RELAY DEVICE AND REMOTE STARTUP SYSTEM

• US 20100183005A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Doi, Yusuki, Ishiyama, Masahiro, Mera, Keisuke, Sugasawa, Nobuhiko, Ishihara, Takeshi, Ogura, Koji, Kaneko, Yu
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A relay device includes a reception unit which receives a startup packet including a first ID for starting up controllable equipment. The relay device also includes a transmission unit which transmits a first electric signal indicating the first ID to all link-downed Ethernet ports.

Claims

1. A relay device, comprising:

a reception unit which receives a startup packet including a first ID for starting up controllable equipment; and

a transmission unit which transmits a first electric signal indicating the first ID to all link-downed Ethernet ports.

2. A relay device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a high-sensitivity rectifier unit which voltage-converts a second electric signal indicating a second ID for starting up the relay device, wherein the second electric signal is transmitted from a control equipment before transmission of the startup packet;

an ID determination unit which stores a third ID and determines whether the second ID is equal to the third ID or not; and

a control device which performs power source control to supply power to a main processing unit, if the second ID is equal to the third ID.

3. A remote startup system comprising a plurality of relay devices according to claim 2, wherein the relay devices include a first relay device and a second relay device which are connected in a multistage manner, and

wherein when receiving a startup packet, the first relay device transmits a third electronic signal for starting up the second relay device to all link-downed Ethernet ports, and the first relay device then transfers the startup packet to all link-upped Ethernet ports and transmits a fourth electric signal indicating a fourth ID for starting up a controllable equipment to all link-downed Ethernet ports, wherein the fourth ID is included in the startup packet.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a media access control (MAC) address table including information regarding a first MAC address of the controllable equipment and a port to which the controllable equipment is connected, and

wherein when receiving a startup packet, the first relay device searches the media access control (MAC) address table for information of a port to which the controllable equipment is connected, by using a second MAC address of the controllable equipment specified in the startup packet as a key for the search, and wherein the first relay device transmits the third electronic signal to the port, and then transfers the startup packet to the port if the port is link-upped, or transmits the fourth electric signal to the port if the port is link-downed.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a storing unit which stores a packet reception history representing a first packet ID for a startup packet which is received by the first relay device, and

wherein when receiving a startup packet having a second packet ID, the first relay device checks the first packet ID in the packet reception history and the second packet ID, discards the startup packet of the second packet ID if the second packet ID is equal to the first packet ID and the startup packet is considered to have been received previously, and adds the second packet ID to the packet reception history if the second packet ID is not equal to the first packet ID and the startup packet is considered to have not been received previously.