JPH0231261A - Communication controller and information transmission system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a user to simply obtain the information on the installing/ connecting ways of equipments in images and voices, etc., within a system by sending the equipment information owned by its own device and stored in a memory to an output means via an information transmission line. CONSTITUTION:A user uses a remote control transmitter 34 as an input device and gives a request to a TV 3 for the handling way of a VTR 2. Thus the TV 3 sends this request to the VTR 2, and the VTR 2 sends the information on the presence or absence of the equipment using direction information to the TV 3. The TV 3 sends the memory address writing information to the VTR 2 as long as the information on the handling way is received. The VTR 2 sends the information on the application of the equipment information output to TV 3 and then TV 3 requests the picture data on the equipment handling way to the VTR 2 in the case it is decided that the received output specification information can be displayed on the TV 3. Then the VTR 2 sends said picture data to the TV 3, and the TV 3 displays the received picture data on a TV.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication control device and an information transmission system using this communication control device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In conventional information transmission systems comprised of systemized audio and video equipment, handling information such as how to install, connect, and use each piece of equipment was obtained from manuals such as equipment instruction manuals.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such an information transmission system, when you want to know how to use a device, you always have to bring out the salt9 instruction manual, which is kept separate from the device and stored in a separate location, and the information you want to obtain can be retrieved. I had to find the page where it was listed.

Furthermore, some of the devices do not have an output means for the user, such as a display device.

The present invention focuses on such problems, and uses a simple method to store, transmit, and output information that allows equipment users to easily obtain information on how to install and connect equipment within the system through video, audio, etc. The purpose of this invention is to provide a functional information transmission system and a communication control device used in this system.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides information on the target equipment when an information transmission system user requests equipment information such as how to install, connect, and use equipment in the information transmission system. The user inquires whether the user has the device information, and if so, transmits the device information to the output means via the information transmission path, and the user obtains the device information from the output means.

According to the above-described method, the present invention individually has its own device information, and the output means obtains the device information via the information transmission path, and the device connected to the information transmission system has its own device information. The output of information to the system user greatly improves man-machine interface functionality.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the information transmission system of the present invention. 1 is an information transmission path for transmitting information packets;
2 is a VTR having a communication control section 21 for communicating information packets via the information transmission path 1, a memory 21, a VTR 23, and a control section 24 for controlling them; 3 is a communication control section 31, a memory 32, and a TV 33 with a remote control; This is a TV that has a control unit that controls them. As shown in FIG. 2, the memory 22 stores image data 223 on how to use the device (VTR main body 23), device information output specification information 222 that describes the display means and usage of image data, and the device (VTR main body 23).
It has information 221 with usage information. 4 is a virtual memory set for the entire system, and devices 2 and 3 on the information transmission system each select the necessary information from the virtual memory address and write the actual memo! Information is stored in J22 and J32.

The memories 22 and 32 are accessed via the information transmission path 1 using virtual memory addresses. Access with/without device usage information is at address "01AO (HEx)" Device information output specification information is accessed at address "o 1A 1 (HEX)" 5. Remote control transmitter 3 of TV main unit 33 with remote control
4 is a control function of the VTR 2 connected to the information transmission path 1;
Equipped with a usage explanation request function. The memory 32 has output specification information of the TV main body 33 with remote control.

FIG. 3 shows the information of the information packet of the present invention. Consists of a start bit, a mask address that indicates the source address, a parity bit for the master address, a slave address that indicates the destination address, a parity pit for the slave address, a control field, a parity bit and an ack bit for the control field, and a data field. has been done. The data field consists of data for each byte, a continuation bit, a parity bit, and an acknowledge bit. The parity bit is a bit for performing a parity check. The continue bit is a bit that indicates whether data is to be transmitted continuously or has ended. The ack bit is a response bit that notifies the transmitting side that the receiving side has received the respective data normally.When the data is received normally, the acknowledgment bit is ``0'', and when there is a reception error, the negative response is ``1''.
” is returned. When a positive response is returned to the slave address, a control field is sent from the sending side. When a negative response is returned, communication ends at that point. The control field is shown in Figure 4. As shown in the figure, it is composed of 4 bits and indicates the direction of data and the content of control of the packet.The direction of data is transmitted from slave to master (read) or transmitted from master to slave (write). Control contents include reading data, writing memory addresses, commands, and data.

