Data transfer apparatus and data transfer method

• US 20050105530A1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kono, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A data transfer apparatus according to this invention executes a protocol priority determination process of selecting usable transfer protocols in accordance with the type of transfer object and determining the priorities of the transfer protocols in accordance with the process of an automatic file transfer protocol selection process routine. The data transfer apparatus then executes a protocol selection process of selecting transfer protocols commonly usable in the transfer source apparatus and transfer destination apparatus of the transfer object. The data transfer apparatus executes a transfer protocol determination process of determining a transfer protocol for use on the basis of the transfer protocol and its priority which are determined in the protocol priority determination process, and the transfer protocols selected in the protocol selection process.

Claims

1. A data transfer apparatus which transfers data from a transfer source device to a transfer destination device via a communication device, comprising:

a first determination unit which determines transfer protocols depending on a transfer object to be transferred from the transfer source device to the transfer destination device via the communication device, and priorities of the transfer protocols;

a second determination unit which determines transfer protocols usable in both the transfer source device and the transfer destination device; and

a use protocol determination unit which determines a transfer protocol used for the transfer on the basis of a determination result of the first determination unit and a determination result of the second determination unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines usable transfer protocols and priorities of the usable transfer protocols from transfer objects transferred by short-distance wireless communication in which the transfer source device and the transfer destination device are wirelessly connected.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, which further comprises a table that makes the transfer protocol and a priority of the transfer protocol correspond to each other for an attribute of each transfer object, and in which the first determination unit determines the transfer protocol and the priority of the transfer protocol by collating the transfer object with the table.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second determination unit further comprises a first transfer protocol acquisition unit which acquires transfer protocols supported by the transfer source device and a second transfer protocol acquisition unit which acquires transfer protocols supported by the transfer destination device, collates the transfer protocols acquired by the first transfer protocol acquisition unit and the transfer protocols acquired by the second transfer protocol acquisition unit, and determines coincident transfer protocols as the usable transfer protocols.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the use protocol determination unit determines as the transfer protocol for use a transfer protocol having a highest priority among transfer protocols which coincide with the transfer protocols determined by the second determination unit on the basis of the transfer protocols and the priorities of the transfer protocols which are determined by the first determination unit.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second determination unit further comprises a first transfer protocol acquisition unit which acquires transfer protocols supported by the transfer source device and a second transfer protocol acquisition unit which acquires transfer protocols supported by the transfer destination device, collates the transfer protocols acquired by the first transfer protocol acquisition unit and the transfer protocols acquired by the second transfer protocol acquisition unit, and determines coincident transfer protocols as the usable transfer protocols.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the use protocol determination unit determines as the transfer protocol for use a transfer protocol having a highest priority among, of the transfer protocols determined by the first determination unit, transfer protocols which coincide with the transfer protocols determined by the second determination unit on the basis of the transfer protocols and the priorities of the transfer protocols which are determined by the first determination unit.

8. A method of transferring a transfer object from a transfer source device to a transfer destination device by using a communication device, comprising:

determining transfer protocols depending on the transfer object to be transferred from the transfer source device to the transfer destination device, and priorities of the transfer protocols;

determining transfer protocols usable in both the transfer source device and the transfer destination device; and

deciding a transfer protocol used for the transfer on the basis of determination results.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein in determination of the transfer protocols and the priorities of the transfer protocols, usable transfer protocols and priorities of the transfer protocols are determined from transfer objects transferred by short-distance wireless communication in which the transfer source device and the transfer destination device are wirelessly connected.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein in determination of the transfer protocols and the priorities of the transfer protocols, the transfer protocols and the priorities of the transfer protocols are determined by collating the transfer object with a predetermined table which makes the transfer protocol and a priority of the transfer protocol correspond to each other for an attribute of each transfer object.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein in determination of the usable transfer protocols, transfer protocols supported by the transfer source device are acquired, transfer protocols supported by the transfer destination device are acquired, the transfer protocols supported by the transfer source device and the transfer protocols supported by the transfer destination device are collated, and coincident transfer protocols are determined as the usable transfer protocols.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein in decision of the transfer protocol, a transfer protocol having a highest priority is decided as the transfer protocol for use among transfer protocols which coincide with the transfer protocols determined as the usable transfer protocols on the basis of the determined transfer protocols and the priorities of the transfer protocols.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein in determination of the usable transfer protocols, transfer protocols supported by the transfer source device are acquired, transfer protocols supported by the transfer destination device are acquired, the transfer protocols supported by the transfer source device and the transfer protocols supported by the transfer destination device are collated, and coincident transfer protocols are determined as the usable transfer protocols.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein in decision of the transfer protocol, a transfer protocol having a highest priority is decided as the transfer protocol for use among transfer protocols which coincide with the transfer protocols determined as the usable transfer protocols on the basis of the determined transfer protocols and the priorities of the transfer protocols.