Interface apparatus connecting between multimedia network and music network

• US 6,088,364 A
• Filed: 07/14/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Tokuhiro, Taro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/892,193
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 370/600, 370/401, 370/465, 370/466-467, 704/200, 704/201, 704/202, 704/203, 704/258, 704/259
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24

Abstract

An interface apparatus connects between a first node involved in a multimedia network which generally treats multimedia information including music information transferred in a generalized protocol, and a second node involved in an musical network which specially treats music information transferred in a specialized protocol. The interface apparatus has an input device that operates when the second node communicates with the first node for converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol so that the first node can admit the music information from the second node, and an output device that operates when the first node communicates with the second node for converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol so that the second node can admit the music information from the first node. Typically, the input device and the output device are integrated in the first node.

Claims

1. An interface apparatus for connecting between a first node involved in a multimedia network which generally treats multimedia information including music information transferred in a generalized protocol, and a second node involved in a musical network which specially treats music information transferred in a specialized protocol, the interface apparatus comprising:

an input device that operates when the second node communicates with the first node for converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol so that the first node can admit the music information from the second node, and

an output device that operates when the first node communicates with the second node for converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol so that the second node can admit the music information from the first node,

wherein the input device unconditionally converts the music information transmitted by the second node such that the first node having a relatively large capacity receives all messages contained in the music information, while the output device conditionally converts the music information transmitted by the first node such that the second node having a relatively small capacity receives only messages necessary for the second node.

2. An interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input device and the output device are integrated in the first node.

3. An interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output device is integrated in the first node and selectively converts only messages which are provisionally designated by the second node.

4. An interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output device operates when the second node suffers from overflow of the music information for selectively converting only indispensable messages so as to resolve the overflow.

5. An interface apparatus for connecting between a first node involved in a multimedia network which generally treats multimedia information including music information transferred in a generalized protocol, and a second node involved in a musical network which specially treats music information transferred in a specialized protocol, the interface apparatus comprising:

an input device that operates when the second node communicates with the first node for converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol so that the first node can admit the music information from the second node, and

an output device that operates when the first node communicates with the second node for converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol so that the second node can admit the music information from the first node,

wherein the input device converts the music information from the specialized protocol determined according to MIDI standard into the generalized protocol determined according to IEEE1394 standard, while the output device converts the music information from the generalized protocol determined according to IEEE1394 standard into the specialized protocol determined according to MIDI standard.

6. A routing apparatus integrated into a first node involved in a multimedia network which generally treats multimedia information including music information transferred in a modern protocol, for interfacing a second node involved in a musical network which specially treats music information transferred in a classic protocol, the routing apparatus comprising:

receiver means operative when the second node communicates with the first node for converting the music information from the classic protocol into the modern protocol so that the first node can receive the music information from the second node, and

transmitter means operative when the first node communicates with the second node for converting the music information from the modern protocol into the classic protocol so that the first node can transmit the music information to the second node,

wherein the receiver means unconditionally converts the music information issued by the second node such that the first node having a relatively large capacity admits all messages contained in the music information, while the transmitter means conditionally converts the music information issued by the first node such that the second node having a relatively small capacity admits only messages necessary for the second node.

7. A routing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter means selectively converts only messages which are provisionally designated by the second node.

8. A routing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter means operates when the second node suffers from overflow of the music information for selectively converting only indispensable messages so as to resolve the overflow.

9. A system comprising:

a multimedia network composed of first nodes which generally treat multimedia information including music information transferred through the multimedia network in a generalized protocol;

a musical network composed of second nodes which specially treat music information transferred through the musical network in a specialized protocol; and

an interface node for connecting between the multimedia network and the musical network, the interface node comprising an input device that operates when the musical network communicates with the multimedia network for converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol so that the multimedia network can admit the music information from the musical network, and an output device that operates when the multimedia network communicates with the musical network for converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol so that the musical network can admit the music information from the multimedia network,

wherein the interface node comprises one of the first nodes involved in the multimedia network and connected to one of the second nodes involved in the musical network,

wherein the input device unconditionally converts the music information transmitted by the second node such that the first node having a relatively large capacity receives all messages contained in the music information, while the output device conditionally converts the music information transmitted by the first node such that the second node having a relatively small capacity receives only messages necessary for the second node.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the output device is integrated in the first node and selectively converts only messages which are provisionally designated by the second node.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the output device operates when the second node suffers from overflow of the music information for selectively converting only indispensable messages so as to resolve the overflow.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein the interface node interfaces between the multimedia network which transfers the music information at a relatively fast rate according to the generalized protocol and the music network which transfers the music information at a relatively slow rate according to the specialized protocol so that the input device unconditionally receives the slow rate of the music information from the musical while the output device conditionally transmits the fast rate of the music information so as to adjusts for the slow rate in the musical network.

15. A system according to claim 9, wherein the first nodes operate when physically coupled to each other for automatically routing the multimedia information among the first nodes to set up the multimedia network.

