US5905882A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic-equipment control apparatus, electronic-equipment control method and electronic-equipment control system
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1996-01-24
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Granted: 1999-05-18
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Expires: 2016-01-24
Abstract
Abstract An electronic-equipment system is formed by a home switch connected to a telephone, a VCR, an audio apparatus, a-personal computer, a set-top box (decoder) and a television receiver by home data lines. The home switch transmits data received from the pieces of electronic equipment to destinations through a public data line. Before being transmitted to a destination, the data is first converted into data in a predetermined internal protocol and then converted into data in a protocol for the public data line. The home switch also receives incoming data transmitted through the public data line. The received data undergoes reversed protocol conversion before being transmitted to the electronic equipment. In addition, data output by a piece of electronic equipment can be transmitted to another piece of electronic equipment at the same home through the home switch.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuhiko Sakagami
- 👤 Takahiko Sueyoshi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 09:15
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/436; H04N21/4363; H04N21/43632; H04L; H04L69/00; H04L69/08; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/4104; H04N21/4108; H04N21/4113; H04N21/4135; H04N21/43615; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04B; H04B1/00; H04B1/06; H04B1/16; H04B1/20; H04B1/205; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/765
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
208 words
An electronic-equipment control apparatus comprising: a first terminal connected to a first piece of electronic equipment; a second terminal connected to a second piece of electronic equipment; a third terminal connected to a public communication line, wherein said first and second pieces of electronic equipment and said public communication line transmit data having appended thereto an ID indicating an address of a transmission destination; a first protocol converting unit connected to said first terminal; a second protocol converting unit connected to said second terminal; a third protocol converting unit connected to said third terminal; and a high-speed bus for interconnecting outputs of said first, second and third protocol converting units, wherein said first, second and third protocol converting units each output data respectively received from said first, second and third terminals in accordance with a predetermined internal protocol, and wherein output data received by one of said first, second and third protocol converting units corresponding to said transmission destination from another one of said first, second and third protocol converting units is transmitted to said transmission destination using a corresponding predetermined protocol, wherein each one of said first, second and third protocol converting units includes a DMA controller for controlling DMA transfers of data through said high-speed bus.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
208 words
An electronic-equipment control apparatus comprising: a first terminal connected to a first piece of electronic equipment; a second terminal connected to a second piece of electronic equipment; a third terminal connected to a public communication line, wherein said first and second pieces of electronic equipment and said public communication line transmit data having appended thereto an ID indicating an address of a transmission destination; a first protocol converting unit connected to said first terminal; a second protocol converting unit connected to said second terminal; a third protocol converting unit connected to said third terminal; and a high-speed bus for interconnecting outputs of said first, second and third protocol converting units, wherein said first, second and third protocol converting units each output data respectively received from said first, second and third terminals in accordance with a predetermined internal protocol, and wherein output data received by one of said first, second and third protocol converting units corresponding to said transmission destination from another one of said first, second and third protocol converting units is transmitted to said transmission destination using a corresponding predetermined protocol, wherein each one of said first, second and third protocol converting units includes a DMA controller for controlling DMA transfers of data through said high-speed bus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The electronic-equipment control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second pieces of electronic equipment comprise one of audio/video related equipment, computer related equipment and communication related equipment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
The electronic-equipment control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said first and second pieces of electronic equipment exchange data with one of said first and second protocol converting units connected to said first and second terminals, respectively, after converting an internal input/output analog signal into an input/output digital signal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-05-17 | 2002-11-16 | 2003-05-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-05-17 | 2006-11-16 | 2007-05-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-05-17 | 2010-11-16 | 2011-05-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |