Electronic apparatus, network system, relay apparatus, and status control method

• US 7,593,979 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Seki, Michio, Ishibashi, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Application Number:
  US10/602,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20040060066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.7, 340/825.72, 700/17, 700/83, 700/12, 709/223, 709/208, 709/246, 709/203, 709/219, 709/220, 709/250, 710/305, 710/104, 710/105, 710/9, 710/10, 710/72, 713/320, 713/323, 713/310, 713/340, 715/501.1, 345/734, 348/730, 359/125, 725/37, 725/25, 725/56, 381/306, 370/402, 330/149, 455/11
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/92 for local area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An AV function section is provided with a standby mode serving to reduce power consumption during standby. An embedded controller provides such control as shifts or recovers the AV function section to or from the standby mode. Further, a network processor accepts, via a network such as a wireless LAN, a command causing the AV function section to shift to or recover from the standby mode. On the basis of this command, the network processor instructs, via a control signal line, the embedded controller to shift or recover the AV function section to or from the standby mode.

Claims

1. A server apparatus comprising:

a body;

a network process unit provided in the body and configured to connect an electronic apparatus, which transmits/receives data via a first network, to a second network through the server apparatus;

an AV function unit provided in the body and configured to process video data and sound data, the AV function unit being provided with a normal operation mode and a standby mode serving to reduce power consumption;

an embedded controller configured to control a supply of power to the AV function unit and interrupt the supply of power;

a status signal line which is arranged between the network process unit and the embedded controller; and

an up/down signal line which is arranged between the network process unit and the embedded controller,

the embedded controller outputting a status signal indicating a status of the AV function unit to the status signal line, controlling the supply of power, and interrupting the supply of power based on an up/down signal on the up/down signal line,

the network process unit obtaining a current status of the AV function unit by referring the status signal output to the status signal line, returning a communication packet containing a command indicating the obtained current status of the AV function unit, when the network process unit receives, from the electronic apparatus, a communication packet containing a command to check the current status of the AV function unit, and switching an operation of the AV function unit between the normal operation mode and the standby mode by outputting the up/down signal to the up/down signal line, when the network process unit receives, from the electronic apparatus, a communication packet containing a command requesting that the operation of the AV function unit be changed.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, upon switching of operation of the AV function unit, the network process unit notifies the electronic apparatus that the operation of the AV function unit has been switched.

3. A server apparatus comprising:

a body;

a network process unit provided in the body and configured to connect an electronic apparatus, which transmits/receives data via a first network, to a second network through the server apparatus;

an AV function unit provided in the body and configured to process video data and sound data, the AV function unit being provided with a standby mode serving to reduce power consumption;

an embedded controller configured to control supply of power to the AV function unit and interrupt the supply of power;

a status signal line which is arranged between the network process unit and the embedded controller; and

an up/down signal line which is arranged between the network process unit and the embedded controller,

the embedded controller including;

an output unit configured to output a status signal indicating the status of the AV function unit to the status signal line; and

the network process unit including;

a detecting unit configured to detect a power supply control packet in communication packets sent from the electronic apparatus, the power supply control packet containing one of a status check command to check the current status of the AV function unit, a power-on command for causing the AV function unit to recover from the standby mode, and a power supply standby command for causing the AV function unit to shift to the standby mode; and

a controlling unit configured to;

obtain a current status of the AV function unit by referring the status signal on the status signal line, return a communication packet containing a command indicating the current status of the AV function unit, when the detecting unit detects the power supply control packet containing the status check command, and cause the AV function unit to recover from or shift to the standby mode by outputting the up/down signal to the up/down signal line, when the detecting unit detects the power supply control packet containing the power-on command or the power supply standby command.