Connection management method for digital interface

• US 6,885,631 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Do-hyoung, Seong, Goan-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick W
• Application Number:
  US09/605,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/255, 370/401, 370/407, 370/84, 370/251, 370/216, 370/217, 370/218, 370/221, 370/222, 370/223, 370/224, 710/129, 371/20.1
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4273 using a clocked protocol

Abstract

A connection management method between digital devices connected through a digital interface such as IEEE1394 is provided. According to the method, it is checked as to whether or not the digital device, which establishes a point-to-point connection, is one of two devices connected by the point-to-point connection and when the result of the checking indicates that the digital device, which manages the point-to-point connection, is not one of the two devices connected by the point-to-point connection, another point-to-point connection is established for the two connected devices. According to the method, the stability of the connection between devices is enhanced, and particularly, the point-to-point connection between the devices can be stably restored after a bus reset occurs.

Claims

1. A connection management method for connecting a digital device, which can be connected to a plurality of digital devices through a digital interface, to another digital device, the connection management method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a first point-to-point connection being established to another digital device;

(b) checking whether or not the digital device, which establishes the first point-to-point connection in the step (a), is an other digital device to be connected by the first point-to-point connection; and

(c) establishing a second point-to-point connection to the other digital device, when the result of the step (b) indicates that the digital device, which establishes the first point-to-point connection, is not the other digital device to be connected by the first point-to-point connection.

2. The connection management method of claim 1, wherein in the step (c), the second point-to-point connection is overlaid with respect to the first point-to-point connection originally established, and managed by the digital device which is connected to the other digital device.

3. The connection management method of claim 2, wherein the second point-to-point connection, which is established in the step (c), is overlaid with respect to the first point-to-point connection by both of, or any one of the other digital device and the another digital devices, which are connected by the first point-to-point connection.

4. The connection management method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) establishing, via the other digital device, a third point-to-point connection between the digital devices originally being connected, when the result of the step (b) indicates that the device, which establishes the first point-to-point connection in step (a), is not the other digital device to be connected by the first point-to-point connection.

12. The connection management method of claim 2, wherein the second point-to-point connection uses at least one of channels or bandwidth existing prior to the establishing of the second point-to-point connection.

5. A connection management method for connecting a first digital device, which can be connected to a plurality of digital devices through a digital interface, to a second digital device, the connection management method comprising:

(a) detecting, by the first digital device, a first point-to-point connection being established with the first digital device, wherein the first point-to-point connection is established via a connection-establishing digital device,

(b) checking whether the connection establishing digital device is the second digital device to be connected to the first digital device by the first point-to-point connection; and

(c) establishing, via the first digital device, a second point-to-point connection to the second digital device, when the result of the step (b) indicates that the connection-establishing digital device is not the second digital device to be connected to the first digital device by the first point-to-point connection.

6. The connection management method of claim 5, wherein the step (c), the second point-to-point connection is overlaid with respect to the first point-to-point connection and managed by the first digital device.

7. The connection management method of claim 5, further comprising:

(d) checking, by the second digital device, whether the connection-establishing digital device is the digital device to be connected to the second digital device by the first point-to-point connection; and

(e) establishing, via the second digital device, a third point-to-point connection to the first digital device, when the result of the step (d) indicates that the connection-establishing digital device is not the digital device to be connected to the second digital device by the first point-to-point connection.

8. A connection management system for connecting digital devices to each other, comprising:

a digital interface bus;

a first digital device;

a second digital device; and

a third digital device;

wherein the first digital device is operable to establish and manage a first point-to-point connection, via the digital interface bus, between other digital devices; and

wherein the second digital device is operable to detect whether the first point-to-point connection is being established with the second digital device by the first digital device, and further operable to check whether the first digital device is to be connected to the second digital device by the first point-to-point connection, and further operable to establish a second point-to-point connection between the second digital device and the third digital device, when the first point-to-point connection is being established between the second digital device and the third digital device and the second digital device determines that the first digital device is not to be connected to the second digital device by the first point-to-point connection.

9. The connection management system of claim 8, wherein the second digital device is further operable to overlay the second point-to-point connection, with respect to the first point-to-point connection.

10. The connection management system of claim 8, wherein the third digital device is operable to check whether the first digital device is to be connected to the third digital device by the first point-to-point connection, and further operable to establish a third point-to-point connection between the third digital device and the second digital device, when the first point-to-point connection is being established between the second digital device and the third digital device and the third digital device determines that the first digital device is not to be connected to the third digital device by the first point-to-point connection.

11. The connection management system of claim 8, wherein the digital interface bus is an IEEE 1394 standard serial bus.

13. A connection management method for connecting a first digital device to a second digital device, the connection management method comprising:

(a) establishing a first point-to-point connection by a connection-establishing device, between the first digital device and the second digital device; and

(b) establishing a second point-to-point connection by one of the first digital device and the second digital device to another of the first digital device and the second digital device when the connection-establishing device is not determined as being the first digital device or the second digital device.

14. The connection management method of claim 13, wherein the establishing the first point-to-point connection comprises the connection-establishing device writing values to a register of the first digital device and to a register of the second digital device.

15. The connection management method of claim 14, wherein the establishing the second point-to-point connection comprises overlaying on the first point-tot-to-point point connection the second point-to-point connection, wherein at least one of the first digital device and the second digital device manages the second point-to-point connection.

16. The connection management method of claim 15, wherein the second point-to-point connection uses at least one of channels or bandwidth existing prior to the establishing of the second point-to-point connection.