Communication system, communication apparatus, communication method, and program

• US 8,520,234 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Otani, Yomei, Toyama, Yoshihiro, Yokoyama, Kenji, Sheng, Zhongyao, Oryoji, Hiroshi, Hagimori, Masashige, Sano, Ikuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREN, VINCENT ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US11/525,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 455/435.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/26 using dedicated tools for LAN [Local Area Network] management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a communication system for enabling a first communication apparatus and second communication apparatuses to communicate with one another over a network. The first communication apparatus includes: a detection device; a display control device; a transmission device. The second communication apparatuses includes: a reception device; a notification device; an instruction device; and a registration device.

Claims

1. A communication system for enabling communication among communication apparatuses over a network, comprising:

a first communication apparatus including

means for detecting second communication apparatuses connected to said network as detected second communication apparatuses using a query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the first communication apparatus,

means for receiving response packets from the second communication apparatuses, each of the response packets including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of a corresponding one of the second communication apparatuses,

means for storing the device kind identifiers, the unique identifier IDs and the IP addresses included in each of the received response packets from the second communication apparatuses in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the first communication apparatus;

means for controlling display of a screen showing a list of said detected second communication apparatuses based on the received response packets, and

means for transmitting the query packet, a first request and a second request to a selected second communication apparatus of said detected second communication apparatuses based upon corresponding user selections,

wherein said first request is transmitted in response to a user selection of said selected second communication apparatus from the list and requesting said selected second communication apparatus to provide humanly perceptible notification that said selected second communication apparatus has been selected, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of the first communication apparatus, and

wherein said second request is transmitted in response to a registration operation input at said first communication apparatus and requesting said selected second communication apparatus to register said first communication apparatus, said second request including the MAC address of the first communication apparatus; and

each of said second communication apparatuses including

means for receiving said first and second requests sent from said first communication apparatus,

means for providing humanly perceptible notification that said second communication apparatus has been selected in response to said first request,

means for providing an instruction to register said first communication apparatus in response to a user operation at said second communication apparatus, after receipt of said second request, and

means for registering said first communication apparatus in a delivery destination management table stored in said second communication apparatus by storing the MAC address of the first communication apparatus in the delivery destination management table, when the instruction to register said first communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation and the MAC address in the first request matches the MAC address in the second request.

2. A communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

means for detecting other communication apparatuses connected to said network as detected other communication apparatuses using a query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

means for receiving query response packets from the other communication apparatuses, each of the query response packets including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of a corresponding one of the other communication apparatuses;

means for storing the device kind identifiers, the unique identifier IDs and the IP addresses included in each of the query response packets received from the other communication apparatuses in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the communication apparatus;

means for controlling display of a screen showing a list of said detected other communication apparatuses based on the query response packets received;

means for transmitting the query packet, a first request and a second request to a selected other communication apparatus of said detected other communication apparatuses based upon corresponding user selections,

wherein said first request is transmitted in response to user selection of said selected other communication apparatus from the list and includes a request requesting said selected other communication apparatus to provide humanly perceptible notification that said selected other communication apparatus has been selected, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of the communication apparatus, and

wherein said second request is transmitted in response to a registration operation input at said communication apparatus and requests said selected other communication apparatus to register said communication apparatus, said second request including the MAC address of the communication apparatus;

means for receiving a first response and a second response from said selected other communication apparatus, said first response indicating that the humanly perceptible notification has been provided by said selected other communication apparatus and said second response indicating that said communication apparatus has been registered with said selected other communication apparatus; and

means for registering said selected other communication apparatus in a delivery source management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing a media access control (MAC) address of the selected other communication apparatus in the delivery source management table, in response to the second response received from said selected other communication apparatus.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

upon receipt of said first response, said means for controlling display of a screen further includes means for updating display of said screen to permit user selection of the registration operation.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said first request includes a request requesting said selected other communication apparatus to blink a light emitting diode arrangement.

