Communication device and communication method network system and robot apparatus

• US 7,388,879 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Costa, Gabriel, Sabe, Kohtaro, Kawamoto, Kenta
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Man U.
• Application Number:
  US10/111,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20030095514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,485 Days
• Field of Search: 370295-328, 370389-428, 370468-493, 709201-227, 700245-258
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A gateway object (48) for transmitting and receiving data to and from an object of a robot apparatus (1) is allocated to a radio LAN PC card (41) of the robot apparatus (1), and a gateway object (52) for transmitting and receiving data to and from an object on a personal computer (32) is allocated to a network adapter (31) of a remote system (30). When the radio LAN PC card (41) and the network adapter (31) are connected with each other by radio or wired connection, inter-object communication is carried out between the gateway object (48) of the radio LAN PC card (41) and the gateway object (52) of the network adapter (31), thereby carrying out inter-object communication between the object of the robot apparatus (1) and the object of the personal computer (32). Thus, preparation of a program is facilitated.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

first communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from an information processing process of a first electronic equipment; and

second communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from an information processing process of a second electronic equipment;

wherein when the first communication means and the second communication means are connected with each other by radio or wired connection, inter-process communication is carried out between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, thus carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process of the first electronic equipment and the information processing process of the second electronic equipment; and

wherein the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication means have a setting file in which the setting of a communication system is described, and carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, on the basis of a description item of the setting file.

2. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein thee information processing process is made up of a program prepared by an object-oriented system.

3. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electronic equipment is a robot apparatus with its operation controlled by the information processing process, and the second electronic equipment is an information processing device.

4. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein protocol conversion to network communication is carried out in the inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, thus carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process of the first electronic equipment and the information processing process of the second electronic equipment.

5. The communication device as claimed in claim 4, wherein conversion to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is carried out by the protocol conversion to the network communication.

6. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a service name of inter-process communication between the information processing process of the first electronic equipment and the information processing process of the second electronic equipment is described in the setting file, and

the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication means carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, on the basis of the service name described in the setting file, thus carrying out inter-process communication corresponding to the service name between the information processing process of the first electronic equipment and the information processing process of the second electronic equipment.

7. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a corresponding item of connection between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means is described in the setting file, and

the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means are connected with each other so that inter-process communication is possible, on the basis of the corresponding item of the connection described in the setting file.

8. A communication method comprising the steps of connecting first communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from an information processing process of a first electronic equipment, with second communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from an information processing process of a second electronic equipment, by radio or wired connection, and carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, thus carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process of the first electronic equipment and the information processing process of the second electronic equipment;

wherein the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication means have a setting file in which the setting of a communication system is described, and carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, on the basis of a description item of the setting file.

9. An information processing system comprising:

an electronic equipment controlled by an information processing process;

an information processing device in which an information processing process used for controlling the electronic equipment is taken and which handles the information processing process; and

communication means for carrying out radio or wired communication between the electronic equipment and the information processing device;

wherein the information processing device carries out communication using the communication means between the information processing process of the electronic equipment when the electronic equipment is being operated and the information processing process taken therein, then uses data transmitted from the information processing process of the electronic equipment, and handles the information processing process taken therein; and

wherein the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication means have a setting file in which the setting of a communication system is described, and carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, on the basis of a description item of the setting file.

10. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information processing process is made up of a program prepared by an object-oriented system.

11. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information processing device processes the information processing process, as the handling of the information processing process.

12. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information processing device outputs the processing state of the information processing process to the outside, as the handling of the information processing process.

13. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the communication means comprises first communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the electronic equipment, and second communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the information processing device, and

when the first communication means and the second communication means are connected with each other by radio or wired connection, inter-process communication is carried out between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, thus carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device.

14. The information processing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein protocol conversion to network communication is carried out in the inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, thus carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device.

15. The information processing system as claimed in claim 14, wherein conversion to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is carried out by the protocol conversion to the network communication.

16. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a service name of inter-process communication between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device is described in the setting file, and

the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication means carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, on the basis of the service name described in the setting file, thus carrying out inter-process communication corresponding to the service name between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device.

