Methods and apparatus for monitoring a 1394 home network

• US 6,430,629 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Smyers, Scott David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US09/337,207
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 710/15, 710/18, 710/19, 710/5, 709/205, 714/12
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25166 USB, firewire, ieee-1394
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A 1394 home network monitor for gathering information on the state of nodes within a IEEE 1394 home network, and storing the generated information. The IEEE 1394 standard is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard for a high speed serial bus for connecting multiple electronics devices. An IEEE 1394 home network, for example, uses the 1394 IEEE standard to connect multiple devices, referred to as nodes, within a home. Some of these devices autonomously change state over time, and such state changes may involve controlling other devices in the home network. An example of such a home network may include a central controller which turns on a Set Top Box (STB) and a VCR at a pre-programmed time in order to record a program.

Claims

1. A network monitor, comprising

means for receiving instructions from a user regarding periodically obtaining information from one or more devices in an IEEE 1394 network including a specified rate for obtaining the information;

means for periodically obtaining, in accordance with the user instructions, information from one or more devices in the IEEE 1394 network at the specified rate; and

means for storing the obtained information.

2. The network monitor of claim 1,

wherein the means for storing the obtained information includes a non-volatile storage means selected from the group consisting of a hard-disk drive, flash Random Access Memory, and non-volatile Random Access Memory.

3. The network monitor of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving instructions includes a user interface.

4. The network monitor of claim 3, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen.

5. The network monitor of claim 1, wherein the obtained information includes a historical log.

6. The network monitor of claim 1, further comprising

means for accessing the stored information.

7. The network monitor of claim 6, wherein the means for accessing the stored information includes a user interface.

8. The network monitor claim 7, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen.

9. A method for monitoring a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving instructions from a user regarding periodically obtaining information from one or more devices in an IEEE 1394 network including a specified rate for obtaining the information;

periodically obtaining information, in accordance with the user instructions, from one or more devices in the IEEE 1394 network at the specified rate; and

storing the obtained information.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the obtained information is stored in a non-volatile storage means selected from the group consisting of a hard disk drive, flash Random Access Memory, and non-volatile Random Access Memory.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the information received from the user is received via a user interface, further comprising the step of:

transmitting information to the user interface regarding the information obtained from the one or more devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the obtained information includes a historical log.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of

accessing the stored information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the means for accessing the stored information includes using a user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen.

17. A network monitor operable on an IEEE 1394 network including a plurality of devices, comprising:

a central processor that is capable of receiving information from a user interface regarding instructions from a user to obtain information from one or more devices in the IEEE 1394 network, wherein the obtained information includes a specified rate for obtaining the information; and

wherein the central processor is capable of executing instructions in order to periodically obtain information from one or more devices in the IEEE 1394 network at the specified rate, in accordance with the user'"'"'s instructions;

a memory for storing the information from the one or more devices;

an interface for connecting the network monitor to the IEEE 1394 network; and

a bus for interconnecting the central processor, memory and interface.

18. The network monitor of claim 17, further comprising:

the user interface for receiving the instructions from the user;

wherein the user interface is capable of displaying information to the user regarding the information obtained from the one or more devices.