Combination brouter and cluster controller

• US 5,452,291 A
• Filed: 11/30/1993
• Issued: 09/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Corporation Of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Tayyab, Lam, Ping S., Eisenhandler, Sanford, Lee, Xiaoyang, Fujita, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, HUY DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/159,197
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 370/85.13, 370/85.9, 370/85.14, 370/56, 370/54, 370/94.3, 370/94.1, 370/60, 370/85.1, 370/62, 370/95.1, 370/95.3, 348/15
• US Class Current: 370/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4604 LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/46 Cluster building
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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: Y10S 370/911 Bridge, e.g. brouter, bus extender

Abstract

An apparatus for transmitting data from a first device to a second device is provided. The invention is suitable for use in a system having first and second communications media. The apparatus includes a network interface coupled to the first medium for receiving and examining data from the first device. A clustering facility is provided for coupling the first device directly to the network interface and for selectively coupling the second device to the network interface. The network interface identifies the second device as being coupled to either the clustering facility or the second medium. The apparatus transmits the data from the network interface to the second device by way of the clustering facility, if the network interface identifies the second device as being coupled to the clustering facility. The apparatus routes the data from the network interface to the second device by way of the second medium if the network interface identifies the second device as being coupled to the second medium. In the exemplary embodiment, both media follow the Consumer Electronics Bus (CEBus) standard. For example, the first medium may be a wired coaxial cable medium, and the first device may be a video cassette recorder. The second medium may be a wireless infrared medium, and the second device may be a remote control unit.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving data from a first medium and for transferring the data to one of a local device and a second medium comprising:

means for receiving the data from the first medium;

network interface means for examining the data and identifying the data as being directed to the one of the local device and the second medium, the network interface means including means for storing a plurality of encoded sequences and a plurality of device commands, each device command being associated with a respective one of the plurality of encoded sequences, and

clustering means coupled to the network interface means for coupling the local device directly to the network interface means if the network interface means identifies the data as being directed to the local device, wherein the network interface means identifies whether the data include one of the plurality of encoded sequences and identifies the respective device command associated with the encoded sequence included in the data;

transmitting means for transmitting the identified device command from the network interface means to the local device by way of the clustering means if the network interface means identifies the data as being directed to the local device; and

routing means for transmitting the data from the network interface means to the second medium if the network interface means identifies the data as being directed to the second medium.

20. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network interface means includes a path by which a user inputs the plurality of encoded sequences and the plurality of device commands.

2. In a system having first and second communications media and a plurality of devices, apparatus for transmitting data from a first one of the plurality of devices coupled to the first medium to one of a second one of the plurality of devices and a third one of the plurality of devices, wherein the second medium has a state in which the second medium is not available for transmitting data:

network interface means coupled to the first medium for receiving and examining data from the first device, wherein the network interface means is a consumer electronics bus (CEBus) network interface;

clustering means coupled to the network interface means for selectively coupling the second device to the network interface means if the network interface means identifies the second device as being coupled to the clustering means;

transmitting means for transmitting the data from the network interface means to the second device by way of the clustering means, regardless of whether the second medium is available for transmitting data, if the network interface means identifies the second device as being a destination to which the data are transmitted; and

routing means for transmitting the data from the network interface means to the third device by way of the second medium if the network interface means identifies the third device as being the destination to which the data are transmitted.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data from the first medium originates from an infrared remote control unit.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the local device is a home entertainment device selected from a group consisting of an audio equipment component and a video equipment component.

5. In a system having first and second communications media and a plurality of devices, apparatus for transmitting data from a first one of the plurality of devices coupled to the first medium to one of a second one of the plurality of devices and a third one of the plurality of devices, wherein the second medium has a state in which the second medium is not available for transmitting data:

network interface means coupled to the first medium for receiving and examining data from the first device;

clustering means coupled to the network interface means for selectively coupling the second device to the network interface means if the network interface means identifies the second device as being coupled to the clustering means;

transmitting means for transmitting the data from the network interface means to the second device by way of the clustering means, regardless of whether the second medium is available for transmitting data, if the network interface means identifies the second device as being a destination to which the data are transmitted;

routing means for transmitting the data from the network interface means to the third device by way of the second medium if the network interface means identifies the third device as being the destination to which the data are transmitted; and

means for storing a respective address associated with each respective one of the plurality of devices, wherein the network interface means uses the addresses to determine whether the local device is coupled to the clustering means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising communications means for receiving the addresses and for providing the addresses to the storage means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for storing a plurality of device commands for controlling a device coupled to the clustering means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for storing a plurality of macro commands for controlling the apparatus.

9. In a system having first and second communications media and a plurality of devices, apparatus for transmitting data from a first one of the plurality of devices coupled to the first medium to one of a second one of the plurality of devices and a third one of the plurality of devices, comprising:

network interface means coupled to the first medium for receiving and examining data from the first device;

address storing means for storing a respective address associated with each respective one of the plurality of devices;

clustering means coupled to the network interface means for selectively coupling the second device to the network interface means if the network interface means identifies the second device as being coupled to the clustering means;

command storing means for storing a plurality of device commands for controlling a device coupled to the clustering means wherein the network interface means identifies one of the plurality of device commands associated with the data;

transmitting means for transmitting the identified device command from the network interface means to the second device by way of the clustering means if the network interface means identifies the second device as being a destination to which the identified device command is transmitted, wherein the network interface means determines whether the second device is coupled to the clustering means based on the addresses stored in the address storing means; and

routing means for transmitting the data from the network interface means to the third device by way of the second medium if the network interface means identifies the third device as being the destination to which the identified device command is transmitted.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the network interface means is a consumer electronics bus (CEBus) network interface.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the data from the first medium originates from an infrared remote control unit.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the local device is a home entertainment device selected from a group consisting of an audio equipment component and a video equipment component.

14. Apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising communications means for receiving the addresses and for providing the addresses to the storage means.

15. Apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising means for storing a plurality of macro commands for controlling the apparatus.

10. In a system having first and second communications media and a plurality of devices, apparatus for transmitting data from a first one of the plurality of devices coupled to the first medium to one of a second one of the plurality of devices and a third one of the plurality of devices, comprising:

network interface means coupled to the first medium for receiving and examining data from the first device;

address storing means for storing a respective address associated with each respective one of the plurality of devices;

clustering means coupled to the network interface means for selectively coupling the second device to the network interface means if the network interface means identifies the second device as being coupled to the clustering means;

command storing means for storing a plurality of macro commands for controlling the apparatus wherein the network interface means identifies one of the plurality of macro commands associated with the data;

transmitting means for transmitting the identified command macro from the network interface means to the second device by way of the clustering means if the network interface means identifies the second device as being a destination to which the identified command macro is transmitted, wherein the network interface means determines whether the second device is coupled to the clustering means based on the addresses stored in the address storing means; and

routing means for transmitting the data from the network interface means to the third device by way of the second medium if the network interface means identifies the third device as being the destination to which the data are transmitted.

16. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the network interface means is a consumer electronics bus (CEBus) network interface.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the data from the first medium originates from an infrared remote control unit.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the local device is a home entertainment device selected from a group consisting of an audio equipment component and a video equipment component.

19. Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising communications means for receiving the addresses and for providing the addresses to the storage means.