Communication controlling apparatus and recording medium for recording communication controlling programs

• US 6,259,706 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shimada, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/054,104
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 370/469, 710/11, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0057 Operations, administration and maintenance [OAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0066 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A communication controlling apparatus includes a receiving side communication protocol identifying means for determining a candidate communication protocol for a second apparatus. If an acknowledgment response is received from the second apparatus, a communication protocol is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for the second apparatus and, if no acknowledgment response is received, operations to convert a first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by the second apparatus and to transmit the other signal to the second apparatus are repeated till an acknowledgment response to the other signal is received from the second apparatus. The apparatus also has a communication protocol converting means converting the first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by the second apparatus, and a communication protocol conversion controlling means controlling the communication protocol converting means. If a first communication protocol is different from a protocol at the receiving side, a command is given to the communication protocol converting means to convert the first signal into another signal conforming to the communication protocol identified by the protocol identifying means at the receiving side.

Claims

1. A communication controlling apparatus provided between a first apparatus on a transmitting side originally designed for transmitting a first signal in accordance with a first communication protocol to a second apparatus on a receiving side for receiving a second signal in accordance with a second communication protocol and said second apparatus, wherein an acknowledgment response to said second signal is returned to said first apparatus if said second signal is received normally, and used for converting said first signal into said second signal conforming to said second communication protocol, said communication controlling apparatus comprising:

receiving side communication protocol identifying means for determining a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus wherein, if an acknowledgment response to said second signal transmitted to said second apparatus is received from said second apparatus, a communication protocol used for transmission of said second signal to said second apparatus is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus and, if no acknowledgment response to said second signal transmitted to said second apparatus is received from said second apparatus, on the other hand, operations to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus and to transmit said another signal to said second apparatus in accordance with said another communication protocol are repeated till an acknowledgment response to said another signal is received from said second apparatus in which case said another communication protocol is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus;

communication protocol converting means for converting said first signal into said another signal conforming to said another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus; and

communication protocol conversion controlling means for controlling said communication protocol converting means wherein, if said first communication protocol is different from a communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifing means, a command is given to said communication protocol converting means to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means and, if said first communication protocol matches said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, on the other hand, said first signal is passed on to said second apparatus as it is.

2. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said communication controlling apparatus is embedded in said first apparatus and connected to said second apparatus by typically a cable and a connector that can be plugged in said second apparatus.

3. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said communication controlling apparatus is connected t o said first apparatus and said second apparatus by typically a cable and connectors that can be plugged in said first and second apparatuses respectively.

4. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said communication protocol conversion controlling means controls said communication protocol converting means to convert or not to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus in dependence on a control signal.

5. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting side communication protocol identifying means for identifying a communication protocol adopted by said first apparatus on said transmitting side;

and

wherein said communication protocol converting means is used for converting a communication protocol supposed to be adopted by any first apparatus on said transmitting side into a communication protocol supposed to be adopted by any second apparatus on said receiving side.

6. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an insert window for inserting a recording medium from a position outside said communication controlling apparatus and a processor;

wherein functions of said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, said communication protocol converting means and said communication protocol conversion controlling means are implemented by execution of a communication controlling program stored in said recording medium by means of said processor.

7. A communication controlling apparatus provided between a first apparatus on a transmitting side originally designed for transmitting a first signal in accordance with a first communication protocol to a second apparatus on a receiving side for receiving a second signal in accordance with a second communication protocol and said second apparatus, wherein an acknowledgment response to said second signal is returned to said first apparatus if said second signal is received normally, and used for converting said first signal into said second signal conforming to said second communication protocol, said communication controlling apparatus comprising:

receiving side communication protocol identifying means for determining a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus by transmitting its own communication protocol identifying signal for identifying said communication protocol of said second apparatus to said second apparatus on its own initiative wherein, if an acknowledgment response to said communication protocol identifying signal transmitted to said second apparatus is received from said second apparatus, on the other hand, an operation to transmit another communication protocol identifying signal to said second apparatus is repeated till an acknowledgment response to said another communication protocol identifying signal is received from said second apparatus in which case said communication protocol used for transmission of said another communication protocol identifying signal to said second apparatus is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus;

communication protocol converting means for converting said first signal into said another signal conforming to said another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus; and

communication protocol conversion controlling means for controlling said communication protocol converting means wherein, if said first communication protocol is different from a communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, a command is given to said communication protocol converting means to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means and, if said first communication protocol matches said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, on the other hand, said first signal is passed on to said second apparatus as it is.

8. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said communication controlling apparatus is embedded in said first apparatus and connected to said second apparatus by typically a cable and a connector that can be plugged in said second apparatus.

9. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said communication controlling apparatus is connected to said first apparatus and said second apparatus by typically a cable and connectors that can be plugged in said first and second apparatuses respectively.

10. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said communication protocol conversion controlling means controls said communication protocol converting means to convert or not to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus in dependence on a control signal.

11. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising transmitting side communication protocol identifying means for identifying a communication protocol adopted by said first apparatus on said transmitting side;

and

wherein said communication protocol converting means is used for converting a communication protocol supposed to be adopted by any first apparatus on said transmitting side into a communication protocol supposed to be adopted by any second apparatus on said receiving side.

12. A communication controlling apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising an insert window for inserting a recording medium from a position outside said communication controlling apparatus and a processor;

wherein functions of said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, said communication protocol converting means and said communication protocol conversion controlling means are implemented by execution of a communication controlling program stored in said recording medium by means of said processor.

13. A recording medium used for storing a communication controlling program for controlling communication between a first app on a transmitting side originally designed for transmitting a first signal in accordance with a first communication protocol to a second apparatus on a receiving side for receiving a second signal in accordance with a second communication protocol and said second apparatus, wherein an acknowledgment response to said second signal is returned to said first apparatus if said second signal is received normally, and used for converting said first signal into said second signal conforming to said second communication protocol, said communication controlling program executed by a processor for implementing functions of:

receiving side communication protocol identifying means for determining a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus wherein, if an acknowledgment response to said second signal transmitted to said second apparatus is received from said second apparatus, a communication protocol used for transmission of said second signal to said second apparatus is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus and, if no acknowledgment response to said second signal transmitted to said second apparatus is received from said second apparatus, on the other hand, operations to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus and to transmit said another signal to said second apparatus in accordance with said another communication protocol are repeated till an acknowledgment response to said another signal is received from said second apparatus in which case said other communication protocol is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus;

communication protocol converting means for converting said first signal into said another signal conforming to said another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus; and

communication protocol conversion controlling means for controlling said communication protocol converting means wherein, if said first communication protocol is different from a communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifing means, a command is given to said communication protocol converting means to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means and, if said first communication protocol matches said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, on the other hand, said first signal is passed on to said second apparatus as it is.

14. A recording medium used for storing a communication controlling program for controlling communication between a first apparatus on a transmitting side originally designed for transmitting a first signal in accordance with a first communication protocol to a second apparatus on a receiving side for receiving a second signal in accordance with a second communication protocol and said second apparatus, wherein an acknowledgment response to said second signal is returned to said first apparatus if said second signal is received normally, and used for converting said first signal into said second signal conforming to said second communication protocol, said communication controlling program executed by a processor for implementing functions of:

receiving side communication protocol identifying means for determining a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus by transmitting its own communication protocol identifying signal for identifying said communication protocol of said second apparatus to said second apparatus on its own initiative wherein, if an acknowledgment response to said communication protocol identifying signal transmitted to said second apparatus is received from said second apparatus, a communication protocol used for transmission of said communication protocol identifying signal to said second apparatus is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus and, if no acknowledgment response to said communication protocol identifying signal transmitted to said second apparatus is received from said second apparatus, on the other hand, an operation to transmit another communication protocol identifying signal to said second apparatus is repeated till an acknowledgment response to said another communication protocol identifying signal is received from said second apparatus in which case said communication protocol used for transmission of said another communication protocol identifying signal to said second apparatus is determined to be a candidate communication protocol for said second apparatus;

communication protocol converting means for converting said first signal into said another signal conforming to said another communication protocol supposed to be adopted by said second apparatus; and

communication protocol conversion controlling means for controlling said communication protocol converting means wherein, if said first communication protocol is different from a communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, a command is given to said communication protocol converting means to convert said first signal into another signal conforming to said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means and, if said first communication protocol matches said communication protocol identified by said receiving side communication protocol identifying means, on the other hand, said first signal is passed on to said second apparatus as it is.