Terminal device, data transmission-reception system and data transmission-reception initiation method

• US 7,284,059 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Isozu, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/414,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/208, 709/218, 709/224, 709/227, 709/229, 709/232, 709/238, 370/338, 714/39
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355

Abstract

A terminal device includes: a session initiation request message generating section for generating a message for starting a session with an external device and in which capability information on the terminal device is described; a capability information analyzing section for analyzing capability information on the external device described in a response message transmitted from the external device; a communication mode determining section for determining a communication mode between the terminal device and the external device based on an analysis result by the capability information analyzing section and the capability information on the terminal device; and a control section for, based on the determined communication mode, controlling a data conversion device connected to the network such that data from the terminal device is converted into data receivable by the external device, and such that data from the external device is converted into data receivable by the terminal device.

Claims

1. A terminal device connected to an external device through a network, said terminal device comprising:

data transmission means for transmitting predetermined data to said external device through said network;

data reception means for receiving predetermined data transmitted from said external device through said network;

session initiation request message generation means for generating a session initiation request message for initiating a session with said external device, the session initiation request message including first capability information of said terminal device in a predetermined format;

session initiation request message transmission means for transmitting said session initiation request message to said external device through said network;

response message reception means for receiving, in response to said session initiation request message, a response message from said external device;

capability information analyzing means for analyzing second capability information of said external device described in a predetermined format in said response message;

communication mode determination means for determining a communication mode between said terminal device and said external device through said network based on an analysis result by said capability information analyzing means and based on said first capability information;

communication mode notification message transmission means for transmitting to said external device a communication mode notification message, the communication notification message including said communication mode; and

control means for controlling a data conversion device, which is connected to said network, based on said communication mode, such that said data conversion device converts said data transmitted from said data transmission means into data that can be received by said external device, and such that said data conversion device converts said data transmitted from said external device into data that can be received by said data reception means, wherein

said first capability information includes media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said terminal device and includes media format convertibility information indicating a media format that can be converted by said data conversion device.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said session initiation request message and said response message comply with the Session Initiation Protocol.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein said session initiation request message generation means of said terminal device describes said first capability information in said session initiation request message in text format.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said data conversion device converts the media format of data.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein, based on network characteristics, said communication mode determination means determines whether to use said data conversion device controlled by said terminal device or to use a data conversion device controlled by said external device.

6. A terminal device connected to an external device through a network, said terminal device comprising:

data reception means for receiving predetermined data transmitted from said external device through said network;

data transmission means for transmitting predetermined data to said external device through said network;

session initiation request message reception means for receiving a session initiation request message for initiating a session transmitted from said external device, the session initiation request message including first capability information of said external device in a predetermined format;

capability information analyzing means for analyzing said first capability information;

communication mode selection means for selecting a communication mode between said external device and said terminal device through said network based on an analysis result by said first capability information analyzing means and based on second capability information of said terminal device;

response message generation means for generating, as a response to said session initiation request message, a response message in a predetermined format, said response message describing the selected communication mode;

response message transmission means for transmitting said response message to said external device through said network;

communication mode notification message reception means for receiving, from said external device, a communication mode notification message including said communication mode determined by said external device; and

control means for controlling, based on said communication mode notification message, a data conversion device, which is connected to said network, such that said data conversion device converts data transmitted from said data transmission means to data that can be received by said external device, and such that said data conversion device converts data transmitted from said external device to data that can be received by said data reception means, wherein

said second capability information on said terminal device includes second media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said terminal device, and second media format convertibility information indicating media formats that can be converted by said data conversion device.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein said session initiation request message and said response message comply with the Session Initiation Protocol.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein said response message generation means describes said response message in text format.

9. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein said data conversion device converts the media format of data.

10. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein

said first capability information on said external device includes first media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said external device, and first media format convertibility information indicating media formats that can be converted by said data conversion device,

and

said communication mode selection means selects the communication mode based on said first media format information, said first media format convertibility information, said second media format information, and said second media format convertibility information.

