Patent ID: 6771973
Filing Date: 2004-08-03
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A main-sub relation setting apparatus, for setting main-sub relation of electric appliances including a main unit and one or more handset sub units connected to said main unit, said main unit including a first storage circuit storing information for specifying itself and said handset sub unit including a second storage circuit for storing information for specifying the main unit to which the handset sub unit itself is connected, whereinsaid main-sub relation setting apparatus is capable of communicating with an arbitrarily main unit through a first communication medium with no handset sub unit therebetween, and capable of communicating with a handset sub unit through a second communication medium with no main unit therebetween; said main-sub relation setting apparatus comprising: a first communication circuit connected to said first communication medium, and reading information stored in the first storage circuit of the main unit connected to said main-sub relation setting apparatus through said first communication medium; a second communication circuit connected to said second communication medium and said first communication circuit, and based on said information read by said first communication circuit, writing to the second storage circuit of the sub unit connected to said main-sub relation setting apparatus through said second communication medium, information for identifying the main unit to which said sub unit is connected; wherein said main-sub relation setting apparatus causes sub unit information to be added to said main unit with no handset sub unit being provided between the main-sub relation setting apparatus and the main unit; wherein said first storage circuit includes a circuit storing main unit information for identifying itself, and sub unit identification information for identifying a sub unit connected to itself; said second storage circuit includes a circuit storing said main unit information and sub unit information for distinguishing itself from other sub unit connected to the same main unit as itself; said first communication circuit includes a circuit reading said main unit information stored in said first storage circuit and reading and writing said sub unit identification information; said second communication circuit includes a circuit writing said main unit information and said sub unit information to said second storage circuit; said main-sub relation setting apparatus further comprising a control circuit connected to said first communication circuit and said second communication circuit, based on said read main unit information and said sub unit identifying information, generating and transmitting to said second communication circuit, sub unit information of a sub unit to be newly connected to said arbitrary main unit, and based on read said sub unit identifying information, generating and transmitting to said first communication circuit, sub unit identifying information identifying sub units connected to said arbitrary main unit including a sub unit to be newly connected.