Method for detection of the activity of a device in a network of distributed stations, as well as a network station for carrying out the method
First Claim
1. Method for detection of the activity of a device in a network of distributed stations, in which the activity of one network station is checked by a search request to a network station by means of unprotected transmission protocol which is unprotected against packet losses, with at least one protected transmission protocol in which it is assured that a packet will actually reach its addressee, being made available for data access and/or for controlling a network station,wherein, if the sought network station does not respond to the search request, a data access and/or a control request to this network station is additionally made by means of the protected transmission protocol wherein the inactivity of the addressed network station is confirmed when the fact that the data access and/or the control request has failed is signalled via the protected transmission protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to the technical field of local data transmission networks, in particular domestic networks. In networks such as these, the network stations log on in connection to the network. On disconnection, the network station which is leaving the network logs off in an appropriate manner. In the situation in which the user disconnects a network station simply by pulling out the network cable from the network, it is physically impossible to transmit the logging-off message. The invention is now concerned with the problem of how reliably an inactive network station can be identified, also taking account of the disconnection of the network station simply by pulling out the network plug. The invention solves the problem by regular transmission of a search request to the stations in the network. If a search request remains unanswered by one network station, an HTTP access is additionally attempted to, for example, the device description of the network station in question, or a control request. The network station is identified as being inactive only if this access/control request also fails. In the case of a UPnP network, the search request is made using the unprotected SSDP protocol, so that the lack of any response to the search request does not in its own right reliably indicate that the network station has logged off. The supposition that the network station which did not respond to the search request is inactive is confirmed by means of the HTTP access, which takes place on an error-protected basis.
19 Citations
16 Claims
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1. Method for detection of the activity of a device in a network of distributed stations, in which the activity of one network station is checked by a search request to a network station by means of unprotected transmission protocol which is unprotected against packet losses, with at least one protected transmission protocol in which it is assured that a packet will actually reach its addressee, being made available for data access and/or for controlling a network station,
wherein, if the sought network station does not respond to the search request, a data access and/or a control request to this network station is additionally made by means of the protected transmission protocol wherein the inactivity of the addressed network station is confirmed when the fact that the data access and/or the control request has failed is signalled via the protected transmission protocol.
Specification