Patent ID: 6769034
Filing Date: 2004-07-27
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
A virtual AV network construction apparatus for constructing a virtual AV network which provides an appearance that an AV network and at least one peripheral device that is connected to a node of the AV network, which is constructed by a plurality of devices being connected via data reception/transmission lines, use a single, common interface when the at least one peripheral device has a different interface than the interface that is employed by the AV network by performing processing as if the interface of each of the at least one peripheral device is the same as the interface employed by the AV network, said apparatus comprising:virtual device function processing means for performing reception/transmission of data or a command between the devices on the AV network and the at least one peripheral device connected to the node by performing control processing mutually between the interface of the at least one peripheral device and the interface of the AV network, wherein each of the at least one peripheral device is provided with a corresponding one of said virtual device function processing means, respectively; and integration management means for activating or terminating said virtual device function processing means corresponding to each of the at least one peripheral device based on peripheral device construction information as construction information for each of the at least one peripheral device, respectively; wherein said virtual device function processing means comprises a command translating means for translating a command into a format which is employed by at least one of the plurality of devices on the AV network to which the command was directed, and for translating a command into a format which is employed by the at least one peripheral device to which the command was directed; wherein said command translating means of said virtual device function processing means corresponding to the at least one peripheral device to which the command was directed receives the command transmitted from at least one of the plurality of devices on the AV network and translates the transmitted command, and said virtual processing means corresponding to the at least one peripheral device to which the command was directed transmits the command to the at least one peripheral device to which the command was directed so as to enable the at least one of the plurality of devices on the AV network which transmitted the command to perform control of the at least one peripheral device to which the command was directed; wherein said command translating means of said virtual device function processing means corresponding to one of the at least one peripheral device which transmitted a command for at least one of the devices on the AV network receives the command transmitted from the one of the at least one peripheral device and translates the transmitted command, and said virtual device function processing means corresponding to the one of the at least one peripheral device which transmitted the command transmits the command to the at least one of the devices to which the command was directed so as to enable the at least one peripheral device which transmitted the command to perform control of the at least one of the devices to which the command was directed; and wherein the plurality of devices on the AV network and the at least one peripheral device connected to the node are operable to deal with at least one of video data, sound data and information data.