Method and apparatus for managing resource allocation and a bandwidth overflow in a cooperative, distributed computing environment

• US 6,763,391 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2000
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• 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, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US09/645,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/227, 709/228, 709/236, 709/213, 709/253, 710/15, 710/18, 710/19, 710/32, 710/110, 710/62, 725/78, 725/80, 725/82, 725/144, 725/146
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• 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 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for managing resource allocation and bandwidth overflow manages data transmissions between a sourcing device and one or more listening devices through a single source plug. When a new selection request is submitted it is determined if the selection request will exceed the bandwidth capabilities of any devices. The selection request includes a warning bit, specifying whether or not the sourcing device should automatically free up the necessary bandwidth and implement the selection or reject the selection request and warn the requesting device. When selections are implemented, the sourcing device maintains a record of each requesting device which has requested a selection. Then, when a device requests that a selection be cleared, the status of a scope bit within the request is determined. The scope bit specifies whether or not the selection should be cleared if other devices are also associated with the selection.

Claims

1. A method of distributing content selections within a single data stream to a network including a plurality of devices comprising:

a. adding a content selection requested by a requesting device to the single data stream;

b. incrementing a count value when adding is completed and further incrementing the count value each time the content selection is subsequently requested;

c. decrementing the count value each time a clear command for the content selection is received; and

d. clearing the content selection from the single data stream when the count value is equal to zero.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the clear command includes a scope notification specifying whether or not the clear command is to clear the content selection regardless of the count value.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising clearing the content selection if the clear command is to clear the content selection regardless of the count value.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the scope notification is a single bit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the network is an IEEE 1394 serial bus network.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plurality of devices includes one or more sourcing devices and one or more listening devices.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the requesting device is one ofthe one or more listening devices.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the single data stream is transmitted through a single source plug of a sourcing device.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein any requesting device has ability to use the scope notification to clear the content selection.