Local communication bus system and apparatus for use in such a system
First Claim
1. A local communication bus system comprising:
- a serial control bus coupled to a plurality of addressable devices, each addressable device comprising at least one respective subdevice which is addressable using said bus;
a user output subdevice for displaying status information to a user;
a first addressable device comprising a first control subdevice for initiating the display of said status information;
a second addressable device comprising a second control subdevice;
wherein said first control subdevice comprises means for generating and formatting a device information request message which comprises a first device address for addressing said second addressable device;
wherein said second control subdevice which is responsive to said device information request message and which composes and formats a user-readable message which comprises a further device address and transmits said user-readable message to said user output subdevice for display;
said device information request message including a field specifying a format for the user-readable message and wherein the second control subdevice is responsive to said field to compose said user-readable message in accordance with the specified format.
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Abstract
A number of domestic audio/video apparatuses (10-14) are connected to a serial control bus (D2B, 16). Each apparatus is addressable via the bus as a device and contains functional elements addressable on subdevices. One apparatus (14) includes an on-screen display subdevice (41) and a first control subdevice (24). Device information messages are defined whereby the first control subdevice can request a second control subdevice (22) in a second apparatus (12) to compose and return a status message in user-readable form. Thus the user can be informed about status in the second apparatus in an optimum manner, and further can be informed automatically of any change in status without the need for continuous polling of subdevices.
50 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A local communication bus system comprising:
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a serial control bus coupled to a plurality of addressable devices, each addressable device comprising at least one respective subdevice which is addressable using said bus; a user output subdevice for displaying status information to a user; a first addressable device comprising a first control subdevice for initiating the display of said status information; a second addressable device comprising a second control subdevice; wherein said first control subdevice comprises means for generating and formatting a device information request message which comprises a first device address for addressing said second addressable device; wherein said second control subdevice which is responsive to said device information request message and which composes and formats a user-readable message which comprises a further device address and transmits said user-readable message to said user output subdevice for display; said device information request message including a field specifying a format for the user-readable message and wherein the second control subdevice is responsive to said field to compose said user-readable message in accordance with the specified format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A local communication bus system comprising:
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a) a serial control bus coupled to a plurality of addressable devices, each addressable device comprising at least one respective subdevice which is addressable using said bus; a user output subdevice for displaying status information to a user; a first addressable device comprising a first control subdevice for initiating the display of said status information; a second addressable device comprising a second control subdevice; wherein said first control subdevice comprises means for generating and formatting a device information request message which comprises a first device address for addressing said second addressable device; wherein said second control subdevice which is responsive to said device information request message and which composes and formats a user-readable message which comprises a further device address and transmits said user-readable message to said user output subdevise for display; and wherein said second control subdevice further includes means responsive to a change in status within said system for composing and transmitting an updated user message independent of a further information request from said first control subdevice; said information request message including a field specifying whether an Updated user-readable message is desired. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification