Device control apparatus, device control method and program for initiating control of an operation of an external device

Abstract

There is provided a device control apparatus, a device control method and a program capable of easily initiating control of an operation of an external device through an application according to a status of the external device and a usage status of the application. An application for controlling an operation of an AV amplifier is acquired from an application server, a status of the AV amplifier and a usage status of the application are determined upon startup of the application, a screen according to the result of the determination is displayed in order to arrange an operation environment of the application and then a manipulation screen for controlling the operation of the AV amplifier through the application is displayed, and the operation of the AV amplifier is controlled according to a user manipulation performed through the manipulation screen.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An application receiving method comprising:
 determining a connection of an external device;   requesting that the external device transmit device information of the external device;   receiving the device information from the external device in response to the device information request;   determining whether an application corresponding to the device information exists;   determining whether or not the application is a deleted application;   transmitting an application acquisition request to the application server; and   receiving the application from the application server according to the application acquisition request.   
     
     
         3 . The application receiving method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising displaying an indication of the application on a display. 
     
     
         4 . The application receiving method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the step of determining whether an application corresponding to the device information exists comprises determining whether or not an application corresponding to the device exists in a matching table. 
     
     
         5 . The application receiving method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the matching table is a table indicating a correspondence relationship between the device information and the application, and is acquired from the application server. 
     
     
         6 . The application receiving method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein when it is determined that the application exists, the method further comprises determining whether or not the application is registered in an application list. 
     
     
         7 . The application receiving method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the application acquisition request comprises information about an acquisition place for the application. 
     
     
         8 . An application receiving device comprising:
 a processor for determining a connection of an external device, and for requesting that the external device transmit device information of the external device;   a first terminal for receiving the device information from the external device in response to the device information request,   the processor determining whether an application corresponding to the device information exists, and determining whether or not the application is a deleted application; and   a second terminal for transmitting an application acquisition request to the application server, and for receiving the application from the application server according to the application acquisition request.   
     
     
         9 . The application receiving device as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising a display for displaying an indication of the application. 
     
     
         10 . The application receiving device as recited in  claim 8 , wherein determining whether an application corresponding to the device information exists comprises determining whether or not an application corresponding to the device exists in a matching table. 
     
     
         11 . The application receiving device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the matching table is a table indicating a correspondence relationship between the device information and the application, and is acquired from the application server. 
     
     
         12 . The application receiving device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein when it is determined that the application exists, the receiving device determines whether or not the application is registered in an application list. 
     
     
         13 . The application receiving device as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the application acquisition request comprises information about an acquisition place for the application. 
     
     
         14 . The application receiving device as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the first terminal is a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) terminal, and the second terminal is a network terminal.