System and method for achieving interoperability in home network with IEEE 1394 and UPnP devices

• US 20070101024A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saha, Dipendu, Tao, David, Doumuki, Tohru
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] 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 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40091 Bus bridging LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; single bridge functionality H04L12/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

In a home network, a proxy is used to convert information in UPnP format from UPnP devices to IEEE 1394 format so that IEEE 1394 devices in the network can access the information which was originally in UPnP format. Likewise, the proxy converts information in IEEE 1394 format from IEEE 1394 devices to UPnP format so that UPnP devices in the network can access the information which was originally in IEEE 1394 format.

Claims

1. A home entertainment system, comprising:

at least one UPnP device providing information in UPnP format;

at least one IEEE 1394 device providing information in IEEE 1394 format; and

at least one proxy communicating with both devices and converting information in UPnP format from the UPnP device to IEEE 1394 format so that the IEEE 1394 device can access the information which was originally in UPnP format, the proxy also converting information in IEEE 1394 format from the IEEE 1394 device to UPnP format so that the UPnP device can access the information which was originally in IEEE 1394 format.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the proxy discovers connected IEEE 1394 devices and converts the information to UPnP syntax, such that UPnP devices connected to the proxy discover the IEEE 1394 devices as UPnP devices embedded to the proxy or as content served by the proxy.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein device information of UPnP devices is converted to IEEE 1394 syntax by the proxy such that an IEEE 1394 device recognizes a UPnP device as either of an IEEE 1394 device, a SUBUNIT, or content available in the proxy.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the proxy converts IEEE 1394 AV/C commands to and from equivalent services or actions in UPnP syntax.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein isochronous streams used in IEEE 1394 protocol are transformed from/to IP-based streaming by the proxy.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the IP-based streaming is at least one of:

HTTP or RTP.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein content in IEEE 1394 devices is represented by containers in a single notional Media Server, the content being categorized by network topology.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein content in IEEE 1394 devices is represented by containers in a single notional Media Server, the content being categorized by type or genre.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein UPnP devices are represented by the proxy to the IEEE 1394 device as subunits in a single unit of the proxy.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein UPnP content is represented by the proxy to the IEEE 1394 device as at least one of:

Tuner S/U or Tape S/U.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the proxy represents UPnP content to the IEEE 1394 device as if all content belongs to a single device with flat content structure.

12. A home network, comprising:

an IEEE 1394 network;

a UPnP network;

a proxy interfacing between the networks to facilitate data transfer between the networks such that no device in the IEEE 1394 network or the UPnP network need implement translation protocols.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein the proxy converts information in UPnP format from the UPnP network to IEEE 1394 format so that the IEEE 1394 network can access the information which was originally in UPnP format, the proxy also converting information in IEEE 1394 format from the IEEE 1394 network to UPnP format so that the UPnP network can access the information which was originally in IEEE 1394 format.

14. The network of claim 12, wherein the proxy discovers IEEE 1394 devices connected to the IEEE 1394 network and converts the information to UPnP syntax, such that UPnP devices in the UPnP network connected to the proxy discover the IEEE 1394 devices as UPnP devices embedded to the proxy or as content served by the proxy.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein device information of UPnP devices is converted to IEEE 1394 syntax by the proxy such that an IEEE 1394 device recognizes a UPnP device as either of an IEEE 1394 device, a SUBUNIT, or content available in the proxy.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein the proxy converts IEEE 1394 AV/C commands to and from equivalent services or actions in UPnP syntax.

17. The network of claim 15, wherein isochronous streams used in IEEE 1394 protocol are transformed from/to IP-based streaming by the proxy.

18. The network of claim 12, wherein content in IEEE 1394 devices on the IEEE 1394 network is represented by containers in a single notional Media Server, the content being categorized by network topology and/or by type or genre.

19. The network of claim 12, wherein UPnP devices are represented by the proxy to the IEEE 1394 network as subunits in a single unit of the proxy, and/or UPnP content is represented by the proxy to the IEEE 1394 network as at least one of:

Tuner S/U or Tape S/U, and/or the proxy represents UPnP content to the IEEE 1394 network as if all content belongs to a single device with flat content structure.

20. A home network, comprising:

an IEEE 1394 network;

a UPnP network;

means for transferring data between the networks such that no device in the IEEE 1394 network or the UPnP network need implement translation protocols.