Apparatus for displaying formation of network

• US 20050212802A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Takeda, Fumiteru, Muto, Takaaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A display apparatus is designed for displaying formation of a network on a screen. The network is composed of a plurality of nodes and is capable of transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal through communication paths connecting the plurality of the nodes. In the display apparatus, an acquiring section acquires a type of each node and an arrangement of the communication paths arranged among the nodes for transmitting and receiving the musical performance information and the audio signal. An allocating section allocates a display area to each node within the screen according to the acquired type of each node. A drawing section draws a plurality of index images indicating the respective nodes on the screen at the display areas allocated to the respective nodes, and draws lines connecting the displayed index images of the nodes on the screen according to the acquired arrangement of the communication paths.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for displaying formation of a network on a screen, the network being composed of a plurality of nodes and being capable of transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal through communication paths connecting the plurality of the nodes, the display apparatus comprising:

an acquiring section that acquires a type of each node and an arrangement of the communication paths arranged among the nodes for transmitting and receiving the musical performance information and the audio signal;

an allocating section that allocates a display area to each node within the screen according to the acquired type of each node; and

a drawing section that draws a plurality of index images indicating the respective nodes on the screen at the display areas allocated to the respective nodes, and that draws lines connecting the displayed index images of the nodes on the screen according to the acquired arrangement of the communication paths.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the allocating section allocates different display modes to different types of the nodes and memorizes the respective display modes allocated to the respective nodes according to the acquired types of the nodes, and wherein the drawing section draws the index images of the nodes based on the memorized display modes.

3. A program for use in a display apparatus having a processor for displaying formation of a network on a screen, the network being composed of a plurality of nodes and being capable of transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal through communication paths connecting the plurality of the nodes, the program being executable by the processor for causing the display apparatus to perform a method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a type of each node and an arrangement of the communication paths arranged among the nodes for transmitting and receiving the musical performance information and the audio signal;

allocating a display area to each node within the screen according to the acquired type of each node;

drawing a plurality of index images indicating the respective nodes on the screen at the display areas allocated to the respective nodes; and

drawing lines connecting the displayed index images of the nodes on the screen according to the acquired arrangement of the communication paths.

4. A display apparatus for use in configuring communication paths in a network of a plurality of nodes for transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal among the plurality of the nodes, the display apparatus comprising:

a displaying section that displays a first selection box of a first node on a display screen, the first selection box indicating a series of logical output terminals prepared for the first node, and that also displays a second selection box of a second node on the display screen, the second selection box indicating a series of logical input terminals prepared for the second node;

an issuing section that issues a notification to either of the first node or the second node so as to logically establish a communication path between one of the output terminals of the first node and one of the input terminals of the second node, when said one of the output terminals is selected from the first selection box and said one of the input terminals is selected from the second selection box on the display screen; and

a drawing section that draws a line connecting between said one of the output terminals and said one of the input terminals on the display screen, such that the drawn line corresponds to the established communication path.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a detecting section that detects when a number of the output terminals are consecutively selected from the first selection box and one of the input terminals is selected from the second selection box;

a determining section responsive to the detecting section for determining whether or not a number of the input terminals corresponding to the selected output terminals are available within a consecutive range of the input terminals including the selected one input terminal; and

a decreasing section that decreases the number of the selected output terminals to a number corresponding to an available number of the consecutive input terminals when the result of the determining by the determining section is negative, wherein the issuing section issues the notification to either of the first or second node so as to logically establish communication paths between the decreased number of the consecutive output terminals of the first node and the available number of the consecutive input terminals of the second node.

6. A program for use in a display apparatus having a processor for configuring communication paths in a network of a plurality of nodes for transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal among the plurality of the nodes, the program being executable by the processor for causing the display apparatus to perform a method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first selection box of a first node on a display screen, the first selection box indicating a series of logical output terminals prepared for the first node;

displaying a second selection box of a second node on the display screen, the second selection box indicating a series of logical input terminals prepared for the second node;

issuing a notification to either of the first node or the second node so as to logically establish a communication path between one of the output terminals of the first node and one of the input terminals of the second node, when said one of the output terminals is selected from the first selection box and said one of the input terminals is selected from the second selection box on the display screen; and

drawing a line connecting between said one of the output terminals and said one of the input terminals on the display screen, such that the drawn line corresponds to the established communication path.

7. A display apparatus for displaying formation of a network on a screen, the network being composed of a plurality of nodes and being capable of transferring musical performance information and an audio signal through communication paths connecting the plurality of the nodes, the display apparatus comprising:

an acquiring section that acquires an arrangement of the communication paths arranged among the nodes for transmitting and receiving the musical performance information and the audio signal;

an selecting section that selects one of the musical performance information and the audio signal to be presented on the screen;

a determining section that determines a group of nodes capable of inputting and outputting the selected one of the musical performance information and the audio signal among the plurality of the nodes involved in the network; and

a drawing section that draws index images indicating the respective nodes of the determined group on the screen, and that draws lines connecting the displayed index images of the nodes on the screen according to the acquired arrangement of the communication paths, such that the drawn lines correspond to the communication paths transferring the selected one of the musical performance information and the audio signal.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the acquiring section also acquires a type of each node involved in the network, the display apparatus further comprising an allocating section that allocates a specific display mode to each node according to the acquired type of each node such that the drawing section draws the index image of each node in the specific display mode allocated to each node independently of whether the musical performance information is selected or the audio signal is selected.

9. A program for use in a display apparatus having a processor for displaying formation of a network on a screen, the network being composed of a plurality of nodes and being capable of transferring musical performance information and an audio signal through communication paths connecting the plurality of the nodes, the program being executable by the processor for causing the display apparatus to perform a method comprising the steps of:

acquiring an arrangement of the communication paths arranged among the nodes for transmitting and receiving the musical performance information and the audio signal;

selecting one of the musical performance information and the audio signal to be presented on the screen;

determining a group of nodes capable of inputting and outputting the selected one of the musical performance information and the audio signal among the plurality of the nodes involved in the network;

drawing index images indicating the respective nodes of the determined group on the screen; and

drawing lines connecting the displayed index images of the nodes on the screen according to the acquired arrangement of the communication paths, such that the drawn lines correspond to the communication paths transferring the selected one of the musical performance information and the audio signal.