A communication control method in a system having the above-mentioned components will be explained. FIG. 3 explains a method for obtaining device information in an information transmission system used in an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the user uses the remote control transmitter 34 as an input means to request the TV 3 to explain how to use the VTR 2. The processing operation of the TV 3 at that time is shown in FIG. 5, the processing operation of the VTR 2 is shown in FIG. 6, and the communication sequence between the TV 3 and the VTR 2 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, when the TV 3 receives the request (a) for explaining how to use the VTR 2, it sends an information packet ■
Φ). Information packet ■ is a memory address write packet for control field (CF) "5 (HEX)', and data field (DF)
K7t'less "olAo(HEX)" is shown.

(1) VTR2 that received the information packet ■ has the address "
olAo (HEX)", that is, the information 221 with/without device usage information, is prepared to be transmitted in the next information packet ■. Next, the TV3 sends the data read information packet ■ with a CF of 3 (HEX)" to the VTR2. Send to Φ
). When the VTR 2 receives the CF of the information packet (■), it transmits it to the TV 3 using the iDF containing device usage information prepared earlier. In TV3, if there is usage information received (
C), 7t'L/7. to DF. ”01A1 () (EX)
” Information packet for writing memory address ■
is transmitted to the VTR 2 (d). Information packet f received, 7'c V T R2 huff F L's”
OI A 1 (HEX)", that is, prepare to transmit the information of the device information output usage information 222 in the information packet ■ (k). The TV 3 transmits the data read information packet ■ to the VTR 2 (d). Information packet ■ C of
The VTR 2, which has received the F, transmits the device information output information prepared earlier to the TV 3 using the DF (1). The TVa compares the received output specification information with the output specification information of the remote control TV 33 stored in the memory 32e), and if they are the same, determines that it can be displayed on the 'rv33, and issues a command to request device usage image data. An information packet with ■(c
y=“D”) is transmitted to the iVTR2 (f). Received the information packet ■ - In the VTR 2, write the device usage method image data 223 in the memory 22 (cy = "F")
The information packet ■ is sent to the TV3 (n). The TV 3 will receive the information packet q) and display the received device usage image on the TV. There may be multiple information packets (■) depending on the number of data.

Also, compare the received output specification information and the output specification information of TV3. If they are different, TV3 will send VTR2 to a terminal device in the system that has an output means that can output device usage information of VTR2. Transmit and output device usage information.

In this embodiment, information on how to use the device is stored and transmitted.

Although this was an output, the same applies to other information held by the device.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, it is extremely easy for each device on an information transmission system to have its own information on how to use the device, and to send the information to the output means via an information transmission path. By being able to output images, audio, text, etc., users can easily operate the equipment, and the man-machine interface is greatly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information transmission system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a memory of a VTR having a virtual memory space and a communication function, and FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a diagram showing a control field, FIG. 6 is a processing flow diagram of TVa in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a processing flow diagram of VTR 2 in an embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 7 is a communication sequence diagram in one embodiment of the present invention. 1... Information transmission path, 2... VTR 13
...TV, 21.31...-communication control unit, 22.32...memory, 23...V
TR main body, 24.34... Control unit, 33...
...TV body with remote control.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A communication control unit that communicates with each other via an information transmission path that transmits control data, audio, and video information, a memory that stores information held by its own device, and controls the communication control unit and memory. A communication control device comprising a control unit and transmitting the contents of the memory via the information transmission path. (2) A plurality of communication control devices according to claim 1 are provided, and a virtual memory address space (property table) or a content request command of the memory is used to access the memory via an information transmission path. input means for inputting a request for the memory information to at least one of the communication control devices; and an output for outputting the memory information to at least one of the communication control devices; means is provided, and when there is an input from the input means indicating a request for the memory information, the communication control device equipped with the input means transmits a message to the communication control device having the memory information via the information transmission path. to inquire about the output means from among the information held by the self-device stored in the memory, and to inquire about the output means from among the information possessed by the self-device stored in the memory, and to ask the communication control device having the output means capable of outputting the information possessed by the self-device of the self-device. An information transmission system in which the communication control device having the output means outputs the information possessed by the own device via the information transmission path using the output means.