Sony Corporation

Kazue Sadanaka

Yuji Kimura

Makoto Sato

Kazuhiro Suzuki

Masahiko Sato

Satoshi Kobayashi

Futoshi Kaibuki

Kenji Matsuoka

Hiroshi Utsunomiya

A control section of an IRD sends an identification start request to a digital bus via a digital input/output terminal. The control section generates an identification display message by controlling an identification display message generation section, makes a superimposition section superimpose the identification display message on an analog video signal, and outputs a resulting signal via an analog output terminal. An information input apparatus allows a user to identify an input terminal connected to the output terminal of the IRD among a plurality of input terminals of the self apparatus by reproducing the identification display message and presenting it to the user.

Information transmission system, information output apparatus, information input apparatus, and connection relationship identification method

When a connection mode change setting instruction input entered by a user is supplied to the control unit, the control unitcontrols the IEEE 1394 I/F circuit to set the value of oPCR and iPCR of an electronic apparatus for forming a channel so that the channel between target electronic apparatus is formed in the connection mode instructed by the user. Thereby, a channel between electronic apparatus is formed flexibly and an information output apparatus that is capable of forming a convenient electronic apparatus network is provided. One electronic apparatus connected to the digital bus inquires of an electronic apparatus connected to the digital bus whether it is a monitor apparatus (first receiving apparatus) that receives the data mainly through a channel formed in the broadcast connection mode or not, and channels connected in the broadcast connection mode are allocated to monitor apparatus respectively. A receiving apparatus other than the monitor apparatus forms a channel of the PtoP mode avoiding the channel of the first connection mode allocated to the first receiving apparatus, and receives supply of the data. As the result, a transmission line using method, an information transmission system, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of utilizing a plurality of channels on the digital bus efficiently, and capable of providing the convenient digital content using environment are realized.

Electronic apparatus and connection mode setting method

An IEEE 1394 I/F circuit detects, through a digital I/O terminal, pieces of information each peculiar to one of electronic apparatuses connected to an information-outputting apparatus by using a digital bus and supplies the information to a control unit. The control unit reports the pieces of peculiar information to the user by displaying the information on a screen of a display unit employed in the information-outputting apparatus. By referring to the pieces of peculiar information displayed, the user operates a remote commander to select one of the electronic apparatuses that is most likely connected to an analog input terminal of the information-outputting apparatus for each of the pieces of information. The piece of information peculiar to the selected electronic apparatus is associated with the analog input terminal most likely connected to the selected electronic apparatus. The associations are then stored in a connection management memory as an analog-connection state under control. As a result, it is possible to provide an information-outputting apparatus capable of flexibly keeping up with dynamic switching from an analog signal to a digital signal supplied thereto and vice versa in an environment of coexisting analog and digital connections, and to provide a connection-relation management method adopted in the information-outputting apparatus.

Information-outputting apparatus and connection-relation management method

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Kazue Sadanaka