Method of and apparatus for communication, communication control system, and computer product

• US 20040151132A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiruma, Tomohiro, Tamada, Yuzo, Teramoto, Keiichi, Terashima, Yoshiki
• Application Number:
  US10/747,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20040151132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A communication apparatus, which communicates with a host unit based on polling method, includes a control receiving unit that receives a control information to be transferred to the host unit from a user terminal, a request receiving unit that receives a request from the host unit to transfer the control information to the host unit, and a transmitting unit that transfers the control information to the host unit as a response to the request, provided that the control receiving unit receives the control information after the request receiving unit receives the request.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus for communicating with a host system, comprising:

a request receiving unit configured to receive requests from the host system, each request requesting to transmit a control information relating to a user terminal;

a control receiving unit configured to be waiting to receive an information at least including a control information from the user terminal after receiving the request from the host system; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit a response to the host system after the control receiving unit receives the information from the user terminal, the response including at least the control information received from the user terminal.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a timer that generates a trigger at a predetermined time interval after the request receiving unit received the request, wherein the transmitting unit transmits a predetermined information as the response to the host system whenever the timer generates the trigger, and the predetermined information does not include an information on an end of transmission of the response to the host system.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, upon the control receiving unit receiving the control information, the transmitting unit transmits the control information with the information on end of transmission of the response to the host unit as the response to the request.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a time-out measuring unit configured to measure a time from the request receiving unit receiving the request to the request receiving unit receiving time-out information indicating that there is no response to the request; and

an interval calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the time measured by the time-out measuring unit, a time interval at which the timer generates the trigger, wherein the timer generates the trigger at the time interval calculated by the interval calculating unit.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the interval calculating unit sets the time interval shorter than the time that is measured by the time-out measuring unit.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the response based on either of Hyper Text Transfer Protocol and Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Security.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request receiving unit receives the request based on either of Hyper Text Transfer Protocol and Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Security.

8. A communication control system comprising:

a host unit configured to transmit a request for receiving control information;

a communication apparatus configured to transmit the control information corresponding to the request as a response to the request; and

a user terminal configured to transmit the control information to the communication apparatus, wherein

the user terminal includes

a control inputting unit for inputting a control information; and

a control transmitting unit configured to transmit the control information to the communication apparatus,

the host unit includes

a request transmitting unit configured to transmit a request for receiving the control information to the communication apparatus; and

a response receiving unit configured to receive the control information as a response to the request from the communication apparatus, and

the communication apparatus includes

a request receiving unit configured to receive requests from the host unit, each request requesting to transmit a control information relating to the user terminal;

a control receiving unit configured to be waiting to receive an information at least including the control information from the user terminal after receiving the request from the host unit; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the response to the host unit after the control receiving unit receives the information from the user terminal.

9. The communication control system according to claim 8, wherein

the communication apparatus further includes a timer that generates a trigger at a predetermined time interval after the request receiving unit received the request, wherein the transmitting unit transmits a predetermined information that does not include information on end of transmission of the response to response receiving unit of the host unit as the response to the request,

a time-out measuring unit configured to measure a time from the request receiving unit receiving the request to the request receiving unit receiving time-out information indicating that there is no response to the request, and

an interval calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the time measured by the time-out measuring unit, a time interval at which the timer generates the trigger, wherein the timer generates the trigger at the time interval calculated by the interval calculating unit.

10. The communication control system according to claim 9, wherein

upon the control receiving unit receiving the control information, the transmitting unit transmits the control information with the information on end of transmission of the response to the request to the host unit, and

upon the response receiving unit receiving the response to the request that includes the information on end of transmission of the response to the request.

11. The communication control system according to claim 9, wherein the interval calculating unit sets the time interval shorter than the time that is measured by the time-out measuring unit.

12. The communication control system according to claim 8, wherein

the control information input to the control inputting unit includes information indicating a control of an electric appliance, and

the host unit further includes a controller that controls the electric appliance based on the information included in the control information that is received by the response receiving unit as a response to the request.

13. The communication control system according to claim 8, wherein

the host unit is an electric appliance, and

the transmitting unit transmits the control information including information indicating a control of the electric appliance as the response to the request.

14. A method of communication that is employed in a communication control system, the communication control system including a user terminal, a communication apparatus, and a host unit, the method comprising:

the communication apparatus receiving a request from the host unit, each request requesting to transmit a control information relating to the user terminal;

the communication apparatus waiting to receive a information from a user terminal, the information including at least the control information to be transferred to the host unit; and

the communication apparatus transmitting the control information to the host unit as a response to the request after receiving the request.

15. A computer program that is employed in a communication control system, the communication control system including a user terminal, a communication apparatus, and a host unit, the computer program making the communication apparatus execute:

receiving a request from the host unit, each request requesting to transmit a control information relating to the user terminal;

waiting to receive a information from a user terminal, the information including at least a control information to be transferred to the host unit; and

transmitting the control information to the host unit as a response to the request after receiving the request.