Stream allocation in home networks

• US 6,452,935 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gibbs, Simon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/200,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, H04/N.714, H04/M.700, H04/M.102, H04/M.100, 345/327, 348/13, 348/12, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/383, 348/384, 348/385, 348/387, 455/6.3, 455/6.2, 455/6.1, 455/3.1, 455/4.2, 455/7.1, 370/437-439, 370/443, 370/229, 370/230
• US Class Current: 370/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method and system for automatically allocating bandwidth on a network bus in an audio/visual network. The present invention implements an intelligent process to automatically make adequate bus bandwidth available when a request for a connection (e.g., a communication channel used to transfer data) between a source device and a sink device is received. First, the present invention determines whether a communication channel is already allocated to the source device, and if so, the connection between the source device and the sink device is made using an overlay of the existing communication channel. Otherwise, the present invention compares the required bus bandwidth capacity for the source device with the available bus bandwidth capacity. Using voluntary and forced load shedding techniques, the present invention deallocates bus bandwidth capacity allocated to one or more of the devices on the audio/visual network if the available bus bandwidth capacity is less than the required bus bandwidth capacity. The present invention allocates a new channel between the source device and the sink device when the available bus bandwidth capacity is greater than or equal to the required bus bandwidth capacity.

Claims

1. In a network comprising a plurality of electronic audio/video devices coupled to a network bus, a method for allocating bus bandwidth capacity on said network bus, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a request to allocate a channel between a source device and a sink device in said network;

b) determining an amount of bus bandwidth capacity required for said channel, wherein said bus bandwidth capacity required for said channel is specified by said source device;

c) comparing available bus bandwidth capacity of said network bus with said bus bandwidth capacity required to establish said channel; and

d) provided said available bus bandwidth capacity is less than said bus bandwidth capacity required to establish said channel, initiating a process of voluntary load shedding, said process of voluntary load shedding comprising;

d1) sending a query to devices which have been allocated channels, each allocated channel having a respective allocated bus bandwidth, wherein responsive to said query each of said devices determines whether it is using its respective allocated bus bandwidth;

d2) receiving a response to said query from a device to which a channel had been allocated, said response providing authorization to reduce bus bandwidth allocated to said device; and

d3) reducing bus bandwidth allocated to said device, wherein said channel allocated to said device remains allocated but with a reduced bus bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, responsive to said step d, allocating a channel on said network bus from said source device to said sink device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said network is an IEEE 1394 serial bus network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of devices are selected from the group consisting of:

a television, an integrated receiver/decoder, a video cassette recorder, a digital video system, a home server, a personal computer system, and a digital audio system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said method is implemented by a stream manager software element executing on an intelligent device coupled to said network bus.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating an overlay of an existing channel connected to said source device, said overlay establishing said connection between said source device and said sink device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step d) comprises the steps of:

identifying an unused channel on said network bus; and

deallocating said unused channel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step d) comprises the steps of:

identifying a cooperating application;

sending a message to said cooperating application requesting authorization to deallocate bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said cooperating application;

receiving an affirmative response from said cooperating application; and

deallocating bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said cooperating application.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step d) comprises the steps of:

identifying a device in said network designated as a lowest priority device based on a priority ranking specified by a user of said network; and

deallocating bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said lowest priority device.

10. A network comprising:

a network bus;

a plurality of electronic audio/video devices coupled to said network bus, wherein one of said plurality of devices is an intelligent device having stored therein instructions for implementing a method to allocate bus bandwidth capacity on said network bus, said method comprising the steps of;

a) receiving a request to allocate a channel between a source device and a sink device in said network;

b) determining an amount of bus bandwidth capacity required for said channel, wherein said bus bandwidth capacity required for said channel is specified by said source device;

c) comparing available bus bandwidth capacity of said network bus with said bus bandwidth capacity required to establish said channel; and

d) provided said available bus bandwidth capacity is less than said bus bandwidth capacity required to establish said channel, initiating a process of voluntary load shedding, said process of voluntary load shedding comprising;

d1) sending a query to devices which have been allocated channels, each allocated channel having a respective allocated bus bandwidth, wherein responsive to said query each of said devices determines whether it is using its respective allocated bus bandwidth;

d2) receiving a response to said query from a device to which a channel had been allocated, said response providing authorization to reduce bus bandwidth allocated to said device; and

d3) reducing bus bandwidth allocated to said device, wherein said channel allocated to said device remains allocated but with a reduced bus bandwidth.

11. The network of claim 10 wherein said network is an IEEE 1394 serial bus network.

12. The network of claim 10 wherein said method further comprises the step of creating an overlay of an existing channel connected to said source device, said overlay establishing said connection between said source device and said sink device.

13. The network of claim 10 wherein said step d) of said method comprises the steps of:

identifying an unused channel on said network bus; and

deallocating said unused channel.

14. The network of claim 10 wherein said step d) of said method comprises the steps of:

identifying a cooperating application;

sending a message to said cooperating application requesting authorization to reduce bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said cooperating application;

receiving an affirmative response from said cooperating application; and

deallocating bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said cooperating application.

15. The network of claim 10 wherein said step d) of said method comprises the steps of:

identifying a device in said network designated as a lowest priority device based on a priority ranking specified by a user of said network; and

deallocating bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said lowest priority device.

16. In a network having a plurality of electronic audio/video devices coupled to a network bus, a software-implemented system for allocating bus bandwidth capacity on said network bus, said system comprising:

a messaging means for sending a request to allocate a channel between a source device and a sink device in said network; and

a stream manager means for determining an amount of bus bandwidth capacity required for said channel, wherein said bus bandwidth capacity required for said channel is specified by said source device, said stream manager means also for comparing available bus bandwidth capacity of said network bus with said bus bandwidth capacity required for said channel and, provided said available bus bandwidth capacity is less than said bus bandwidth capacity required to establish said channel, said stream manager means for performing a process of voluntary load shedding comprising;

sending a query to devices which have been allocated channels, each allocated channel having a respective allocated bus bandwidth, wherein responsive to said query each of said devices determines whether it is using its respective allocated bus bandwidth;

receiving a response to said query from a device to which a channel had been allocated, said response providing authorization to reduce bus bandwidth allocated to said device; and

reducing bus bandwidth allocated to said device, wherein said channel allocated to said device remains allocated but with a reduced bus bandwidth.

17. The network of claim 16 wherein said network is an IEEE 1394 serial bus network.

18. The network of claim 16 wherein said stream manager means creates an overlay of an existing channel connected to said source device, said overlay establishing said connection between said source device and said sink device.

19. The network of claim 16 wherein said stream manager means identifies an unused channel on said network bus and deallocates said unused channel.

20. The network of claim 19 wherein said stream manager means is also for identifying a cooperating application and deallocating bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said cooperating application after receiving authorization from said cooperating application.

21. The network of claim 20 wherein said stream manager means is also for identifying a device in said network designated as a lowest priority device based on a priority ranking specified by a user of said network and deallocating bus bandwidth capacity allocated to said lowest priority device.