Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2004-03-02
Lee, Thomas (Department: 2185)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
C710S009000, C709S222000, C165S209000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06701430
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication terminals which communicate with each other through a network, a communication system which comprises a management apparatus for initializing communication terminals for communication, and a program storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Communication terminals which are connected to a network and mutually communicate with each other, when set through communication initialization with information regarding a communication terminal of a communication partner to communicate with, can communicate with the communication partner. The information regarding the communication terminal of the communication partner as herein referred to includes an address which is used to specify the communication partner.
Now, as a conventional communication system, a system which comprises a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal which are operative in response to each other under a certain condition will be described.
FIG. 7
is a block diagram of a communication system which utilizes a conventional technique according to the example described above. As shown in
FIG. 7
, a communication system
7
is formed by an air conditioner
10
which is a first communication terminal comprising a humidity sensor
11
, a humidifier
20
which is a second communication terminal, a communication initialization apparatus
30
which sets communication initialization information to these communication terminals, and a network
40
which connects these elements. The communication initialization apparatus
30
, the air conditioner
10
which a communication terminal and the humidifier
20
which is another communication terminal each comprise communication means
50
which allows mutual communication through the network
40
, self-regarding information holding means
51
which holds communication initialization information regarding the terminal or the apparatus itself, and partner information holding means
52
which holds communication initialization information regarding a communication partner.
Having such structures, the air conditioner
10
and the humidifier
20
are capable of operating in a mutually responsive manner such that the humidifier
20
starts operating, when the humidity sensor
11
of the air conditioner
10
indicates a value below a predetermined value.
Meanwhile, the communication initialization apparatus
30
comprises communication initialization means
53
and address holding means
54
which holds an address which is set by the communication initialization means
53
. The air conditioner
10
comprises first control means
12
which instructs, using the communication means
50
, the humidifier
20
to start operating when the humidity sensor
11
indicates a value below the predetermined value. The humidifier
20
comprises second control means
22
which starts operating in response to an instruction given from the first control means
12
.
Operations of the conventional communication system which is structured as described above will now be described in the following.
First, an initial state is that in the air conditioner
10
and the humidifier
20
, the self-regarding information holding means
51
holds self-identifying model type information which is set at the time of shipping and a preliminary initial address ADDX, while the partner information holding means
52
does not hold any information yet. As herein referred to, the “self-identifying model type information” is information regarding model types such as air conditioners and humidifiers.
On the other hand, in the communication initialization apparatus
30
, the self-regarding information holding means
51
holds self-identifying model type information which is set at the time of shipping and an official address ADD
0
of the communication initialization apparatus
30
itself, while the address holding means
54
holds yet-to-set addresses which are set to the respective communication terminals to communicate with and information which is used to confirm whether the yet-to-set addresses are set to the respective communication terminals. As herein described, as the yet-to-set addresses, two addresses ADD
1
and ADD
2
are held.
Now, a description will be given on operations of communication initialization for enabling the communication terminals communicable with each other.
FIG. 8
is a flowchart showing an operation sequence of communication initialization in the communication system
7
. As shown in
FIG. 8
, the operations of communication initialization consist of three processes, that is, to set the respective communication terminals with official addresses (step
100
), to acquire equipment information regarding the respective communication terminals (step
200
) and to set the respective communication terminals with the partner information (step
300
). In the following, the operations will be described in relation to each step.
First, an operation sequence at the step
100
in the respective communication terminals and the communication initialization apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
9
.
FIG. 9
shows a specific communication sequence between the communication initialization apparatus
30
, the air conditioner
10
and the humidifier
20
at the step
100
.
At a first stage, using the preliminary address ADDX which is held in the self-regarding information holding means
51
and the address ADD
0
which is held in the self-regarding information holding means
51
of the communication initialization apparatus
30
, the communication means
50
of each one of the air conditioner
10
and the humidifier
20
which are communication terminals communicates with the communication initialization apparatus
30
, and requests for an official address.
Next, upon receipt of the requests for the official addresses, the communication initialization means
53
of the communication initialization apparatus
30
notifies, as official addresses, the communication terminals which issued the requests of the yet-to-set addresses which are held in the address holding means
54
. As herein described, as the official addresses, the communication initialization means
53
notifies the air conditioner
10
of ADD
1
and the humidifier
20
of ADD
2
. In other words, the communication initialization apparatus
30
sets ADD
1
to the air conditioner
10
and ADD
2
to the humidifier
20
as the official addresses.
Notified of the official addresses by the communication initialization apparatus
30
, the air conditioner
10
and the humidifier
20
hold the official addresses in their self-regarding information holding means
51
as their own self-defining official addresses. This completes setting of the official addresses to the air conditioner
10
and the humidifier
20
.
Second, an operation sequence at the step
200
in the respective communication terminals and the communication initialization apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
10
.
FIG. 10
shows a specific communication sequence between the communication initialization apparatus
30
, the air conditioner
10
and the humidifier
20
at the step
200
.
At a first stage, using the official addresses which are set at the precedent step
100
, the communication means
50
of the communication initialization apparatus
30
communicates with the respective communication terminals and requests for the equipment information which are held by the respective communication terminals.
Assuming that the communication initialization apparatus
30
issues an equipment information request first to the communication terminal which holds ADD
1
, since the communication terminal in which ADD
1
is set as the official address is the air conditioner
10
, the equipment information request is sent to the air conditioner
10
.
Upon receipt of the equipment information request above, the air conditioner
10
notifies the communication initialization apparatus
30
of the equipment information which is one of self-regarding information he
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
RatnerPrestia
Wang Albert
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