U.S. patent application number 11/740056 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-27 for apparatus and method for providing domain information.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Hyoung-shick KIM, Sang-hyeon KIM.
Application Number | 20080075023 11/740056 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39414281 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080075023 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KIM; Hyoung-shick ; et
al. |
March 27, 2008 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DOMAIN INFORMATION
Abstract
An apparatus for providing domain information is disclosed. The
apparatus includes a storage module that stores domain information,
a device-connection module that connects to a device intending to
join a domain, and a control module that extracts domain
information stored in the storage module, and provides the
extracted domain information to the connected device through the
device-connection module.
Inventors: |
KIM; Hyoung-shick; (Seoul,
KR) ; KIM; Sang-hyeon; (Seoul, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
Suwon-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
39414281 |
Appl. No.: |
11/740056 |
Filed: |
April 25, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60846105 |
Sep 21, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/310 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/30 20130101;
H04N 7/17318 20130101; H04L 29/12594 20130101; H04L 63/10 20130101;
H04N 21/25816 20130101; H04L 61/30 20130101; H04N 21/835 20130101;
H04L 67/125 20130101; H04N 21/4627 20130101; H04N 21/2541 20130101;
H04N 21/43615 20130101; G06F 2221/0706 20130101; H04N 7/163
20130101; H04L 67/16 20130101; H04L 67/34 20130101; H04L 2463/101
20130101; H04L 41/00 20130101; G06F 21/10 20130101; H04L 12/185
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/310 |
International
Class: |
H04B 7/00 20060101
H04B007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 18, 2007 |
KR |
10-2007-0005695 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for providing domain information, the apparatus
comprising: a storage module that stores domain information; a
device-connection module that connects to a device intending to
join a domain; and a control module that extracts the domain
information stored in the storage module, and provides the
extracted domain information to the device by the device-connection
module.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module extracts
domain information stored in the storage module according to a
request of the connected device.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connected device sets a
domain environment using the provided domain information.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module is one of
software, hardware, and a software-hardware hybrid.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer readable
medium including instructions for implementing operation of the
control module.
6. An apparatus for providing domain information, the apparatus
comprising: a storage module that stores domain information; a
communication-interface module that communicates with a device
intending to join a domain through one of a wired medium and a
wireless medium; and a control module that extracts said domain
information stored in the storage module, and transmits the
extracted domain information through the communication-interface
module to the device.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control module is one of
software, hardware, and a software-hardware hybrid.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a computer readable
medium including instructions for implementing operation of the
control module.
9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control module extracts
said domain information stored in the storage module according to
the request of the device.
10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the device sets a domain
environment using the transmitted domain information.
11. A method of providing domain information, the method
comprising: connecting to a device intending to join a domain;
extracting domain information about the domain; and providing the
extracted domain information to the connected device.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the extracting is performed
according to the request of the connected device.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the connected device sets a
domain environment using the provided domain information.
14. A computer readable medium including a set of instructions for
performing operations of the method of claim 11.
15. A method of providing domain information, the method
comprising: receiving a request for domain information about a
domain from a device intending to join the domain through one of a
wired medium and a wireless medium; extracting the domain
information according to the request; and transmitting the
extracted domain information to the device through one of the wired
medium and the wireless medium.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: providing a domain
environment using the transmitted domain information.
17. A computer readable medium including a set of instructions for
performing operations of the method of claim 15.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from Korean
Patent Application No. 10-2007-0005695 filed on Jan. 18, 2007, in
the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/846,105 filed on Sep. 21, 2006, in the
United States Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosures of which
are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present
invention relate to an apparatus and method for providing domain
information. More particularly, the present invention relates to an
apparatus and method for providing information about a domain when
a device intends to join the domain.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] CORAL is a technology for improving interoperability between
digital rights management (DRM) technologies. The concept of a
domain, which represents a logical set of multiple devices, is
presented in CORAL A domain-management server, also referred to as
a domain manager, manages such a domain. The domain-management
server is also called a domain manager. The domain is described in
detail in "Core Architecture V3.0" and "Ecosystem V1.0" of the
CORAL specification.
[0006] The domain-management server manages domains so that each of
the devices belongs to a domain according to rules, and content can
be shared between devices belonging to the same domain.
[0007] The method involving a device joining a domain is described
with reference to FIG. 1 as follows.
[0008] First, it is assumed that there is a first device 110 in
domain A. If a second device 120 intends to join domain A, the
second device 120 connects to a domain-management server 140,
receives information about domain A from the domain-management
server 140, and sets up the environment using the received
information.
[0009] Information about domain A includes the type, function, and
identification information of the device included in domain A, and
can also include information about the domain-management server
140, such as the network address (e.g., a Uniform Resource Locator
(URL) address) of the domain-management server 140 managing domain
A.
