Transmission apparatus, reception apparatus and transmission/reception apparatus for image and/or audio data and other than image and/or audio data

• US 7,818,439 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Kei, Maeda, Satoru, Onishi, Manabu, Kawaguchi, Daisuke, Ikeda, Kazuyuki, Yoshikawa, Munehiro, Yoshida, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H
• Application Number:
  US10/479,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,070 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 719/322, 709/200, 709/232, 709/230, 709/233, 455/414.3, 455/430
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention provides a transmission/reception apparatus capable of achieving both a high processing speed and good extensibility in performing communication protocol processes. Used for transmitting data in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol and receiving data transmitted in accordance with the predetermined communication protocol, the transmission/reception apparatus has a configuration capable of executing communication protocol processes by using hardware (in first and second communication-protocol-processing units) and software (in first and second control units). The hardware or the software can be selected properly in accordance with the type of data. For example, a communication protocol process for data regarded as a heavy processing load can be carried out by using the hardware at the high processing speed whereas a communication protocol process for data regarded as a light processing load can be carried out by using the software, which offers the good extensibility.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus including at least one processor for transmitting data in a predetermined communication protocol, the transmission apparatus comprising:

storing means for storing data;

first communication-protocol-processing means for carrying out necessary processing in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol on image and/or audio information as data to be transmitted by using hardware;

second communication-protocol-processing means for carrying out necessary processing in accordance with the predetermined communication protocol on predetermined information other than said image and/or audio information as data to be transmitted by using software;

transmission means for outputting and transmitting data being transmitted; and

connection-switching means capable of selecting said first communication-protocol-processing means or said second communication-protocol-processing means as means to be connected to said transmission means so as to select transmitted data processed by said first communication-protocol-processing means, taking precedence of transmitted data processed by said second communication-protocol-processing means,

wherein the data is transmitted in packets, and the predetermined information other than the image and/or audio information and the image and/or audio information are transmitted in different packets, and packets of the predetermined information other than the image and/or audio information and the image and/or audio information are transmitted on a time-division basis, a time division being set in accordance with a ratio of a number of transferred packets processed by the hardware to a number of transferred packets processed by the software,

wherein the connection-switching means selects the first communication-protocol-processing means or the second communication-protocol-processing means based on an amount of data received per unit time.

2. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication protocol is a communication protocol related to the Internet.

3. A reception apparatus including at least one processor for receiving data in a predetermined communication protocol, the reception apparatus comprising:

storing means for storing data;

reception means for receiving data transmitted in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol;

first communication-protocol-processing means for carrying out necessary processing in accordance with said predetermined communication protocol on received data by using hardware;

second communication-protocol-processing means for carrying out necessary processing in accordance with said predetermined communication protocol on received data by using software; and

connection-switching means capable of selecting said first communication-protocol-processing means if data received by said reception means is image and/or sound information or said second communication-protocol-processing means if data received by said reception means is predetermined information other than said picture and/or sound information as means to be connected to said reception means,

wherein the data is transmitted in packets, and the predetermined information other than the image and/or audio information and the image and/or audio information are transmitted in different packets, and packets of the predetermined information other than the image and/or audio information and the image and/or audio information are transmitted on a time-division basis, a time division being set in accordance with a ratio of a number of transferred packets processed by the hardware to a number of transferred packets processed by the software,

wherein the connection-switching means selects the first communication-protocol-processing means or the second communication-protocol-processing means based on an amount of data received per unit time.

4. The reception apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said connection-switching means determines either said first communication-protocol-processing means or said second communication-protocol-processing means as means to be connected to said reception means on the basis of information, which has been inserted into data received by said reception means and is used to indicate a service type of the data.

5. The reception apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said connection-switching means determines either said first communication-protocol-processing means or said second communication-protocol-processing means as means to be connected to said reception means on the basis of information, which has been inserted into data received by said reception means and is used to represent addresses of a transmission source and a transmission destination as well as service identification numbers in the transmission source and the transmission destination to indicate a type of transmitted and received data.

6. The reception apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said communication protocol is a communication protocol related to the Internet.

7. A transmission/reception apparatus including at least one processor for transmitting/receiving data in a predetermined communication protocol, the transmission/reception apparatus comprising:

storing means for storing data,

first communication-protocol-processing means for carrying out necessary processing in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol on image and/or audio information as data to be transmitted or necessary processing in accordance with said predetermined communication protocol on image and/or audio information as data to be received by using hardware;

second communication-protocol-processing means for carrying out necessary processing in accordance with said predetermined communication protocol on predetermined information other than said image and/or audio information as data to be transmitted or necessary processing in accordance with said predetermined communication protocol on predetermined information other than said image and/or audio information as data to be received by using software;

transmission/reception means for outputting and transmitting said data being transmitted in accordance with said predetermined communication protocol or for receiving data transmitted in accordance with said predetermined communication protocol; and

connection-switching means capable of selecting said first communication-protocol-processing means or said communication-protocol-processing means as means to be connected to said transmission/reception means in such a way that

in an operation to output and transmit transmitted data, said transmitted data processed by said first communication-protocol-processing means is selected, taking precedence of said transmitted data processed by said second communication-protocol processing means;

whereas

in an operation to receive data, said connection-switching means selects said first communication-protocol-processing means as means to be connected to said transmission/reception means if said data received by said reception/transmission means is picture and/or sound information, or said second communication-protocol-processing means as means to be connected to said transmission/reception means if said data received by said reception/transmission means is predetermined information other than said picture and/or sound information as means to be connected to said transmission/reception means,

wherein the data is transmitted in packets, and the predetermined information other than the image and/or audio information and the image and/or audio information are transmitted in different packets, and packets of the predetermined information other than the image and/or audio information and the image and/or audio information are transmitted on a time-division basis, a time division being set in accordance with a ratio of a number of transferred packets processed by the hardware to a number of transferred packets processed by the software,

wherein the connection-switching means selects the first communication-protocol-processing means or the second communication-protocol-processing means based on an amount of data received per unit time.

8. The transmission/reception apparatus according to claim 7, said communication protocol is a communication protocol related to the Internet.