Electronic device, electronic device system control method and electronic device system

• US 6,856,254 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Mayuko, Kudo, Yoshimichi, Hasegawa, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/018,270
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 340/687, 340/686.1, 340/691.6, 340/635, 340/310.08, 345/839, 345/733, 345/853, 345/744, 709/220, 709/229, 700/12, 700/17, 700/27
• US Class Current: 340/687
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• 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: 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

Abstract

An electronic device connected to a network corresponding to plug & play and hot plug functions and enabled to control other electronic devices is provided with communication route detecting unit for detecting a communication route between electronic devices being used or reserved for communication and notifying unit for notifying the user of a result of detection by the communication route detecting unit. The above-described electronic device is configured so as to detect a communication route between subject electronic devices to be used for communication and notify the user of the electronic devices on the communication route, which must not be disconnected from the network with use of the communication unit. Consequently, the user can be prevented from accidental disconnection of the cable of a subject electronic device, thereby preventing the disconnection of the device from the network.

Claims

1. An electronic device (controller) enabled to connect a different electronic device so as to control said different electronic device remotely, said device (controller), comprising:

a communication route detecting unit for detecting a communication route between said device (controller) and said electronic devices; and

notifying unit for notifying a user of said communication route detected by said communication route detecting unit,

said device (controller) configured to send a flag-set command to one or more electronic devices connected along said communication route in order to set a flag that is stored in each of said one or more electronic devices.

2. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said communication route detecting unit requests said one or more electronic devices for connection information so as to detect said communication route based on said connection information.

3. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said communication route detecting unit detects said communication route in response to a request for using or reserving one of said one or more electronic devices and notifies the user of said detected communication route.

4. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said communication route detecting unit detects said communication route and notifies the user of said detected communication route when use of said one or more electronic devices begins.

5. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said detected communication route is kept notified to the user while said one or more electronic devices are being used.

6. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein notification of said detected communication route is ended when use of said one or more electronic devices cease.

7. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said device (controller) sends information used to reset said communication route flag to said one or more electronic devices when use of said communication route is ended.

8. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said notifying unit emits or blinks the light of a corresponding LED for said notification to the user.

9. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said notifying unit outputs a corresponding sound for said notification to the user.

10. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said notifying unit outputs a warning sound for said notification to the user.

11. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said notifying unit combines any of methods for emitting or blinking the light of a LED, as well as for outputting a corresponding sound or a corresponding warning sound for said notification to the user.

12. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 1, wherein said device (controller) converts a warning message to information corresponding to each of the output formats of such electronic devices as ones having image display unit, unit for outputting a sound, or both of unit for displaying an image and unit for outputting a sound;

and sends said warning message to each of said electronic devices or to a combination of said electronic devices.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said device sends connection information to said different electronic device.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said device sends connection information to said different electronic device in response to a request therefrom.

15. An electronic device (controller) enabled to connect a different electronic device so as to control said different electronic device remotely, said (controller) device, comprising:

a connection state storing unit for storing connection information of said different electronic device;

a communication route detecting unit for detecting a communication route between said device (controller) and said electronic device based on said connection information stored in said connection state storing unit; and

a notifying unit for notifying a user of said communication route detected by said communication route detecting unit,

said device (controller) configured to send a flag-set command to one or more electronic devices connected along said communication route, in order to set a flag that is stored in each of said one or more electronic devices.

16. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 15, wherein said connection state storing unit requests said electronic device connected to a network for the connection information each time a network reset event occurs so as to update connection information stored in said connection state storing unit.

17. An electronic device (controller) enabled to connect a different electronic device so as to control said different electronic device remotely, said device (controller), comprising:

a communication route detecting unit for detecting a communication route between said device (controller) and said electronic devices;

a disconnection detecting unit for detecting disconnection of said communication route detected by said communication route detecting unit; and

notifying unit for notifying a user of a result of detection by said communication route detecting unit or by said disconnection detecting unit,

said device (controller) configured to send a flag-set command to one or more electronic devices connected along said communication route, in order to set a flag that is stored in each of said one or more electronic devices,

said device (controller) further configured to send a flag-reset command to said one or more electronic devices, in order to clear each said flag.

18. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 17, wherein said disconnection detecting unit, when detecting disconnection of one of said one or more electronic devices, notifies the user of said disconnection.

19. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 17, wherein said electronic device (controller) holds connection information and continues communication when said communication route is connected again within a predetermined time after said disconnection detecting unit detects disconnection of one of said one or more electronic devices.

20. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined time is 30 seconds.

21. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 19, wherein said device (controller) is configured so as not to assure communication data while said communication route is disconnected.

22. The electronic device (controller) according to claim 17, wherein said device (controller) suppresses said notification to the user of a change of a network in case where said disconnection detecting unit detects no disconnection from said network after a network reset event occurs due to connection of a new electronic device or disconnection of an electronic device from said network.

23. An electronic device (controller) enabled to connect a different electronic device so as to controls said different electronic device remotely, said device (controller), comprising:

a connection state storing unit for storing connection information of said different electronic device connected to a network;

a communication route detecting unit for detecting a communication route between said device (controller) and said electronic devices based on said connection information stored in said connection state storing unit;

disconnection detecting unit for detecting disconnection of said communication route detected by said communication route detection unit; and

a notifying unit for notifying the user of a result of detection by said communication route detecting unit or by said disconnection detecting unit,

said device (controller) configured to send a flag-set command to one or more electronic devices connected along said communication route, in order to set a flag that is stored in each of said one or more electronic devices,

said device (controller) further configured to send a flag-reset command to said one or more electronic devices, in order to clear each said flag.

24. An electronic device comprising:

a communication route flag data store having a first value when said electronic device is connected along a communication route that is connected between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, and having a second value when said electronic device is not connected along a communication route that is connected between a first electronic device and a second electronic device; and

a display unit for indicating the value that is stored in said communication route flag data store,

said electronic device configured to receive a flag-set command and a flag-reset command from a different electronic device (controller), to store said first value in said communication route flag data store in response to receiving said flag-set command, and to store said second value in said communication route flag data store in response to receiving said flag-reset reset command.