A method, a system, a server , a
client, a computer program and a
computer program product for determining
a user guide in a computer network
Field of the invention
The invention relates to a method, a system, a server, a
client , a computer program and a computer program product for
determining a user guide in a computer network.
Background
Many electronic devices are adapted to be connected to other
electronic devices, e.g. via cables or wirelessly .
In order to provide reliable connectivity such connections
typically use standardized connectors, jacks, antennas , cables
or network protocols .
To facilitate the set up of a connection between electronic
devices, a certain electronic device usually comes with a paper
or electronic installation guide.
The installation guide amongst other things explains the
connectivity of the electronic device, e.g. which connectors,
jacks or antennas are available, or which protocols are
supported. Sometimes said user guide also comprises an
explanation about how to connect the electronic device at hand
with another electronic device, e.g. Mow to connect a cable
television receiver to a television.
However due to the fact that many different electronic
devices are produced by many manufactures for the same or a
similar purpose, it is virtually impossible to include specific
guidelines for each and every other electronic device that may
possibly be connected to a certain electronic device.
This means that the information in such user guides is
limited to standard explanations and no specific information
about the other electronic devices are taken into account.
The user sometimes is left to browse several installation
guides of all electronic devices that shall be connected. For
inexperienced users this may make things more confusing rather
than clearer.
Last resort sometimes is to visit a dedicated user forum on
the Internet where people share their problems and solutions
fox their specific environment, i.e. devices and available
connectivity.
Summarizing the above, connecting electronic devices with
each other is a cumbersome and time consuming task, that gets
worse the more electronic devices are used. This may even
result in less than optimal performance of the overall system.
Summary
The object of the invention is thus to facilitate the process
of connecting electronic devices .
An idea of the invention is to determine a user guide in a
computer network, wherein a message comprising information
about at least two devices selected by a user is received by a
server, said user guide is determined by said server depending
on information about devices retrieved from storage and said
message, and a further message comprising at least a part of
said user guide is sent by said server.
An idea of the invention also is to output a user guide in a
computer network, wherein a user is prompted for information
about at least two devices by a client, a message comprising
said information about said at least two devices is determined
by said client, said message is sent by said client, a further
message comprising at least part of said user guide is received
by said client , and said user guide is output at least
partially by said client.
Advantageously said information about said devices comprises
a machine readable rule concerning the connectivity between at
least two of said devices and said user guide is determined
depending on said machine readable rule.
Advantageously a list of devices is requested by said client
from a server, information about said list is output by said
client when prompting for said user input, a selection of said
user from said list is determined by said client, and said
information about said at least two devices is determined by
said client depending on said selection of said user from said
list.
Further developments of the invention can be gathered from
dependent claims and the following description.
Brief description of tha figures
In the following the invention will be explained further
making reference to the attached drawings.
Fig. 1 schematically shows a first part of a computer
network.
Fig. 2 schematically shows a first sequence diagram.
Description of the embodiments
Figure 1 shows a first part of a computer network 100.
Said computer network 100 comprises for example a client 101,
a server 102, a first device ill, a second device 121, a third
device 131 and a fourth device 141. Said computer network 100
may comprise more or less devices.
Said client 101 is for example a personal media center
computer including hard disk, USB port, Ethernet network card
supporting Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP) , Bluetooth card, S-video card with S-video input and
output jack, sound card with RCA/Cinch audio input and output
jack, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) input and
output jack. Said client 101 is adapted to connect to said
computer network 100,
Said client 101 may be a handheld device like a mobile phone
as wel 1 .
said server 102 is for example a single server or virtual
server in a computing cloud and comprises for example an
Ethernet network card supporting Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) adapted to connect to said
computer network 100 .
Said first device 111 is for example a TV supporting HDMI,
composite and s-video signals, having composite, HDMI and s -
video input jacks, being already connected to said client 101,
e.g. said personal media center computer via a first data link
112. Said client 101 doesn't have to be connected to said
device 111. Instead said client 101 may be adapted to be not
connected to said first device 111. In this case said first
data link is inexi stent.
