COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a communication apparatus communicates with both a controller device and a control object device. The communication apparatus includes a first provide section that provides file configuration information conforming to a file system format acceptable to the controller device; a receive section that receives an access request to a file included in the provided file configuration information, from the controller device; a convert section that converts the access request to control command information conforming to a predetermined protocol acceptable to the control object device; and a second provide section that provides the control command information to the control object device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual drawing of a system configuration according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a content playing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is block diagram of a USB communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a doll according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows an example of description of application processing description data according to the first embodiment in HTML and JavaScript®.

FIG. 6 shows an example of description of application processing description data according to the first embodiment in BML and ECMAScript.

FIG. 7 shows a relationship between the application processing description data, and command and values communicated by devices according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a table showing conversion rules of a protocol converter of the USB communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a read operation of the content playing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of the USB communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a write operation of the content playing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation of the USB communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a conceptual drawing of a system configuration according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a USB communication device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an operation of the USB communication device at a USB connection phase according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an operation of the USB communication device at a supervision phase according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 17 shows a relationship between commands and values exchanged by devices at a command execution phase according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an operation related to a write request of the content playing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an operation of the USB communication device according to the second embodiment.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus that communicates with both a controller device and a control object device, the communication apparatus comprising: a first provide section that provides file configuration information conforming to a file system format acceptable to the controller device;a receive section that receives an access request to a file included in the provided file configuration information, from the controller device;a convert section that converts the access request to control command information conforming to a predetermined protocol acceptable to the control object device; anda second provide section that provides the control command information to the control object device.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus communicates with the controller device in accordance with the USB mass storage class specification.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the access request to the file from the controller device includes a write request,wherein the convert section converts the write request to an operation request to the control object device, andwherein the operation request is different in type of operation in accordance with a content included in the write request.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the access request to the file from the controller device includes a write request or a read request, andwherein the convert section converts the write request to an operation request to the control object device and converts the read request to a status acquisition request to the control object device.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the access request to the file from the controller device includes a name of the file, andwherein the convert section converts the access request to the control command information in accordance with the name of the file.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the file system format is represented by a file and a folder including the file,wherein the access request to the file from the controller device includes a name of the folder and a name of the file, andwherein the convert section converts the access request to the control command information in accordance with the name of the folder and the name of the file.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the convert section determines whether to generate a status acquisition request or an operation request to the control object device based on at least one of the name of the folder and the name of the file.

8. A method for controlling communication between a controller device and a control object device, the method comprising: providing file configuration information conforming to a file system format acceptable to the controller device;receiving an access request to a file included in the file configuration information from the controller device;converting the access request to control command information conforming to a predetermined protocol acceptable to the control object device; andproviding the control command information to the control object device.