Terminal device, data transmission-reception system and data transmission-reception initiation method

• US 20040015589A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Isozu, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355

Abstract

A terminal device includes: a session initiation request message generating section for generating a message for starting a session with an external device and in which capability information on the terminal device is described; a capability information analyzing section for analyzing capability information on the external device described in a response message transmitted from the external device; a communication mode determining section for determining a communication mode between the terminal device and the external device based on an analysis result by the capability information analyzing section and the capability information on the terminal device; and a control section for, based on the determined communication mode, controlling a data conversion device connected to the network such that data from the terminal device is converted into data receivable by the external device, and such that data from the external device is converted into data receivable by the terminal device.

Claims

1. A terminal device connected to an external device through a network, said terminal device comprising:

data transmission means for transmitting predetermined data to said external device through said network;

data reception means for receiving predetermined data transmitted from said external device through said network;

session initiation request message generation means for generating a session initiation request message for initiating a session with said external device and in which capability information on said terminal device is described in a predetermined format;

session initiation request message transmission means for transmitting said session initiation request message generated by said session initiation request message generation means to said external device through said network;

response message reception means for receiving a response message transmitted from said external device in response to said session initiation request message;

capability information analyzing means for analyzing capability information on said external device described in a predetermined format in said response message received by said response message reception means;

communication mode determination means for determining a communication mode between said terminal device and said external device through said network based on an analysis result by said capability information analyzing means and on said capability information on said terminal device;

communication mode notification message transmission means for transmitting to said external device a communication mode notification message for notifying said communication mode determined by said communication mode determination means; and

control means for controlling a data conversion device, which is connected to said network, based on said communication mode determined by said communication mode determination means, such that said data conversion device converts said data transmitted from said data transmission means into data that can be received by said external device, and such that said data conversion device converts said data transmitted from said external device into data that can be received by said data reception means.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said session initiation request message generated by said session initiation request message generation means of said terminal device and said response message generated by said external device comply with the Session Initiation Protocol.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein said session initiation request message generation means of said terminal device describes said capability information on said terminal device in said session initiation request message in text format.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said control means converts the media format of data.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said capability information on said terminal device includes media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said terminal device, and media format convertibility information indicating a media format that can be converted by said data conversion device, which is connected to said network and is controllable by said control means of said terminal device.

6. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein, based on network characteristics, said communication mode determination means of said terminal device determines whether said data conversion device controlled by said terminal device is to be used or a data conversion device controlled by said external device is to be used.

7. A terminal device connected to an external device through a network, said terminal device comprising:

data reception means for receiving predetermined data transmitted from said external device through said network;

data transmission means for transmitting predetermined data to said external device through said network;

session initiation request message reception means for receiving a session initiation request message for initiating a session transmitted from said external device and in which capability information on said external device is described in a predetermined format;

capability information analyzing means for analyzing said capability information on said external device described in said session initiation request message received by said session initiation request message reception means;

communication mode selection means for selecting at least one option of a communication mode between said external device and said terminal device through said network based on an analysis result by said capability information analyzing means and capability information on said terminal device;

response message generation means for generating, as a response to said session initiation request message, a response message describing in a predetermined format said capability information including communication mode option information indicating said at least one option of said communication mode selected by said communication mode selection means;

response message transmission means for transmitting said response message generated by said response message generation means to said external device through said network;

communication mode notification message reception means for receiving a communication mode notification message, which is transmitted form said external device, for notifying said communication mode determined by said external device; and

control means for controlling, based on said communication mode notification message received by said communication mode notification message reception means, a data conversion device, which is connected to said network, such that said data conversion device converts data transmitted from said data transmission means to data that can be received by said external device, and such that said data conversion device converts data transmitted from said external device to data that can be received by said data reception means.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein said session initiation request message generated by said external device and said response message generated by said response message generation means of said terminal device comply with the Session Initiation Protocol.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein said response message generation means of said terminal device describes in text format in said response message said capability information on said terminal device.

10. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein said data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said control means converts the media format of data.

11. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein

said capability information on said external device includes first media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said external device, and first media format convertibility information indicating media formats that can be converted by said data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said external device,

said capability information on said terminal device includes second media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said terminal device, and second media format convertibility information indicating media formats that can be converted by said data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said control means of said terminal device, and

said communication mode selection means selects said at least one option of a communication mode based on said first media format information, said first media format convertibility information, said second media format information and said second media format convertibility information.

