Space-time communication system

• US 7,945,614 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishizaki, Takeshi, Koizumi, Minoru, Fukuzawa, Junji, Sasaki, Toshiichiro, Ebata, Tomoichi, Adachi, Yoshiaki, Saito, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin; Kyung-Hye
• Application Number:
  US10/557,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A technique for performing message communications while assigning a space and respective time periods or time points at present, in past and in future is disclosed. A space-time object intercepts a message. Alternatively, this object per se executes the processing for immediately transmitting a message to a target object under management with relevancy thereto, for retaining the message by a future time point assigned, or for preparing and sending a message for searching logs in the past, thereby to realize the space-time communications.

Claims

1. A space-time communication system including a control device operative to send a message toward at least one of target subjects existing within a geographical space, wherein said control device is configured to perform:

receiving a designation of a space, a future time point and a message;

specifying in advance of the future time point a target subject which is estimated to exist in the received designated space at the received designated future time;

sending information of said received designated space and said received designated future time point to said subject in advance of the future time point;

receiving information from said subject when said subject exists in said received designated space after said received designated future time is reached; and

upon receiving said information, sending said received designated message to the subject.

2. The space-time communication system according to claim 1, wherein the time space specified by said received designated space and future time is defined as a future-time space;

and said future-time space is arranged by limiting said space by a time period of from a present time point to said future time point.

3. The space-time communication system according to claim 1, wherein the time space specified by said received designated space and future time is defined as a future-time space;

and more than one future time is arranged from a start future time point to an end future time point, and wherein said future-time space is arranged by limiting said space by said more than one future time.

4. The space-time communication system according to claim 1, wherein the time space specified by said received designated space and future time is defined as a future-time space;

and said future-time space is arranged by limiting said space by more than one of said future time point.

5. A space-time communication system including a control device operative to send a message toward at least one of target subjects existing within a geographical space, wherein said control device is configured to perform:

receiving a designation of a space, a past time point and a message;

specifying a target subject which is estimated to have existed in the received designated space at the received designated past time;

sending information of said received designated space and said received designated past time to said subject;

receiving information from said subject, said information indicating whether said subject existed in said received designated space after said received designated past time had been reached; and

sending said received designated message to the subject specified if said subject existed in said received designated space after said received designated past time.

6. The space-time communication system according to claim 5, wherein said past-time space is arranged by limiting said space by a time period of from the past time to a present time point.

7. The space-time communication system according to claim 5, wherein more than one past time is arranged from a start past time point to an end past time point, and wherein said past-time space is arranged by limiting said space by said more than one past time.

8. The space-time communication system according to claim 5, wherein said past-time space is arranged by limiting said space by one or more than one of said past time point.

9. A space-time communication method for operating a system including a control device operative to send a message toward at least one of target subjects existing within a geographical space, wherein said method comprises:

receiving a designation of a space, a future time point and a message;

specifying in advance of the future time point a target subject which is estimated to exist in the received designated space at the received designated future time; and

sending information of said received designated space and said received designated future time point to said subject in advance of the future time point;

receiving information from said subject when said subject exists in said received designated space after said received designated future time is reached; and

upon receiving said information, sending said received designated message to the subject.

10. A space-time communication method for operating a system including a control device operative to send a message toward at least one of target subjects existing within a geographical space, wherein said method comprises:

receiving a designation of a space, a past time point and a message;

specifying a target subject which is estimated to have existed in the received designated space at the received designated past time;

sending information of said received designated space and said received designated past time to said subject;

receiving information from said subject, said information indicating whether said subject existed in said received designated space after said received designated past time had been reached; and

sending said received designated message to the subject specified if said subject existed in said received designated space after said received designated past time.