Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-04
2002-08-13
Etienne, Ario (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Miscellaneous
C709S228000, C709S238000, C370S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06434593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in linking process in information equipment such as electric home appliances and equipment intended for use in offices, connected by a digitized network, and more particularly, to improvements in data transfer functions when the same contents data is processed by a plurality of pieces of different information equipment linked with one another.
2. Description of the Background Art
With the advent of the developments in recent digitizing technology, a plurality of pieces of information equipment such as home electric appliances or equipment for office use are more often connected with one another by a digitized network. One of the characteristics of such a digitized network is that the same contents data is frequently processed by simultaneously linking a plurality of pieces of equipment. Images reproduced for example by a video tape recorder is output to a printer or displayed in a TV (television) monitor.
In conventional methods for these operations, a function to be achieved is specified for each of the apparatus. If, for example, a video image from a VCR is displayed by a TV, a “reproduction” command is applied to the VCR, while a
With recent spread of personal computers (hereinafter simply as “PCs”), a virtual interface where contents data or the image of equipment is iconified is used as a user interface for data transmitting/receiving between such equipment, and data transmitting/receiving is specified between the equipment. When data on a computer is output to a printer, for example, the icon of the printer displayed on the picture plane of a PC or the like is selected as an output destination, and data to output is similarly specified by selecting an icon representing a data file or the like.
These conventional techniques have however encountered the following problems. When a video image from a VCR is displayed on a TV, the user simply desires to “watch video images”. However, the user must give totally different kinds of commands, “reproduction” to the VCR and “switch to video input” to the TV. Therefore, instructions to be actually given are complicated and difficult compared with the simplicity of the request by the user.
When a virtual interface is used, the user must know the correspondence between available resources such as physical equipment or files and icons representing them on the virtual interface in order to make appropriate control. In order to pre-establish such correspondence, the network and equipment must be appropriately set beforehand. It was therefore difficult for the user not very familiar with the equipment to operate such a conventional virtual interface.
For example, assume that a plurality of controllable printers are present and data on a computer is to be printed out. In this case, the user must switch between the printers to output the data by referring to icons or names of equipment displayed on the virtual interface. If the user is not familiar with these icons or names of equipment, it would not be easy to output the data even to a printer which is located next to the user. Various advantages of the digitized network could not be utilized in this situation.
As one solution to this problem, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-268653 discloses an apparatus which dynamically changes the connection state of a plurality of audio-video equipment to a network. According to the technique disclosed by this document, when a command is given to a video-audio equipment connected to a network, the input/output line between the plurality of pieces of equipment connected to the network is dynamically switched depending upon the command.
By the technique disclosed by Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-268653, however, the user interface is still difficult to understand for the user. Furthermore, when two devices are linked for processing, operation instructions must be given separately. Therefore, there is a need for a system which makes easier the linkage process between equipment when contents data is copied or moved between the equipment connected by a network or the like. Such a system may be applicable also to linkage process between applicants not necessarily connected by a network.
Some equipment such as a personal computer (and a network of personal computers), audio equipment, a television receiver, a video tape recorder, and an auto mobile having a navigation device and electronic devices each includes a number of sub elements (such as various peripheral devices connected to the personal computer, a cassette tape recorder, a CD (Compact Disc) player, an AM radio receiver and an FM radio receiver included in the audio equipment, and a satellite tuner and a ground wave tuner in the television receiver). The above-described problem is encountered when one of such sub elements is specified and data transfer between this element and another equipment is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method which permit a data transfer function between a plurality of pieces of information equipment to be more readily specified and equipment therefor.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and a method and equipment therefor which permit a data transfer function to be more readily executed between a plurality of pieces of information equipment each including a plurality of sub elements.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and a method which permit a data transfer to be automatically executed by specifying source equipment and destination equipment through physical interaction with such equipment in a plurality of pieces of information equipment and equipment transfer.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a system and a method which permit an appropriate data transfer depending upon a combination of equipment to be automatically executed, by specifying source equipment and destination equipment through physical interaction with such equipment in a plurality of pieces of information equipment and equipment therefor.
A still further object of the invention is to provide is a system and a method which permit a data transfer to be automatically executed, by specifying a sub element included in a source equipment and a sub element included in destination equipment through physical interaction with these elements in an a plurality of pieces of information equipment each including a plurality of sub elements and equipment therefor.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a system and a method which permit an appropriate data transfer depending upon a combination of sub element equipment to be automatically executed, by specifying sub element equipment included in a source equipment and a sub element equipment included in destination equipment and equipment therefor.
A data transfer method according to the present invention is utilized in a system including a plurality of pieces of equipment capable of transferring data with one another. The method includes the steps of preparing information to specify a data transfer function depending upon a combination of source equipment and destination equipment in a machine-readable form, specifying the source equipment through physical interaction with the source equipment, specifying the destination equipment through physical interaction with the destination equipment, and operating the source equipment and destination equipment to uniquely determine a data transfer function based on information related to the specified source equipment, information related to the specified destination equipment, and the information to specify a data transfer function prepared in the machine-readable form and to automatically execute transmission.
When the source equipment is specified through physical interaction and the destination equipment is specified through physical interaction, a data transfer function is uniquely determined based on the information related to the source and destination an
Mikata Junko
Ueda Toru
Etienne Ario
Nixon & Vanderhye
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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