System for searching through descriptive data in a network having a hierarchical data structure describing contents and capabilities of the network devices

• US 6,460,032 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2000
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1998
• 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: Ludtke, Harold Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/580,274
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/205, 707/200, 710/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• 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 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system and method of same for performing a search of stored data in a network of electronic devices connected by a network bus, wherein at least one of the electronic devices is a target device containing the stored data and another one of the electronic devices is a controller device. In one embodiment, the electronic devices are compliant with audio visual control (AV/C) protocol and the network is compliant with IEEE 1394. In accordance with the present invention, search criterion are specified in a command structure transmitted from the controller device to the target device. The target device recognizes the command as a request to perform the search of the stored data and executes the command, thereby causing the search to be performed. As a result of a successful search, data on the target device that satisfy the search criterion are identified and an identifier locating that data is also specified. The target device transmits a response containing the identifier to the controller device. The identifier provides sufficient information for locating the discovered data so that it can be subsequently accessed and retrieved by the controller device. Thus, the present invention accomplishes the search on the target device containing the stored data and only a relatively small amount of data is transmitted over the network bus, thus consuming only a small portion of the available bandwidth capacity of the bus and improving overall network performance.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a) a plurality of devices coupled together using a bus architecture wherein said plurality of devices maintains, stored therein, a standardized hierarchical data structure representing capabilities and contents of said plurality of devices and wherein said plurality of devices comprise a target device and a controller device;

b) said controller device configured to transmit a command structure from said controller device to said target device which recognizes said command structure as a request to perform a search of data stored in said target device;

c) said target device configured to perform said search to identify data on said target device that satisfies said command structure and to determine an identifier corresponding thereto; and

d) said target device configured to transmit a response containing said identifier to said controller device.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein:

e) said controller device is configured to access said data that satisfies said command structure using said identifier; and

f) said target device is configured to transfer said data to said controller device and wherein said network interface supports peer-to-peer communication.

3. The network of claim 2 wherein said target device is configured to transfer an object of media described by said data to said controller device.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein said command structure comprises a code indicating data to search for, a code indicating a location of said data to search for, a start point within said location, and a response format for said identifier.

5. The network of claim 4 wherein said response format comprises an address for said data that satisfies said command structure.

6. The network of claim 4 wherein said response format comprises a position of an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

7. The network of claim 4 wherein said response format comprises an identifier of an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

8. The network of claim 4 wherein said response format comprises a list containing an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

9. The network of claim 4 wherein said response format comprises a type of list containing an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

10. The network of claim 1 wherein said plurality of devices are compliant with AV/C (audio visual control) protocol.

11. The network of claim 1 wherein said target device comprises a proxy device.

12. The network of claim 1 wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises object lists and object entries, which are configured to represent devices, supported media, installed media and available services of said plurality of devices.

13. The network of claim 12 wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises a unit object list comprising unit object descriptors, each unit object descriptor for representing a respective device of said plurality of devices.

14. The network of claim 12 wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises a supported media object list, for a respective device, comprising entries representing types of media supported by said respective device.

15. The network of claim 12 wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises an installed media object list, for a respective device, comprising entries representing available information on media installed within said respective device.

16. A network comprising:

a) a plurality of devices comprising a target device and a controller device coupled together, wherein said plurality of devices maintains, stored therein, a standardized hierarchical data structure representing capabilities and contents of said plurality of devices and comprising object lists and associated object entries, wherein an object entry represents a device;

b) said controller device configured to transmit a command structure from said controller device to said target device which recognizes said command structure as a request to perform a search of data stored in said target device;

c) said target device configured to perform said search of stored data therein to identify data on said target device that satisfies said command structure and to determine an identifier corresponding thereto; and

d) said target device configured to transmit a response containing said identifier to said controller device.

17. The network of claim 16 wherein:

f) said controller device is configured to access said data that satisfies said command structure using said identifier; and

g) said target device is configured to transfer said data to said controller device and wherein said network interface supports peer-to-peer communication.

18. The network of claim 17 wherein said target device is configured to transfer an object of media described by said data to said controller device.

19. The network of claim 16 wherein said command structure comprises a code indicating data to search for, a code indicating a location of said data to search for, a start point within said location, and a response format for said identifier and wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises object lists and object entries, which are configured to represent devices, supported media, installed media and available services of said plurality of devices.

20. The network of claim 19 wherein said response format comprises an address for said data that satisfies said command structure.

21. The network of claim 19 wherein said response format comprises a position of an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

22. The network of claim 19 wherein said response format comprises an identifier of an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

23. The network of claim 19 wherein said response format comprises a list containing an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

24. The network of claim 19 wherein said response format comprises a type of list containing an object of media described by said data that satisfies said command structure.

25. The network of claim 16 wherein said plurality of devices are compliant with AV/C (audio visual control) protocol.

26. The network of claim 16 wherein said target device comprises a proxy device.

27. The network of claim 19 wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises a unit object list comprising unit object descriptors, each unit object descriptor for representing a respective device of said plurality of devices.

28. The network of claim 19 wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises a supported media object list, for a respective device, comprising entries representing types of media supported by said respective device.

29. The network of claim 19 wherein said hierarchical data structure comprises an installed media object list, for a respective device, comprising entries representing available information on media installed within said respective device.