11. A data transmission-reception system including a first terminal device including a first data transmission-reception means, and a second terminal device including a second data transmission-reception means, the first terminal device and the second terminal device being connected to a network, wherein

said first terminal device comprises:

session initiation request message generation means for generating a session initiation request message for initiating a session with said second terminal device, the session initiation request message including first capability information of said first terminal device in a predetermined format;

session initiation request message transmission means for transmitting, to said second terminal device through said network, said session initiation request message;

response message reception means for receiving a response message from said second terminal device in response to said session initiation request message;

first capability information analyzing means for analyzing the response message, the response message including second capability information of said second terminal device described in a predetermined format;

communication mode determination means for determining a communication mode between said first terminal device and said second terminal device through said network based on an analysis result by said first capability information analyzing means and based on said first capability information;

communication mode notification message transmission means for transmitting to said second terminal device a communication mode notification message including said communication mode; and

first control means for controlling, based on said communication mode, a first data conversion device that is connected to said network, such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first terminal device into data that can be received by said second terminal device, and such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second terminal device to said first data transmission-reception means into data that can be received by said first terminal device, and

said second terminal device comprises;

session initiation request message reception means for receiving said session initiation request message;

second capability information analyzing means for analyzing said first capability information of said first terminal device, the first capability information being described in said session initiation request message;

communication mode selection means for selecting a communication mode in said data transmission-reception system based on an analysis result by said second capability information analyzing means and based on said second capability information;

response message generation means for generating, as a response to said session initiation request message, said response message including said second capability information and including communication mode option information indicating said communication mode;

response message transmission means for transmitting said response message to said first terminal device through said network;

communication mode notification message reception means for receiving said communication mode notification message transmitted from said first terminal device; and

second control means for controlling, based on said communication mode notification message received by said communication mode notification message reception means, a second data conversion device that is connected to said network, such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second terminal device into data that can be received by said first terminal device, and such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first terminal device into data that can be received by said second terminal device, wherein

said second capability information includes second media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said second terminal device, and second media format convertibility information indicating a media format that can be converted by said second data conversion device.

12. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 11, wherein said session initiation request message and said response message comply with the Session Initiation Protocol.

13. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 12, wherein:

said session initiation request message generation means of said first terminal device describes in text format said first capability information in said session initiation request message; and

said response message generation means of said second terminal device describes in text format said second capability information in said response message.

14. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 11, wherein said data conversion devices connected to said network convert the media format of data.

15. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 14, wherein

said first capability information on said first terminal device includes first media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said first terminal device, and includes first media format convertibility information indicating a media format that can be converted by said first data conversion device,

and

said communication mode selection means of said second terminal device selects said communication mode based on said first media format information, said first media format convertibility information, said second media format information, and said second media format convertibility information.

16. The data transmission-reception system according to claim 11, wherein said communication mode determination means of said first terminal device determines, based on network characteristics, whether to use said first data conversion device, and whether to use said second data conversion device.

17. A data transmission-reception initiation method for a data transmission-reception system including a first terminal device provided with a first data transmission-reception means connected to a network, and including a second terminal device provided with a second data transmission-reception means connected to said network, said method comprising:

generating a session initiation request message, at said first terminal device, for initiating a session with said second terminal device, the session initiation request message including first capability information of said first terminal device using a predetermined format;

transmitting said generated session initiation request message from said first terminal device to said second terminal device through said network;

receiving said session initiation request message transmitted from said first terminal device at said second terminal device;

analyzing, at said second terminal device, said first capability information;

selecting, at said second terminal device, a communication mode in said data transmission-reception system based on an analysis result of said first capability information, and based on second capability information of said second terminal device;

generating, at said second terminal device as a response to said session initiation request message, a response message in which said second capability, including communication mode information indicating said selected communication mode, is described in a predetermined format;

transmitting said generated response message from said second terminal device to said first terminal device through said network;

receiving said response message transmitted from said second terminal device at said first terminal device;

analyzing, at said first terminal device, said second capability information on said terminal device described in said received response message;

determining, at said first terminal device, a communication mode between said first terminal device and said second terminal device through said network based on an analysis result of said second capability information and on said first capability information;

controlling, at said first terminal device, a first data conversion device that is connected to said network, such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first terminal device into data that can be received by said second terminal device, and such that said first data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second terminal device into data that can be received by said first terminal device;

transmitting from said first terminal device to said second terminal device a communication mode notification message including said determined communication mode;

receiving said communication mode notification message transmitted from said first terminal device at said second terminal device; and

based on said received communication mode notification message, controlling, at said second terminal device, a second data conversion device that is connected to said network, such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said second terminal device into data that can be received by said first terminal device, and such that said second data conversion device converts data transmitted from said first terminal device into data that can be received by said second terminal device, wherein

said first capability information includes media format information indicating a media format that can be used by said first terminal device, and media format convertibility information indicating a media format that can be converted by said first data conversion device.