Control method and communication device

• US 20020041603A1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Junji
• Granted Patent: US 6,928,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40058 Isochronous transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40065 Bandwidth and channel allocation home automation networks H04L12/2803; flow control H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A power consumption required for communication between communication devices connected to a network constituted by an IEEE 1394 bus line is reduced. When communication in a synchronous communication mode and communication in an asynchronous communication mode can be performed, a power supply of a part (110) for a communication process in a synchronous communication mode is controlled independently of a power supply of a part (105, 106) for executing a communication process in an asynchronous communication mode. The power supply of the part (105, 106) for executing the communication process in the asynchronous communication mode is controlled independently of the power supply of the part (110) for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode.

Claims

1. A control method for a device connected to a predetermined network and having a first communication process unit for executing communication in an asynchronous communication mode and a second communication process unit for executing communication in a synchronous communication mode, comprising

the power supply control step of controlling a power supply of the second communication process unit for executing a communication process in the synchronous communication mode independently of a power supply of the first communication process unit for executing a communication process in the asynchronous communication mode.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, in the power supply control step,

the power supply of the second communication process unit for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode is turned off in a period in which the communication in the synchronous communication mode is not executed, and only a power supply of the first communication process unit for executing the communication process in the asynchronous communication mode is turned on is set in an ON state.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, in the power supply control step,

a power supply of a part for performing a process depending on a format of data communicated in the synchronous communication mode is turned off.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined network is constituted by a bus line on which communication data in the asynchronous communication mode and communication data in the synchronous communication mode are transmitted such that both the communication data can coexist in a time divisional manner on the same line.

5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein, in the power supply control step,

on the basis of a setting of a plug for the synchronous communication mode, the power supply of the second communication process unit for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein in the power supply control step,

when the setting of the plug for the synchronous communication mode is in an OFF state, the power supply of the part for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode is turned off.

7. The control method according to claim 4, wherein, in the power supply control step,

on the basis of a setting of a connection for synchronous communication with another device in a network, a power supply of a communication process unit for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode is controlled.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein, in the power supply control step,

when a connection for synchronous communication with another device in a network is not set, the power supply of the part for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode is turned off.

9. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the device has loading means for loading a recording medium, and, in the power supply control step, a power supply of a second communication control unit for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode is controlled on the basis of a loading state of the recording medium on the loading means.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein, in the power supply control step,

the power supply of the second communication process unit for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode is turned off when unloading the recording medium is detected, and

the power supply of the second communication process unit for executing the communication process in the synchronous communication mode is turned on when the recording medium is loaded.

11. A control method for a device connected to a predetermined network and having a first communication process unit for executing communication in a synchronous communication mode and a second communication process unit for executing communication in an asynchronous communication mode, comprising

the power supply control step of controlling a power supply of the second communication process unit for executing a communication process in the asynchronous communication mode independently of a power supply of the first communication process unit for executing a communication process in the synchronous communication mode.

12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein, in the power supply control step,

communication in the synchronous communication mode is continuously executed, and, when communication in the asynchronous communication mode need not be performed, the power supply of the second communication process unit for executing the communication process in the asynchronous communication mode is turned off.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit

turns off the power supply of the first communication process unit in a period in which communication in the synchronous communication mode is not executed to set the power supply of the second communication process unit in an ON state.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, comprising a data processing unit for performing a process depending on a format of data communicated in the synchronous communication mode, and

wherein the control unit turns off a power supply of the data processing unit in the period in which the communication in the synchronous communication mode is not executed.

16. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein, on the network, communication data in the asynchronous communication mode and communication data in the synchronous communication mode are transmitted such that both the communication data can coexist in a time divisional manner on the same line.

17. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the control unit

turns off the power supply of the first communication control unit on the basis of a setting of a plug for the synchronous communication mode.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, wherein the control unit

turns off the power supply of the first communication process unit when the control unit determines that the setting of the plug for the synchronous communication mode is in an OFF state.

19. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the control unit

turns off the power supply of the first communication process unit on the basis of a setting of a connection for synchronous communication with another device in the network.

20. The communication device according to claim 19, wherein the control unit

turns off the power supply of the first communication control unit when the control unit determines that the connection for the synchronous communication with another device in the network is not set.

21. The communication device according to claim 13, comprising:

a loading unit for loading a recording medium; and

a loading detection unit for detecting loading/unloading a recording medium on the loading unit, and wherein

when the loading detection unit detects unloading the recording medium on the loading unit, the control unit turns off the power supply of the first communication process unit, and

when the loading detection unit detects loading the recording medium on the loading unit, the control unit turns on the first communication process unit.

13. A communication device which is connected to a predetermined network and which can perform synchronous communication in a synchronous communication mode through the network and asynchronous communication in the asynchronous communication mode through the network, comprising:

a first communication process unit for performing a communication process in the synchronous communication mode;

a second communication process unit for performing a communication process in the asynchronous communication mode;

an input/output unit for performing inputting/outputting between the first and second communication process units and the network; and

a control unit for controlling the synchronous communication and the asynchronous communication to independently control only the power supply of the first communication process unit.

22. A communication device which is connected to a predetermined network and which can perform synchronous communication in a synchronous communication mode through the network and asynchronous communication in the asynchronous communication mode through the network, comprising:

a first communication process unit for performing a communication process in the synchronous communication mode;

a second communication process unit for performing a communication process in the asynchronous communication mode;

an input/output unit for performing inputting/outputting between the first and second communication process units and the network; and

a control unit for controlling the synchronous communication and the asynchronous communication so that only the power supply of the second communication process unit can be independently controlled.

23. The communication device according to claim 22, wherein, communication in the synchronous communication mode is continuously executed by the first communication process unit, and, when communication in the asynchronous communication mode need not be performed by the second communication process unit, the control unit turns off the power supply of the second communication process unit.