Network device which maintains a list of device addresses
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a network device on a local area network (LAN) in which plural different network devices communicate over the LAN by transmitting broadcast packets that are not addressed to any one particular network device and by transmitting addressed packets that are addressed to a network device corresponding to a device address contained therein, the network device being controlled to operate as a list manager which maintains a list of device addresses for the LAN, and being controlled to operate as a slave which provides a device address of the network device to a list manager, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining whether a list manager is operating on the LAN by transmitting a broadcast packet from the network device to request a list manager and by waiting for a response for a predetermined period of time after the broadcast packet has been transmitted, said determining step determining that no list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is not received by the network device after the predetermined period of time, and determining that a list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is received by the network device within the predetermined period of time;
controlling the network device to operate as a slave on the LAN when the determining step determines that a list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to transmit an addressed packet to the list manager that includes the device address of the network device; and
controlling the network device to operate as the list manager for the LAN when the determining step determines that no list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to maintain a list of device addresses and to respond to a requestor'"'"'s request for device addresses by transmitting an addressed packet containing device addresses to the requestor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method controls a network device on a local area network (LAN) to operate as a list manager which maintains a list of device addresses for the LAN, and to operate as a slave which provides a device address of the network device to a list manager. The method comprises the steps of determining whether a list manager is operating on the LAN, controlling the network device to operate as a slave on the LAN when the determining step determines that a list manager is operating on the LAN, and controlling the network device to operate as the list manager for the LAN when the determining step determines that no list manager is operating on the LAN.
170 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a network device on a local area network (LAN) in which plural different network devices communicate over the LAN by transmitting broadcast packets that are not addressed to any one particular network device and by transmitting addressed packets that are addressed to a network device corresponding to a device address contained therein, the network device being controlled to operate as a list manager which maintains a list of device addresses for the LAN, and being controlled to operate as a slave which provides a device address of the network device to a list manager, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining whether a list manager is operating on the LAN by transmitting a broadcast packet from the network device to request a list manager and by waiting for a response for a predetermined period of time after the broadcast packet has been transmitted, said determining step determining that no list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is not received by the network device after the predetermined period of time, and determining that a list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is received by the network device within the predetermined period of time; controlling the network device to operate as a slave on the LAN when the determining step determines that a list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to transmit an addressed packet to the list manager that includes the device address of the network device; and controlling the network device to operate as the list manager for the LAN when the determining step determines that no list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to maintain a list of device addresses and to respond to a requestor'"'"'s request for device addresses by transmitting an addressed packet containing device addresses to the requestor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 46, 47, 48)
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16. A network device on a local area network (LAN) in which plural different network devices communicate over the LAN by transmitting broadcast packets that are not addressed to any one particular network device and by transmitting addressed packets that are addressed to a network device corresponding to a device address contained therein, the network device being controlled, the network device operating as a list manager for the LAN by maintaining a list of device addresses for the LAN, and operating as a slave on the LAN by providing a device address to another device on the LAN operating as the list manager, the network device comprising:
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a memory which stores a device address of the network device and process steps for execution by a processor, and which can store the list of device addresses for the LAN; a LAN interface which interfaces to the LAN, over which communications including broadcast packets and addressed packets are transmitted to and received from the LAN; and a processor which executes the process steps stored in the memory (1) to determine whether a list manager is operating on the LAN by transmitting a broadcast packet from the network device to request a list manager and by waiting for a response for a predetermined period of time after the broadcast packet has been transmitted, said determining step determining that no list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is not received by the network device after the predetermined period of time, and determining that a list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is received by the network device within the predetermined period of time, (2) to control the network device to operate as a slave on the LAN when the processor determines that a list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to transmit an addressed packet to the list manager that includes the device address of the network device, and (3) to control the network device to operate as the list manager for the LAN when the processor determines that no list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to maintain a list of device addresses and to respond to a requestor'"'"'s request for device addresses by transmitting an addressed packet containing device addresses to the requestor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 49, 50, 51)
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31. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to control a network device on a local area network (LAN) in which plural different network devices communicate over the LAN by transmitting broadcast rackets that are not addressed to any one particular network device and by transmitting addressed packets that are addressed to a network device corresponding to a device address contained therein, the network device being controlled to operate as a list manager which maintains a list of device addresses for the LAN, and being controlled to operate as a slave which provides a device address of the network device to a list manager, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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a determining step to determine whether a list manager is operating on the LAN by transmitting a broadcast packet from the network device to request a list manager and by waiting for a response for a predetermined period of time after the broadcast packet has been transmitted, said determining step determining that no list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is not received by the network device after the predetermined period of time, and determining that a list manager is operating on the LAN if a response to the broadcast packet is received by the network device within the predetermined period of time; a controlling step to control the network device to operate as a slave on the LAN when the determining step determines that a list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to transmit an addressed packet to the list manager that includes the device address of the network device; and a controlling step to control the network device to operate as the list manager for the LAN when the determining step determines that no list manager is operating on the LAN, including controlling the network device to maintain a list of device addresses and to respond to a requestor'"'"'s request for device addresses by transmitting an addressed packet containing device addresses to the requestor. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification