Apparatus, method, and program for executing protocol converting process

• US 20060184510A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishio, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

When a device searches a network, there is a case where the device is recognized as different devices as one searched by a protocol A and the other searched by a protocol B. In a proxy server 9300 for executing a protocol converting process in a network system, whether or not another protocol converting apparatus for executing a predetermined protocol converting process does not exist on the network is searched. When another protocol converting apparatus is searched on the network, whether or not the searched protocol converting apparatus has executed the protocol converting process is discriminated.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A control apparatus for executing a protocol converting process in a network system in which a plurality of kinds of protocols exist mixedly, comprising:

searching means for issuing a searching request for searching for another protocol converting apparatus for executing a predetermined protocol process on a network onto said network and executing a searching process upon activation;

recognizing means for, when said another protocol converting apparatus is searched on the network by said searching means, recognizing whether said searched protocol converting apparatus can execute the protocol converting process or said searched protocol converting apparatus has executed the protocol converting process; and

activating means for, when it is recognized by said recognizing means that said searched protocol converting apparatus cannot execute the protocol converting process or does not execute the protocol converting process, activating the protocol converting process,

wherein said searching means and said activating means are executed upon activation of said control apparatus.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein whether or not said searched protocol converting apparatus can execute the protocol converting process is recognized by said recognizing means on the basis of the number of protocol converting processes which can be processed by said protocol converting apparatus.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein when it is recognized by said recognizing means that said searched protocol converting apparatus can execute the protocol converting process, an operating mode is switched to a sleep mode.

23. An apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

managing means for managing devices as targets of the protocol converting process; and

discriminating means for, when it is recognized by said recognizing means that said searched protocol converting apparatus cannot execute the protocol converting process, discriminating whether or not the number of devices as protocol processing targets which are managed by said managing means exceeds a preset maximum number,

and wherein when it is determined by said discriminating means that the number of devices as protocol processing targets which are managed by said managing means does not exceed the preset maximum number, said activating means activates said protocol converting process.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein when it is determined by said discriminating means that the number of devices as protocol processing targets which are managed by said managing means exceeds the preset maximum number, a packet showing a switch to a sleep mode is multicasted to the network devices.

25. A control method carried out in a control apparatus for executing a protocol converting process in a network system in which a plurality of kinds of protocols exist mixedly, comprising:

a searching step of issuing a searching request for searching for another protocol converting apparatus for executing a predetermined protocol process on a network onto said network and executing a searching process upon activation;

a recognizing step of, when said another protocol converting apparatus is searched on the network by said searching step, recognizing whether said searched protocol converting apparatus can execute the protocol converting process or said searched protocol converting apparatus has executed the protocol converting process; and

an activating step of, when it is recognized in said recognizing step that said searched protocol converting apparatus cannot execute the protocol converting process or does not execute the protocol converting process, activating the protocol converting process,

converting process,

wherein said searching step and said activating step are executed upon activation of the control apparatus.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein whether or not said searched protocol converting apparatus can execute the protocol converting process is recognized in said recognizing step on the basis of the number of protocol converting processes which can be processed by said protocol converting apparatus.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein when it is recognized in said recognizing step that said searched protocol converting apparatus can execute the protocol converting process, an operating mode is switched to a sleep mode.

28. A method according to claim 25, further comprising:

a managing step of managing devices as targets of the protocol converting process; and

a discriminating step of, when it is recognized in said recognizing step that said searched protocol converting apparatus cannot execute the protocol converting process, discriminating whether or not the number of devices as protocol processing targets which are managed in said managing step exceeds a preset maximum number,

and wherein when it is determined in said discriminating step that the number of devices as protocol processing targets which are managed in said managing step does not exceed the preset maximum number, said protocol converting process is activated in said activating means.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein when it is determined in said discriminating step that the number of devices as protocol processing targets which are managed in said managing step exceeds the preset maximum number, a packet showing a switch to a sleep mode is multicasted to the network devices.

30. A storing medium which stores a control program in a control method of executing a protocol converting process in a network system in which a plurality of kinds of protocols exist mixedly, wherein said control program allows a computer to execute:

a searching step of issuing a searching request for searching for another protocol converting apparatus for executing a predetermined protocol process on a network onto said network and executing a searching process upon activation;

a recognizing step of, when said another protocol converting apparatus is searched on the network by said searching step, recognizing whether said searched protocol converting apparatus can execute the protocol converting process or said searched protocol converting apparatus has executed the protocol converting process; and

an activating step of, when it is recognized in said recognizing step that said searched protocol converting apparatus cannot execute the protocol converting process or does not execute the protocol converting process, activating the protocol converting process,

wherein said searching step and said activating step are executed upon activation of the computer.

