Electronic equipment, method of receiving data, method of transmitting data, method of setting channel and method of grouping electronic equipment into channels

• US 20030066083A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Junji, Sato, Makoto, Hata, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40065 Bandwidth and channel allocation home automation networks H04L12/2803; flow control H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

It becomes possible for a user to set a transmission or reception channel arbitrarily and easily. Each of equipment connected to an IEEE 1394 bus may include a register provided within a RAM 113 to thereby set a transmission or reception default channel. If channels used in the transmission and the reception are not set when the transmission is started, then default channel may be used. When equipment is set to a channel setting mode by operating an operation section 116, a control section 112 may display a channel setting picture on a display section 115. In this state, a user may select a set channel by operating an up-key 116a and a down-key 116b of the operation section 116. Thereafter, when a user operates a “YES” key 116c, the control section 112 may write a selected channel in the above-mentioned register, and ends a default channel setting operation. A user can set the transmission or reception channel arbitrarily and easily.

Claims

1. In electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through said communication bus, said electronic equipment comprising:

memory means for setting a reception channel;

operation means for setting a reception channel to said memory means; and

reception means for receiving data of said reception channel transmitted through said communication bus based on said reception channel set to said memory means.

2. Electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said memory means is a register.

3. Electronic equipment according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying a setting picture to set said reception channel to said memory means by said operation means.

4. In electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through said communication bus, said electronic equipment comprising:

memory means for setting a reception channel;

reception means for receiving a communication command transmitted through said communication bus;

determination means for determining whether or not said communication command received at said reception means is a communication command concerning the setting of a reception channel;

setting means for setting said reception channel to said memory means if said communication command received at said reception means is a communication command concerning the setting of a reception channel; and

reception means for receiving data of said reception channel transmitted through said communication bus based on said reception channel set to said memory means.

5. Electronic equipment as claimed in claim 4, wherein said communication command comprises a packet of a predetermined format and said packet comprises at least command discrimination means for indicating that said communication command is a communication command concerning the setting of a transmission channel, transmission and reception discrimination means for determining whether a set channel is a reception channel or a transmission channel and channel number discrimination means for indicating a set channel number.

6. In electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to said communication bus, said electronic equipment comprising:

memory means for setting a transmission channel;

operation means for setting a transmission channel to said memory means; and

transmission means for transmitting data from said transmission channel through said communication bus based on said memory means to which said transmission channel was set.

7. Electronic equipment as claimed in claim 6, wherein said memory means is a register.

8. Electronic equipment according to claim 6, further comprising display means for displaying a setting picture to set said transmission channel to said memory means by said operation means.

9. In electronic equipment connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to said communication bus, said electronic equipment comprising:

memory means for setting a transmission channel;

reception means for receiving a communication command transmitted through said communication bus;

determination means for determining whether or not said communication command received at said reception means is a communication command concerning the setting of a transmission channel;

setting means for setting said communication channel to said memory means if said communication command is a communication command concerning the setting of the transmission channel; and

transmission means for transmitting data from said transmission channel through said communication bus based on said transmission channel set to said memory means.

10. In electronic equipment connected to other electronic equipment through a communication bus, said electronic equipment comprising:

issue means for issuing a communication command used to set either of or both of a reception channel and a transmission channel of other electronic equipment connected to said communication bus; and

transmission means for transmitting said communication command issued by said issue means through said communication bus to said other electronic equipment.

11. Electronic equipment as claimed in claim 10, wherein said issue means includes generation means for generating a packet of a predetermined format and said packet thus generated includes at least command discrimination means for indicating that said communication command is a communication command concerning the setting of a channel, transmission and reception discrimination means for determining whether a set channel is a reception channel or a transmission channel and channel number discrimination means for indicating a set channel number.

12. In electronic equipment connected to other electronic equipment through a communication bus, said electronic equipment comprising:

information acquisition means for acquiring information of a plurality of electronic equipment connected to said communication bus;

group means for grouping said plurality of electronic equipment into a plurality of channels based on information acquired by said information acquisition means; and

display control means for displaying the grouped states from said group means on a display.

13. Electronic equipment according to claim 12, further comprising:

operation means for performing a confirmation operation of the grouped states from said group means; and

channel setting means for setting a transmission or reception channel used by said plurality of electronic equipment based on said grouped states when said confirmation operation is performed by said operation means.

14. Electronic equipment as claimed in claim 13, wherein said channel setting means issues a command for setting a channel of said other electronic equipment and transmits said communication command through said communication bus to said other electronic equipment when the channel of said other electronic equipment is set.

15. A data reception method connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through said communication bus, comprising the steps of:

a reception channel setting operation process for executing an operation to set a reception channel;

a reception channel setting process for memorizing said reception channel in memory means based on said operation; and

a reception process for receiving the data of said reception channel transmitted through said communication bus based on said reception channel set to said memory means.

16. A data reception method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said reception channel setting operation process further includes a display process for displaying a set picture to set said reception channel to said memory means.

17. A data reception method connected to a communication bus for receiving data of a predetermined channel transmitted through said communication bus, comprising the steps of:

a reception process for receiving a communication command transmitted through said communication bus

a determination process for determining whether or not said communication command received at said reception process is a communication command concerning the setting of a reception channel;

a setting process for setting a reception channel to memory means if said communication command is the communication command concerning the setting of the reception channel; and

a reception process for receiving the data of said reception channel transmitted through said communication bus based on said reception channel set to said memory means.

18. A data transmission method connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to said communication bus, comprising the steps of:

a transmission channel setting operation process for performing an operation to set a transmission channel;

a transmission channel setting process for memorizing said transmission channel in said memory means based on said operation; and

a transmission process for transmitting data through said communication bus from said transmission channel based on said transmission channel set to said memory means.

19. A data transmission method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said transmission channel setting operation process further includes a display step for displaying a set picture to set said transmission channel to said memory means.

20. A data transmission method connected to a communication bus for transmitting data of a predetermined channel to said communication bus, comprising the steps of:

a reception process for receiving a communication command transmitted through said communication bus;

a determination process for determining whether or not said communication command received at said reception process is a communication command concerning the setting of a transmission channel;

a setting process for setting a transmission channel to said memory means if said communication command is the communication command concerning the setting of the transmission channel; and

a transmission process for transmitting data from said transmission channel through said communication bus based on said transmission channel set to said memory means.

21. A channel setting method of setting a channel of electronic equipment connected to other electronic equipment through a communication bus, comprising the steps of:

an issue process for issuing a communication command used to set either of or both of a reception channel and a transmission channel of other electronic equipment connected to said communication bus; and

a transmission process for transmitting said communication command issued at said issue process to said other electronic equipment through said communication bus.

22. A channel grouping method of grouping electronic equipment connected to other electronic equipment through a communication bus into a plurality of channels, comprising the steps of:

an information acquisition process for acquiring information of a plurality of electronic equipment connected to said communication bus;

a grouping process for grouping said plurality of electronic equipment into a plurality of channels based on information acquired at said information acquisition process; and

a display process for displaying the grouped states of said grouping process on a display.

23. A channel grouping method according to claim 22, further comprising an operation process for performing a confirmation operation of the grouped state of said grouping process and a channel setting process for setting a transmission or reception channel used in said plurality of electronic equipment based on said grouping when said operation process is executed.

24. A channel grouping method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said channel setting process issues a communication command used to set a channel of said other electronic channel and transmits said communication command through said communication bus to said other electronic equipment when a channel of said other electronic equipment is set.