Method and system for message dispatching in a home audio/video network
First Claim
1. In a home audio/video network of connected network devices, a method of routing a received message to a proper software controller, said method comprising the acts of:
- a) receiving said received message from a network bus, said step a) performed by an intelligent device coupled to said network bus wherein said intelligent device comprises a memory having stored therein a plurality of software controllers for communicating with a plurality of network devices;
b) examining said received message to determine an address indication and a source device identification stored therein;
c) determining any software controllers that match said address indication;
d) provided only one software controller matches said address indication, dispatching said received message to said one software controller; and
e) provided more than one software controllers match said address, dispatching said received message to that software controller that is also associated with said source device identification of said received message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of routing a received message to a proper software controller in a home audio/video network of connected network devices. A message is received from a network bus by an intelligent device coupled to the network bus, wherein the intelligent device includes a memory having stored therein a plurality of software controllers for communicating with a plurality of network devices. The intelligent device examines the received message to determine a memory space indication and a source device identification stored therein. The intelligent device then determines whether any software controllers associated with the device match the memory space indication. Provided that only one software controller matches the memory space indication, the received message is dispatched to the one software controller. Provided that more than one software controller matches the memory space indication, the received message is dispatched to that software controller that is also associated with the source device identification of the received message. Provided the memory space indication matches a self-software controller defined to control the intelligent device and another software controller, the received message is dispatched to the another software controller provided the another software controller is awaiting a return message. The received message is otherwise dispatched to the self-software controller. Once received by the proper software controller, the received message is dispatched as required to one or more sub-software controllers included therein.
48 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In a home audio/video network of connected network devices, a method of routing a received message to a proper software controller, said method comprising the acts of:
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a) receiving said received message from a network bus, said step a) performed by an intelligent device coupled to said network bus wherein said intelligent device comprises a memory having stored therein a plurality of software controllers for communicating with a plurality of network devices;
b) examining said received message to determine an address indication and a source device identification stored therein;
c) determining any software controllers that match said address indication;
d) provided only one software controller matches said address indication, dispatching said received message to said one software controller; and
e) provided more than one software controllers match said address, dispatching said received message to that software controller that is also associated with said source device identification of said received message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
f) provided said address indication matches said self-software controller and another software controller, dispatching said received message to said another software controller provided said another software controller is awaiting a return message, otherwise dispatching said received message to said self-software controller. -
3. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said network bus is compliant with the IEEE 1394 communication standard.
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4. A method as described in claim 3 wherein said received message is a message packet and wherein said address indication is a multi-bit offset field of said message packet that specifies a remote memory address associated with said message packet.
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5. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising the step of registering, within said memory, an address allocation associated with each software controller of said plurality of software controllers of said intelligent device and establishing a handler for each software controller.
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6. A method as described in claim 5 further comprising the step of registering, within said memory, a network device identification associated with each software controller of said plurality of software controllers.
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7. A method as described in claim 6 wherein said network device identification is a global unique identification (GUID) of an associated network device.
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8. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said received message is dispatched to a first software controller and wherein said first software controller comprises a plurality of sub-software controllers and wherein said step d) and step e) comprise the step of dispatching said received message to that sub-software controller of said plurality of sub-software controllers that is waiting for a received message.
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9. In a home audio/video network, an intelligent device coupled to said network and having a processor coupled to a memory unit having instructions stored therein that implement a method of routing a received message to a proper software controller, said method comprising the acts of:
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a) receiving said received message from a network bus wherein said memory unit also has stored therein a plurality of software controllers for communicating with a plurality of network devices;
b) examining said received message to determine an address indication and a source device identification stored therein;
c) determining any software controllers that match said address indication;
d) provided only one software controller matches said address indication, dispatching said received message to said one software controller; and
e) provided more than one software controllers match said address, dispatching said received message to that software controller that is also associated with said source device identification of said received message. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a home audio/video network of connected network devices, a system for routing a received message to a proper software controller, said system comprising:
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a) means for receiving said received message from a network bus, said receiving means including an intelligent device coupled to said network bus wherein said intelligent device comprises a memory means having stored therein a plurality of software controllers for communicating with a plurality of network devices;
b) means for examining said received message to determine an address indication and a source device identification stored therein;
c) means for determining whether any software controllers match said address indication;
d) provided only one software controller matches said address indication, means for dispatching said received message to said one software controller; and
e) provided more than one software controllers match said address, means for dispatching said received message to that software controller that is also associated with said source device identification of said received message. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
a self-software controller means defined to control said intelligent device, wherein said address indication matches said self-software controller means and another software controller means; and
said received message dispatched to said another software controller means provided said another software controller means is awaiting a return message, said received message otherwise dispatched to said self-software controller means.
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19. A system as described in claim 17 wherein said network bus is compliant with the IEEE 1394 communication standard.
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20. A system as described in claim 19 wherein said received message is a message packet and wherein said address indication is a multi-bit offset field of said message packet that specifies a remote memory address associated with said message packet.
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21. A system as described in claim 17 wherein an address allocation associated with each software controller means of said plurality of software controller means of said intelligent device is registered within said memory and wherein a handler is established for each software controller means.
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22. A system as described in claim 21 wherein a network device identification associated with each software controller means of said plurality of software controller means is registered within said memory.
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23. A system as described in claim 22 wherein said network device identification is a global unique identification (GUID) of an associated network device.
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24. A system as described in claim 17 wherein said received message is dispatched to a first software controller means, said first software controller means comprising a plurality of sub-software controller means, said received message dispatched to that sub-software controller that is waiting for a received message.
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25. A method of routing a message in a home audiovisual network, said method comprising the acts of:
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examining a message received via the network to determine an address space indication and a source device identification;
if a single software controller is associated with the address space indication, dispatching at least a portion of the received message to the single software controller; and
if a plurality of software controllers are associated with the address space indication, dispatching at least a portion of the received message to one of the plurality of software controllers that is associated with the source device identification.
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26. A dispatching system coupled via a home audiovisual network to a source device, wherein the dispatching system executes acts comprising:
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examining a message received via the network to determine an address space indication and the source device identification;
if a single software controller is associated with the address space indication, dispatching at least a portion of the received message to the single software controller; and
if a plurality of software controllers are associated with the address space indication, dispatching at least a portion of the received message to one of the plurality of software controllers that is associated with the source device identification.
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Specification