12. A data transmission-reception system including a first terminal device provided with a first data transmission-reception means and that is connected to a network, and a second terminal device provided with a second data transmission-reception means and that is connected to a network, wherein

said first terminal device comprises:

session initiation request message generation means for generating a session initiation request message for initiating a session with said second terminal device and in which capability information on said first terminal device is described in a predetermined format;

session initiation request message transmission means for transmitting to said second terminal device through said network said session initiation request message generated by said session initiation request message generation means;

response message reception means for receiving a response message transmitted from said second terminal device in response to said session initiation request message;

first capability information analyzing means for analyzing capability information on said second terminal device described in a predetermined format in said response message received by said response message reception means;

communication mode determination means for determining a communication mode between said first terminal device and said second terminal device through said network based on an analysis result by said first capability information analyzing means and on said capability information on said first terminal device;

communication mode notification message transmission means for transmitting to said second terminal device a communication mode notification message for notifying said communication mode determined by said communication mode determination means; and

first control means for controlling, based on said communication mode determined by said communication mode determination means, a first data conversion device, which is connected to said network such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first data transmission-reception means of said first terminal device into data that can be received by said second terminal device, and such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second data transmission-reception means of said second terminal device to be received by said first data transmission-reception means into data that can be received by said first terminal device, and

said second terminal device comprises;

session initiation request message reception means for receiving said session initiation request message transmitted by said session initiation request message transmission means;

second capability information analyzing means for analyzing capability information on said first terminal device described in said session initiation request message received by said session initiation request message reception means;

communication mode selection means for selecting at least one option of a communication mode in said data transmission-reception system based on an analysis result by said second capability information analyzing means and on said capability information on said second terminal device;

response message generation means for generating, as a response to said session initiation request message, said response message in which said capability information on said second terminal device, including communication mode option information indicating said at least one option of a communication mode selected by said communication mode selection means, is described in said predetermined format;

response message transmission means for transmitting said response message generated by said response message generation means to said first terminal device through said network;

communication mode notification message reception means for receiving said communication mode notification message transmitted from said communication mode notification message transmission means of said first terminal device; and

second control means for controlling, based on said communication mode notification message received by said communication mode notification message reception means, a second data conversion device, which is connected to said network, such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second data transmission-reception means of said second terminal device into data that can be received by said first terminal device, and such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first data transmission-reception means of said first terminal device to be received by said second data transmission-reception means into data that can be received by said second terminal device.

13. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 12, wherein said session initiation request message generated by said session initiation request message generation means of said first terminal device and said response message generated by said response message generation means of said second terminal device comply with the Session Initiation Protocol.

14. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 13, wherein:

said session initiation request message generation means of said first terminal device describes in text format said capability information on said first terminal device in said session initiation request message; and

said response message generation means of said second terminal device describes in text format said capability information on said second terminal device in said response message.

15. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 12, wherein said data conversion devices connected to said network convert the media format of data.

16. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 15, wherein

said capability information on said first terminal device includes first media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said first terminal device, and first media format convertibility information indicating a media format that can be converted by said first data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said first control means,

said capability information on said second terminal device includes second media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said second terminal device, and second media format convertibility information indicating a media format that can be converted by said second data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said second control means, and

said communication mode selection means of said second terminal device selects said at least one option of a communication mode based on said first media format information, said first media format convertibility information, said second media format information and said second media format convertibility information.

17. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 12, wherein said communication mode determination means of said first terminal device, based on network characteristics, determines whether or not to use said first data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said first control means, and whether or not to use said second data conversion device connected to said network and which is controllable by said second control means.

18. A data transmission-reception initiation method for a data transmission-reception system including a first terminal device provided with a first data transmission-reception means connected to a network, and a second terminal device provided with a second data transmission-reception means connected to said network, said method comprising:

generating a session initiation request message, at said first terminal device, for initiating a session with said second terminal device and in which capability information on said first terminal device is described in a predetermined format;

transmitting said generated session initiation request message from said first terminal device to said second terminal device through said network;

receiving said session initiation request message transmitted from said first terminal device at said second terminal device;

analyzing, at said second terminal device, said capability information on said first terminal device described in said received session initiation request message;

selecting, at said second terminal device, at least one option of a communication mode in said data transmission-reception system based on an analysis result of said capability information on said first terminal device, and on capability information on said second terminal device;

generating, at said second terminal device as a response to said session initiation request message, a response message in which said capability information on said second terminal device, including communication mode option information indicating said selected at least one option of a communication mode, is described in a predetermined format;

transmitting said generated response message from said second terminal device to said first terminal device through said network;

receiving said response message transmitted from said second terminal device at said first terminal device;

analyzing, at said first terminal device, said capability information on said second terminal device described in said predetermined format in said received response message;

determining, at said first terminal device, a communication mode between said first terminal device and said second terminal device through said network based on an analysis result of said capability information on said second terminal device and on said capability information on said first terminal device;

controlling, at said first terminal device, a first data conversion device, which is connected to said network, such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first data transmission-reception means of said first terminal device into data that can be received by said second terminal device, and such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second data transmission-reception means of said second terminal device into data that can be received by said first terminal device;

transmitting from said first terminal device to said second terminal device a communication mode notification message notifying said determined communication mode;

receiving said communication mode notification message transmitted from said first terminal device at said second terminal device; and

based on said received communication mode notification message, controlling, at said second terminal device, a second data conversion device, which is connected to said network, such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second data transmission-reception means of said second terminal device into data that can be received by said first terminal device, and such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first data transmission-reception means of said first terminal device into data that can be received by said second terminal device.