Transparent telecommunications system and apparatus

• US 7,191,236 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Brook, John Charles, Simpson-Young, William, Yap, Sue-Ken, Paradis, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US09/836,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-221, 709227-230, 709/201, 370466-469, 358/442
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] 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 12/2834 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: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of establishing a desired communication between an originating entity (102) and a target entity (106). Each entity is coupled to a communication network (100) and has a corresponding profile (112, 142) related to information handled by the entity. Initially a compatibility is determined between the profile (112) of the originating entity (102) and the profile (140) of the target entity (106). If a direct profile compatibility is determined between the originating entity and the target entity, the desired communication are establishing directly between the originating entity and the target entity. If step a direct profile compatibility between the originating entity and the target entity cannot be determined the network is searched to identify an additional entity (108) coupled to the network (100) and having a direct profile compatibility with one of the target or source entity to thereby form a linked entity pair providing communications (112, 124) with the additional entity. This is repeated until a chain of linked entity pairs link the source and target entities.

Claims

1. A method of establishing communication via a network between a first device and a second device, said first device and said second device forming a current chain of devices each having an associated profile, said method comprising:

a determining step of determining an input/output profile match between all successive pairs of devices in the current chain of devices;

a first establishing step of establishing, if the input/output profile match between all the successive pairs of devices in the current chain of devices is not found, the communication between said first device and said second device by interposing at least one additional device, said interposing forming a second chain of devices including the devices in the current chain of devices and said at least one additional device, wherein the first establishing step is performed by at least one of the devices in the current chain of devices;

if an input/output profile match is not found between all the successive pairs of devices in the second chain of devices which comprises the devices in the current chain of devices and said at least one additional device, designating said second chain of devices which comprises the devices in the current chain of devices and said at least one additional device as the current chain of devices, and repeating the first establishing step; and

a second establishing step of establishing, if the input/output profile match between all the successive pairs of devices in the current chain of devices is found, the communication between said first device and said second device without interposing said at least one additional device, wherein the second establishing step is performed by at least one of the devices in the current chain of devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first establishing step comprises one of:

forming the chain of devices commencing with said first device, proceeding to each said at least one additional device in succession, and concluding with said second device; and

forming the chain of devices commencing with said second device, proceeding to each said at least one additional device in succession, and concluding with said first device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each first device, second device, and additional device comprises one of a device or a service.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first establishing step comprises a step of:

interposing said at least one additional device between said first device and said second device to form said second chain of said devices, said interposing forming successive pairs of devices in said second chain so that the input/output profile match is established between all the successive pairs of said devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said interposing comprises one of the steps of:

forming the chain of said devices commencing with said first device, proceeding to each said at least one additional device in succession, and concluding with said second device; and

forming the chain of devices commencing with said second device, proceeding to each said at least one additional device in succession, and concluding with said first device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said interposing comprises:

a first specifying step of specifying one of said first device and said second device as a searching device;

a searching step of searching said network from said searching device to identify an additional device coupled to said network and having an input/output profile match with said searching device to thereby form a pair of devices providing communication between said searching device and said additional device;

a second specifying step of specifying said additional device as said searching device;

repeating the searching step and second specifying step until a non-specified one of said first device and said second device from the first specifying step is identified as said additional device; and

establishing the communication between said first device and said second device via said successive pairs of devices.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each said first device, second device, and additional device is selected from the group consisting of a device and a service.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

if the input/output profile match between the first device and the second device is found, sending a message using a messaging protocol from the first device to the second device to establish a process between the first device and the second device, said process being dependent upon said message, said input/output profile match establishing a compatible mapping of the message between the first device and the second device; and

if the input/output profile match between the first device and the second device is not found, sending the message using the messaging protocol from the first device via said at least one additional device to the second device to establish the process between the first device and the second device, said process being dependent upon said message, said input/output profile match between said each successive pair of devices establishing said compatible mapping of the message between the first device and the second device.

9. The method according to claim 8, whereby said interposing comprises:

a first communicating step of communicating, by one of said first device and said second device of said message and a first address, to a first additional device, thereby forming a chain of successive pairs of devices among said first device, said second device and said first additional device, said communicating not requiring understanding by said communicating device of said message;

an establishing step of establishing said process, dependent upon said message and said address, if an input/output profile match is established between each successive pair of devices, whereby said compatible mapping of said message is established from said first device to said second device;

a second communicating step of communicating, by one of said first device, said second device and said first additional device, if said input/output profile match is not established between each successive pair of devices, of said message, said first address and a second address, to a second additional device, thereby forming successive pairs of devices among said first device, said second device, said first and said second additional devices, said communicating not requiring understanding by said communicating device of said message; and

repeating the establishing step and the second communicating step until said process is established, said input/output profile match being established between each successive pair of devices, and said compatible mapping of said message being established from said first device to said second device.

10. The method according to claim 8, whereby said message comprises at least one of a command and a data value.

11. The method according to claim 8, whereby said messaging protocol is the Extended Markup Language, XML.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input/output profile match is a partial profile match of the entire profile.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interposing comprises the steps of:

discovering if the input/output profile match between said first device and said second device is not found, at least one additional device; and

announcing, by the at least one additional device, its presence.

19. A computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer-executable program for controlling a processor of a device to execute the method as claimed in claim 1.

14. An apparatus for use in a method of establishing communication via a network between a first device and a second device, said first device and said second device forming, when communicating, a current chain of devices each having an associated input/output profile, said apparatus constituting one of said first device and said second device and comprising;

a determining means for determining an input/output profile match between all successive pairs of devices in a chain of devices;

a first establishing means for establishing, if the input/output profile match between all the successive pairs of devices in the current chain of devices is not found, the communication between said first device and said second device by interposing at least one additional device, said interposing forming a second chain of devices including the devices in the current chain of devices and said at least one additional device;

repeating means which, if an input/output profile match is not found between all the successive pairs of devices in the second chain of devices which comprises the devices in the current chain of devices and said at least one additional device, (i) designates the second chain of devices which comprises the devices in the current chain of devices and said at least one additional device as a current chain of devices, and (ii) repeats the process by the first establishing means; and

a second establishing means for establishing, if the input/output profile match between all the successive pairs of devices in the current chain of devices is found, the communication between said first device and said second device without interposing said at least one additional device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

searching means for searching the at least one additional device having an input/output profile match with the input/output profile of the device.

16. The apparatus according to either one of claims 14 and 15, further comprising:

requesting means for requesting the at least one additional device for format conversion of data from an external device,

wherein said first establishing means receives the converted data from the at least one additional device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the input/output profile match is a partial profile match of the entire profile.

18. A communication system comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of devices coupled to said network, each said device comprising an apparatus as claimed in claim 14.