Device interoperability

• US 6,504,847 B1
• Filed: 03/23/1999
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Horlander, Karl Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/269,243
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/3.22, 340/3.9, 340/7.22, 340/7.2, 370/431, 370/522, 370/216, 370/218, 370/231
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00137 involving measures which result in a restriction to contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier to authorised users
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00152 involving a password
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• 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 12/40019 Details regarding a bus master
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• 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 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91328 : the copy protection signal being a copy management signal, e.g. a copy generation management signal [CGMS]
• 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 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 : the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/926 : by pulse code modulation H04N5/919 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9305 : involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7925 : for more than one standard

Abstract

A system comprising a first device including a controller and a lock manager, a second device coupled to the first device by a bus, and a third device coupled to the first and second devices by the bus. The controller and the lock manager of the first device operate to establish an exclusive communication relationship between the first device and one of the second or third devices.

Claims

1. A first device comprising:

(a) means for communicating with at least one second device interconnected to the first device by a network bus, thereby creating a relationship between the first device and said second device, said means for communicating being capable of receiving query data from at least one third device;

(b) first means for storing information pertaining to the presistence of a relationship between the first device and the at least one second device;

(c) second means for storing information pertaining to a condition for terminating said relationship between the first device and the at least one second device;

(d) means for controlling operating modes of said first device in response to control data from said at lease one second device, said means for controlling being capable of processing said persistence information and said query data, and terminating the relationship between the first device and the at least one second device in response to one of said terminating condition and said query data,

wherein information pertaining to the persistence of the relationship between the first electronic device and the second electronic device comprises one of at least two different persistence levels.

2. The first device recited in claim 1 wherein said persistence information comprises one of a first state wherein said relationship between the first device and the at least one second device is terminated in response to said query data, and a second state wherein said relationship between the first device and the at least one second device is maintained regardless of said query data.

3. The first device recited in claim 2 wherein said step of terminating said relationship between the first device and the at least one second device in response to said query data comprises forming a new relationship between said first device and said at least one third device.

4. The first device recited in claim 3 wherein said means for controlling is capable of polling said at least one second device, in response to the receipt of said query data to obtain permission to terminate said relationship between said first device and said at least one second device.

5. The first device recited in claim 4 wherein said means for controlling is further capable of monitoring the status of said at least one second device.

6. The first device recited in claim 5 wherein said means for controlling is further capable of enabling said at least one second device to alter information contained in said first device.

7. The first device recited in claim 1 wherein said condition for terminating said relationship is related to one of said relationship between said first device and said at least one second device, and an internal condition of said first device.

8. A first device comprising:

(a) means for communicating with at least one second device interconnected to the first device by a network bus, thereby creating a relationship between said first device and said at least one second device, said means for communicating capable of receiving query data from at least one third device;

(b) first means for storing information pertaining to the persistence of a relationship between the first device and the at least one second device, wherein said relationship information comprises one of a first state wherein said relationship is terminated in response to said query data, and a second state wherein said relationship is maintained regardless of said query data;

(c) second means for storing information pertaining to a condition for terminating said relationship between said first device and said at least one second device;

(d) means for controlling operating modes of said first device in response to control data from said at least one second device, said means for controlling capable of processing said persistence information and said query data, and terminating said relationship between said first device and said at least one second device in response to one of said terminating condition and said query data,

wherein the information pertaining to the persistence of a relationship between the first device and one of the second or third devices comprises one of at least two different persistence levels.

9. A system having a plurality of first devices interconnected to one another by a network bus, each first device comprising:

(a) means for communicating with at least one second device over the network bus, thereby creating a relationship between said first device and said second device, said means for communicating being capable of receiving query data from at least one third device;

(b) first means for storing information pertaining to the persistence of said relationship between the first device and the at least one second device, wherein said relationship information comprises one of a first state wherein said relationship is terminated in response to said query data, and a second state wherein said relationship is maintained regardless of said query data;

(c) second means for storing information pertaining to a condition for terminating said relationship between said first device and said at least one second device;

(d) means for controlling operating modes of said first device in response to control data from said at least one second device, said means for controlling capable of processing said persistence information and said query data, and terminating said relationship between said first device and said at least one second device in response to one of said terminating condition and said query data.

10. A method for controlling a consumer electronic device connected on a network bus, the method comprising:

(a) communicating with at least one second device interconnected by a network bus to the consumer electronic device thereby creating a relationship between said consumer electronic device and said at least one second device;

(b) controlling operating modes of said consumer electronic device, at least one operating mode being controllable by said at least one second device on said network bus, thereby creating a relationship between said consumer electronic device and said at least one second device;

(c) storing information pertaining to a persistence of said relationship between said consumer electronic device and said at least one second device, and a predetermined condition pertaining to a condition for terminating said relationship;

(d) receiving query data from at least one third device;

(e) processing said information pertaining to the persistence of said relationship and said query data; and

(f) terminating said relationship between said consumer electronic device and said at least one second device in response to one of said terminating condition and said query data,

wherein the information pertaining to the persistence of a relationship between the first device and one of the second or third devices comprises one of at least two different persistence levels.

11. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the step of terminating said relationship further comprises creating a new relationship between said consumer electronic device and said at least one third device.

12. The method recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of polling said at least one second device to obtain permission to terminate said relationship between said consumer electronic device and the at least one second device.

13. The method recited in claim 12 further comprising the step of monitoring the status of said at least one second device.

14. The method recited in claim 13 further comprising the step of enabling said at least one second device to alter information contained in said consumer electronic device.

15. A system comprising:

a first device, said first device including a controller and a lock manager;

a second device coupled to the first device by a bus; and

,

a third device coupled to the first and second devices by the bus,

wherein the controller and the lock manager of the first device operate to establish an exclusive communication relationship between the first device and one of the second or third devices, and wherein the lock manager stores information relating to the persistence of a relationship between the first device and one of the second or third devices, and p1 wherein the information relating to the persistence of a relationship between the first device and one of the second or third devices comprises one of at least two different persistence levels.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a controller for coordinating communications between the electronic device and other electronic devices coupled to the electronic device over a bus; and

,

a lock manager for establishing an exclusive communications link between the electronic device and one of the other electronic devices over the bus, said lock manager storing persistence information and termination information relating to said one of the other electronic devices,

wherein persistence information composes one of at least two different persistence levels.

17. A method for controlling communications between electronic devices, comprising the steps of:

establishing between a first electronic device and a second electronic device a communications lock thereby prohibiting other electronic devices from communicating with the first electronic device;

storing information relating to the persistence of the relationship the first electronic device and the second electronic device;

maintaining the communications lock between the first and second electronic devices as long as at least one predetermined termination condition is not met; and

terminating the communications lock between the first and second electronic devices if at least one predetermined termination condition is met,

wherein the information relating to the persistence of the relationship between the first electronic device and the second electronic device comprises one of at least two different persistence levels.