Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output access regulation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2003-11-25
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output access regulation
C710S005000, C710S008000, C710S072000, C710S110000, C710S107000, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06654821
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information processing technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technology effective for an application wherein an electronic apparatus such as a digital VTR having an IEEE1394 interface is controlled remotely in an exclusive manner by using another electronic apparatus such a digital TV or a digital broadcast tuner, which also has an IEEE1394 interface.
There have been developed a number of technologies to use an electronic apparatus for remotely controlling another electronic apparatus through a network in an environment in which a plurality of electronic apparatuses are connected to each other by the network. For example, the IEEE1394 bus, one of high-speed serial buses, draws attention as media for building a home network, which is used for digitally connecting AV apparatuses such as a digital broadcasting tuner and a digital TV to each other, and expected to become popular in future homes.
As a concrete method for remotely operating an AV apparatus through an IEEE1394 bus, there are an AV/C command standard and an HAVi (Home Audio-Video interoperability) standard. Provided for remotely controlling an AV apparatus Connected by an IEEE1394 bus, the AV/C command standard is a standard defining a low-level command protocol, which can be implemented even in a simple AV apparatus. For details, refer to “AV/C Digital Interface Command Set General Specification, version 3.0, 1394 Trade Association document number 1998003.”
On the other hand, the HAVi standard is a standard prescribing basic specifications of software for an AV apparatus connected by an IEEEE1394 bus. The HAVi standard defines an API (Application Programming Interface), which allows an AV apparatus with a relatively high performance to control another AV apparatus through an IEEE1394 network.
For details, refer to “Specification of the Home Audio/Video Interpretability Architecture, version 1.0, Home Audio/Video Interpretability Organization.”
In accordance with the HAVi specifications, control among AV apparatuses is executed by exchanging messages conforming to the HAVi standard among software modules, which are each called a software element. Messages conforming to the HAVi standard are each referred to as a HAVi message. A software element representing an AV apparatus serving as a control object is known as a DCM (Device Control Module) and a software element representing the function of an AV apparatus serving as a control object is known as an FCM (Functional Component Module). Assume that an AV apparatus serving as a controller makes an attempt to control an AV apparatus serving as a target. The AV apparatus serving as the controller is referred to as a controller device and the AV apparatus serving as the target is called a target device. In this case, an application module functioning as a software element in the controller device transmits a HAVi message to a DCM and an FCM of the target device in order to remotely control the target device. Receiving the HAVi message, the DCM or the FCM controls the target device in accordance with the HAVi message.
Control of a target device through a DCM or an FCM is a major characteristic of the HAVi standard. In actuality, the DCM and the FCM do not have to exist in the target device. That is to say, the DCM and the FCM may exist in another device. A FAV device is a device of a category functioning as a control device. A code unit is uploaded from a target device to an FAV device through an IEEE1394 bus. The code unit is software code of the DCM or the FCM of the target device. The FAV device is capable of executing the software code of the DCM and the software code of the FCM, which were uploaded to the FAV device.
The software code of the DCM and the software code of the FCM are written in one of programming languages called JAVA. The FAV device needs to provide an environment for executing code written in the JAVA programming language.
On the other hand, a target device is implemented as a BAV device, which is one of device categories of the HAVi standard. A BAV device has a configuration including embedded data called SDD data and allowing another apparatus to reference the SDD data through an IEEE1394 bus with a high degree of freedom. While a BAV device does not have an environment for executing a DCM and an FCM, the BAV's own DCM and FCM are stored in the SDD data as a code unit.
FIG. 8
is a diagram showing the configuration of a system in which a FAV device
101
loads a code unit of a BAV device
102
. The FAV device
101
, the BAV device
102
and a LAV device
103
are connected to an IEEE1394 bus
104
. The LAV device
103
is also one of device categories in the HAVi standard. Even though the LAV device
103
has a 1394 interface, it represents a device not conforming to the HAVi standard. The FAV device
101
reads out SDD data stored in a memory
202
of the BAV device
102
to upload a code unit
105
to a memory
201
. The code unit
105
includes a DCM
106
and an FCM
107
used for controlling the BAV
102
. The FAV device
101
executes the DCM
106
and the FCM
107
in the FAV device
101
.
An application module in the FAV device
101
sends an HAVi message to the DCM
106
and the FCM
107
, which control the BAV device
102
through the IEEE1394 bus
104
by adopting a method. The DCM
106
or the FCM
107
conceivably communicates with the BAV device
102
typically in accordance with the AV/C command standard.
As described above, an AV apparatus can be operated remotely by adopting the AV/C command or HAVi standard. However, a target device may have to respond to remote control commands issued by a plurality of control devices in an exclusive manner. Assume, for example, that a digital VTR serving as a target device and two digital TVs each functioning as a control device are connected to a network. In the exclusive-control scheme, while the digital VTR is playing back a video tape as remotely commanded by one of the digital TVs, the digital VTR is put in a state of being enabled to respond to a remote operation command issued by the other digital TV. A method to implement exclusive use of a target device is prescribed in the AV/C command standard and the HAVi standard.
In the AV/C command standard, a reserve command is prescribed. When a target device receives a reserve command from a controller device, the target device will reject all kinds of control, which are based on the AV/C command standard and executed by devices other than that issuing the reserve command.
In accordance with the HAVi standard, on the other hand, a software element successfully passing reserve processing of the FCM of a target device is capable of exclusively occupying the FCM. In this case, in order for a software element to exclusively occupying the FCM of a target device, it is thus necessary for the software element to have the reserve processing carried out by another software element known as a resource manager for controlling the utilization of the FCM. The resource manager must exist in an FAV device.
FIG. 9
shows the flow of first remote control processing of the exclusive control of the FCM. In the flowchart shown in
FIG. 9
, an FAV device
101
is making an attempt to remotely control a BAV device
102
. The FAV device
101
includes an application module
109
, a resource manager
110
and an FCM
107
, which was uploaded from the BAV device
102
.
First of all, in processing P
601
, the application module
109
issues an inquiry about the present state of reservation to the FCM
107
. In accordance with the HAVi specifications, the FCM
107
holds a record of a software element presently reserving the FCM
107
itself. A software element presently reserving the FCM
107
is referred to hereafter as a client. In response to the inquiry, in the processing P
601
, the FCM
107
provides the application module
109
with information indicating that no client is presently reserving the FCM
107
.
The information thus notifies the application module
109
of t
Aikawa Makoto
Kudo Yoshimichi
Gaffin Jeffrey
Hitachi , Ltd.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Patel Niketa
LandOfFree
Remotely controllable electronic apparatus and remote... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Remotely controllable electronic apparatus and remote..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Remotely controllable electronic apparatus and remote... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3136078