Communication adapter apparatus, communication adapter, method of writing data in nonvolatile memory, and electric apparatus and ROM writer used for the method

• US 8,230,083 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Higuma, Toshiyasu, Kushiro, Noriyuki, Ito, Yoshiaki, Ochiai, Yoshiko, Koizumi, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US10/529,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,219 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/229, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators
• 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 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

A communication adapter apparatus connects electrical apparatuses, sensors, and other apparatuses to a network. In order to obtain a communication adapter apparatus that is capable of realizing simplification of setting at the time of execution of works, simplification of execution of works, reduction of power consumption, and simplification of system setting, the communication adapter apparatus is a communication adapter that connects one of plural connection object apparatuses having an apparatus object consisting of information, which is based on functions of the apparatuses, and operable control items, respectively and a network to which a controller for remotely controlling the connection object apparatus is connected.

Claims

1. A communication adapter apparatus of a processor that connects one of plural connection object apparatuses having an apparatus object comprising information, which is based on functions of the apparatuses, and operable control items, respectively and a network to which a controller for remotely controlling the connection object apparatus is connected, comprising:

a communication controller configured to control transmission and reception of data between the processor and the network;

an apparatus communication manager configured to copy and save the apparatus object, save a procedure for a communication service of the communication controller, and make it possible to use the connection object apparatus from the network using these saved data; and

an apparatus interface defined by standards common to all the apparatuses in order to make all the plural connection object apparatuses connectable,

wherein the apparatus communication manager includes;

an apparatus interface access unit that interfaces with the apparatus interface according to a procedure common to the connection object apparatuses;

an apparatus control access unit that interfaces with the communication controller according to the common procedure;

a second access controller configured to permit or prohibit an access to the apparatus control access unit from the communication controller based on an operation of the apparatus object of the connection object apparatus via the apparatus interface.

2. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply manager configured to manage a charged capacity inside an adapter, wherein the communication controller limits communication according to a management state of the power supply manager.

3. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus communication manager limits communication to the communication controller according to a state of the power supply manager using at least one of the apparatus interface access unit and the apparatus control access unit.

4. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply manager configured to manage a charged capacity inside an adapter, wherein the apparatus communication manager limits accesses to the apparatus object according to a management state of the power supply manager.

5. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the apparatus interface access unit and the apparatus control access unit includes at least one of object manager configured to perform management tasks including generation, deletion, and addition of instances and classes of the apparatus object, a state acquisition procedure setter configured to set setting values held by the connection object apparatuses, a procedure for acquiring notifications including a state, a state change, and a periodical notification, an installation information manager configured to set and provide information on installation or arrangement of the connection object apparatuses, a network attribute manager configured to set and provide attribute information concerning the network, and a network band manager configured to set and provide information related to a communication band of the network.

6. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the connection object apparatuses are not yet connected, the apparatus communication manager generates an imaginary apparatus object on the basis of a setting command, transmission of which is received via the network, and saves the imaginary apparatus object instead of the apparatus object.

7. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus communication manager provides an imaginary apparatus in the apparatus control access unit on the basis of a setting command, transmission of which is received via the network, performs operation and setting for this imaginary apparatus and acquisition of a state involved in the operation and setting, and performs setting for running and stopping of the apparatus object and acquisition of a state involved in the setting with the apparatus interface access unit.

8. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus communication manager further includes:

a database that holds installation information for the apparatus object, and each of the apparatus interface access unit and the apparatus control access unit includes a writer/reader configured to write the installation information held by the database in and read out the installation information to the connection object apparatuses.

9. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the apparatus interface access unit and the apparatus control access unit includes:

an abnormality notifier configured to detect in which of the apparatus interface;

the communication controller; and

the apparatus object abnormality has occurred and provide the network or the connection object apparatuses with information on the detected abnormality.

10. The communication adapter apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the communication adapter apparatus provides the network with the abnormality information when data transmission through the network is possible and provides the connection object apparatuses with the abnormality information when data transmission through the network is impossible.