Slave device and communication setting method

• US 20060109349A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takashima, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/426 using an embedded synchronisation, e.g. Firewire bus, Fibre Channel bus, SSA bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2183 the stored images being distributed among a plurality of different locations, e.g. among a plurality of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras

Abstract

A digital camera capable of communicating with an external device through a predetermined communication bus and having a plurality of communication modes of diverse kinds includes a system control section and a USB control section which serve respectively as a judging device for transmitting a notification code for notifying a presently set-up communication mode, and then judging whether a command in response to the notification code is received from the master device within a predetermined time or not; and a communication controlling device for performing control on the basis of a judgment result of the judging device in such a manner that when a command in response to the notification code is received from a master device within the predetermined time, a state permitting communication with the master device is established in correspondence to the command, and when the command is not received within the predetermined time, connection to the master device is electrically released temporarily and then the connection is restored.

Claims

1. A slave apparatus capable of communicating with a master device through a predetermined communication bus and having a plurality of communication modes of diverse kinds, said slave apparatus comprising:

judging means of transmitting to said master device a notification code of notifying a presently set-up communication mode, and then judging whether a command in response to said notification code is received from said master device within a predetermined time or not; and

communication controlling means of performing control on the basis of a judgment result of said judging means in such a manner that when a command in response to said notification code is received from said master device within the predetermined time, a state permitting communication with said master device is established in correspondence to the command, and that when said command is not received within said predetermined time, connection to said master device is electrically released temporarily and then said connection is restored;

wherein

by the time when said slave apparatus and said master device resume communication as a result of said restoration of connection, said communication controlling means selects one from a plurality of said communication modes so that its own communication mode is changed into one different from that used immediately before said release.

17. The slave apparatus according to claims 1, 15 or 16, wherein said predetermined communication bus is a universal serial bus (“

USB”

) type.

18. The slave apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said communication controlling means performs said release by pulling up or pulling down a voltage applied to a D⁺ or a D⁻

line of said USB.

19. The slave apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said communication controlling means performs said release by turning OFF a V_bus line through which a voltage from said hose device is supplied in said USB.

20. The slave apparatus according to claims 1, 15 or 16, wherein a plurality of said communication modes include at least two modes selected from a mode corresponding to an imaging class, a mode corresponding to a mass storage class, a mode corresponding to a customized class, and a mode corresponding to a streaming class.

21. The slave apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said mode corresponding to a mass storage class among a plurality of said communication modes is set up as an initial state.

22. The slave apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said USB embodied as a wire USB cable.

23. The slave apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said USB is embodied as a wireless circuit.

24. The slave apparatus according to claims 1, 15 or 16, comprising displaying means of displaying information on a communication state including information concerning a communication mode presently set up.

25. A digital camera comprising a slave apparatus according to claims 1, 15 or 16, and

capable of transmitting recorded-by-oneself data recorded by itself to said master device through said communication bus.

29. A program causing a computer to serve, in a slave apparatus according to claim 1, as:

judging means of transmitting to said master device a notification code of notifying a presently set-up communication mode, and then judging whether a command in response to said notification code is received from said master device within a predetermined time or not; and

communication controlling means of performing control on the basis of a judgment result of said judging means in such a manner that when a command in response to said notification code is received from said master device within the predetermined time, a state permitting communication with said master device is established in correspondence to the command, and that when said command is not received within said predetermined time, connection to said master device is electrically released temporarily and then said connection is restored.

32. A computer-processable recording medium carrying a program according to any one of claims 29 to 31.

33. An information processing apparatus comprising a slave apparatus according to claims 1, 15 or 16, and

capable of communicating with said master device.

2-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A slave apparatus capable of communicating with a master device through a predetermined communication bus and having a plurality of communication modes of diverse kinds, said slave apparatus comprising:

judging means of transmitting to said master device a notification code of notifying a presently set-up communication mode, and then judging whether a command received from said master device in response to said notification code corresponds to said presently set-up own communication mode or not; and

communication controlling means of performing control on the basis of a judgment result of said judging means in such a manner that when said command corresponds to the presently set-up communication mode, a state permitting communication with said master device is established in correspondence to the command, and that when said command does not correspond to the presently set-up communication mode, connection to said master device is electrically released temporarily and then said connection is restored;

wherein

by the time when said slave apparatus and said master device resume communication as a result of said restoration of connection, said communication controlling means selects one from a plurality of said communication modes so that its own communication mode is changed into one different from that used immediately before said release.