[0010] Further, the domain-management server 140 can perform the
authentication on the second device 120, and a
substitute-authentication device 130 can separately exist within
domain A. If there is a substitute-authentication device 130,
information of domain A can include information of the
substitute-authentication device 130 (e.g., the type, function and
identification information of the device).
[0011] Likewise, according to the related art, in order for a
device to join a domain, information about the domain, that is,
domain information should be set up, and for this, the device
should connect to a separate domain-management server and receive
domain information.
[0012] For a user to connect to a domain-management server using a
device, the user should directly input the address of the
domain-management server using an input means attached in the
device, or retrieve the stored address of the domain-management
server.
[0013] If a device, such as a notebook computer or a personal
computer, has a means for inputting letters, the domain-management
server may be connected. However, if the device includes only a
4-way key or an inconvenient input means, it is difficult to
connect to the domain-management server.
[0014] Further, because the device should have a wired or wireless
communication function for connecting to the domain-management
server, a device having no such function cannot join the
domain.
[0015] Therefore, there is a need for a method where devices having
an interface for connecting to a domain-management server that is
difficult to join, or having no wired or wireless internet
function, can join a domain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The present invention provides an apparatus and method for
setting up domain information after receiving domain information
directly transmitted from an existing device without separate
communication with a domain-management server.
[0017] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an apparatus for providing domain information, the
apparatus including a storage module that stores domain
information, a device-connection module that connects to a device
intending to join a domain, and a control module that extracts
domain information stored in the storage module, and provides the
extracted domain information to the connected device through the
device-connection module.
[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an apparatus for providing domain information, the
apparatus including a storage module that stores domain
information, a communication-interface module that communicates
with a device intending to join a domain through a wired or
wireless medium, and a control module that extracts domain
information stored in the storage module, and transmits the
extracted domain information through the communication-interface
module to the device.
[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method of providing domain information, the method
including connecting to a device intending to join a domain,
extracting domain information about the domain, and providing the
extracted domain information to the connected device.
[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method of providing domain information, the method
including receiving a request for domain information about a domain
from a device intending to join the domain through a wired or
wireless medium, extracting the domain information according to the
request, and transmitting the extracted domain information to the
device through the wired or wireless medium.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The above and other aspects of the present invention will
become apparent by describing in detail in the exemplary
embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in
which.
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a method where a device joins a domain
according to CORAL.
[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates a system for providing domain information
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a
device for providing domain information according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates a method of providing domain information
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates a method of providing domain information
according to another exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0028] The present invention may be understood more readily by
reference to the following detailed description of exemplary
embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The present invention
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth
herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided to convey
the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the
present invention will only be defined by the appended claims. Like
reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the
specification.
[0029] The exemplary embodiments are described hereinafter with
reference to flowchart illustrations of user interfaces, methods,
and computer program products. It will be understood that each
block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in
the flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by computer program
instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided
to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose
computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to
produce a machine, such that the instructions, which are executed
via the processor of the computer or other programmable data
processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions
specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
[0030] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer usable or computer-readable memory that can direct a
computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to
function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored
in the computer usable or computer-readable memory produce an
article of manufacture including instruction means that implement
the function specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
[0031] The computer program instructions may also be loaded into a
computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a
series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or
other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented
process such that the instructions that are executed on the
computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for
implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or
blocks.
[0032] Additionally, each block of the flowchart illustrations may
represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises
one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some
alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may
occur out of the order. For example but not by way of limitation,
two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed
substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed
in reverse order.
[0033] FIG. 2 illustrates a system for providing domain information
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0034] While a first device 210 and a second device 220 join a
domain and operate, a user introduces a third device 230, and tries
to replay a music file stored in the first device 210 using the
third device 230. Further, the first device 210, the second device
220, and the third device 230 support a common communication
protocol.
[0035] First, the third device 230 broadcasts a message requesting
information of devices belonging to the current domain while
informing of information about the third device 230, and each of
the devices transmits a message including its information, for
example, device-identification information or information of
provided functions, to the third device 230 in response to the
broadcast message. Likewise, a process where a device intending to
join an arbitrary domain informs devices existing in the domain of
its existence, and receives information of each of the existing
devices in response is called a discovery process. The related art
method can be used for the discovery process.
[0036] Through such a process, the third device 230 obtains
information of devices belonging to a domain.
[0037] The third device 230 selects a device of devices belonging
to the current domain, and sends a request for domain information.
Here, the third device 230 has selected the first device 210. The
user can directly select a device or the third device 230 can
arbitrarily select a device.
[0038] In response to the request for domain-information, the first
device 210 transmits its domain information to the third device
230, the third device 230 sets up the environment for operation
within the domain using the transmitted domain information.
[0039] That is, the first device 210 that joined a domain provides
domain information to the third device 230, and therefore a user
does not need to input domain information in the third device 230,
and can set up the domain environment using the domain information
received from the first device 210. After domain environment is
appropriately set up, the third device 230 can receive
domain-related services provided by the domain-management server
without additional user input.
