Method of and apparatus for communicating data structures between devices in a networking environment

• US 7,565,427 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Brelin, Jon Ebbe
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US11/095,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/232, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229, 370/232, 370/531, 340/531, 710/107, 710/100, 715/700
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

The invention is an architecture, a system and a method for monitoring data structures over an IEEE 1394-1995 serial bus network. The data structures are portions of entries that are posted and stored to a descriptor mechanism. Preferably, the entries are schedule entries posted and stored to an AV/C resource schedule bulletin board subunit. According to the invention, a resource request is submitted by a requesting control device to the AV/C resource schedule bulletin board subunit, where request data is stored and posted as a schedule entry. The requesting control device also submits a corresponding notify command data frame to the AV/C bulletin board subunit. The notify command frame instructs the bulletin board subunit to monitor a specified data structure within the schedule entry. Preferably, the notify command frame also specifies the type of access activity that is monitored. When a competing control device performs the specified type of access activity on the specified data structure, the bulletin board subunit sends a notify response frame to the original requesting control device. The notify response frame provides an alert to the original requesting control device that the specified access activity has been performed on the specified data structure by a competing control device. The original requesting control device can then review that accessing activity performed on the data structure and any modifications made to the data structure to determine whether further scheduling is required. Preferably, the access activity of the competing device and modifications made to the schedule entry are stored within the memory unit of the bulletin board subunit to provide a detailed history of the schedule entry.

Claims

1. An architecture implemented on a computing device for scheduling a shared resource within a network for a plurality of devices, the architecture comprising:

a) a means for receiving resource requests submitted over the network from the devices;

b) a means for generating schedule data from the resource requests, the schedule data comprising starting times, duration times and repeat-time sequences; and

c) a means for submitting the schedule data over the network to generate a resource schedule, the resource schedule configured to be accessible to the plurality of devices over the network,

wherein the schedule data is organized and stored in an AV/C bulletin board.

2. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the means for generating schedule data comprises a schedule entry menu generated by a graphical user interface.

3. The architecture of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface further generates the resource schedule.

4. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the schedule data is configured to be accessible to the plurality of devices over the network.

5. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the schedule data further comprises a resource indicator.

6. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the means for generating schedule data comprises a control device.

7. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the network complies with a version of an IEEE 1394-1995 standard.

8. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the shared resource is a video recording and media playing device.

9. A method of scheduling and allocating a shared resource between a plurality of devices over the network, the method comprising:

a) receiving schedule entries submitted from posting client devices over a network, wherein the schedule entries have schedule data comprising a start time, a duration time interval and a number of events sequence; and

b) generating a resource schedule comprising resource requests, the resource schedule configured to be accessible to the plurality of devices over the network,

wherein the schedule data is organized and stored in an AV/C bulletin board.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising continuously updating the resource schedule based on new schedule requests.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising continuously updating the resource schedule based upon processed resource requests.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising resolving schedule conflicts.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the schedule data further comprises a resource indicator.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the resource requests are submitted by control devices.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the network complies with a version of an IEEE 1394-1995 standard.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the shared resource is a video recording and media playing device.

17. An architecture implemented on a computing device to schedule a shared resource within a network of a plurality of devices, the architecture comprising:

a) a receiving module to receive resource requests submitted over the network from the devices;

b) a schedule generating module to generate schedule data for the shared resource, from the resource requests, the schedule data comprising starting times, duration times and repeat-time sequences; and

c) a communication module to submit the schedule data over the network to generate a resource schedule, wherein the resource schedule is accessible to each of the plurality of devices over the network,

wherein the schedule data is organized and stored in an AV/C bulletin board.

18. The architecture of claim 17, further comprising a graphical user interface for generating the resource schedule and a schedule entry menu.

19. The architecture of claim 17, wherein the shared resource is a video recording and media playing device.

20. An architecture implemented on a computing device for scheduling a shared resource within a network for a plurality of devices, the architecture comprising:

a) a receiving module to receive resource requests submitted over the network from the devices;

b) a schedule generating module for generating schedule data for the shared resource, from the resource requests the schedule data comprising staffing times, duration times, repeat-time sequences and a resource indicator;

c) a graphical user interface for generating and maintaining a resource schedule and a schedule entry menu; and

d) a communication module for submitting the schedule data over the network to the graphical user interface to generate the resource schedule,

wherein the resource schedule is accessible to each of the plurality of devices over the network and further wherein the schedule data is organized and stored in an AV/C bulletin board.

21. The architecture of claim 20, wherein the shared resource is a video recording and media playing device.