Information processing apparatus, display control method, and recording medium

• US 6,933,936 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirai, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US09/856,233
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 345716-720, 345733-739, 345211-212, 713300-340, 265716-720, 265733-739
• US Class Current: 345/211
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A control unit inquires each digital apparatus stored in a memory table in a memory about a power supply mode of the apparatus through an IEEE1394 serial bus. When a response indicates a power-on mode, corresponding icons 61-1 and 61-2 are normally displayed. When the response indicates a connection standby mode, a corresponding icon 61-3 is mesh-displayed. If there is no response, corresponding icons 61-4 and 61-5 are inversion-displayed. A connection detecting circuit 111 detects a bias voltage of an IEEE1394 serial bus 101 and outputs a detection signal to a main control circuit 122. On the basis of the input detection signal, the main control circuit 122 controls a power supplying circuit 117 so as to supply a standby electric power to a standby power supplying circuit 116. On the basis of a command from the main control circuit 122, the standby power supplying circuit 116 supplies a standby electric power to a physical connecting circuit 112, a logical connecting circuit 113, and a standby control circuit 121.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus connected to a plurality of other apparatuses via a network, said apparatus comprising:

inquiring means for querying a respective one of the plurality of other apparatuses as to its power mode;

discriminating means for determining that the power mode of the respective apparatus is a power-off mode when a response from the respective apparatus is not detected, and, when a response from the respective apparatus is detected, for determining whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is a power-on mode or a standby mode based on the detected response;

memory means for storing apparatus type information on the of the respective apparatus; and

display control means for retrieving the apparatus type information of the respective apparatus from said memory means and for controlling a display to show the apparatus type of the respective apparatus and to show whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is the power-on mode, the standby mode, or the power-off mode.

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

power input instructing means for receiving an external power-on command intended for the respective apparatus and for providing the power-on command to a power source of the respective apparatus via the network when the respective apparatus is in the standby mode.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network includes an IEEE1394 serial bus.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control means causes the display to show an icon representing the respective apparatus, the appearance of the icon indicating the apparatus type of the respective apparatus and whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is the power-on mode, the standby mode, or the power-off mode.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising power input instructing means for receiving an external power-on command intended for the respective apparatus when the icon representing the respective apparatus is activated and for providing the power-on command to a power source of the respective apparatus via the network when the respective apparatus is in the standby mode.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display control means causes the display to show an indication that the power-on command has been sent to the power source of the respective apparatus.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising further inquiring means for querying the respective apparatus as to the apparatus type of the respective apparatus and further discriminating means for determining whether a response has been received from the respective apparatus and for determining whether the received response is already stored in said storage means, and wherein said storage means stores the received response as the apparatus type information of the respective apparatus when the received response is not already stored in said storage means.

8. A mode display control method for an information processing apparatus connected to a plurality of other apparatuses via a network, said method comprising:

storing apparatus type information of a respective one of the plurality of other apparatuses;

querying the respective apparatus as to its power mode;

determining that the power mode of the respective apparatus is a power-off mode when a response from the respective apparatus is not detected;

when a response from the respective apparatus is detected, determining whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is a power-on mode or a standby mode based on the detected response;

retrieving the stored apparatus type information of the respective apparatus; and

controlling a display to show the apparatus type of the respective apparatus and to show and whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is the power-on mode, the standby mode, or the power-off mode.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said querying, detecting, determining, storing, retrieving and controlling steps are repeated for each of the plurality of other apparatuses.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said controlling step causes the display to show an icon representing the respective apparatus, the appearance of the icon indicating the apparatus type of the respective apparatus and whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is the power-on mode, the standby mode, or the power-off mode.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving an external power-on command intended for the respective apparatus when the icon representing the respective apparatus is activated and providing the power-on command to a power source of the respective apparatus via the network when the respective apparatus is in the standby mode.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising causing the display to show an indication that the power-on command has been sent to the power source of the respective apparatus.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving an external power-on command intended for the respective apparatus and providing the power-on command to a power source of the respective apparatus via the network when the respective apparatus is in the standby mode.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein the network includes an IEEE1394 serial bus, and said querying and detecting steps are performed via the IEEE1394 serial bus.

15. A method according to claim 8, further comprising further querying the respective apparatus as to the apparatus type of the respective apparatus prior to said step of querying the respective apparatus as to its power mode, and determining whether a response has been received from the respective apparatus and whether the received response is already stored, and wherein said storing step includes storing the received response as the apparatus type information of the respective apparatus when the received response is not already stored.

16. A recording medium recorded with a program for carrying out a mode display control method for an information processing apparatus connected to a plurality of other apparatuses via a network, said method comprising:

storing apparatus type information of a respective one of the plurality of other apparatuses;

querying the respective apparatus as to its power mode;

determining that the power mode of the respective apparatus is a power-off mode when a response from the respective apparatus is not detected;

when a response from the respective apparatus is detected, determining whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is a power-on mode or a standby mode based on the detected response;

retrieving the stored apparatus type information of the respective apparatus; and

controlling a display to show the apparatus type of the respective apparatus and to show whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is the power-on mode, the standby mode, or the power-off mode.

17. A recording medium according to claim 16, wherein said querying, detecting, determining, storing, retrieving and controlling steps are repeated for each of the plurality of other apparatuses.

18. A recording medium according to claim 16, wherein said controlling step causes the display to show an icon representing the respective apparatus, the appearance of the icon indicating the apparatus type of the respective apparatus and whether the power mode of the respective apparatus is the power-on mode, the standby mode, or the power-off mode.

19. A recording medium according to claim 18, wherein said method further comprises receiving an external power-on command intended for the respective apparatus when the icon representing the respective apparatus is activated and providing the power-on command to a power source of the respective apparatus via the network when the respective apparatus is in the standby mode.

20. A recording medium according to claim 19, wherein said method further comprises causing the display to show an indication that the power-on command has been sent to the power source of the respective apparatus.

21. A recording medium according to claim 16, wherein said method further comprises receiving an external power-on command intended for the respective apparatus and providing the power-on command to a power source of the respective apparatus via the network when the respective apparatus is in the standby mode.

22. A recording medium according to claim 16, wherein the network includes an IEEE1394 serial bus, and said querying and detecting steps are performed via the IEEE1394 serial bus.

23. A recording medium according to claim 16, wherein said method further comprises further querying the respective apparatus as to the apparatus type of the respective apparatus prior to said step of querying the respective apparatus as to its power mode, and determining whether a response has been received from the respective apparatus and whether the received response is already stored, and wherein said storing step includes storing the received response as the apparatus type information of the respective apparatus when the received response is not already stored.