31. A control method of making protocol conversion control to devices using a plurality of protocols as targets, comprising:

a searching step of searching for the device using a first protocol;

a converting step of converting a second protocol so as to make the devices communicate in accordance with said first protocol;

a recognizing step of recognizing whether or not the device searched in said searching step supports said first protocol; and

a control step of controlling said converting step so as not to execute the protocol conversion into said first protocol with respect to the device recognized in said recognizing step that the device searched in said searching step supports said first protocol.

32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining a searching request for searching for the device;

a managing step of managing by using a table for managing a list of the devices as protocol converting targets; and

a recognizing step of recognizing whether or not the device searched by said searching request obtained in said obtaining step has been registered in the table which is managed in said managing step,

and wherein when it is recognized in said recognizing step that said device has been registered in the table which is managed in said managing step, it is recognized in said recognizing step that said device supports said first protocol.

33. A control apparatus for making a protocol converting control with respect to devices, as targets, using a plurality of protocols, comprising:

searching means for searching for the device using a first protocol;

converting means for converting a second protocol so as to make the device communicate in accordance with said first protocol;

recognizing means for recognizing whether or not the device searched by said searching means supports said first protocol; and

control means for controlling said converting means so as not to execute the protocol conversion into the first protocol with respect to the device recognized by said recognizing means that the device searched by said searching means supports said first protocol.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising:

obtaining means for obtaining a searching request for searching for the device;

managing means for managing by using a table for managing a list of the devices as protocol converting targets; and

recognizing means for recognizing whether or not the device searched by said searching request obtained by said obtaining means has been registered in the table which is managed by said managing means,

and wherein when it is recognized by said recognizing means that said device has been registered in the table which is managed by said managing means, it is recognized by said recognizing means that said device supports said first protocol.

35. A control program for allowing a computer to execute a process for making a protocol conversion control with respect to devices using a plurality of protocols as targets, wherein said control program allows the computer to execute:

a searching step of searching for the device using a first protocol;

a converting step of converting a second protocol so as to make the devices communicate in accordance with said first protocol;

a recognizing step of recognizing whether or not the device searched in said searching step supports said first protocol; and

a control step of controlling said converting step so as not to execute the protocol conversion into said first protocol with respect to the device recognized in said recognizing step that the device searched in said searching step supports said first protocol.

36. A control apparatus for executing a protocol converting process in a network system in which a plurality of kinds of protocols exist mixedly, comprising:

searching means for issuing to a network a searching request for searching for another protocol converting apparatus for executing a predetermined protocol process on the network, and searching for said another protocol converting apparatus upon activation; and

activating means which operates in such a manner that when said another protocol converting apparatus is searched on the network by said searching means, the protocol converting process is not newly activated and when said another protocol converting apparatus is not searched on the network by said searching means, the protocol converting process is activated,

wherein said searching means and said activating means are executed upon activation of said control apparatus.

37. A control method carried out in a control apparatus for executing a protocol converting process in a network system in which a plurality of kinds of protocols exist mixedly, comprising:

a searching step of issuing to a network a searching request for searching for another protocol converting apparatus for executing a predetermined protocol process on the network, and searching for said another protocol converting apparatus upon activation; and

an activating step which operates in such a manner that when said another protocol converting apparatus is searched on the network in said searching step, the protocol converting process is not newly activated and when said another protocol converting apparatus is not searched on the network in said searching step, the protocol converting process is activated,

wherein said searching step and said activating step are executed upon activation of the control apparatus.

38. A storing medium which stores a program for allowing a computer (CPU) to execute a control method of executing a protocol converting process in a network system in which a plurality of kinds of protocols exist mixedly, wherein said program allows the computer to execute:

a searching step of issuing to a network a searching request for searching for another protocol converting apparatus for executing a predetermined

protocol process on the network, and searching said another protocol converting apparatus upon activation; and

an activating step which operates in such a manner that when said another protocol converting apparatus is searched on the network in said searching step, the protocol converting process is not newly activated and when said another protocol converting apparatus is not searched on the network in said searching step, the protocol converting process is activated,

wherein said searching step and said activating step are executed upon activation of the computer.