Apparatus for displaying formation of network

• US 8,161,390 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Takeda, Fumiteru, Muto, Takaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, William
• Application Number:
  US11/068,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20050212802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,605 Days
• Field of Search: 715/727, 715734-738, 715771-772, 715/733, 715/808
• US Class Current: 715/735
• 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]

Abstract

A display apparatus is designed for displaying formation of a network on a screen. The network is composed of a plurality of nodes and is capable of transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal through communication paths connecting the plurality of the nodes. In the display apparatus, an acquiring section acquires a type of each node and an arrangement of the communication paths arranged among the nodes for transmitting and receiving the musical performance information and the audio signal. An allocating section allocates a display area to each node within the screen according to the acquired type of each node. A drawing section draws a plurality of index images indicating the respective nodes on the screen at the display areas allocated to the respective nodes, and draws lines connecting the displayed index images of the nodes on the screen according to the acquired arrangement of the communication paths.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in configuring communication paths in a network of a plurality of nodes for transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal among the plurality of the nodes, the apparatus comprising:

a display;

a displaying section that displays an index image indicating a first node, a terminal section of the first node comprising a series of logical output terminals, and a first selection box of the first node on the display, the index image being separate from the first selection box, the first selection box comprising a first plurality of buttons corresponding to the series of logical output terminals prepared for the first node, the first selection box being displayed in response to a user operation on the terminal section of the first node and the first selection box providing a different view of the terminal section of the first node,

wherein the displaying section also displays another index image indicating a second node, a terminal section of the second node comprising a series of logical input terminals, and a second selection box of the second node on the display, the another index image being separate from the second selection box, the second selection box comprising a second plurality of buttons corresponding to the series of logical input terminals prepared for the second node, the second selection box being displayed in response to a user operation on the terminal section of the second node and the second selection box providing a different view of the terminal section of the second node;

an issuing section that issues a notification to either of the first node or the second node so as to logically establish a communication path between one of the output terminals of the first node and one of the input terminals of the second node, when said one of the output terminals is selected using one of the first plurality of buttons from the first selection box and said one of the input terminals is selected using one of the second plurality of buttons from the second selection box on the display;

a drawing section that draws a line connecting between said one of the output terminals and said one of the input terminals on the display, such that the drawn line corresponds to the established communication path;

a detecting section that detects when a number of the output terminals are consecutively selected using more than one of the first plurality of buttons from the first selection box and one of the input terminals is selected using one of the second plurality of buttons from the second selection box;

a determining section responsive to the detecting section for determining whether or not a number of the input terminals corresponding to the selected output terminals are available within a consecutive range of the input terminals including the selected one input terminal; and

a decreasing section that decreases the number of the selected output terminals to a number corresponding to an available number of the consecutive input terminals when the result of the determining by the determining section is negative, wherein the issuing section issues the notification to either of the first or second node so as to logically establish communication paths between the decreased number of the consecutive output terminals of the first node and the available number of the consecutive input terminals of the second node.

2. A recording medium storing a program for use in an apparatus having a processor for configuring communication paths in a network of a plurality of nodes for transferring either of musical performance information and an audio signal among the plurality of the nodes, the program, when executed by the processor, causing the apparatus to perform a method comprising:

displaying an index image indicating a first node, a terminal section of the first node comprising a series of logical output terminals, and a first selection box of the first node on a display, the index image being separate from the first selection box comprising a first plurality of buttons corresponding to the series of logical output terminals prepared for the first node, the first selection box being displayed in response to a user operation on the terminal section of the first node and the first selection box providing a different view of the terminal section of the first node;

displaying another index image indicating a second node, a terminal section of the second node comprising a series of logical input terminals, and a second selection box of the second node on the display, the another index image being separate from the second selection box, the second selection box comprising a second plurality of buttons corresponding to the series of logical input terminals prepared for the second node, the second selection box being displayed in response to a user operation on the terminal section of the second node and the second selection box providing a different view of the terminal section of the second node;

issuing a notification to either of the first node or the second node so as to logically establish a communication path between one of the output terminals of the first node and one of the input terminals of the second node, when said one of the output terminals is selected using one of the first plurality of buttons from the first selection box and said one of the input terminals is selected using one of the second plurality of buttons from the second selection box on the display;

drawing a line connecting between said one of the output terminals and said one of the input terminals on the display, such that the drawn line corresponds to the established communication path;

detecting when a number of the output terminals are consecutively selected using more than one of the first plurality of buttons from the first selection box and one of the input terminals is selected using one of the second plurality of buttons from the second selection box;

determining whether or not a number of the input terminals corresponding to the selected output terminals are available within a consecutive range of the input terminals including the selected one input terminal; and

decreasing the number of the selected output terminals to a number corresponding to an available number of the consecutive input terminals when the result of the determining is negative, wherein the notification is issued to either of the first or second node so as to logically establish communication paths between the decreased number of the consecutive output terminals of the first node and the available number of the consecutive input terminals of the second node.