METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DEVICE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20120002571A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lovy, Elliot, Sesek, Edward M., Saal, Nathaniel Mark, Schwarzenbach, Steven J., Godin, Seth, Lovy, Daniel, Arfin, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/322 Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods to establish communications between devices. In one embodiment, a method of sharing data includes, without requiring a proxy device and without requiring a server to enable communications, receiving a request transmitted by a requesting device, authenticating the requesting device, and establishing a connection between the requesting device and a requested device. The requesting device and the requested device are dissimilar communication devices having dissimilar communications standards.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

without requiring a proxy device and without requiring a server to enable communications;

receiving a request transmitted by a requesting device;

authenticating the requesting device; and

establishing a connection between the requesting device and a requested device, the requesting device and the requested device being dissimilar communication devices having dissimilar communications standards.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested device comprises a gateway device for a local area network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a common interface between the requesting device and the requested device, the common interface comprising a layered functional hierarchy having multiple layers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises a protocol layer, the protocol layer including at least two protocols.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least two protocols comprise a messaging protocol and a discovery protocol.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises an abstraction layer including aspects of an abstracted version of the dissimilar communication devices.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein data is to be transmitted between the dissimilar communication devices through a layer of the layered functional hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises an operating system layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating system layer includes a capability to access components of the dissimilar communications devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dissimilar communications devices include computing devices, the computing devices being configured to exchange data by use of differing protocols, digital audio devices, remote control devices, wireless phones, and digital media devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the dissimilar communications devices includes a capability to control another of the dissimilar communications devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the dissimilar communications devices includes a capability to perform at least one of the following tasks including accessing digital data, executing digital data, and transferring digital data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the dissimilar communications devices includes a capability to perform at least one of the following tasks including storing digital data, transferring digital data, and organizing digital data.

14. A apparatus, comprising:

without requiring a proxy device and without requiring a server to enable communications;

an interface to receive a request from a requesting device and establish a connection on a network after authentication of the requesting device, the connection comprising a communications media requested by the requesting to a requested device, the requesting device and the requested device being dissimilar communication devices having dissimilar communications standards.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the dissimilar communication devices are configured to form a local area network.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a common interlace that includes a layered functional hierarchy having multiple layers.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises a protocol layer, the protocol layer including at least two protocols.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least two protocols comprise a messaging protocol and a discovery protocol.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises an abstraction layer including aspects of an abstracted version of the dissimilar communication devices.

20. The network of claim 16, wherein data is capable of being shared between the dissimilar communication devices through a layer of the layered functional hierarchy.

21. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to perform operations comprising:

without requiring a proxy device and without requiring a server to enable communications;

receiving a request transmitted by a requesting device;

authenticating the requesting device; and

establishing a connection between the requesting device and a requested device, the requesting device and the requested device being dissimilar communications devices having dissimilar communications standards.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 21, further comprising:

initiating a discovery request over a network;

receiving one or more responses from the discovery request from additional dissimilar communication devices on the network to at least partially determine a network topography; and

transmitting data between the dissimilar communications devices.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 21, further comprising establishing a common interface between the dissimilar communications devices, the common interface comprising a layered functional hierarchy having multiple layers.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 23, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises a protocol layer, the protocol layer including at least two protocols.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the at least two protocols comprise a messaging protocol and a discovery protocol.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 23, wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises an abstraction layer including aspects of an abstracted version of the dissimilar communications devices.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 23, wherein data is to be transmitted between the dissimilar communications devices through a layer of the layered functional hierarchy.