INFORMATION COMMUNICATING APPARATUS, METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20030160869A1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: KOYAMA, SHINICHI
• Granted Patent: US 7,071,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40123 Interconnection of computers and peripherals printer information exchange with computer G06F3/1293

Abstract

In a communication system capable of automatically recognizing the connection status of plural devices, the ID information specific to each of the devices is inquired and the information relating to the function of each device is detected from the ID information.

Thus the information indicating the function and feature of each device can be easily obtained without increasing the amount of communication.

Claims

1. An information communication apparatus connectable to a communication system capable of automatically recognizing connection status of plural devices, the apparatus comprising:

communication means for inquiring ID information specific to the device, of each of said plural devices; and

detection means for detecting, from said ID information, the information relating to the function of said device.

2. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information relating to the function includes information relating to the image provided in said device.

3. An information communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said information relating to the image includes at least one of image format information and filter information.

4. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information relating to the function includes a communication protocol supported by said device.

5. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication means is adapted to control communication with said device, based on said information relating to the function.

6. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted to edit or process the image provided in said device, based on said information relating to the function.

7. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication means is adapted, in response to a change in the connection status of said plural device, to inquire said ID information of each of the devices, thereby identifying the node ID reset on each device.

8. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ID information is stored in a fixed area common to the configuration ROM'"'"'s of the devices.

9. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information relating to the function is stored in an address same as that of storage of said ID information.

10. An information communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication system is based on the IEEE 1394 standard.

11. An information communication method applicable to a communication system capable of automatically recognizing connection status of plural devices, the method comprising steps of:

inquiring ID information specific to the device, of each of said plural devices; and

detecting, from said ID information, the information relating to the function of said device.

12. A communication system capable of automatically recognizing the connection status of plural devices, the system comprising:

communication means for inquiring, from at least one of said plural device, ID information specific to the device, of each of other devices; and

detection means for detecting, from said ID information, the information relating to the function of said device.

13. An information communication apparatus connectable to a system capable of automatically recognizing connection status of plural devices, the apparatus comprising:

communication means for inquiring ID information specific to the device, of each of said plural devices;

detection means for detecting, from said ID information, the presence or absence of the information relating to the function of said device; and

control means for controlling the readout of the information relating to the function of said device, stored in a predetermined address thereof, according to the result of detection by said detection means.

14. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said information relating to the function includes information relating to the image provided in said device.

15. An information communication apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said information relating to the image includes at least one of image format information and filter information.

16. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said information relating to the function includes a communication protocol supported by said device.

17. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said communication means is adapted to control communication with said device, based on said information relating to the function.

18. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said apparatus is adapted to control the image processing on the image provided in said device, based on said information relating to the function.

19. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said communication means is adapted, in response to a change in the connection status of said plural device, to inquire said ID information of each of the devices, thereby identifying the node ID reset on each device.

20. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said ID information is stored in a fixed area common to the configuration ROM'"'"'s of the devices.

21. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined address designates a part of an optical area of a configuration ROM provided in each device.

22. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined address is different from the address where said ID information is stored.

23. An information communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said communication system is based on the IEEE 1394 standard.

24. An information communication method applicable to a communication system capable of automatically recognizing connection status of plural devices, the method comprising steps of:

inquiring ID information specific to the device, of each of said plural devices;

detecting, from said ID information, the presence or absence of the information relating to the function of said device; and

controlling the readout of the information relating to the function of said device, stored in a predetermined address thereof, according to the presence or absence of said information relating to the function of the device.

25. A communication system capable of automatically recognizing the connection status of plural devices, the system comprising:

communication means for inquiring, from a first device, ID information specific to the device, of each of other devices;

detection means for detecting, from said ID information, the presence or absence of the information relating to the function of said device; and

control means for controlling the readout of the information relating to the function of said device, stored in a predetermined address thereof, according to the result of detection by said detection means.