Information processing apparatus and method, and distribution medium

• US 6,754,184 B2
• Filed: 06/24/1999
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Takehiko, Miyano, Michio, Kato, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US09/339,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20030202509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 370/257, 370/201, 370/216, 370/222, 370/242, 370/912, 370/256, 370/255, 370/237, 375/219-222, 375/298, 375/340-355, 375/225, 710/22-23, 710/100-104, 712/223-225, 712/248, 712/245, 256/716, 468/222, 468/242, 468/914
• US Class Current: 370/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC

Abstract

An information processing apparatus having unique information connected to a network together with a plurality of other information processing apparatuses each connected to the network and each having unique information is provided. The apparatus receives unique information for identifying all of the information processing apparatuses on the network, and obtains a network structure of the network based upon the unique information of all of the information processing apparatuses. The apparatus counts a number of connections between all of the information processing apparatuses on the network based upon the network structure, and controls the communication timing of the information apparatuses on the network based upon the number of connections. The apparatus obtains a topology map of the network based upon the unique information of each of the information processing apparatuses. The apparatus stores the topology map, stores the appropriate timings corresponding to number of the connections, and controls the communication timing.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus having physical identification information and port status information connected to a network with a plurality of other information processing apparatuses each connected to said network and each having physical identification information and port status information, said information processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving said physical identification information for identifying each of said information processing apparatuses on said network, data rate information indicating highest speed of each of said information processing apparatuses on said network and said port status information from said plurality of other information processing apparatuses along with said information processing apparatus;

creating means for creating network topology information composed of at least said data rate information and said port status information received from said plurality of other information processing apparatuses by said receiving means;

counting means for counting a number of hops between all of said information processing apparatuses on said network based upon said topology information; and

determining means for determining, in a data stream, when transferring between two of said information processing apparatuses an optimum value of gap count corresponding to a particular desired transmission path on the basis of a maximum number of hops among nodes through which said data stream must be sent wherein the number of required hops and the highest communication speed between at least two nodes is simultaneously computed and used to determine a desired transmission path.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, said information processing apparatus further comprising:

second counting means for counting a number of connections between all of said information processing apparatuses on said network based upon said network structure; and

controlling means for controlling communication timing of said information apparatuses on said network based upon said number of said connections.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said network is a bus interface.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information processing apparatus is an Audio/Visual apparatus.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, said information processing apparatus further comprising:

topology map obtaining means for obtaining a topology map of said network based upon said physical identification information of each of said information processing apparatuses.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, said information processing apparatus further comprising:

topology map storing means for storing said topology map obtained by said topology map obtaining means.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, said controlling means further comprising:

storing means for storing particular timings corresponding to number of said connections; and

said controlling means controls said communication timing with a use of said stored particular timings.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said receiving means obtains self IDs defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard as said physical identification information, which are outputted from each of said information processing apparatus on said network when a reset of said network occurs;

and

said topology map obtaining means obtains a topology map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard; and

said topology map obtaining means further comprises;

writing means for writing data to a length field of said topology map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard,

storing means for storing said self IDs;

counting means for counting a generation number, a number of nodes, and a number of self IDs; and

cyclic redundancy check setting means for setting a cyclic redundancy check for said topology map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, said information processing apparatus further comprising:

speed map obtaining means for obtaining a speed map of said network based upon said physical identification information of each of said information processing apparatuses; and

communicating means for communicating data at a speed based on said speed map.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 9, said information processing apparatus further comprising:

speed map storing means for storing a speed map obtained by said speed map obtaining means.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means obtains self IDs defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard as said physical identification information which are outputted from each of said information processing apparatuses on said network when a reset of said network occurs;

and

said speed map obtaining means obtains a speed map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard; and

said speed map obtaining means further comprises;

writing means for writing data to a length field of said speed map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard;

storing means for storing said self IDs;

counting means for counting a generation number, a number of nodes, and a number of self IDs; and

cyclic redundancy check setting means for setting a cyclic redundancy check for said speed map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein data is transmitted in a form of a packet;

and

said controlling means controls said communication timing by controlling an interval of said packets.

13. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus having physical identification information and port status information connected to a network with a plurality of other information processing apparatuses each connected to said network and each having physical identification information and port status information, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said physical identification information for identifying all each of said information processing apparatuses on said network, data rate information indicating highest speed of each of said information processing apparatuses on said network and said port status information from said plurality of other information processing apparatuses along with said information processing apparatus;

creating means for creating network topology information composed of at least said data rate information and said port status information received from said plurality of other information processing apparatuses by said receiving means;

counting means for counting a number of hops between all of said information processing apparatuses on said network based upon said topology information; and

determining means for determining, in a data stream, when transferring between two of said information processing apparatuses an optimum value of gap count corresponding to a particular desired transmission path on the basis of a maximum number of hops among nodes through which said data stream must be sent wherein the number of required hops and the highest communication speed between at least two nodes may be simultaneously computed and used to determine a desired transmission path.

14. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, said method further comprising the steps of:

second counting a number of connections between all of said information processing apparatuses on said network based upon said network structure; and

controlling communication timing of all of said information apparatuses on said network based upon said number of said connections.

15. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said network is a bus interface.

16. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said information processing apparatus is an Audio/Visual apparatus.

17. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, said method further comprising the step of:

obtaining a topology map of said network based upon said physical identification information of each of said information processing apparatuses.

18. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 17, said method further comprising the step of:

storing said topology map obtained at the step of obtaining said topology map.

19. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said step of controlling a communication timing further comprises the step of storing particular timings corresponding to said number of said connections;

and

said step of controlling a communication timing controls said communication timing with a use of said particular timings stored at the step of said storing particular timings.

20. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said step of receiving physical identification information obtains self IDs defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard as said physical identification information, which are outputted from each of said information processing apparatuses on said network when a reset of said network occurs;

and

said step of obtaining said topology map obtains a topology map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard; and

said step of obtaining said topology map obtains further comprises the steps of;

writing data to a length field of said topology map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard;

storing said self IDs;

counting a generation number, a number of nodes, and a number of self IDs; and

setting a cyclic redundancy check for said topology map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard.

21. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, said method further comprising the step of:

obtaining a speed map of said network based upon said physical identification information of each of said information processing apparatuses; and

communicating data at a speed based upon said speed map.

22. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 21, said method further comprising the step of:

storing said obtained speed map.

23. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said step of receiving physical identification information obtains self IDs defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard as said physical identification information, which are outputted from each of said information processing apparatuses on said network when a reset of said network occurs;

and

said step of obtaining a speed map obtains a speed map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard; and

said step of obtaining a speed map obtains a speed map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard; and

said step of obtaining a speed map further comprises the steps of;

writing data to a length field of said speed map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard,

storing said self IDs;

counting a generation number, a number of nodes, and a number of self IDs; and

setting a cyclic redundancy check for said speed map defined in IEEE1394-1995 standard.

24. The information processing method for an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein data is transmitted in a form of a packet,

said step of controlling controls said communication timing by controlling an interval of said packets.