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Systems and methods for connecting networked devices

  • US 7,889,678 B2
  • Filed: 12/28/2006
  • Issued: 02/15/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. In a method of connecting devices within a digital network of devices wherein the services and functions of the devices and sub-devices of the devices are represented as a plurality of logical units and wherein the logical units comprise one or more logical units that represent the services and control the functions of a single physical device, one or more logical units that represent the services and control the functions of one or more sub-devices of a single physical device, one or more logical units that represent the services and control the functions of a sub-device of a single physical device, and one or more logical units that represent the services and control the functions of a plurality of sub-devices of more than one physical device, the improvement comprising the steps ofpresenting a list of source logical units from the plurality of logical units to a user,communicating a connection request from a control logical unit to a first logical unit selected by the user to be a source logical unit of a connection, the request including an identification of a second logical unit selected by the user to be a sink logical unit of the connection, wherein the source logical unit controls a plurality of source sub-devices comprising more than one sub-device of a single physical device or a plurality of sub-devices of more than one physical device, and wherein the sink logical unit controls a plurality of sink sub-devices comprising more than one sub-device of a single physical device or a plurality of sub-devices of more than one physical device,identifying a source sub-device for connection to a sink sub-device, wherein the source logical unit determines which of the plurality of source sub-devices it controls is available for connection to a sink sub-device,appending the identity of the source sub-device determined to be available for connection to a sink sub-device to the connection request,communicating the connection request from the source logical unit to the sink logical unit,identifying a sink sub-device for connection to the source sub-device determined to be available for connection to the sink sub-device, wherein the sink logical unit determines which of the plurality of sink sub-devices it controls is available for connection to a source sub-device determined to be available for connection to a sink sub-device, andconnecting the source sub-device determined to be available for connection to a sink sub-device to the sink sub-device determined to be available for connection to a source sub-device.

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