Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Combining or distributing information via frequency channels
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-01
2003-12-23
Jung, Min (Department: 2731)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Combining or distributing information via frequency channels
C345S215000, C709S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06667992
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to network control systems for operating over network equipment interconnected on networks, and more specifically to an equipment control system providing, on a screen, a graphical user interface (GUI) for supporting user's operation of equipment by means of graphics, characters and the like.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, an equipment control system which displays on a TV screen graphics (icon) comprising of screen display data, characters and the like for representing the functions of equipment and controls the equipment based on user's operation of selecting and manipulating the graphics with a TV remote controller has been introduced. Moreover, a networked system interconnecting digital equipment such as DVC (digital video cassette) therein using the IEEE standard 1394-1995 to transmit and receive video/audio data is also in use.
One of conventional network control systems is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-149325.
An example of the conventional network control systems is described below.
AV equipment is connected with another AV equipment on a serial bus, such as a digital interface, for example, the IEEE standard 1394 and the like, over which the AV equipment is provided with equal communication opportunities at periodic time intervals in two-way packet communication mode without switching connection therebetween.
Here, each AV equipment contains peculiar screen display data therein, to transmit the screen display data to a controller (for example, a television set) having the function of displaying graphics in response to a request from the controller. The controller then displays the screen display data.
Besides, the controller also has the functions of making inquiries about the data required for displaying the AV equipment connected thereto, and controlling display on a screen generated based on the screen display data supplied from the AV equipment.
Each AV equipment has a storage medium storing the screen display data thereon, and the function of selecting appropriate screen display data in response to the inquiry about screen display data from the controller.
In the network control system configured as above, the screen display data is saved in each device (AV equipment), and outputted in response to the display request from the controller (television set). The graphics peculiar to each device (AV equipment) is thus displayed on the screen of the controller.
In the network control system with the above configuration, however, when the screen display data is required, for example, when the displayed graphics, for representing the device, such as an icon is changed by user's operation, the controller must inquire the screen display data about the device through a transmission line. This leads to a problem that the traffic on the transmission line increases and much time is spent for displaying the data.
Moreover, the network control system has another problem that the device is required to have the function of selecting appropriate screen display data in response to the inquiry from the controller, which results in heavy processing load on the device.
Furthermore, the network control system has a further problem that the screen display data is peculiar to each AV equipment and therefore has little flexibility in display on the controller.
The present invention solves the above-described problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a network control system capable of flexibly constructing an operational environment suitable for each function and equipment in a simple configuration with a light load on a transmission line and each equipment and readily adapting to even a new function not conceivable at present and further to equipment having a plurality of devices.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a network control system in which a plurality of equipment connected through a transmission line, and first equipment controls second equipment through the transmission line, wherein:
at least one of the first and second equipment handles at least one of video, audio and information;
the first equipment includes a controller having a user, interface;
the second equipment includes a device to be controlled by the, controller;
the device has function information indicating functions of the device, itself; and
the controller acquires the function information from the device through the transmission line, and controls the device through the transmission line through the use of the function information according to a user's operation performed by means of the user interface.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, provided are a controller having a user interface, a device having function information indicating its own functions. The device transmits the function information to the controller through a transmission line, and the controller notifies information about the device to a user through the use of the function information and controls the device according to the user's operation, whereby a user-friendly operational environment can be realized in a simple configuration and it is possible to readily adapt to a device having a new function not conceivable at present.
A second aspect is directed to second equipment, connected to first equipment including a controller through a transmission line, including a device to be controlled by the controller through the transmission line:
at least one of the first and second equipment handling at least one of video, audio and information; and
wherein the device:
has function information indicating functions of the device;
sends the function information to the transmission line in response to a request from the controller; and
operates in accordance with control performed by the controller on a basis of the function information to realize the functions of the device.
The equipment according to the second aspect of the present invention can be used as second equipment including the device to be controlled in the network control system according to the first aspect of the present invention.
A third aspect of the present invention is directed to first equipment, connected to second equipment through a transmission line, including a controller controlling a device included in the second equipment through the transmission line:
at least one of the first and second equipment handling at least one of video, audio, and information; and
wherein the controller:
comprises a user interface;
acquires function information indicating functions of the device from the device through the transmission line; and
controls the device through the transmission line through the use of the function information according to a user's operation performed by means of the user interface.
The equipment according to the third aspect of the present invention can be used as first equipment including the controller in the network control system according to the first aspect of the present invention.
According to fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the function information has a layer structure, and includes a device information layer composed of attribute information including identification information of the device, and function information layer indicating the functions of the device.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a device information layer composed of attribute information including identification information of the device, and function information layer indicating the functions of the device are provided in the function information. Therefore, it is possible to optimize both an operational environment for each device and an operational environment for each function of the device, and realize a user-friendly operational environment.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the device includes a plurality of sub-devices, and the function information has lay
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