IP address assignment method and apparatus for providing IP service in a ZIGBEE network system

A client device in a ZIGBEE® specification-compliant network including a ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator, a plurality of client devices, and at least one server device, in which the client device is assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address, the client device comprising:

• a memory for storing client profile information, and storing a server address list or server profile information received from the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator;
• and
• a controller for entering a ZIGBEE® specification-compliant network formed by the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator, sending a join request to the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator, sending a request for a server address list to the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator after joining the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant network, receiving a server address list from the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator, accessing one of server devices registered in the server address list, sending an IP address request message to the accessed server device, and receiving an IP address assigned from the server device.

A ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator for assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address to a client device in a ZIGBEE® specification-compliant network including the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator, a plurality of client devices, and at least one server device, the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator comprising:

• a memory for storing a server list, which is a list of server devices that have joined the ZIGBEE® specification-compliant network, server profile information of the server devices, and a server address list including ZIGBEE® specification-compliant addresses of the server devices;
• and
• a controller for receiving, from a server device having at least one IP address, server profile information including server address information for the server device, registering the received server profile information in a previously stored server list, receiving, from the client device, a request for a server address list including a ZIGBEE® specification-compliant address of each server device, and transmitting the requested server address list to the client device.

A server device for assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address in a ZIGBEE® specification-compliant network including a ZIGBEE® specification-compliant coordinator, a plurality of client devices, and at least one server device, the server device comprising:

• a memory for storing server profile information of the server device, and client profile information for a client device requesting an assignment of an IP address;
• and
• a controller for receiving, from the client device requesting assignment of an IP address, client profile information for the client device, determining an IP address to be assigned to the client device using the received client profile information, recording the client profile information in a previously stored client list, and assigning the determined IP address to the client device.