INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network. The apparatus includes a generator and a transmission controller. The generator is configured to generate time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, as packets having a first region into which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is to be described. The transmission controller is configured to control the packets generated by the generator such that one packet is transmitted to the asynchronous network at each transmission timing after the fixed period.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an example of a communication schedule used in the information processing system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are block diagrams showing different examples of a configuration of the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a data communication apparatus of the information processing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a detailed functional configuration of the data communication apparatus of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8 to 13 are diagrammatic views showing different examples of a structure of a timing packet used in the data communication apparatus of FIG. 6;

FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a timing packet transmission process from within a process executed by the data communication apparatus of FIG. 7;

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a timing packet reception process from within the process executed by the data communication apparatus of FIG. 7;

FIGS. 16 to 18 are block diagrams showing further different examples of the configuration of the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a time synchronizing information transmission apparatus of the information processing system of FIG. 17 or 18;

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the entirety or part of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing an example of a detailed hardware configuration of a communication section of the information processing apparatus of FIG. 20.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network, comprising: a generator configured to generate time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, as packets having a first region into which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is to be described; anda transmission controller configured to control the packets generated by said generator such that one packet is transmitted to said asynchronous network at each transmission timing after the fixed period.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the packets generated by said generator further have a second region into which data for performing communication of shared information in said information processing system or divisional communication of the shared information are to be described.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the packets are classified into a plurality of types and transmitted by broadcast communication; said information processing apparatus further comprising setting means configured to set that one of a plurality of transmission source port numbers individually corresponding in a one-by-one corresponding relationship to the plural types of the packets which corresponds to the type of a transmission object;said generator generating the packets which further include the transmission source port number set by said setting means and are of the type corresponding to the transmission source port number set by said setting means.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the packets are classified into a plurality of types and transmitted by multicast communication; said information processing apparatus further comprising setting means configured to set an Internet Protocol multicast address corresponding to the type of a transmission object from among a plurality of Internet Protocol multicast addresses corresponding in a one-by-one corresponding relationship to the plural types of the packets;said generator generating the packets which further include the Internet Protocol multicast address set by said setting means and are of the type which correspond to the Internet Protocol multicast address set by said setting means.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said asynchronous network is divided into a plurality of virtual local area networks; the packets being classified into a plurality of types, the packets being transmitted by broadcast communication through that one of said virtual local area networks to which said information processing apparatus belongs;said information processing apparatus further comprising setting means configured to set a virtual local area network identifier corresponding to the type of a transmission object from among a plurality of virtual local area network identifiers which individually correspond in a one-by-one corresponding relationship to the plural types of the packets;said generator generating the packets which further include the virtual local area network identifiers set by said setting means and are of the type which corresponds to the virtual local area network identifier set by said setting means.

6. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network, comprising the steps of: generating time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, as packets having a region into which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is to be described; andtransmitting the generated packets such that one packet is transmitted to said asynchronous network at each transmission timing after the fixed period.

7. A program for being executed by a computer which controls an information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network, said program causing said information processing apparatus to execute the steps of: generating time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, as packets having a region into which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is to be described; andtransmitting the generated packets to the asynchronous network such that one packet is transmitted at each transmission timing after the fixed period.

8. An information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network, comprising: receiving means configured to receive packets, when the packets having a first region in which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is described are transmitted as time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, from a different information processing apparatus to said information processing apparatus through said asynchronous network at each transmission timing after the fixed period;determining means configured to decide whether or not the packets received by said receiving means are packets of the time synchronizing information; anddetecting means configured to detect the sequence number from those of the packets received by said receiving means which are decided as the time synchronizing information by said determining means.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the packets of the time synchronizing information further have a second region in which data for performing communication of shared information in said information processing system or divisional communication of the shared information are described, said detecting means further detecting the data from those packets which are decided as the time synchronizing information by said determining means.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the packets of the time synchronizing information are classified into a plurality of types and transmitted by broadcast communication and further include that one of a plurality of transmission source port numbers individually corresponding in a one-by-one corresponding relationship to the plural types of the packets which corresponds to the type of a transmission object to the different information processing apparatus; said determining means deciding whether or not the packets are packets of the time synchronizing information of the type of a reception object based on a transmission source port number included in the packets received by said receiving means.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the packets are classified into a plurality of types and transmitted by multicast communication; each of the packets further including an Internet Protocol multicast address corresponding to the type of a transmission object to the different information processing apparatus from among a plurality of Internet Protocol multicast addresses which correspond in a one-by-one corresponding relationship to the plural types of the packets;said determining means deciding whether or not the packets are packets of the time synchronizing information of the type of a reception object based on an IP multicast address included in the packets received by said receiving means.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said asynchronous network is divided into a plurality of virtual local area networks; the packets of the time synchronizing information being classified into a plurality of types, the packets being transmitted by broadcast communication through that one of said virtual local area networks to which the different information processing apparatus and said information processing apparatus belong;each of the packets further including a virtual local area network identifier corresponding to the type of a transmission object to the different information processing apparatus from among a plurality of virtual local area network identifiers which correspond in a one-by-one corresponding relationship to the plural types of the packets;said determining means deciding whether or not the packets are packets of the time synchronizing information of the type of a reception object based on a virtual local area network identifier included in the packets received by said receiving means.

13. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network, comprising the steps of: receiving packets, when the packets having a region in which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is described are transmitted as time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, from a different information processing apparatus to said information processing apparatus through said asynchronous network at each transmission timing after the fixed period;deciding whether or not the received packets are packets of the time synchronizing information; anddetecting the sequence number from those of the received packets which are decided as the time synchronizing information.

14. A program for being executed by a computer which controls an information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network, said program causing said information processing apparatus to execute the steps of: receiving packets, when the packets having a region in which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is described are transmitted as time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, from a different information processing apparatus to said information processing apparatus through said asynchronous network;deciding whether or not the received packets are packets of the time synchronizing information; anddetecting the sequence number from those of the received packets which are decided as the time synchronizing information.