Network device

• US 20050198222A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mizutani, Mika, Kohinata, Nobuaki, Yamagishi, Toshihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/857,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198222A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

There are disclosed a digital device in compliance with UPnP and its telecommunication method for restructuring a device description in accordance with a change of arrangements of own digital devices, such as a change of connection of extended peripheral devices, for example, and transmitting and reflecting a restructured device description to other digital devices. It is determined whether or not a change for the peripheral device of the own digital device is made by referring to a device information table stored in a memory for storing information for the peripheral device included in the own digital device. If it is determined that there is a change for the peripheral devices as a result, the device description is obtained and further a device name of the peripheral device associated with the change is obtained from the device information table. Then, the device description is updated by executing a procedure for information for the device description based on the obtained device name. Information for indicating a location for storing the updated device description, such as a new advertise message describing URL, for example, is transmitted from the own digital device to a network.

Claims

1. A digital device connected to a network, comprising:

a device description for describing a digital device arrangement as predetermined information in order to utilize a function provided by the digital device from another digital device, corresponding to Plug and Play (PnP) capable of providing the function to the other digital device by communicating the predetermined information via the network by the digital device, and

description restructuring means for updating the device description by detecting a change of an own device arrangement.

2. The network device according to claim 1, further comprising:

description notification means for notifying the device description updated by the description restructuring means to another network device.

3. The network device according to claim 2, comprising:

a device information table for storing a device name indicating an extended peripheral device capable of providing to at least another network device, a connection flag indicating a state of connecting the extended peripheral device and a state of being reflected in the device description, a service name included in the extended peripheral device described in the device name, and a service description location indicating a location for describing a service description corresponding to the service name in advance,

wherein the description restructuring means determine, by referring to the device information table when connecting the peripheral device, whether or not the peripheral device being connected can be informed publicly to the other network device and whether or not the extended peripheral device capable of being provided to the other network device is connected.

4. The network device according to claim 3, wherein the connection flag can be edited by a user.

5. The network device according to claim 2, comprising:

a device information table for storing a device name indicating an extended peripheral device capable of providing to a network device and an internal embedded device, a connection flag indicating at least a state of connecting the extended peripheral device and a state of being reflected in a device description, an active flag indicating an active state of the embedded device and the state of being reflected in a device description, a service name included in the extended peripheral device and the embedded device described in the device name, and a service description location indicating a location for describing the service description corresponding to the service name in advance,

wherein the description restructuring means determine, by referring to the table when connecting the extended peripheral device, whether or not the extended peripheral device can be informed publicly and provided for another network device, whether or not the extended peripheral device capable of being provided to the other network device is connected, and whether or not an internal embedded device is active.

6. The network device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the connection flag and the active flag can be edited by the user.

7. The network device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a network connection I/F unit for connecting to a network;

a peripheral device connection I/F unit for connecting the extended peripheral device to be an extended function by the user;

a command receiver for receiving indication from the user;

a display controller for displaying a state of the network device;

two or more embedded devices; and

an embedded device controller for controlling the embedded device,

wherein the peripheral device connection I/P unit includes a register for storing a connection state and inherent information of the extended peripheral device.

8. The network device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a network connection I/F unit for connecting to a network;

a peripheral device connection I/F unit for connecting the extended peripheral device to be an extended function by the user;

a command receiver for receiving indication from the user;

a display controller for displaying a state of the network device;

two or more embedded devices; and

an embedded device controller for controlling the embedded device,

wherein the embedded device controller includes a register for storing an active state of each embedded device.

9. The network device according to claim 2, wherein a hard disc drive as the extended peripheral device is connected and the hard disc drive is accessed by the other network device that received the device description.