Said first data link for example comprises a S-video cable
and jacks .
Said second device 121 is for example an audio amplifier
including a speaker accepting analogue stereo aud io input via
two RCA jacks, being already connected to said client 101, e.g.
said personal media center computer, via a second data link
122 .
Said second data link 122 for example comprises Lwo coaxial
cables each with two RCA jacks.
Said third device 131 is for example a TV cable decoder
supporting DVB-C input, having coaxial input jack with F -
connector, and KDMI , S-video composite output, having HDMI , SVideo
and composite output jack) not connected.
Said third device 131, e.g. said TV cable decoder, is
connected to a wall outlet (F connector) for cable television
with a coaxial cable and F-connectors .
Said fourth device 141 is for example a mobile phone. Said
fourth device 141, e.g. said mobile phone, is for example
connected to said client 101, e.g. said personal media center
computer , via a fourth data link 142.
Said fourth data link 142 is for example a Bluetooth link.
A fifth data link 150 connects said client 101 and said
server 102. Said fifth data link 150 is for example a TCP/IP
link.
Said client 101, server 102 and each device 111, 121, 131,
141 is for example identifiable by unique vendor and device
identification that are mapped to the name and type of the
respective vendor and device. An example for a practicable
identification of devices is the well known MAC address for
network devices comprised in each of said devices 111, 121,
131, 141, said client 101 or said server 102, For any other
type of identification the invention is similarly applicable.
Wot depicted in figure 1 is a data base storing this vendor
and device identification and the mapping of them to a
description of the respective devices capabilities, available
connectors and priority of preferred connection type. This data
base is referred to more generally as storage.
The aforementioned connections via the aforementioned data
links 112, 122, 13 2 , 141, 140 offer connectivity of said client
101, said server 102, said first device 111, said second device
121 or said third device 131 according to well known standards
that are not explained here further. The invention is not
limited to the aforementioned standard connectors. The
invention also applies to any other standard or non standard
connector, jack, data link or the like, allowing
interconnecting electronic devices.
Said client 101 is adapted to send information about device
capabilities and available connectors to said server 102 in a
message. Said client 101 does not necessarily store said
information about said device capabilities. If this information
is not stored on said client 101, said server 102 is adapted to
provide this information. In this scenario said client 101 is
adapted to provide device reference and identity so that said
server 102 may retrieve the corresponding capabilities.
Said client 101 is adapted to prompt said user for
information about at least two of said devices 111, 112, 131,
14 0 that the user wants to connect to each other. In the
example said client 101 is said media center computer that is
adapted to display said information via said first device 111,
e.g. said TV. Said client 101 may comprise of a display or a
touch screen display as well, adapted to display this prompt.
Said client 101 may be adapted to accept a list o t more than
two devices, in case said user wishes to connect more than two
devices at a time. In the example said client 101 is said media
center computer that is adapted to receive said information via
said first device 111, e.g. from remote control input received
by said TV. Said client 101 may be adapted to connect to said
server 102 directly or via any other of said devices 111, 112,
131, 140, Said client 101 may comprise of a user interface,
e.g. a button or a touch screen, as well, adapted to -receive
said user input as reply to said user prompt.
Said client 101 may be adapted to prompt for said
identification, e.g. by displaying a list of known device
vendors, model types or the like,
Said client 101 may be adapted to request said list from a
knowledge base, e.g. from said server 102, via said fifth data
link 150.
In this case said client 101 may be adapted to determine said
information about said at least two devices from input o f said
user via a user interface. Said user interface is for example a
keyboard or a touch- screen or a remote control device that is
connected to said client 101.
Said client 101 is adapted to determine said message
comprising said information about said at least two devices
111, 121, 131, 140 and to send said message via said fifth data
link 150, for example using said TCP/IP connection, to said
server 102 .
Said client 101 is adapted to receive a further message
comprising at least part of said user guide, and to output said
user guide at least partially, e.g. on a display or via a
speaker.
(partially) as a document file, e.g. ASCII text, in the latter
case as an audio file.
