Network proxying technology

• US 10,044,598 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Pohlmann, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, Mang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Solinsky, Peter G
• Application Number:
  US14/130,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20140146832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 370420
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing

Abstract

A network device including a first network interface adapted to communicate with at least one further network device within a sub-network, and a proxy module adapted to provide control and information retrieval functionality relating to the at least one further network device to network devices outside the sub-network.

Claims

1. A network device comprising

circuitry configured to

communicate with at least one further network device within a sub-network that includes two or more network devices that have different functionalities, the at least one further network device being at least one network device, the circuitry being configured to communicate with the at least one further network device over a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, the second communication protocol having a higher data speed and a higher power consumption than the first communication protocol;

receive a message for said at least one further network device from a network outside said sub-network;

make a determination of whether a power state of said at least one further network device is a first power state in which said at least one further network device can act on the message or a second power state in which said at least one further network device cannot act on the message;

select the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol for communication with the at least one further network device in accordance with the power state of the at least one further network device; and

act on the message in accordance with the determination and one of the functionalities associated with the at least one further network device,

wherein the circuitry is controllable to operate in the first power state when set to operate in the first power state, to operate in the second power state when set to operate in the second power state, to receive a command from another network device to switch from the second power state to the first power state and, in response to the command, to switch from the second power state to the first power state, and

wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the message regardless of whether the circuitry is operating in the first power state or the second power state.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to communicate with network devices outside said sub-network in an overall network.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein said circuitry is configured to allow communication according to the Ethernet standard.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is configured to allow communication via an HDMI Consumer Electronics Control channel (CEC).

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is configured to allow communication via an HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC).

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is configured to control the power state of said at least one further network device in the subnetwork.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is configured to detect any communication between a network device of the sub-network and a network device of an overall network.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is configured to answer requests from network devices of an overall network addressed to said at least one further network device of said sub-network.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is configured to retrieve and store general device and functionality information from said at least one further network device of the sub-network.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein said circuitry is configured to accept an update of said stored general device and functionality information caused by said at least one further network device.

11. The network device of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is operative even if said at least one further network device is in said second power state.

12. The network of claim 1, wherein said at least one further network device is a consumer electronic device.

13. A network comprising at least two network devices being connected with each other, at least one of which being a proxy network device, wherein one of said at least two network devices is connected with another network, and wherein the proxy network device comprises:

circuitry configured to

communicate with at least one further network device within a sub-network that includes two or more network devices that have different functionalities, the at least one further network device being at least one network device, the circuitry being configured to communicate with the at least one further network device over a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, the second communication protocol having a higher data speed and a higher power consumption than the first communication protocol;

receive a message for said at least one further network device from a network outside said sub-network;

make a determination of whether a power state of said at least one further network device is a first power state in which said at least one further network device can act on the message or a second power state in which said at least one further network device cannot act on the message;

select the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol for communication with the at least one further network device in accordance with the power state of the at least one further network device; and

act on the message in accordance with the determination and one of the functionalities associated with the at least one further network device,

wherein the circuitry is controllable to operate in the first power state when set to operate in the first power state, to operate in the second power state when set to operate in the second power state, to receive a command from another network device to switch from the second power state to the first power state and, in response to the command, to switch from the second power state to the first power state, and

wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the message regardless of whether the circuitry is operating in the first power state or the second power state.

14. The network of claim 13, wherein the one of said at least two network devices that is connected with said another network is said proxy network device.

15. The network of claim 13, wherein said network is a HDMI/CEC network.

16. The network of claim 13, wherein said another network is a local area network, LAN.

17. The network of claim 13, wherein at least one of said at least two network devices is adapted to be settable to said second power state.

18. The network of claim 17, wherein all of said at least two network devices of said network except said proxy network device are settable to said second power state.

19. The network of claim 18, wherein said network devices settable to said second power state are adapted to communicate with each other via a low-power communication line.

20. A method of providing communication capability between a first network and a second network, the first network comprising at least two network devices being connected with each other, at least one of which being a proxy network device, wherein one of said at least two network devices is connected with the second network, and wherein the proxy network device comprises:

circuitry configured to

communicate with at least one further network device within a sub-network that includes two or more network devices that have different functionalities, the at least one further network device being at least one network device, the circuitry being configured to communicate with the at least one further network device over a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, the second communication protocol having a higher data speed and a higher power consumption than the first communication protocol;

receive a message for said at least one further network device from a network outside said sub-network;

make a determination of whether a power state of said at least one further network device is a first power state in which said at least one further network device can act on the message or a second power state in which said at least one further network device cannot act on the message;

select the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol for communication with the at least one further network device in accordance with the power state of the at least one further network device; and

act on the message in accordance with the determination and one of the functionalities associated with the at least one further network device,

wherein the circuitry is controllable to operate in the first power state when set to operate in the first power state, to operate in the second power state when set to operate in the second power state, to receive a command from another network device to switch from the second power state to the first power state and, in response to the command, to switch from the second power state to the first power state, and

wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the message regardless of whether the circuitry is operating in the first power state or the second power state,

the method comprising;

by the proxy network device;

requesting and/or being notified of data from others of said at least two network devices of the sub-network relating to general device information and/or the functionality of the respective network device and storing said data; and

by the proxy network device;

submitting data in response to a request from a network device of the overall network addressed to any one of the at least two network devices of the sub-network.

21. Method of claim 20, wherein said step of requesting data is repeated according to a predetermined plan.

22. Method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the at least two network devices is set in said second power state and said proxy network device responds to requests directed to the at least one of the at least two network devices that is in the second power state and received from the overall network.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying instructions that, when executed on a computing device, control the computing device to carry out a method of providing communication capability between a first network and a second network, the first network comprising at least two network devices being connected with each other, at least one of which being a proxy network device, wherein one of said at least two network devices is connected with the second network, and wherein the proxy network device comprises:

circuitry configured to communicate with at least one further network device within a sub-network that includes two or more network devices that have different functionalities, the at least one further network device being at least one network device, the circuitry being configured to communicate with the at least one further network device over a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, the second communication protocol having a higher data speed and a higher power consumption than the first communication protocol;

receive a message for said at least one further network device from a network outside said sub-network;

make a determination of whether a power state of said at least one further network device is a first power state in which said at least one further network device can act on the message or a second power state in which said at least one further network device cannot act on the message;

select the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol for communication with the at least one further network device in accordance with the power state of the at least one further network device; and

act on the message in accordance with the determination and one of the functionalities associated with the at least one further network device,

wherein the circuitry is controllable to operate in the first power state when set to operate in the first power state, to operate in the second power state when set to operate in the second power state, to receive a command from another network device to switch from the second power state to the first power state and, in response to the command, to switch from the second power state to the first power state, and

wherein the circuitry is configured to receive the message regardless of whether the circuitry is operating in the first power state or the second power state,

the method comprising;

by the proxy network device;

requesting and/or being notified of data from others of said at least two network devices of the sub-network relating to general device information and/or the functionality of the respective network device and storing said data; and

by the proxy network device;

submitting data in response to a request from a network device of the overall network addressed to any one of the at least two network devices of the sub-network.