Communication device and software for operating multimedia applications

• US 20010003191A1
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kovacs, Ern?ouml;, Mandato, Davide
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication device and a software for operating multimedia applications in one or more communication networks, with a computing manager unit (52) for managing and providing multimedia applications on the basis of a communication with one or more communication devices in the one or more communication networks, whereby the computing manager unit (52) controls a device discovery manager unit (58) for detecting the availability of one or more devices and/or one or more communication networks, a service discovery manager unit (56) for providing available services from and/or for said one or more communication networks, and a virtual device manager unit (60) providing a graphical user interface for controlling devices and/or services of the one or more communication networks.

The present invention particularly enables mobile multimedia applications to effectively use mobile ad-hoc networks in a simple and effective way.

Claims

1. Communication device for operating multimedia applications in one or more communication networks, with

transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving information in said one or more communication networks,

a computing manager unit (52) for managing and providing multimedia applications on the basis of a communication with one or more other devices in the one or more communication networks, whereby said computing manager unit (52) controls

a device discovery manager unit (58) for detecting the availability of one or more devices and/or one or more communication networks,

a service discovery manager unit (56) for providing available services from and/or for said one or more communication networks, and

a virtual device manager unit (60) providing a graphical user interface for controlling devices and/or services of said one or more communication networks.

2. Communication device according to

claim 1

, characterized in,

that said service discovery manager unit (56) is adapted for making services available for said one or more communication networks.

3. Communication device according to

claim 1

or

2

, characterized in,

that said service discovery manager unit (56) is adapted for obtaining knowledge about available services from said one or more communication networks.

4. Communication device according to

claim 1

,

2

or 3, characterized in,

that said computing manager unit (52) is an ad hoc computing manager unit for managing and providing multimedia applications in a mobile ad hoc communication network.

5. Communication device according to one of the

claims 1

to

4

, characterized by

a tuple space manager unit (64) for providing a tuple space functionality for multimedia applications within the context of a mobile ad hoc network.

6. Communication device according to one of the

claims 1

to

5

characterized by

a daemon manager unit (61) providing a platform independent functionality to control a further set of server sub-units, provided by a respective multimedia application and making available different services in the one or more communication networks.

7. Communication device according to one of the

claims 1

to

6

, characterized in,

that said computing manager unit (52) further controls a protocol mapping manager unit (54) providing a protocol inter-working mechanism in order to offer multimedia applications a seamless communication network architecture.

8. Communication device according to

claim 7

,

characterized in,

that said protocol mapping manager unit (54) comprises a configurating sub-unit for downloading protocol stack variants form a communication network and a routing sub-unit for routing messages across different protocol stack implementations.

9. Communication device according to one of the

claims 1

to

8

, characterized in,

that said computing manager unit (52) further controls a quality based routing manager unit (67) for delivering information to a remote device or network along paths that meet the quality of service requirements of the respective multimedia application best.

10. Software for operating multimedia applications in one or more communication networks, with

a computing manager unit (52) for managing and providing multimedia applications on the basis of a communication with one or more communication devices in the one or more communication networks, whereby said computing manager unit (52) controls a device discovery manager unit (58) for detecting the availability of one or more devices and/or one or more communication networks,

a service discovery manager unit (56) for providing available services from and/or for said one or more communication networks, and

a virtual device manager unit (60) providing a graphical user interface for controlling devices and/or services of said one or more communication networks.

11. Software according to

claim 10

, characterized in,

that said service discovery manager unit (56) is adapted for making services available for said one or more communication networks.

12. Software according to

claim 10

or

11

, characterized in,

that said service discovery manager unit (56) is adapted for obtaining knowledge about available services from said one or more communication networks.

13. Software according to

claim 10

,

11

or 12, characterized in,

that said computing manager unit (52) is an ad hoc computing manager unit for managing and providing multimedia applications in a mobile ad hoc communication network.

14. Software according to one of the

claims 10

to

13

, characterized by

a tuple space manager unit (64) for providing a tuple space functionality for multimedia applications within the context of a mobile ad hoc network.

15. Software according to one of the

claims 10

to

14

, characterized by

a daemon manager unit (61) providing a platform independent functionality to control a further set of server sub-units provided by a respective multimedia application and making available different services in the one or more communication networks.

16. Software according to one of the

claims 10

to

15

, characterized in,

that said computing manager unit (52) further controls a protocol mapping manager unit (54) providing a protocol inter-working mechanisms in order to offer multimedia applications a seamless communication network architecture.

17. Software according to

claim 16

, characterized in,

that said protocol mapping manager unit (54) comprises a configurating sub-unit for downloading protocol stack variants form a communication network and a routing subunit for routing messages across different protocol stack implementations.

18. Software according to one of the

claims 10

to

17

, characterized in,

that said computing manager unit (52) further controls a quality based routing manager unit for delivering information to a remote device or network along paths that meet the quality of service requirements of the respective multimedia application best.