Apparatus for transmitting connecting status and method of displaying connecting status

• US 20030140135A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Noriko, Okuyama, Takehiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40019 Details regarding a bus master
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40071 Packet processing; Packet format adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific network H04N21/2381, H04N21/4363, H04N21/4381; packet switches H04L49/00; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40078 Bus configuration home automation networks H04L12/2803; arrangements for maintenance or administration H04L41/00
• 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 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery

Abstract

On the basis of information of a topology map, a parent node ID list is generated to show correspondence of ID of each node to that of its parent node. Information given by the parent node ID list is transmitted as connection display data in a predetermined format. The receiving side, on the basis of the received connection display data, obtains information of a connecting status display to display connecting status of a network. On the basis of this information, a display to show connecting status of the network is displayed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting connecting status, comprising:

computing means which computes correspondence of ID of each node to that of its parent node on the basis of data showing port status in a topology map of a network and generates parent node ID information, and

data outputting means which generates, from said parent node ID information, connection display data in a predetermined data format and transmits them, or generates, from said connection display data, transmission data in a predetermined transmission data format and transmits them onto said network.

3. An apparatus for transmitting connecting status according to claim 1,

wherein said connection display data are generated in a connection display data format which is usable for all devices having a displaying function in said network, and

wherein said transmission data are convertible into said connection display data at all devices having a displaying function in said network.

16. An apparatus for transmitting connecting status according to claim 1, wherein said connection display data are paired data of node IDs of parent and child nodes.

2. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data, comprising:

image data generating means which has connection display data in a predetermined data format generated on the basis of parent node ID information to show correspondence of ID of each node to that of its, parent node in a network or transmission data in a predetermined transmission data format generated on the basis of the connection display data are inputted, and generates image data to display connecting status of said network on the basis of connection display data fetched from said inputted connection display data or said transmission data.

4. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 2,

wherein said image data generating means provides a display on the basis of device information concerning each device connected on said network.

5. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 4,

wherein said image data generating means which, when bus reset occurred due to a change in connecting status in said network, updates said connection display data on the basis of device information concerning devices of nodes which increased or decreased before and after bus reset.

6. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 5,

wherein said connection display data and said device information are stored in a memory space provided at one or a plurality of nodes in a network, and supplied to said Image data generating means.

17. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 2, wherein said connection display data are paired data of node IDs of parent and child nodes.

7. A connecting status displaying method, comprising:

a procedure to compute correspondence of ID of each node to that of its parent node on the basis of data to show port status in a topology map of a network in order to generate parent node ID information,

a procedure to generate and transmit connection display data in a predetermined data format out of said parent node ID information, or to generate transmission data in a predetermined data format out of said connection display data and transmit them onto said network, and

a procedure to have said connection display data or said transmission data transmitted through a predetermined transmission path inputted, and to generate image data to give a display showing connecting status of said network on the basis of said inputted connection display data or connection display data fetched from said transmission data.

18. A connecting status displaying method according to claim 7, wherein said connection display data are paired data of node IDs of parent and child nodes.

8. An apparatus for transmitting connecting status, comprising:

data outputting means which, in a tree-shaped topology, divides all nodes into hierarchies by hop count from a root, allots serial IDs to nodes belonging to each branch in an upper layer, and at the same time, is provided in a network where a parent node is allotted a higher ID than its child nodes are;

arranges nodes in order of size of node ID for each of said hierarchies;

transmits node IDs arranged in order of hierarchy and of said size as connection display data, or generates transmission data in a predetermined data transmission data format out of said connection display data and transmits them onto said network.

9. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data, comprising:

image data generating means for having said connection display data from an apparatus for transmitting connecting status according to claim 8 or transmission data inputted, and generating image data to display a connecting status display which shows hierarchical connecting status of said network on the basis of connection display data fetched from said inputted connection display data or of connection display data fetched from said transmission data.

10. An apparatus for transmitting connecting status according to claim 8,

wherein said data outputting means comprises computing means to compute correspondence of ID of each node to that of its parent node on the basis of data to show port status in a topology map of said network in order to generate parent node ID information, and

connection display data generating means to divide each node for each hierarchy on the basis of said parent node ID information, to arrange nodes in each hierarchy in order of higher node ID, and to generate said connection display data by arranging node IDs in order of hierarchy and size.

11. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 9,

wherein said image data generating means comprises hierarchy deciding means for deciding parts, where values of a series of node IDs transmitted as said connection display data discontinuously rise or fall, as breakpoints of hierarchies,

parentage deciding means for deciding parentage of each node in adjoining two hierarchies from sizes, using a fact that a parent node is allotted a higher ID than its child node is, and

connecting status display generating, means which generates, image data to provide a connecting status display showing hierarchical connecting status of said network on the basis of results decided by said hierarchy deciding means and results decided by said parentage deciding means.

12. An apparatus for transmitting connecting status according to claim 8, wherein said connection display data are generated in a connection display data format usable for all devices having displaying functions in said network, and wherein said transmission data are convertible into said connection display data at all devices having displaying functions in said network.

13. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 9, wherein said image data generating means displays on the basis of device information on each device connected with said network.

14. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 13, wherein said connection display data and said device information are stored in a memory space provided at one or a plurality of nodes in a network and supplied to said image data generating means.

19. An apparatus for generating connecting status display data according to claim 9, wherein said image data generating means generates data of connecting status display image with arranged displays to show nodes in order of node ID.

15. Connecting status displaying method, comprising:

a procedure which divides, at a tree-shaped topology, all nodes into hierarchies by hop count from a root, allots a series of IDs to nodes belonging to each branch in an upper layer, arranges node IDs of nodes in each of said hierarchies in order of size of node IDs in a network where a parent node is allotted a higher ID than a child node is, and transmits node IDs, which are arranged in order of hierarchy and said size, as connection display data or generates transmission data in a predetermined transmission data format out of said connection display data to transmit them onto said network, and

a procedure to have said connection display data or said transmission data transmitted through a predetermined transmission path inputted, and to generate image data for displaying a connecting status display to show hierarchical connecting status of said network on the basis of said inputted connection display data or connection display data fetched from said transmission data.

20. A connecting status displaying method according to claim 15, wherein said procedure to generate image data generates data of connecting status display image with arranged displays to show nodes in order of node ID.