Said client 101 may be adapted to receive and output said
user guide in any other format as well and convert it into any
other format usable for output of said user guide.
Instead of converting said user guide on said client 101 ,
said user guide could also be transferred to said client 101 in
another forma L from said server (HTML or PDF for instance) .
This way said client 101 has not to perform aforementioned
format adaptation.
Said client 101 may be adapted to receive and output an error
message in case no connection is possible.
Said server 102 is adapted to determine optimal connections
from the information about said at least two devices 111, 121,
131, 141. To this end said server 102 may read information
about said devices 111, 121, 131, 141 from said storage.
Said server 102 may be adapted to read machine readable rules
and predefined phrases that may be stored in said storage as
well or requested from a further data base .
Said server 102 may be adapted to generate instructions, i.e.
s ai d user guide, from said predefined phrases depending o n said
machine readable rules, and to send said instructions as user
guide in a further message to said c lien t 101.
In order to determined optimal connections, said machine
readable rules for example comprise information about all
possible connections for a certain device.
Said server 102 for example comprises of an automated
reasoner, i .e . a computer program, executed on said server 102,
adapted to determine said optimal connections for said at least
two devices 111, 121, 131, 141 depending on said machine
readable rules.
Said oerver 102 may be adapted to send said error message in
case no connection between any of said at least two devices
111, 121, 131, 141 is possible,
A method for guiding said user is in said computer network
100 is described below making reference to figure 2 .
The purpose of said method is to determine the optimal
interconnect ivity between the electronic devices. In the
example, said third device 131, for example said TV cable
decoder, has not been connected yet and shall be integrated
into the system comprising the other electronic devices 111,
121, 141 via a third data link 132, Optional said system may
extend to include said client 101 as well.
In a general scenario said third device 131 may be adapted to
be connected to any o f said other electronic devices 111, 121,
141 and said client 101.
In the example said third device 131 is said cable TV decoder
supporting DVB-C . Its coaxial input jack is already connected
with F-connectors and coaxial cable to the wall outlet. The
HDMI , S-video and composite outputs, having HDMI , S -Video and
composite output jacks are not yet connected. Hence said method
is used as described below to generate a specific user guide
with instructions on how to connect said third device 131 to
said other electronic devices 111, 121, 141. Optional said
instructions may extend to how to connect said third device 131
to said client 101 as well.
Said method for example starts when said client 101 detects
that said user presses a button on said client 101.
Afterwards, in a step 200 said client 101 prompts said user
for information about said at least two devices 111, 121, 131,
141 .
In the example in a first step the user prompt displayed asks
to provide said identification of all devices that shall form
part of said sy stem . Said client 101 may be part of said system
or not, in fact said client 101 need not to be part of said
system of electronic devices itself. Said server 102 or any
other server or device may be part of said system as well .
Afterwards, in a step 201, said client 101 determines said
message comprising said information about said at least two
devices 111, 121, 131, 141.
Afterwards said message is sent as a message 202 to said
server 102. Said message 202 is for example a TCP/IP message.
Upon receipt of said message 202, said server 102 determines
said information about at least two devices 111 , 121, 131, 141
selected by said user from said message. In the example said
identification of all devices that shall form part of the
system are determined.
Afterwards, in a step 203, said server 102 determines said
user guide depending on said information about said devices
111, 112, 131 » 141 retrieved from said storage and said
information about said at least two devices 111, 121, 131, 141,
received in said message,
I n the example said server 102 reads the machine readable
rules that are associated with the identifications from
storage .
Afterwards said server 102 determines the best
interconnectivity option for the system by processing said
machine readable rules using an automated reasoner . Said
machine readable rules may be ontologies or rules of a
knowledge based system that describe the connectivity of
individual devices. Said machine readable rules may comprise
priorities that are assigned to certain connectors for certain
device types . Said automated reasoner may be said computer
program that operates on said rules.