17. The information processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a corresponding item of connection between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means is described in the setting file, and

the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means are connected with each other so that inter-process communication is possible, on the basis of the corresponding item of the connection described in the setting file.

18. A program preparation method comprising:

a program preparation step of carrying out radio or wired communication using communication means between an information processing process of an electronic equipment when the electronic equipment controlled by the information processing process is being operated and information processing process on an information processing device, and using data transmitted from the information processing process of the electronic equipment and preparing an information processing process used for the electronic equipment, at the information processing device; and

a program embedding step of embedding the information processing process prepared at the program preparation step into the electronic equipment;

wherein first communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the electronic equipment and second communication means having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the information processing device are connected with each other by radio or wired connection, and inter-process communication is carried out between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, thus carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device; and

wherein the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication means have a setting file in which the setting of a communication system is described, and carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, on the basis of a description item of the setting file.

19. The program preparation method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the information processing process is made up of a program prepared by an object-oriented system.

20. The program preparation method as claimed in claim 18, wherein protocol conversion to network communication is carried out in the inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, thus carrying out inter-process communication between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device.

21. The program preparation method as claimed in claim 20, wherein conversion to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is carried out by the protocol conversion to the network communication.

22. The program preparation method as claimed in claim 18, wherein a service name of inter-process communication between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device is described in the setting file, and the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication means carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means, on the basis of the service name described in the setting file, thus carrying out inter-process communication corresponding to the service name between the information processing process of the electronic equipment and the information processing process of the information processing device.

23. The program preparation method as claimed in claim 18, wherein a corresponding item of connection between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means is described in the setting file, and

the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication means and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication means are connected with each other so that inter-process communication is possible, on the basis of the corresponding item of the connection described in the setting file.

24. A network system in which a robot apparatus with an operation control program constructed by inter-object communication and a computer system constructed by inter-object communication carry out data communication via wired or radio communication,

the network system comprising a gateway object for carrying out dynamic protocol conversion between the inter-object communication and network communication between the robot apparatus and the computer system, wherein the inter-object communication entails that a first communication object having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the robot apparatus and second communication object having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the computer system are connected;

and

wherein the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication objects have a setting file in which the setting of a communication system is described, and carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication object and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication object, on the basis of a description item of the setting file.

25. The network system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the gateway object makes the correspondence between a service name of communication defined in the inter-object communication and an address and port number used in the network communication.

26. The network system as claimed in claim 24, wherein conversion to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is carried out by the protocol conversion to the network communication.

27. A communication method in which a robot apparatus constructed by having inter-object communication and a computer system constructed by having inter-object communication carry out data communication via wired or radio communication,

the method comprising carrying out protocol conversion between the inter-object communication and network communication between the robot apparatus and the computer system,

wherein the inter-object communication entails that a first communication object having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the robot apparatus and second communication object having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the computer system are connected;

and

wherein the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication objects have a setting file in which the setting of a communication system is described, and carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication object and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication object, on the basis of a description item of the setting file.

28. The communication method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the protocol conversion is carried out by a gateway object, and the gateway object makes the correspondence between a service name of communication defined in the inter-object communication and an address and port number used in the network communication.

29. The communication method as claimed in claim 27, wherein conversion to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is carried out by the protocol conversion to the network communication.

30. A robot apparatus which has an operation control program constructed by inter-object communication and which carries out data communication via wired or radio communication with a computer system constructed by inter-object communication,

the robot apparatus comprising a gateway object for carrying out dynamic protocol conversion between the inter-object communication and network communication with the computer system,

wherein the inter-object communication entails that a first communication object having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the robot apparatus and second communication object having an information processing process for transmitting and receiving data to and from the information processing process of the computer system are connected;

and

wherein the information processing processes for transmitting and receiving data of the first and second communication objects have a setting file in which the setting of a communication system is described, and carry out inter-process communication between the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the first communication object and the information processing process for transmitting and receiving data of the second communication object, on the basis of a description item of the setting file.

31. The robot apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the gateway object makes the correspondence between a service name of communication defined in the inter-object communication and an address and port number used in the network communication.

32. The robot apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein conversion to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is carried out by the protocol conversion to the network communication.