Apparatus control system and apparatus control method

• US 20070174423A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Yukinori
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

An apparatus control system comprises a first and a second device located on a network, and a PC for transmitting a remote manipulation instruction to the first device. The first device executes a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction from the PC, and redirects the remote manipulation instruction from the PC to the other device on the network. The second device executes a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction redirected by the first device.

Claims

1. An apparatus control system comprising:

a plurality of devices located on a network; and

a controller that transmits a remote manipulation instruction to at least one of said plurality of devices through said network,

wherein at least said one device comprises a remote manipulation instruction processing unit that executes a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction from said controller and that redirects the remote manipulation instruction from said controller to the other device or other devices on said network, and

said other device or other devices execute a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction from said remote manipulation instruction processing unit.

2. The apparatus control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said controller transmits to at least said one device a redirection list which includes an address of said other device or other devices on said network, and

said remote manipulation instruction processing unit redirects the remote manipulation instruction with reference to the redirection list received from said controller.

3. The apparatus control system according to claim 2, wherein said remote manipulation instruction processing unit comprises:

a redirection list holding unit that holds the redirection list received from said controller;

a redirection list update unit that, responsive to a redirection list received from said controller, updates the redirection list held in said redirection list holding unit based on the received redirection list;

a remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit that determines a device to which the remote manipulation instruction from said controller should be redirected, with reference to the redirection list held in said redirection list holding unit; and

a remote manipulation instruction transmission processing unit that redirects the remote manipulation instruction from said controller to the device determined by said remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit, to which the remote manipulation instruction should be redirected.

4. The apparatus control system according to claim 2, wherein:

said controller transmits to at least said one device a packet which contains a remote manipulation instruction storage section that stores the remote manipulation instruction, and a redirection list storage section that stores the redirection list, and

said remote manipulation instruction processing unit comprises;

a remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit that determines a device to which a remote manipulation instruction from said controller should be redirected with reference to the redirection list stored in the redirection list storage section of the packet received from said controller; and

a remote manipulation instruction transmission processing unit that redirects a remote manipulation instruction stored in the remote manipulation instruction storage section of the packet received from said controller to the device determined by said remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit, to which the remote manipulation instruction should be directed.

5. An apparatus control method, comprising:

transmitting a remote manipulation instruction from a controller to at least one of a plurality of devices located on a network;

at, at least said one device;

executing a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction from said controller; and

redirecting the remote manipulation instruction from said controller to the other device or other devices on said network; and

at said other device or other devices, executing a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction redirected from said at least said one device.

6. The apparatus control method according to claim 5, further comprising:

at said controller, transmitting to at least said one device a redirection list which includes an address of said other device or other devices on said network, and

at, at least said one device, redirecting the remote manipulation instruction with reference to the redirection list received from said controller.

7. The apparatus control method according to claim 6, wherein the redirection of the remote manipulation instruction by at least said one device includes:

holding the redirection list received from said controller in a redirection list holding unit;

upon receipt of a new redirection list from said controller, updating the redirection list held in said redirection list holding unit based on the received redirection list;

determining a device to which the remote manipulation instruction from said controller should be redirected with reference to the redirection list held in said redirection list holding unit; and

redirecting the remote manipulation instruction from said controller to the device determined by said remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit, to which the remote manipulation instruction should be redirected.

8. The apparatus control method according to claim 6, further comprising:

at said controller, transmitting to at least said one device a packet which contains a remote manipulation instruction storage section for storing the remote manipulation instruction, and a redirection list storage section for storing the redirection list,

wherein the redirection of the remote manipulation instruction by at least said one device includes;

determining a device to which the remote manipulation instruction from said controller should be redirected with reference to the redirection list stored in the redirection list storage section of the packet received from said controller, and redirecting the remote manipulation instruction stored in the remote manipulation instruction storage section of the packet received from said controller to the device determined by said remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit, to which the remote manipulation instruction should be directed.

9. An electronic device communicably connected to a controller and another device through a network,. comprising:

a remote manipulation instruction execution unit that executes a corresponding operation in accordance with a remote manipulation instruction from said controller;

a redirection list holding unit that holds a redirection list which is received from said controller and which includes an address of the other device on said network;

a redirection list update unit that receives a redirection list received from said controller and updates the redirection list held in said redirection list holding unit based on the received redirection list;

a remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit that determines a device to which the remote manipulation instruction from said controller should be redirected with reference to the redirection list held in said redirection list holding unit; and

a remote manipulation instruction transmission processing unit that redirects the remote manipulation instruction from said controller to the device determined by said remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit, to which the remote manipulation instruction should be redirected.

10. An electronic device communicably connected to a controller and another device through a network, comprising:

a remote manipulation instruction execution processing unit that receives a packet, which includes a remote manipulation instruction storage section for storing a remote manipulation instruction and a redirection list storage section for storing a redirection list, from said controller, and that executes a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction stored in the remote manipulation instruction storage section of the received packet;

a remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit that determines a device to which the remote manipulation instruction from said controller should be redirected with reference to the redirection list stored in the redirection list storage section of the received packet; and

a remote manipulation instruction transmission processing unit that redirects the remote manipulation instruction stored in the remote manipulation instruction storage section of the received packet to the device determined by said remote manipulation instruction redirection determination processing unit, to which the remote manipulation instruction should be redirected.

11. An apparatus control method comprising:

a first step at which a controller transmits a remote manipulation instruction to at least one of a plurality of devices located on a network;

a second step at which at least said one device executes a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction from said controller, and redirects the remote manipulation instruction from said controller to the other device or other devices on said network; and

a third step at which said other device or other devices execute a corresponding operation in accordance with the remote manipulation instruction redirected by at least said one device.