An example for such rules is given below for the third device
131, the first device 111 and the client 101 referencing the
cable decoder, the TV and the personal media center computer
respectively as examples;
rule 1
Device Name; cable decoder
ID: 12345
Device Type: receiver
Input Type: DVB-C
Output Type: HDMI , S-video, composite
Input Priority; DVB-C
Input Device Preference: LMB
Output Priority: HDMI
Output Device Preference: TV
rule 2
Device Name: TV
IDs 54321
Device Type : TV
Input Type: HDMI , S-video, composite
Input Priority: HDMI
Input Device Preference: receiver
Output Priority: -
Output Device Preference: -
rule 3
Device Name: personal media center
ID: 55555
Device Type: sender, receiver
Input Type: hard disk, USB , Ethernet, TCP/IP , Bluetooth, S -
video, RCA/Cinch audio, HDMI .
Output Type: USB, Ethernet, TCP/IP, Bluetooth, S-video,
RCA/Cinch audio, HDMI
Input Priority: TCP/IP
Input Device Preference: server
Output Priority : HDMI
Output Device Preference : TV
a s can be seen from the exemplary rules above , there is a
conflict that the TV can accept only one KDMI connection but
two devices (cable decoder and personal media center) have the
output priority HDMI . This means that only one of the devices
may be connected directly to the TV via the HDMI interface In
this exemplary case two options are available:
- connecting one of the devices with the inferior S-Video or
composite to the TV
- connecting one device via the other device to the TV using
the better HDMI interface.
According to the example said automated reasoner is
programmed to select the best possible video format, in this
case HDMI, for as many connections as possible. Therefore the
option to connect the cable decoder to the personal media
center computer and the personal media center computer to the
TV (both via HDMI) is selected.
However, said automated reasoner may be programmed in another
example to apply other criteria, such as reducing the amount o f
intermediate devices. In that case, the user guide would
recommend connecting the cable decoder and the personal media
center computer directly to the TV, noting that there exist two
options that excluding each other for each of the connections
(HDMI , s-video) .
In any case, as a result said server 102 determines said user
guide, e.g. said document file or said audio file. In the
example said document file is created as a PDF document.
Afterwards said server 102 determines said further message,
e.g. by splitting up said user guide into parts that are
suitable for network transport or display on the client side.
Afterwards, said server 102 sends said further message as a
message 204 comprising at least a part of said user guide to
said client 101. Said message 204 is for example a TCP/IP
message .
In case no connection can be found, e.g. by said automated
reasoner , said error message is send as said message 204.
Upon receipt of said message 204 said client 101 determines
said at least part of said user guide in a step 205, and
outputs said user guide at least partially. Optionally said
client 101 may wait until all parts of said user guide are
received and output said user guide afterwards.
Sa id output may also be stored on said hard disk of said
client 101 or printed via a printer.
Afterwards said method ends .
In an advantageous implementation of said method, before
prompting said user for input, said list of devices is
requested by said client 101 from said server 102 and upon
receipt of a reply to said request from said server 102, said
list is output, e.g. displayed or read out, by said c l ient 101.
Another advantageous modification of said method comprises o f
the step of providing a recommendation o f a device suitable to
complete existing configurations. This information may be
provided together with said prompt for user input and may be
provided with said list of devices by said server 102 . This way
for example manufactures could provide new devices or better
suitable devices to said user. For example said recommendations
are highlighted in a different color or with a different font,
when said output is displayed. Alternatively said
recommendations may be announced by a keyword like
"recommended" when said output is read out.
In this case said message is determined from a selection
detected by said client 101, e.g. by determining user input via
said user interface. Afterwards said message is sent as
described above in said method step 7.02
Alternatively said client 101 may be adapted to perform the
task of said server. In this case no messages are sent,
Instead said client 101 comprises a storage, and wherein in
said method the step 201 of determining and sending said
message 202 comprising information about at least two devices
ill, 112, 131, 141 selected by said user is replaced by a step
of determining said user guide depending on information about
devices 111, 112, 131, 141 retrieved from said storage and said
message 202. Furthermore the step 203 of determining at least a
part of said user guide is performed by said client 101.
