Information processing device for network system, a method thereof and recording medium recorded a program for such method

• US 20010018768A1
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Horiguchi, Mari, Sato, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US09/794,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

Analog connections between plural electronic devices in an integrated digital network system connected via the IEEE-1394 bus can be easily recognized according to the invention. A DVHS requests an IRD, which are connected to the IEEE-1394 bus, to read the object entry which describes the object ID of an oEXT of the IRD (step 21). The IRD opens the plug descriptor stored therein (step 32). Then, the IRD reads out the contents of the object entry which describes the object ID of the oEXT from the plug descriptor opened in step 32, and transfer the contents thereof to the DVHS (step 33). The DVHS is allowed to recognize the status of analog connections from the contents of the object entry thus transferred (step 23).

Claims

1. An information processing device having a global unique ID which includes a self identifier information for identifying its entity and a function identifier information for identifying its function, said information processing device being connected with other information processing devices via a digital network, comprising:

an input/output control unit for controlling input or output of analog signals to be exchanged between said information processing device and a first another information processing device connected via an analog signal line;

a memory unit for storing an identifier information for identifying said input/output control unit and said global unique ID of said first another information processing device corresponding thereto; and

a supply unit for supplying said global unique ID of said first another information processing device which is stored in said memory unit to a second another information processing device upon its request.

2. The information processing device according to

claim 1

, wherein

said memory unit further stores a text corresponding to said input/output control unit.

3. The information processing device according to

claim 1

, wherein

said digital network is an IEEE-1394 digital serial bus.

4. The information processing device according to

claim 3

, wherein

said memory unit stores a descriptor specified by AV/C commands.

5. The information processing device according to

claim 4

, wherein

said global unique ID is described in an info block of said descriptor.

6. An information processing method for an information processing device having a global unique ID including a self identifier information for identifying its entity and a function identifier information for identifying its function, connected with other information processing devices via a digital network, and having an input/output control unit for controlling input or output of analog signals to be exchanged between the same and a first another processing device, said method comprising:

a step of memory control for storing said identifier information for identifying said input/output control unit in association with said global unique ID of said first another information processing device corresponding thereto; and

a step of supplying said global unique ID of said first another information processing device under the memory control to a second another information processing device upon its request.

7. A recording medium which records a computer readable program for use of an information processing method in an information processing device having a global unique ID including a self identifier information for identifying its entity and a function identifier information for identifying its function, connected to other information processing devices via a digital network, and having an input and/or output plug to establish a connection for exchanging analog signals between a first information processing device and a first another information processing device, said information processing method comprising:

a step of memory control for storing a plug identifier information for identifying said plug and said global unique ID of said first another information processing device corresponding thereto; and

a step of supplying said global unique ID of said first another information processing device under the memory control to a second another information processing device upon its request.

8. An information processing device having a global unique ID which includes a self identifier information for identifying its entity and a function identifier information for identifying its function, said information processing device being connected with other information processing devices via a digital network, comprising:

a unit for requesting transfer of a global unique ID of a first another information processing device to a second another information processing device which has a connecting plug and stores said global unique ID of said first another information processing device associated with the connecting plug thereof, by use of which analog signals are exchanged therebetween via an analog signal line, said requesting being made via said digital network; and

a unit for determining a function of said first another information processing device on the basis of said global unique ID thereof which said second another information processing device transferred responding to the request.

9. The information processing device according to

claim 8

, wherein

said second another information processing device stores a text corresponding to said connecting plug;

said requesting unit request transfer of said text; and

said the information processing device further comprises a display control unit for controlling a display of said text transferred thereto.

10. The information processing device according to

claim 8

, wherein

said digital network is an IEEE-1394 digital serial bus.

11. The information processing device according to

claim 10

, wherein

said global unique ID is stored in a descriptor which is defined in AV/C commands.

12. The information processing device according to

claim 11

, wherein

said global unique ID is described in an infoblock in said descriptor.

13. An information processing method for an information processing device having a global unique ID including a self identifier information and a function identifier information for identifying a function of its own, connected via a digital network with other information processing devices, the method comprising:

a step of requesting transfer of a global unique ID of a first another information processing device to a second another information processing device which has a connecting plug for analog signals and stores a connecting plug identifier information for identifying said connecting plug in association with said global unique ID of said first another information processing device corresponding thereto, via said digital network; and

a step of determining a function of said first another information processing device from said global unique ID thereof transferred from said second another information processing device in response to said request.

14. A recording medium storing a computer readable program for an information processing device having a global unique ID including a self identifier information and a function identifier information for identifying a function of its own, connected via a digital network with other information processing devices, the recording medium recording process including the steps of:

requesting transfer of a global unique ID of a first another information processing device to a second another information processing device which has a connecting plug for analog signals and stores a connecting plug identifier information for identifying said connecting plug in association with said global unique ID of said first another information processing device corresponding thereto, via said digital network; and

determining a function of said first another information processing device on the basis of said global unique ID thereof transferred from said second another information processing device in response to said request.