Apparatus control method and transmission device

• US 6,823,399 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Horiguchi, Mari, Sato, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Auve, Glen A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Christopher E.
• Application Number:
  US09/729,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 710/6, 709/222, 709/223, 709/220, 340/3.3, 340/3.9, 340/825.25, 340/825.52, 340/3.1, 370/254
• US Class Current: 710/6
• 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 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

An apparatus controlling method for performing control between apparatuses connected to a predetermined bus line, in which in a data transmission between a first apparatus and a second apparatus, presetting of settings for inputting or outputting of data in the first apparatus is directed by a transmission of a command in a predetermined format via the bus line. Further, an identification data unique to the second apparatus is transmitted upon the transmission of the directing command, and the first apparatus stores the transmitted unique identification data when performing the presetting in accordance with the command.

Claims

1. An apparatus controlling method for performing control between apparatuses connected to a predetermined bus line,

wherein in an audio/video stream data transmission between a first apparatus and a second apparatus, presetting of settings for inputting or outputting the audio/video stream of data in the first apparatus is directed by a transmission of a command in a predetermined format via the bus line,

wherein an identification data unique to the second apparatus is transmitted upon the transmission of the command, and

the first apparatus stores the transmitted unique identification data when performing the presetting in accordance with the command;

and

when the audio/video stream data transmission between the first apparatus and the second apparatus is preset and a third apparatus sends another command to the first apparatus, the first apparatus rejects the other command, and

the third apparatus sends a status command to the second apparatus requesting identification information relating to the second apparatus for reporting an error message.

2. The apparatus controlling method according to claim 1,

wherein the first apparatus disables the preset, identifies the second apparatus connected to the bus line from the stored identification data, and then does not perform the presetting in response to a directing command transmitted from any other of the apparatuses than the identified second apparatus once a resetting is performed in the bus line.

3. The apparatus controlling method according to claim 1,

wherein upon a resetting performed in the bus line, the first apparatus disables the preset and maintains the stored identification data for at least a predetermined period following the resetting,

during the predetermined period, the first apparatus identifies the second apparatus connected to the bus line from the stored identification data, performs the presetting of the settings for inputting or outputting of the data only in response to the command from the identified second apparatus, and

after the predetermined period has been passed, the first apparatus removes the disablement of accepting the preset requesting command from the other apparatuses.

4. The apparatus controlling method according to claim 1, wherein the first apparatus cancels the preset in response to a direction for canceling the preset issued by the apparatus which is the issuer of the preset command for the above particular preset, if this particular preset is enabled in the first apparatus.

5. The apparatus controlling method according to claim 1, wherein the first apparatus transmits data for identification of the second apparatus to an issuer of another of the command requesting the presetting of settings in the first apparatus for data transmission with one of the apparatuses other than the second apparatus, if the preset for the second apparatus is enabled in the first apparatus.

6. A transmission device for controlling an audio/video stream data transmission with other apparatuses connected via a predetermined bus line, comprising:

an inputting portion for input of data transmitted via the bus line,

a data processing portion for finding from the data inputted by the inputting portion a command regarding a presetting of settings for input selection or output selection of the audio/video stream data transmission with a specific one of the apparatuses connected to the bus line, and for performing the presetting specified in the command, and

a storing portion for storage of identification data unique to the specific one of the apparatuses contained in the command detected by the data processing portion, wherein

when the data processing portion presets the audio/video stream data transmission with the specific one of the apparatuses and another apparatus sends another command to the transmission device, the transmission device rejects the other command, and

the other apparatus sends a status command to the specific one of the apparatuses requesting identification information relating to the specific one of the apparatuses for reporting an error message.

7. The transmission device according to claim 6,

wherein the data processing portion disables the preset, identifies the specific one of the apparatuses from the identification data stored in the storing portion once a resetting is performed in the bus line, and

wherein the data processing portion does not perform any presetting requested by the command transmitted from any other of the apparatuses then the identified specific one of the apparatuses.

8. The transmission device according to claim 6,

wherein the data processing portion disables the preset, and identifies the specific one of the apparatuses from the identification data stored in the storing portion once a resetting is performed in the bus line,

wherein the data processing portion performs the presetting of the settings for inputting or outputting of the data only in response to the command from the above identified specific apparatus for at least a predetermined period, and after the predetermined period having been passed, performs the presetting in response to the command from any of the apparatuses including the specific one of the apparatuses.

9. The transmission device according to claim 6,

wherein the data processing portion cancels the preset in response to a command for canceling the preset issued from the apparatus which is the issuer of the command regarding a presetting of settings.

10. The transmission device according to claim 6,

wherein the data processing portion detects a command regarding a preset from another apparatus when the preset is enabled, and the data processing portion transmits data regarding an apparatus identified from the identification data stored in the storing section to an issuer of the command regarding a presetting of settings.