Furthermore said client 101 in this case may b e adapted to
perform an additional step of storing said at least part o f
said user guide at least temporarily on said client 101 and
read said at least part of said user guide from storage in
order to output it via said display or speaker.
Optionally said client 101 may be a personal computer
accessing a web service providing the connectivity information
via Internet Protocol and Hyper Text Markup Language .
The information about abovementioned devices may be stored in
said storage by device constructors for instance or by users
based on their own experience .
The description and drawings merely illustrate the principles
of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those
skilled in the art will b e able to devise various arrangements
that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody
the principles of th e invention and are included within its
spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are
principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical
purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of
the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor (s)
to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without
limitation to such specifically recited examples and
conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting
principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well
as specific examples thereof, di e intended to encompass
equivalents thereof.
The functions of the various elements shown in the figures,
including any functional blocks labeled as 'processors' , may b e
provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as
hardware capable o f executing software in association with
appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the
functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a
single shared processor, or by a plurality o f individual
processors, some o f which may be shared. Moreover, explicit use
of the term 'processor' or 'controller' should not be construed
to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software,
and may implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal
processor (DSP) hardware, network processor, application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , field programmable gate
array (FPGA) , read only memory (ROM) for storing software,
random access memory (RAM) , and non volatile storage . Other
hardware, conventional and/ or custom, may also be included.
Similarly, any switches shown in the figures are conceptual
only. Their function may be carried out through the operation
of program logic, through dedicated logic, through the
interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even
manually, the particular technique being selectable by the
implementer as more specifically understood from the context.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any
block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of
illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the
invention. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow
charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code,
and the like represent various processes which may be
substantially represented in computer readable medium and so
executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such
computer or processor is explicitly shown,
A person of skill in the art would readily recognize that
steps of various above -described methods can be performed by
programmed computers. Herein, some embodiments are also
intended to cover program storage devices, e.g., digital data
storage media, which are machine or computer readable and
encode machine -executable or computer -executable programs of
instructions , wherein said instructions perform some or all of
the steps of said above-described methods. The program storage
devices may be, e.g., digital memories, magnetic storage media
such as a magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or
optically readable digital data storage media. The embodiments
are also intended to cover computers programmed to perform said
steps of the above-described methods.
Claims
1 . A method for determining a user guide, in particular
regarding the connectivity o f electronic devices, in a
computer network, wherein a message (202) comprising
innormation about at le a s t two devices Clll, 321, 1 3 1 ,
141) selected (2 00) by a user is received by a server
(102) , said user guide is determined (203) by said server
(102) depending on information or rules about devices
{111, 121, 131, 141) retrieved from storage and said
message (202) , and a further message (204) comprising at
least a part of said user guide is sent by said server
(102) .
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said information
about said devices (111, 121, 131, 141) comprises a
machine readable rule concerning the connectivity between
at least two o f said devices (111, 121 , 131, 141) and said
user guide is determined (2 03) depending on said machine
readable rule,
3 , The method according to claim 1 , wherein said user guide
is determined (203) as a document file.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said user guide
is determined (203) as an audio file.
5 . A method for outputting a user guide in a computer
network, wherein a user is prompted for in form ation about
at least two devices (ill, 121, 131, 141) by a client
(101) , a message comprising said information about said a t
least two devices (111, 121, 131, 141} is determined by
said client. (101) , said message (202) is sent by said
client (101) , a further message (204) comprising at least
part of said user guide is received by said client (101} ,
and said user guide is output at least partially by said
client (101) .
6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein a list of devices
(111, 121, 131, 141) is requested by said client (101)
from a server (102) , information about said list is output
by said client (101) when prompting (200) for said user
input, a selection of said user from said list is
determined by said client (101) , and said information
about said a t least two devices {111, 121, 131 » 141) is
determined by said client (101) depending on said
selection of said user from said list.
7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein said further
message (204) comprises at least part of a document file,
said client (101) comprises a display and said document
file is displayed (2 05) at least partially on said
display.
