Terminal Apparatus

• US 20060077997A1
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohmi, Shinichiro, Kuroda, Go, Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/43 with synchronous transmission, e.g. time division multiplex [TDM], slotted rings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

When operating as a control terminal and recognizing interference from another logical network, a terminal apparatus determines whether or not a logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network. When unification is determined, the terminal apparatus determines whether a control terminal of a logical network newly created by unification is the terminal apparatus or a control terminal of the other logical network.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus of communicating with at least one other terminal apparatus via a communication medium, comprising:

an operation mode setting section operable to set the terminal apparatus to operate as a control terminal controlling an opportunity of access of the other terminal apparatus to the communication medium or as a controlled terminal whose opportunity of access to the communication medium is controlled by another terminal apparatus operating as a control terminal;

an interference recognizing section operable to recognize interference from at least one logical network other than a logical network to be controlled, when the operation mode setting section sets the terminal apparatus to operate as the control terminal;

a unification determining section operable to determine whether or not the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network, when the interference recognizing section recognizes the interference from the other logical network; and

a new control terminal determining section operable to determine whether a control terminal of a logical network newly created by unification is the terminal apparatus or a control terminal of the other logical network, when the unification determining section determines that the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network,

wherein the operation mode setting section sets the terminal apparatus to operate as the control terminal of the newly created logical network, when the new control terminal determining section determines that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the terminal apparatus, and

the operation mode setting section sets the terminal apparatus to operate as a controlled terminal of the newly created logical network, when the new control terminal determining section determines that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the control terminal of the other logical network.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode setting section sets the terminal apparatus to operate as a relay terminal of the newly created logical network, when the new control terminal determining section determines that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the control terminal of the other logical network.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unification determining section determines that the local network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network, when the logical network to be controlled and the other logical network are under a control of the same user.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unification determining section determines that the local network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network, when unification of the logical network to be controlled and the other logical network is permitted by a user.

5. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unification determining section determines that the local network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network, when unification of the logical network to be controlled and the other logical network is permitted by another terminal apparatus within the other logical network.

6. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the terminal apparatus operates as the control terminal, the interference recognizing section performs carrier sense before issuing a frame, to recognize the interference from the other logical network.

7. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the terminal apparatus operates as the control terminal and recognizes a signal from another logical network, the terminal apparatus operates so that network cycle start timing of a logical network to which the terminal apparatus belongs is synchronized with network cycle start timing of the other logical network, and transmits a beacon by random backoff.

8. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the terminal apparatus operates as the controlled terminal, and the interference is detected from the other logical network, the controlled terminal may inform the control terminal that the interference from the other logical network has been detected.

9. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control terminal absence determining section operable to determine whether or not the control terminal is absent,

wherein, when the control terminal absence determining section determines that the control terminal is absent, the terminal apparatus starts an operation for determining a new control terminal.

10. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication medium is divided into a plurality of channels,

the interference recognizing section recognizes the interference from the other logical network by detecting another logical network which uses a channel different from a channel used by a logical network to which the terminal apparatus belongs,

the unification determining section determines a channel used after unification, and

after logical network unification, the channel after unification determined by the unification determining section is used to perform communication.

11. A processing method of a communication terminal communicating with at least one other terminal apparatus via a communication medium, comprising the steps of:

setting the communication terminal to operate as a control terminal controlling an opportunity of access of the other terminal apparatus to the communication medium or as a controlled terminal whose opportunity of access to the communication medium is controlled by another terminal apparatus operating as a control terminal;

recognizing interference from at least one logical network other than a logical network to be controlled, when the communication terminal is set to operate as the control terminal;

determining whether or not the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network, when the interference from the other logical network is recognized;

determining whether a control terminal of a logical network newly created by unification is the communication terminal or a control terminal of the other logical network, when it is determined that the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network;

setting the communication terminal to operate as the control terminal of the newly created logical network, when it is determined that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the communication terminal; and

setting the communication terminal to operate as a controlled terminal of the newly created logical network, when it is determined that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the control terminal of the other logical network.

12. A program for operating a computer apparatus communicating with at least one other terminal apparatus via a communication medium, the program causing the computer apparatus to perform the steps of:

setting the communication terminal to operate as a control terminal controlling an opportunity of access of the other terminal apparatus to the communication medium or as a controlled terminal whose opportunity of access to the communication medium is controlled by another terminal apparatus operating as a control terminal;

recognizing interference from at least one logical network other than a logical network to be controlled, when the communication terminal is set to operate as the control terminal;

determining whether or not the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network, when the interference from the other logical network is recognized;

determining whether a control terminal of a logical network newly created by unification is the communication terminal or a control terminal of the other logical network, when it is determined that the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network;

setting the communication terminal to operate as the control terminal of the newly created logical network, when it is determined that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the communication terminal; and

setting the communication terminal to operate as a controlled terminal of the newly created logical network, when it is determined that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the control terminal of the other logical network.

13. An integrated circuit provided in a terminal apparatus communicating with at least one other terminal apparatus via a communication medium, comprising:

an operation mode setting section operable to set the terminal apparatus to operate as a control terminal controlling an opportunity of access of the other terminal apparatus to the communication medium or as a controlled terminal whose opportunity of access to the communication medium is controlled by another terminal apparatus operating as a control terminal;

an interference recognizing section operable to recognize interference from at least one logical network other than a logical network to be controlled, when the operation mode setting section sets the terminal apparatus to operate as the control terminal;

a unification determining section operable to determine whether or not the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network, when the interference recognizing section recognizes the interference from the other logical network; and

a new control terminal determining section operable to determine whether a control terminal of a logical network newly created by unification is the terminal apparatus or a control terminal of the other logical network, when the unification determining section determines that the logical network to be controlled is unified with the other logical network,

wherein the operation mode setting section sets the terminal apparatus to operate as the control terminal of the newly created logical network, when the new control terminal determining section determines that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the terminal apparatus, and

the operation mode setting section sets the terminal apparatus to operate as a controlled terminal of the newly created logical network, when the new control terminal determining section determines that the control terminal of the newly created logical network is the control terminal of the other logical network.