interface of the first home device displayed on the client device. 28. The method of claim 23, further comprising connecting two or more home devices to the network, each home device storing application interface description data in a structured format for commanding and controlling of the home device by one or more other home devices connected to the network. 29. the method of claim 28 wherein the application interface data in each of said two or more home devices includes capabilities data for the respective home device, and further comprising the steps of: (i) querying the capabilities data within the application interface data of said two or more home devices, and 00 updating said user interface data in the first home device using said capabilities data to allow commanding and controlling of said two or more home devices by a user via the user interface of the first i . home device displayed on the client device. 30. The method of claim 28, further including the step of providing the application interface descriptions of a plurality of said two or more home devices to the first home device via the network 31. The method of claim 30, further including the step of: sending control and command data from the first home device to said plurality of home devices via the network utilizing the application interface description data corresponding to each of said plurality of home devices to control the operation of said plurality of home devices. 32. The method of claim 30, further including the step of: locating said application interface descriptions over the network, and providing said application interface descriptions to the first home device via the network. * 33. The method of claim 30 further including the steps of providing the,application interface description data of one home device of said plurality of home devices to another home device of said plurality of home devices. , 34. The method of claim 33 further including sending control and command data from said one home device to said another home device via the network utilizing the application interface description corresponding to said another home device to control the operation of said other home device. 35. The method of claim 23, wherein the application interface description includes remote procedure call information for the first home device to control the operation of the second home device. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the application interface description includes capabilities data for identifying the capabilities of the second device. ' 37. The method of claim 23 wherein the selected format includes HTMLformat. 38. The method of claim 23 wherein the structured format includes XMLformat. 39. A network system for commanding and controlling devices, comprising: , (a) a physical layer, wherein the physical layer provides a communication medium than can be used by devices to communicate with each other; (b) a first server device storing user interface data in a selected format that defines a user interface for user command and control of at least the first device by a user; ( (c) a second server device storing application interface description data in a structured format for device command and control of the •. -. ' v second sever device by one or more devices; (d) a client device capable of displaying user interface data, the client device including a user interface controller for displaying said interface of the first server device on the client device to accept input from a user, and for sending control and command data to the first server device . based on the user input, to cause the first and second sever devices to communicate with each other utilizing said application interface description data to perform a service requested by the user. .40. The network system of claim 39, wherein said user interface controller accepts user input for selecting the second sever device from the user interface being displayed on the client device. 41. The network system of claim 40, wherein the first server device includes application control means for controlling the second sever device by - sending control and command information to the second sever device utilizing said application interface description data based on the user input to the first server device via the client device. 42. The network system of claim 41, wherein said application control means obtains the application interface description data from the first server device. 43. The network system of claim 40 wherein said application control ' means obtains the application interface description data from a data base. .44, The, network system of claim 39, wherein the application interface description data includes capabilities data for the second sever device, and wherein the application control means obtains the capabilities data from the application interface description data and updates said uset interface data in the first home device using the capabilities data to allow command and control of the second sever device by a user via the user interface of the first server device displayed on the client device. 45. The network system of claim 39 further comprising two or more server devices each storing application interface description data in said structured format for commanding and controlling of said two or more server • : devices by one or more devices. 4B. The network system of claim 45, wherein the application interface data in each of said two or more server devices includes capabilities data for the respective server device, and wherein the application control means obtains the capabilities data from the application interface data of said two of more server devices and updates said user interface in the first server device using said capabilities data to allow command and control of said two or more sever devices by a user via the user interface of the first server device displayed on the client device. 47. The network system of claim 45 wherein the application control means sends control and command data to said two or more server devices utilizing the application interface description data corresponding to each of said two or more server devices to control the operation of said two or more server devices. 48. The network system of claim 39 wherein said application interface description data includes remote procedure call information for the - ' V ' ' ' '• J first server device to control the operation of the second server device. 49. The network system of claim 39 wherein the selected format includes HTML format. - * 50. The network system of claim 39 wherein the structured format includes XML format. 51. A method for command and control among a plurality of devices via a network substantially as herein described with reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. 52. A network system for commanding and controlling devices substantially as herein described with reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. 53. A method for performing a service via a home network substantially as herein described with reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

in-pct-2000-297-del-abstract.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-assignment.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-claims.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-correspondence-others.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-correspondence-po.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-description (complete).pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-form-1.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-form-13.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-form-19.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-form-2.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-form-3.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-form-5.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-gpa.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-101.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-105.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-202.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-210.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-220.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-304.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-308.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-331.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-332.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-401.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-402.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-pct-409.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-petition-137.pdf

in-pct-2000-297-del-petition-138.pdf