Network relay apparatus and network relay method

• US 20040098751A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohkita, Hideki, Kobayashi, Hiroaki, Matsushita, Ken, Konda, Kazunobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40091 Bus bridging LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• 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 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6424 Access arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

This invention provides a network relay apparatus has an information collecting portion for collecting information about the function and identification of devices V1-V4 in other network n1 through a communication channel N, a virtual unit generating portion for generating virtual unit information corresponding to a first protocol based on the collected device information, and a relay portion which receives a predetermined command from the first network and which transmits the predetermined command to the device in the second network based on the virtual unit information. Consequently, control of apparatuses among networks is facilitated.

Claims

1. A network relay apparatus which is capable of being connected to a first network performing communication based on a first protocol and further connected to a second network performing communication based on a second protocol different from the first protocol, comprising:

an information collecting portion which collects information about the function and identification of a device in the second network;

a virtual unit generating portion which generates virtual unit information corresponding to the first protocol based on the information about the function and identification of the device; and

a relay portion which receives a predetermined command from the first network and which transmits the predetermined command to the device in the second network based on the virtual unit information.

2. The network relay apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a judgment portion, when a predetermined command is received through the first network, judges whether or not the device in the second network is made to process the predetermined command based on the virtual unit information;

and wherein the relay portion, if the judgment portion judges that the command should be processed by the apparatus, transmits the predetermined command to the apparatus through the communication channel and the second network.

3. The network relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information collecting portion which collects information about the function and identification of the one or more devices provided in the second network by communicating with a new network relay apparatus provided on the second network.

4. The network relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the virtual unit information generated by the virtual unit generating portion is based on the first protocol, including unit information corresponding to the device having signal processing function, output function information indicating the function of a signal output corresponding to the unit information and input function information indicating the function of a signal input corresponding to the unit information.

5. The network relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the virtual unit information generated by the virtual unit generating portion is based on the IEEE1394 which is the first protocol, including sub-unit information corresponding to the one or more devices provided on the second network, corresponding output plug control registers and input plug control registers.

6. The network relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the virtual unit information generated by the virtual unit generating portion is based on the first protocol, including unit information corresponding to the devices having signal processing function, output function information indicating the function of a signal output corresponding to the unit information and input function information indicating the function of a signal input corresponding to the unit information and when the judgment portion receives a command to be connected to the unit information, if the command is a command which instructs to connect to an end portion other than an output end portion indicated by the output function information corresponding to the unit information or an input terminal end portion indicated by the input function information, the judgment portion rejects the command.

7. The network relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second protocol is a radio LAN protocol for connecting at least the first network to the second network.

8. The network relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication channel is internet and the second protocol is a protocol for communicating through internet so as to connect at least the first network to the second network.

9. A network relay apparatus which is capable of being connected to a first network performing communication based on a first protocol and further connected to a second network performing communication based on a second protocol different from the first protocol, comprising:

an information collecting portion which collects information about the function and identification of a device in the second network; and

a virtual unit generating portion which generates virtual unit information corresponding to the first protocol based on the information about the function and identification of the device to relay a predetermined command from the first network to the device in the second network.

10. A relay method using a network relay apparatus which is capable of being connected to a first network performing communication based on a first protocol and further connected to a second network performing communication based on a second protocol different from the first protocol, comprising steps of:

collecting information on the function and identification of a device in the second network through the communication channel;

generating virtual unit information corresponding to the first protocol based on the collected information; and

receiving a predetermined command from the first network and transmitting the predetermined command to the device in the second network based on the virtual unit information.

11. A relay method according to claim 10, further comprising:

judges whether or not the device in the second network is made to process the predetermined command based on the virtual unit information, when a predetermined command is received through the first network;

transmits the predetermined command to the apparatus through the communication channel and the second network, if the judgment portion judges that the command should be processed by the apparatus.

12. The network relay method according to claim 10, wherein as for collection of the information, information on the function and identification of the one or more devices provided in the second network is collected by communication with a new network relay device provided on the second network.

13. The network relay method according to claim 10, wherein the generated virtual unit information is based on the first protocol, including unit information corresponding to the devices having signal processing function, output function information indicating the function of a signal output corresponding to the unit information and input function information indicating the function of a signal input corresponding to the unit information.

14. The network relay method according to claim 10, wherein the generated virtual unit information is based on the IEEE1394 which is the first protocol, including sub-unit information corresponding to the one or more devices provided on the second network, corresponding output plug control registers and input plug control registers.

15. The network relay method according to claim 10, wherein the generated virtual unit information is based on the first protocol, including unit information corresponding to the devices having signal processing function, output function information indicating the function of a signal output corresponding to the unit information and input function information indicating the function of a signal input corresponding to the unit information and when a command to be connected to the unit information is received, if the command is a command which instructs to connect to an end portion other than an output end portion indicated by the output function information corresponding to the unit information or an input terminal end portion indicated by the input function information, the judgment is rejecting of the command.

16. The network relay method according to claim 10, wherein the second protocol is a radio LAN protocol for connecting at least the first network to the second network.

17. The network relay method according to claim 10, wherein the communication channel is internet and the second protocol is a protocol for communicating through internet so as to connect at least the first network to the second network.