Control apparatus and communications control method

• US 9,667,607 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Mizunashi, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, Jay
• Application Number:
  US13/665,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up

Abstract

A control apparatus is disclosed, including a first processor which can be connected to a network; and a second processor which includes a user interface, which is communicatively connected to the first processor, and which performs equipment control based on information input via the user interface and information obtained by the first processor from the network, wherein the first processor includes a communications control unit which conducts a protocol control and/or cryptographic process in communications via the network.

Claims

1. A control system, comprising:

a first processor configured to connect to a network; and

a second processor including a user interface, and configured to communicatively connect to the first processor and perform equipment control based on equipment control related information input via the user interface and equipment control related information obtained by the first processor from the network;

wherein

the first processor is configured to conduct equipment control protocols and communication related cryptographic processing, the equipment control protocols including

converting data received via the network into application data to be transmitted and received by a process in an application layer,

dividing the application data, and

sending the application data to the second processor, and

the communication related cryptographic processing including performing cryptographic processes on communications data,

the second processor and the first processor are configured to perform the process in the application layer using the application data and the cryptographic process in parallel, respectively,

the second processor is configured to transmit the information on equipment to be controlled to the first processor when the second processor transfers to a sleep state,

the first processor is configured to respond to an inquiry on the information for the equipment to be controlled from an external equipment unit connected to the network when the second processor is in the sleep state, and

the equipment control includes controlling a projecting apparatus based on the equipment control related information input via the user interface and the equipment control related information obtained by the first processor over the network.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first processor is configured to hierarchically perform a process of a transport layer, an Internet layer, a data link layer, and a physical layer;

and

the performing the process of the application layer is performed during communication between the first processor and the second processor.

3. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the second processor is configured to perform the equipment control using the received data while intermittently receiving additional data from the first processor.

4. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the second processor is configured to control the projecting apparatus based on projecting data obtained via the network through the first processor.

5. The control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an input apparatus including a power supply key, the input apparatus configured to

cause the projecting apparatus to display a confirmation display screen upon a first power supply key press, and

transmit a signal to the second processor indicating a changing of a power state of the projecting apparatus to standby upon a second power supply key press.

6. The control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the second processor is further configured to

detect that the power state of the projecting apparatus was changed to standby, and

transmit a report to the first processor indicating that the projecting apparatus was changed to standby;

and

the first processor is further configured to

transmit a request to the second processor to change to standby mode, and

receive equipment management information from the second processor.

7. The control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the equipment management information includes at least one of apparatus error information, video input information, AV mute information, and lamp time information.

8. A communications control system for a control apparatus, the control system comprising:

a first processor configured to connect to a network; and

a second processor including a user interface, and configured to communicatively connect to the first processor and perform equipment control based on equipment control related information input via the user interface and equipment control related information obtained by the first processor from the network;

wherein

the first processor is configured to hierarchically perform a process of a transport layer, an Internet layer, a data link layer, and a physical layer in communication via the network,

the first processor is configured to conduct equipment control protocols and communication related cryptographic processing, the equipment control protocols including

converting data received via the network into application data to be transmitted and received by a process in an application layer,

dividing the application data, and

sending the application data to the second processor, and

the communication related cryptographic processing including performing cryptographic processes on communications data,

the second processor and the first processor are configured to perform a process of the application layer using the application data and the cryptographic process in parallel, respectively; and

the second processor is configured to transmit the equipment control related information to the first processor when the second processor transfers to a sleep state,

the first processor is configured to respond to an inquiry on the equipment control related information from an external equipment unit connected to the network when the second processor is in the sleep state, and

the equipment control includes controlling a projecting apparatus based on the equipment control related information input via the user interface and the equipment control related information obtained by the first processor over the network.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein

second processor is further configured to control the projecting apparatus to project an image based on projecting data obtained via the network by the first processor.

10. The control system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

an input apparatus including a power supply key, the input apparatus configured to

cause the projecting apparatus to display a confirmation display screen upon a first power supply key press, and

transmit a signal to the second processor indicating a changing of a power state of the projecting apparatus to standby upon a second power supply key press.

11. The control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the second processor is further configured to

detect that the power state of the projecting apparatus was changed to standby, and

transmit a report to the first processor indicating that the projecting apparatus was changed to standby;

and

the first processor is further configured to

transmit a request to the second processor to change to standby mode, and

receive equipment management information from the second processor.

12. The control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the equipment management information includes at least one of apparatus error information, video input information, AV mute information, and lamp time information.

13. A method for controlling an apparatus comprising:

connecting, using a first processor, to a network;

performing, using a second processor configured to communicatively connect to the first processor, equipment control based on equipment control related information input via a user interface and equipment control related information obtained by the first processor from the network;

conducting, using the first processor, equipment protocol control and communication related cryptographic processing, the equipment control protocols including,

converting data received via the network into application data to be transmitted and received by a process in an application layer,

dividing the application data, and

sending the application data to the second processor, and

the communication related cryptographic processing including performing, using the first processor, cryptographic processes on communications data in parallel to the performing, using the second processor, the process in the application layer using the application data,

transmitting, using the second processor, the information on equipment to be controlled to the first processor when the second processor transfers to a sleep state;

responding, using the first processor, to an inquiry on the information for the equipment to be controlled from an external equipment unit connected to the network when the second processor is in the sleep state; and

the equipment control including controlling a projecting apparatus based on the equipment control related information input via the user interface and the equipment control related information obtained by the first processor over the network.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

hierarchically performing, using the first processor, a process of a transport layer, an Internet layer, a data link layer, and a physical layer; and

the performing the process of the application layer is performed during communication between the first processor and the second processor.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the performing the equipment control includes using the received data while intermittently receiving additional data from the first processor.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the controlling the projecting apparatus includes projecting an image using the projecting apparatus based on projecting data obtained via the network through the first processor.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

an input apparatus including a power supply key, the input apparatus configured to

cause the projecting apparatus to display a confirmation display screen upon a first key press, and

transmit a signal to the second processor indicating a changing of a power state of the projecting apparatus to standby upon a second key press

receiving, using the second processor, a signal indicating a changing of a power state of the projecting apparatus to standby from an input apparatus including a power supply key upon a second power supply key press, the receiving occurring after the projecting apparatus was caused to display a confirmation display screen upon a first power supply key press.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

detecting, using the second processor, that the power state of the projecting apparatus was changed to standby;

transmitting, using the second processor, a report to the first processor indicating that the projecting apparatus was changed to standby;

transmitting, using the first processor, a request to the second processor to change to standby mode; and

receiving, using the first processor, equipment management information from the second processor.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein

the equipment management information includes at least one of apparatus error information, video input information, AV mute information, and lamp time information.