IP Library Granted Patent US 8,667,112
Granted Patent B2
US 8,667,112 · App. 12/995,585 · Granted Mar 4, 2014

Selective interaction between networked smart devices

Inventors: Erik Roth (Shanghai, CN); Jinyung Park (Seoul, KR); Jaehwa Lee (Seoul, KR); Wookjin Chung (Seoul, KR); Stanley Kim (Seoul, KR); Soyoung Han (Seoul, KR); Heeyoung Hwang (Seoul, KR); Jiyeong Ku (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,667,112
App. No.
12/995,585
Granted
Mar 4, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Selective interaction between networked smart devices is disclosed. One embodiment of the present disclosure pertains to an apparatus for interacting with associated smart appliances via a network, where the apparatus comprises a memory; and a processor. The processor is configured to identify one or more associated smart appliances upon activation of a smart device in a network, where the smart device and the associated smart appliances are configured to communicate with each other for notification or for executing one or more commands. The processor is also configured to determine a mode of the smart device upon receiving data from the associated smart appliances, where the mode of the smart device is set through configuring a user experience environment of the smart device. The processor is further configured to selectively process the data from the associated smart appliances based on the mode of the smart device.

Claims (29)

1. A smart device for interacting with at least one associated smart terminal connected via a network, the smart device comprising:

a memory;

a display unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the display unit and the processor configured to:

identify the at least one associated smart terminal upon activation in the network, the at least one associated smart terminal includes at least one of an associated smart device and an associated smart appliance;

determine a mode of the smart device based on an application currently executed on a user experience environment of the smart device upon receiving data from one of the at least one associated smart terminal, wherein each application accessed by the smart device is preconfigured with either a mode to process data from any of the at least one associated smart terminal or a mode to block the data from said any of the at least one associated smart terminal; and

display a message which notifies a receipt of the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal on the display unit if the mode of the smart device is determined as the mode to process the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal and mask the receipt of the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal if the mode of the smart device is determined as the mode to block the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal,

wherein the mode of the smart device is automatically changed based on a temporal basis or a regional basis.

2. The smart device of claim 1 , wherein the associated smart device is a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a smart TV, a mobile phone, or a laptop computer, and wherein the associated smart appliance comprises a smart home appliance.

3. The smart device of claim 2 , wherein the smart home appliance is an air conditioner, a CD player, a washing machine, or a refrigerator.

4. The smart device of claim 1 , wherein the network is a short range wireless communication network.

5. The smart device of claim 4 , wherein the short range wireless network is a personal area network (PAN).

6. The smart device of claim 1 , wherein the mode of the smart device is automatically changed on a temporal basis.

7. The smart device of claim 1 , wherein the mode of the smart device is automatically changed on a regional basis.

8. A method of a smart device interacting with associated smart terminals via a network, the method comprising:

identifying at least one associated smart terminal upon activation of a smart device in a network, wherein the smart device and the at least one associated smart terminal are configured to communicate with each other for notification or for executing at least one command, and the at least one associated smart terminal including at least one of an associated smart device and an associated smart appliance;

determining a mode of the smart device based on an application currently executed on a user experience environment of the smart device upon receiving data from one of the at least one associated smart terminal, wherein each application accessed by the smart device is preconfigured with either a mode to process data from any of the at least one associated smart terminal or a mode to block the data from said any of the at least one associated smart terminal; and

displaying a message which notifies a receipt of the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal on a display unit of the smart device if the mode of the smart device is determined as the mode to process the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal and masking the receipt of the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal if the mode of the smart device is determined as the mode to block the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal,

wherein the mode of the smart device is automatically changed based on a temporal basis or a regional basis.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying of the at least one associated smart terminal is performed by polling the at least one associated smart terminal upon the activation of the smart device in the network.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying the at least one associated smart terminal further comprises displaying a representative image of each of the at least one associated smart terminal on the display unit of the smart device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the smart device and the at least one associated smart terminal is a mobile phone, a personal computer (PC), a mobile computer, a smart TV, or a smart home appliance.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forwarding a notification data to the at least one associated terminal.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forwarding a command data to the at least one associated terminal.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of processing data comprising:

identifying at least one associated smart terminal upon activation of a smart device in a network, wherein the smart device and the at least one associated smart terminal are configured to communicate with each other for notification or for executing at least one command, and the at least one associated smart terminal including at least one of an associated smart device and an associated smart appliance;

determining a mode of the smart device based on an application currently executed on a user experience environment of the smart device upon receiving data from one of the at least one associated smart terminal, wherein each application accessed by the smart device is preconfigured with either a mode to process data from any of the at least one associated smart terminal or a mode to block the data from said any of the at least one associated smart terminal; and

displaying a message which notifies a receipt of the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal on a display unit of the smart device if the mode of the smart device is determined as the mode to process the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal and masking the receipt of the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal if the mode of the smart device is determined as the mode to block the data from the one of the at least one associated smart terminal,

wherein the mode of the smart device is automatically changed based on a temporal basis or a regional basis.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2010
From: ROTH, ERIK; PARK, JINYUNG; LEE, JAEHWA; KIM, STANLEY; CHUNG, WOOKJIN; HAN, SOYOUNG; HWANG, HEEYOUNG; KU, JIYEONG
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 025458/0079 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61365790 · Jul 20, 2010
Related Publication 20120023212A1 · Jan 26, 2012