10. A method for processing information between a first device and a second device, wherein a device description for describing information for a structure of the peripheral device of the first device capable of connecting a peripheral device is transmitted to the second device via a network, and further a function of the peripheral device included in the first device can be utilized from the second device, comprising the steps of:

keeping information for the peripheral device included in the first device in a memory as a device information table;

referring to the device information table and determining whether or not a change is associated with the peripheral device of the first device;

if there is a change for the peripheral device as a result of determination, obtaining the device description and further obtaining a device name of the peripheral device for the change from the device information table;

updating the device description by processing information for the device description based on the obtained device name; and

transmitting information for indicating a location for storing the updated device description from the first device to the network.

11. The method for processing information according to claim 10, wherein the device information table stores the device name indicating the peripheral device capable of providing a function, a connection flag indicating a state of connecting the peripheral device and a state of being reflected in a device description, a service name included in the peripheral device described in the device name, and a service description location for indicating a location describing a service description in advance corresponding to the service name, further comprising the step of:

if the peripheral device is newly connected to the first device determining whether or not usage of the peripheral device being connected can be provided to the second device and whether or not the peripheral device capable of being provided to the second device is connected, by referring to the device information table.

12. The method for processing information according to claim 10, wherein the obtained information is added to a predetermined position of the device description and information for indicating that the device description is added is registered in the connection flag, after a restructured device description is stored in a memory.

13. The method for processing information according to claim 10, wherein a new advertise message describing URL for storing an updated device description is created and transmitted.

14. The method for processing information according to claim 10, wherein a peripheral device which has not yet been reflected in the device description is searched by referring to a device information table for determining whether or not a new peripheral device can be provided to the second device, it the peripheral device is newly added to the first device, information to be reflected in the device description is obtained from the device information table, the obtained information is added to the device description, information for adding new information to the device description is registered, the device description is updated, and multicasting transmission is made by creating the new advertise message describing URL for storing the updated device description.

15. The method for processing information according to claim 10, wherein a determining procedure is executed to determine whether or not the extended peripheral device is in a state of disconnecting the peripheral device by referring to the device information table, if it is found that the peripheral device is disconnected as a result of determination, the device description is obtained from the memory and a device name of a device which is removed from the device information table is obtained, the device description is updated by deleting associated information from the device description based on the obtained device name, information for indicating that a disconnected extended peripheral device is deleted from the device description is registered in the connection flag of the device information table, and multicasting transmission is made by creating a new advertise message describing URL for storing the updated device description.

16. The method for processing information according to claim 10, wherein a determining procedure is executed to determine whether or not the extended periphery device is in a hiding state of the extended peripheral device by referring to the device information table for executing a procedure of hiding the extended peripheral device, if it is found that the extended peripheral device is hidden as a result of determination, the device description is obtained from the memory and a device name associated with hiding is obtained from the device information table, the device description is updated by deleting an index associated with the extended peripheral device for hiding from the obtained device description, information for indicating that the extended peripheral device for hiding is deleted from the device description is registered in the device information table, and multicasting transmission is made by creating the new advertise message describing URL for storing the updated device description.

17. The method for processing information according to claim 10, wherein the first and second devices are devices in compliance with a UPnP standard, and the second device has a function as a control point for the first device.

18. The method for processing information according to claim 13, wherein the second device obtains the device description stored in the memory according to the URL.

19. The method for processing information according to claim 16, wherein the device description is updated for releasing by releasing a hiding state of the peripheral device being temporarily hidden by referring to the device information table.

20. A computer processable program for executing a method of reflecting a change for a peripheral device of a first device in a second device by transmitting a device description describing information associated with a peripheral device arrangement of the first device for allowing peripheral device connection to the second device via a network, comprising the steps of:

referring to device arrangement information stored in a memory for recording information associated with the peripheral device of the first device and determining whether or not the information indicates a change for the peripheral device of the first device;

if there is a change for the peripheral device as a result of determination, obtaining the device description and a device name of the peripheral device for the change from a device information table;

updating the device description by processing associated information for the device description based on the obtained device name; and

transmitting information for indicating a location for storing the updated device description from the first device to the network.