8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein said further
message (204) comprises at least part of an audio file,
said client (101) comprises a speaker and said audio file
is read out (205) at least partially via said speaker.
9 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein said client (101)
comprises a storage, wherein in said method the step of
sending said message (202) comprising information about at
least two devices (111, 121, 131, 141) selected (200) by
said user is replaced by a step of determining said user
guide depending on information about devices (111, 121,
131, 141) retrieved from said storage and said message
(202) , and the step of receiving said further ruesKage
(204) comprising at least a part of said user guide is
replaced by a step o f storing said at least part of said
user guide at least temporarily on said client (101) .
10. Ά system tor guiding a user, in particular regarding the
connectivity of electronic devices, in a computer network,
wherein a server (102) is adapted to receive a message
(202) comprising information about at least two devices
(111, 121, 131, 141) selected (200) by a user, to
determine (203) a user guide depending on information or
rules- about devices (111, 121, 131, 141) retrieved from
storage and said message (2 02), and to send a further
message (204) comprising at least a part of said user
guide, and wherein a client (101) is adapted to prompt
(200) said user for information about said at least two
devices (111, 121, 131, 141), to determine (201) said
message (202) comprising said information about said at
least two devices (111, 121, 131, 141) , to send said
message (202) , to receive said further message (204)
comprising at least part of said user guide, and to output
{205} said user guide at least partially.
11. A server (102) for determining a user guide, in
particular regarding the connectivity of electronic
devices, in a computer network, adapted to receive a
message (202) comprising information about at least two
devices (111, 121, 131, 141) selected by a user, to
determine (203) a user guide depending on information
about devices (ill, 121 r 131, 141) retrieved from storage
and said message (202) , and to send a further message
(204) eotnprising at least a part of said user guide.
12. A client (101) for determining a user guide, in
particular regarding the connectivity of electronic
devices, in a computer network, adapted to prompt (200)
said user for information about at least two devices (111,
121, 131, 141), to determine (201) a message (202)
comprising said information about said at least two
devices (111, 121, 131, 141), to send said message (202),
to receive said further message (204) comprising at least
part of said user guide, and to output (2 05) said user
guide at least partially.
13. A computer program for determining a user guide, in
particular regarding the connectivity of electronic
devices, in a computer network, wherein said computer
program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer
to receive a message (202) comprising information or rules
about at least two devices (ill, 121, 131, 141} selected
(200) by a user, to determine (203) said user guide
depending on said information or rules about said devices
(111, 121, 131, 141) retrieved from storage and said
message (202) , and to send a further message (204)
comprising at leaot a part of said user guide.
14. A computer program for outputting a user guide, in
particular regarding the connectivity o f electronic
devices, in a computer network, wherein said computer
program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer
to prompt (200) a user for information about at least two
devices (111, 121, 131, 141), to determine (201) a message
(202) comprising said information about said at least two
devices (111, 121, 131, 141), to send said message (202),
to receive a further message (204) comprising at least
part of said user guide, and to output (2 05 ) said user
guide at least partially.
15. A computer program product for determining a user guide,
in particular regarding the connectivity o f electronic
devices, in a computer network comprising a computer
usable medium having a computer readable program, wherein
said computer readable program, when executed on a
computer, causes the computer to receive a message (2 02)
comprising information about at least two devices (111,
121, 131, 141) selected (200) by a user, to determine
(203) said user guide depending on information or rules
about devices (111, 121, 131, 141) retrieved from storage
and said message (202) , and to send a further message
(204) comprising at least a part of said user guide.
16. A computer program product for outputting a user guide,
in particular regarding the connectivity of electronic
devices, in a computer network comprising a computer
usable medium having a computer readable program, wherein
said computer readable program, when executed on a
computer, causes the computer to prompt {200} a user for
information about at least two devices (111, 121, 131,
141} , to determine (201) a message (202) comprising said
information about said at least two devices (111, 121,
131, 141) , to send said message (202) , to receive a
further message (204) comprising at least part of said
user guide, and to output (205) said user guide at least
partially .