5. A communication method for causing a communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

detecting other communication apparatuses connected to said network as detected other communication apparatuses using a query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

receiving, over the network, query response packets from the other communication apparatuses, each query response packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of a corresponding one of the other communication apparatuses;

storing the device kind identifiers, the unique identifier IDs and the IP addresses included in each query response packets received from the other communication apparatuses in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the communication apparatus;

controlling display of a screen showing a list of said detected other communication apparatuses based on the query response packets received;

transmitting the query packet, a first request and a second request to a selected other communication apparatus of said detected other communication apparatuses based upon corresponding user selections,

wherein said first request is transmitted in response to user selection of said selected other communication apparatus from the list and includes a request requesting said selected other communication apparatus to provide humanly perceptible notification that said selected other communication apparatus has been selected, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of the communication apparatus, and

wherein said second request is transmitted in response to a registration operation input at said communication apparatus and requests said selected other communication apparatus to register said communication apparatus, said second request including the MAC address of the communication apparatus;

receiving a first response and a second response from said selected other communication apparatus, said first response indicating that the humanly perceptible notification has been provided by said selected other communication apparatus and said second response indicating that said communication apparatus has been registered with said selected other communication apparatus; and

registering said selected other communication apparatus in a delivery source management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing a media access control (MAC) address of the selected other communication apparatus in the delivery source management table, in response to the second response received from said selected other communication apparatus.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions thereon, that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a process enabling a communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

detecting other communication apparatuses connected to said network as detected other communication apparatuses using a query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

receiving, over the network, query response packets from the other communication apparatuses, each query response packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of a corresponding one of the other communication apparatuses;

controlling display of a screen showing a list of said detected other communication apparatuses based on the query response packets received;

transmitting the query packet, a first request and a second request to a selected other communication apparatus of said detected other communication apparatuses based upon corresponding user selections,

wherein said first request is transmitted in response to user selection of said selected other communication apparatus from the list and includes a request requesting said selected other communication apparatus to provide humanly perceptible notification that said selected other communication apparatus has been selected, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of the communication apparatus, and

wherein said second request is transmitted in response to a registration operation input at said communication apparatus and requests said selected other communication apparatus to register said communication apparatus, said second request including the MAC address of the communication apparatus;

receiving a first response and a second response from said selected other communication apparatus, said first response indicating that the humanly perceptible notification has been provided by said selected other communication apparatus and said second response indicating that said communication apparatus has been registered with said selected other communication apparatus; and

registering said selected other communication apparatus in a delivery source management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing a media access control (MAC) address of the selected other communication apparatus in the delivery source management table, in response to the second response received from said selected other communication apparatus.

7. A communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

means for receiving a query packet from another communication apparatus over the network, the query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the another communication apparatus;

means for transmitting a query response packet to the another communication apparatus over the network, the query response packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

means for storing the device kind identifier, the unique identifier ID and the IP address included in the query packet received from the another communication apparatus in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the communication apparatus;

means for receiving first and second requests sent from the another communication apparatus connected to said network, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of said another communication apparatus and a notification request that requests said communication apparatus to indicate that said communication apparatus has been selected, and said second request including the MAC address of said another communication apparatus and a request that requests said communication apparatus to register said another communication apparatus based upon a user operation at said communication apparatus;

means for providing humanly perceptible notification that said communication apparatus has been selected in response to said first request;

means for providing an instruction to register said another communication apparatus in response to the user operation at said communication apparatus, after receipt of said second request; and

means for registering said another communication apparatus in a delivery destination management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing the MAC address of the another communication apparatus in the delivery destination management table, when the instruction to register said another communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation and the MAC address in the first request matches the MAC address in the second request.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for transmitting a first response to said another communication apparatus, said first response indicating that the humanly perceptible notification has been provided by said communication apparatus.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said means for transmitting a first response includes means for transmitting a second response to said another communication apparatus, when the registration of said another communication apparatus has completed by said means for registering, said second response including an indication that the registration of said another communication apparatus has been completed.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said means for providing humanly perceptible notification comprises a light emitting diode arrangement.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for controlling said light emitting diode arrangement to blink at a first blinking speed when said first request is received from said another communication apparatus and to blink at a second blinking speed when the instruction to register said another communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim claim 10, wherein

said means for registering includes means for comparing the information regarding the media access control (MAC) address included in said first request with the information regarding the media access control (MAC) address included in said second request, after receipt of said second request and when the instruction to register said another communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation, and registers said another communication apparatus when a match exists, and

the communication apparatus further comprises means for controlling said light emitting diode arrangement to blink at a first blinking speed when said first request is received from said another communication apparatus and to blink at a second blinking speed when the instruction to register said another communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation.