[0040] If a user directly connects the third device 230 to the
first device 210, the aforementioned operations can be omitted. The
first device 210 can provide its domain information to the third
device 230, and the first device 210 informs a domain-management
server (not shown) of the fact that the third device 230 has joined
the domain. Here, the domain information of the domain-management
server (not shown) is updated.
[0041] When the domain-environment setup of the third device 230 is
completed, the third device 230 can connect to the
domain-management server (not shown), and register it in the
domain-management server using domain information received from the
first device 210. Further, when a new device is registered in the
domain-management server, the domain-management server informs all
devices belonging to the domain of the registration. In this
manner, all devices belonging to the same domain can keep the same
domain information.
[0042] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a device for
providing domain information according to an exemplary embodiment.
The device 300 illustrated in FIG. 3 is a device that provides
domain information, and corresponds to the first device 210
illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0043] The device 300 for providing domain information includes a
storage module 310, a communication-interface module 320, a
device-connection module 330, and a control module 340.
[0044] The storage module 310 stores domain information, and the
stored domain information includes the type, function and
identification information of a device included in the domain, and
information about a domain-management server like a network address
(e.g., an URL) of the domain-management server that manages the
domain. Further, the storage module 310 can include information of
the device 300.
[0045] The communication-interface module 320 communicates with the
domain-management server, or communicates with other devices
belonging to the domain through a wired or wireless medium.
Further, the communication-interface module 320 can communicate
with devices intending to join a domain.
[0046] The device-connection module 330 is a module to directly
connect to other devices, and can be a communication module
supporting the communication between devices such as a USB
communication module or an IEEE1394 communication module. However,
the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and another
communication module as would be understood by one skilled in the
art may be substituted therefor.
[0047] The control module 340 controls the overall operation of the
device 300, and especially extracts domain information stored in
the storage module 3100 and generates data to transmit the
extracted domain information to the device intending to join the
domain.
[0048] The operation between modules constituting the device 300
illustrated in FIG. 3 is described in detail with reference to
FIGS. 4 and 5 as follows.
[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates a method of providing domain information
according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0050] If the communication-interface module 320 receives a message
requesting information of a device 300 from a device with an
intention to join a domain while informing of the existence of the
device (S410), the control module 340 extracts information of the
device 300 from the storage module 310, and transmits the extracted
information to the device through the communication-interface
module 320 (S420). That is, the aforementioned discovery process is
performed.
[0051] Then, if the device sends a request for domain information
to the device 300 (operation S430), the control module 340 extracts
domain information stored in the storage module 310, and transmits
the extracted domain information to the device through the
communication interface module 320 (S440).
[0052] The device sets up domain environment using the received
domain information (S450), connects to the domain-management server
(not shown) based on the domain information, and informs the domain
of the joining (8460). Here, the domain-management server updates
the existing domain information (8470), and broadcast the result of
the update to all devices belonging to the current domain. As such,
all devices belonging to the domain can keep the same domain
information.
[0053] As another example, the domain-environment setup of the
device is completed, the device 300 can inform all devices joining
in the domain and the domain-management server of the fact that a
new device belongs to the domain. That is, the device that provides
domain information can broadcast the update of the domain
information by the device joining the domain.
[0054] FIG. 5 illustrates a method of providing domain information
according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0055] A user connects a device intending to join a domain to the
device-connection module 330 of the device (S510).
[0056] If the device sends a request for domain information to the
device 300, the control module 340 extracts domain information
stored in the storage module 310, and transmits the extracted
domain information to the device through the device-connection
module 330 (S530).
[0057] The device intending to join the domain sets up domain
environment using the received domain information (S540), and the
device 300 connects to the domain-management server through the
communication-interface module 320, and informs that a new device
has joined the domain (S550).
[0058] Here, the domain-management server updates the existing
domain information (operation S560), and broadcasts the result of
the update to devices belonging to the current domain. As such,
devices belonging to the domain can keep the same domain
information.
[0059] The term "module", as used herein, means, but is not limited
to, a software or hardware component, such as a Field Programmable
Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit
(ASIC), which performs certain tasks. A module may be configured to
reside on the addressable storage medium and configured to be
executed on one or more processors. Thus, a module may include, by
way of example, components, such as software components,
object-oriented software components, class components and task
components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures,
subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware,
microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables,
arrays, and variables. The functionality provided for in the
components and modules may be combined into fewer components and
modules or further separated into additional components and
modules. The module may also include a hybrid of software and
hardware.
[0060] It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the
art that various replacements, modifications and changes may be
made in the form and details without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
Therefore, it is to be appreciated that the above described
exemplary embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and are
not to be construed as limitations of the invention.
[0061] According to the apparatus and method of the present
invention, devices can join a domain.
* * * * *