12. A system comprising:

a multimedia network composed of first nodes which generally treat multimedia information including music information transferred through the multimedia network in a generalized protocol;

a musical network composed of second nodes which specially treat music information transferred through the musical network in a specialized protocol; and

an interface node for connecting between the multimedia network and the musical network, the interface node comprising an input device that operates when the musical network communicates with the multimedia network for converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol so that the multimedia network can admit the music information from the musical network, and an output device that operates when the multimedia network communicates with the musical network for converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol so that the musical network can admit the music information from the multimedia network,

wherein the multimedia network adopts the generalized protocol determined according to IEEE1394 standard, while the musical network adopts the specialized protocol determined according to MIDI standard.

13. A system comprising:

a multimedia network composed of first nodes which generally treat multimedia information including music information transferred through the multimedia network in a generalized protocol;

a musical network composed of second nodes which specially treat music information transferred through the musical network in a specialized protocol; and

an interface node for connecting between the multimedia network and the musical network, the interface node comprising an input device that operates when the musical network communicates with the multimedia network for converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol so that the multimedia network can admit the music information from the musical network, and an output device that operates when the multimedia network communicates with the musical network for converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol so that the musical network can admit the music information from the multimedia network,

wherein the first nodes are coupled to each other through be-directional cables to transfer the music information thereamong, while a second node transmitting the musical information is coupled to the input device of the interface node through a unidirectional cable and another second node receiving the music information is coupled to the output device of the interface node through another unidirectional cable.

16. A method of integrating networks, comprising the steps of:

setting up a multimedia network composed of first nodes which generally treat multimedia information including music information transferred through the multimedia network in a generalized protocol;

setting up a musical network composed of second nodes which specially treat music information transferred through the musical network in a specialized protocol; and

interfacing between the multimedia network and the musical network, the interfacing step comprising an input step of converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol when the musical network communicates with the multimedia network so that the multimedia network can admit the music information from the musical network, and an output step of converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol when the multimedia network communicates with the musical network so that the musical network can admit the music information from the multimedia network,

wherein the input step unconditionally converts the music information transmitted by the music network such that the multimedia network having a relatively large capacity receives all messages contained in the music information, while the output step conditionally converts the music information transmitted by the musical network such that the musical network having a relatively small capacity receives only messages necessary for the second node.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the output step converts only messages which are provisionally designated by the musical network.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the output step selectively converts only indispensable messages when the musical network suffers from overflow of the music information so as to resolve the overflow.

19. A method of integrating networks, comprising the steps of:

setting up a multimedia network composed of first nodes which generally treat multimedia information including music information transferred through the multimedia network in a generalized protocol;

setting up a musical network composed of second nodes which specially treat music information transferred through the musical network in a specialized protocol; and

interfacing between the multimedia network and the musical network, the interfacing step comprising an input step of converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol when the musical network communicates with the multimedia network so that the multimedia network can admit the music information from the musical network, and an output step of converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol when the multimedia network communicates with the musical network so that the musical network can admit the music information from the multimedia network,

wherein the interfacing step interfaces between the multimedia network which transfers the music information at a relatively fast rate according to the generalized protocol and the music network which transfers the music information at a relatively slow rate according to the specialized protocol so that the input step unconditionally receives the slow rate of the music information from the musical network while the output step conditionally transmits the fast rate of the music information so as to adjust for the slow rate in the musical network.

20. A machine readable media containing instructions for causing an interface machine to perform the operation of connecting between a first node involved in a multimedia network which generally treats multimedia information including music information transferred in a generalized protocol, and a second node involved in a musical network which specially treats music information transferred in a specialized protocol, wherein the operation comprises:

an input step of converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol when the second node communicates with the first node so that the first node can admit the music information from the second node, and

an output step of converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol when the first node communicates with the second node sot that the second node can admit the music information from the first node,

wherein the input step unconditionally converts the music information transmitted by the musical network such that the multimedia network having a relatively large capacity receives all messages contained in the music information, while the output step conditionally converts the music information transmitted by the multimedia network such that the musical network having a relatively small capacity receives only messages necessary for the musical network.

21. A machine readable media according to claim 20, wherein the output step selectively converts only messages which are provisionally designated by the musical network.

22. A machine readable media according to claim 20, wherein the output selectively converts only indispensable messages when the musical work suffers from overflow of the music information so as to resolve the flow.

23. A machine readable media containing instructions for causing an interface machine to perform the operation of connecting between a first node involved in a multimedia network which generally treats multimedia information including music information transferred in a generalized protocol, and a second node involved in a musical network which specially treats music information transferred in a specialized protocol, wherein the operation comprises:

an input step of converting the music information from the specialized protocol into the generalized protocol when the second node communicates with the first node so that the first node can admit the music information from the second node, and

an output step of converting the music information from the generalized protocol into the specialized protocol when the first node communicates with the second node sot that the second node can admit the music information from the first node,

wherein the input step converts the music information from the specialized protocol determined according to MIDI standard into the generalized protocol determined according to IEEE1394 standard, while the output step converts the music information from the generalized protocol determined according to IEEE1394 standard into the specialized protocol determined according to MID standard.