Network Device and Network Device Control Method

• US 20080225883A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Tadashi, Oeda, Shigeto, Kudo, Yoshimichi, TANAKA, Mayuko
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide network devices and a network device control method which enable control network devices connected to an IP network, AV devices connected over 1394IF through gateway devices from the IP network, and home devices connected to ECHONET to be controlled without distinction among them. To achieve this object, a network device to serve as a controller comprises a controller application that detects a service of a target network device, using a message complying with an information exchange protocol common to the network, collects information such as an access method for the service, a function name, and parameters, and controls the network device upon request, and an information exchange protocol processing part that exchanges messages according to a protocol common to the network devices. The network device targeted for control comprises service that provides information for the controlling network device to perform control to the controller, and the information exchange protocol processing part.

Claims

1. A network device that has a communication interface for connecting to a first network and a second communication interface for connecting to a second network, and has the function of managing and controlling network devices connected to the second network, the network device comprising:

a target service part that creates function information owned by the network device, control information constituted of information for controlling the network device and control function invocation information, function information owned by network devices connected to the second network, and control information constituted of information for controlling the network devices connected to the second network and control function invocation information, in a data format accessible in a message format common to the first network, according to requests of other network devices, provides pertinent device information and pertinent control information without distinguishing between the network device and the network devices connected to the second network, managed by the network device, and converts control functions of network devices connected to the second network, invoked in the message format common to the first network, into a command format known in the second network; and

an information exchange protocol processing part that creates and transmits messages in the message format common to the first network, interprets received messages created in the message format common to the first network, and passes them to the target service part.