13. A communication method of a communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

receiving a query packet from another communication apparatus over the network, the query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the another communication apparatus;

transmitting a query response packet to the another communication apparatus over the network, the query response packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

storing the device kind identifier, the unique identifier ID and the IP address included in the query packet received from the another communication apparatus in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the communication apparatus;

receiving first and second requests sent from the another communication apparatus connected to said network, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of said another communication apparatus and a notification request that requests said communication apparatus to indicate that said communication apparatus has been selected, and said second request including the MAC address of said another communication apparatus and a request that requests said communication apparatus to register said another communication apparatus based upon a user operation at said communication apparatus;

providing humanly perceptible notification that said communication apparatus has been selected in response to said first request;

providing an instruction to register said another communication apparatus in response to the user operation at said communication apparatus, after receipt of said second request; and

registering said another communication apparatus in a delivery destination management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing the MAC of the another communication apparatus in the delivery destination management table, when the instruction to register said another communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation and the MAC address in the first request matches the MAC address in the second request.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions thereon, that, when executed by an arithmetic processor, cause the processor to execute a process of a communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

receiving a query packet from another communication apparatus over the network, the query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the another communication apparatus;

transmitting a query response packet to the another communication apparatus over the network, the query response packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

storing the device kind identifier, the unique identifier ID and the IP address included in the query packet received from the another communication apparatus in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the communication apparatus;

receiving first and second requests sent from the another communication apparatus connected to said network, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of said another communication apparatus and a notification request that requests said communication apparatus to indicate that said communication apparatus has been selected, and said second request including the MAC address of said another communication apparatus and a request that requests said communication apparatus to register said another communication apparatus based upon a user operation at said communication apparatus;

providing humanly perceptible notification that said communication apparatus has been selected in response to said first request;

providing an instruction to register said another communication apparatus in response to the user operation at said communication apparatus, after receipt of said second request; and

registering said another communication apparatus in a delivery destination management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing the MAC address of the another communication apparatus in the delivery destination management table, when the instruction to register said another communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation and the MAC address in the first request matches the MAC address in the second request.

15. A communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

a detection device configured to detect other communication apparatuses connected to said network as detected other communication apparatuses using a query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

a display control device configured to control display of a screen showing a list of said detected other communication apparatuses based on query response packets received from the other communication apparatuses, each query response packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of a corresponding one of the other communication apparatuses;

a storage device for storing the device kind identifiers, the unique identifier IDs and the IP addresses included in each of the query response packets received from the other communication apparatuses in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the communication apparatus;

a transmission device configured to transmit the query packet, a first request and a second request to a selected other communication apparatus of said detected other communication apparatuses based on corresponding user selections,

wherein said first request is transmitted in response to user selection of said selected other communication apparatus from the list and includes a request requesting said selected other communication apparatus to provide humanly perceptible notification that said selected other communication apparatus has been selected, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of the communication apparatus, and

wherein said second request is transmitted in response to a registration operation input at said communication apparatus and requests said selected other communication apparatus to register said communication apparatus, the second request including the MAC address of the communication apparatus;

a reception device configured to receive a first response and a second response from said selected other communication apparatus, said first response indicating that the humanly perceptible notification has been provided by said selected other communication apparatus and said second response indicating that said communication apparatus has been registered with said selected other communication apparatus; and

a registration device configured to register said selected other communication apparatus in a delivery source management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing a media access control (MAC) address of the selected other communication apparatus in the delivery source management table, in response to the second response received from said selected other communication apparatus.

16. A communication apparatus to communicate over a network, comprising:

a reception device configured to receive a query packet, and first and second requests sent from another communication apparatus connected to said network, said query packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of said another communication apparatus, said first request including a media access control (MAC) address of said another communication apparatus and a notification request that requests said communication apparatus to indicate that said communication apparatus has been selected, and said second request including a media access control (MAC) address of the another communication apparatus and a request that requests said communication apparatus to register said another communication apparatus based upon a user operation at said communication apparatus;

a transmission device configured to transmit a query response packet to said another communication apparatus over the network, the query response packet including a device kind identifier, a unique identifier ID and an IP address of the communication apparatus;

a storage device configured to store the device kind identifier, the unique identifier ID and the IP address included in the query packet received from the another communication apparatus in an identifier-to-kind correspondence table stored in the communication apparatus;

a notification device configured to provide humanly perceptible notification that said communication apparatus has been selected in response to said first request;

an instruction device configured to provide an instruction to register said another communication apparatus in response to the user operation at said communication apparatus, after receipt of said second request; and

a registration device configured to register said another communication apparatus in a delivery destination management table stored in said communication apparatus by storing the MAC address of the another communication apparatus in the delivery destination management table, when the instruction to register said another communication apparatus is provided in response to the user operation and the MAC address in the first request matches the MAC address in the second request.