30. A program causing a computer to serve, in a slave apparatus according to claim 15 as:

judging means of transmitting to said master device a notification code for notifying a presently set-up communication mode and then judging whether a command received from said master device in response to said notification code corresponds to said presently set-up communication mode or not; and

communication controlling means of performing control on the basis of a judgment result of said judging means in such a manner that when said command corresponds to the presently set-up communication mode, a state permitting communication with said master device is established in correspondence to the command, and that when said command does not correspond to the presently set-up communication mode, connection to said master device is electrically released temporarily and then said connection is restored.

16. A slave apparatus capable of communicating with a master device through a predetermined communication bus and having a plurality of communication modes of diverse kinds, said slave apparatus comprising:

communication mode identifying means of transmitting to said master device a notification code for notifying a presently set-up communication mode, and then identifying the kind of communication mode corresponding to a command received from said master device in response to said notification code; and

communication controlling means of performing control such as to change its own communication mode in correspondence to an identification result of said communication mode identifying means and then establish a state permitting communication with said master device.

31. A program for causing a computer to serve, in a slave apparatus according to claim 16, as:

communication mode identifying means of transmitting to said master device a notification code for notifying a presently set-up own communication mode, and then identifying the kind of communication mode corresponding to a command received from said master device in response to said notification code; and

communication controlling means of performing control such as to change its own communication mode in correspondence to an identification result of said communication mode identifying means and then establish a state permitting communication with said master device.

26. A communication setting method of setting a communication mode in a slave device capable of communicating with a master device through a predetermined communication bus and having a plurality of communication modes of diverse kinds, said method comprising:

a judging step of transmitting to said master device a notification code for notifying a communication mode presently set up in said slave device, and then judging whether a command in response to said notification code is received from said master device within a predetermined time or not; and

a communication controlling step of performing control on the basis of a judgment result of said judging step in such a manner that when a command in response to said notification code is received from said master device within the predetermined time, said slave device is set into a state permitting communication with said master device in correspondence to the command, and that when said command is not received within said predetermined time, said slave device electrically releases connection to said master device temporarily and then restores said connection;

wherein

in said communication controlling step, by the time when said slave device and said master device resume communication as a result of said restoration of connection, a communication mode is selected from a plurality of said communication modes so that its own communication mode is changed into one different from that used immediately before said release.

27. A communication setting method of setting a communication mode in a slave apparatus capable of communicating with a master device through a predetermined communication bus and having a plurality of communication modes of diverse kinds, said method comprising:

a judging step of transmitting to said master device a notification code for notifying a communication mode presently set up in said salve apparatus, and then judging whether a command received from said master device in response to said notification code corresponds to said communication mode presently set up in said slave apparatus or not; and

a communication controlling step of performing control on the basis of a judgment result of said judging step in such a manner than when said command corresponds to the communication mode presently set in said slave apparatus, a state permitting communication between said slave apparatus and said master device is established in correspondence to the command, and that when said command does not correspond to the communication mode presently set up in said slave apparatus, said slave apparatus electrically releases connection to said master device temporarily and then restores said connection;

wherein

in said communication controlling step, by the time when said slave apparatus and said master device resume communication as a result of said restoration of connection, a communication mode is selected from a plurality of said communication modes so that its own communication mode is changed into one different from that used immediately before said release.

28. A communication setting method of setting a communication mode in a slave apparatus capable of communicating with a master device through a predetermined communication bus and having a plurality of communication modes of diverse kinds, said method comprising:

a communication mode identifying step of transmitting to said master device a notification code for notifying a communication mode presently set up in said slave apparatus, and then identifying the kind of communication mode corresponding to a command received from said master device in response to said notification code; and

a communication controlling step of performing control such as to change the communication mode of said slave apparatus in correspondence to an identification result of said communication mode identifying step and then establish a state permitting communication with said master device.