State information communications system and method

• US 5,402,115 A
• Filed: 12/09/1992
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US07/989,051
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.06, 340/825.08, 340/825.15, 340/825.24, 340/825.25, 340/825.22, 340/310 R, 340/825.07, 358/194.1, 358/86, 370/85.1, 370/85.2, 370/85.3, 348/734, 348/6, 348/8, 348/12
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A state information communications system includes a bus and first and second terminal units of TV set and VCR connected to the bus. The first terminal unit includes control command generator for generating a control command, an information request command generator for generating an information request command, a first communications control for sending the control command and the information request command to the bus, and for receiving information data directed to the first terminal unit. The second terminal unit includes a second communications control for receiving control command and the information request command from the bus, a terminal device having tape deck which operates in response to the control command, a state code generator for generating a fixed state code when the tape deck is in a fixed state and a transient state code when tape deck is in a transient state changing from one fixed state to another fixed state. The first terminal unit is informed, when the second terminal unit produces the transient state code in reply to the information request command, that the second terminal unit is in a transient state for carrying out a state change from a previous state to a state required by the control command.

Claims

1. A state information communications method for sending data from a first terminal unit to a second terminal unit and vice versa, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a control command from said first terminal unit to said second terminal unit for controlling a device provided in said second terminal unit;

(b) producing a transient state code when said device is in a transient state changing from one fixed state to another fixed state;

(c) sending an information request command, after a first predetermined time from the sending of said control command, from said first terminal unit to said second terminal unit for requesting the present state of said device;

(d) replying to said information request command by sending said transient state code from said second terminal unit to said first terminal unit;

(e) generating, in response to said control command, a time information indicative of a time length necessary to change from one fixed state to another fixed state; and

(f) resending said information request command after said time length determined by said time information when said second terminal unit produces said transient state code in reply to the first one of said information request command.

2. A state information communications system comprising:

a bus means;

a first terminal unit connected to said bus means, said first terminal unit comprising;

control command generating means for generating a control command;

information request command generating means for generating an information request command;

first communications control means for sending said control command and said information request command to said bus means, and for receiving information data directed to said first terminal unit through said bus means;

a second terminal unit connected to said bus means, said second terminal unit comprising;

second communications control means for receiving said control command and said information request command from said bus means;

terminal device means having an electrically operating device which operates in response to said control command;

state code generating means for generating a fixed state code when said device is in a fixed state and a transient state code when said device is in a transient state changing from one fixed stated to another fixed state;

first memory means for storing said state code produced from said state code generating means;

a presumptive time generator for generating a presumptive time information indicative of a time length necessary to change from one fixed state to another fixed state;

second memory means for storing said generated presumptive time information;

information control means, operative in response to said information request command, for fetching said state code stored in said first memory means and said presumptive time information stored in said second memory means; and

said second communications control means, operative in response to said information request command, for sending the fetched state code and the presumptive time information through said bus means to said first terminal unit;

said first terminal unit further for resending said information request command after a predetermined time determined by said presumptive time information when said second terminal unit produces said transient state code in reply to the first one of said information request command.

3. A state information communications system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first terminal unit is a television receiver set and said second terminal unit is a video cassette recorder.

4. A state information communications system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said electrically operating device is a tape deck.

5. A state information communications system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first memory means stores various state codes at various addresses, and wherein said information request command as produced from said information request command generating means accompany address data of said first memory means.

6. A state information communications system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said information request command generating means generates said information request command after a first predetermined time from the generation of said control command and said next information request command after a second predetermined time determined by said presumptive time information when said second terminal unit produces said transient state code in reply to one of said information request command.

7. A state information communications system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first terminal unit further has all the elements provided in said second terminal unit, and said second terminal unit further has all the elements provided in said first terminal unit.