Automatic ID allocation for AV/C entities
View Patent ↗Disclosed herein is an automatic ID allocation technique for use in AV/C device applications. The method allows ID assignment without manual user intervention. The method includes assigning an ID to an entity when called to do so upon detection of a new entity. Furthermore, old IDs are reallocated for later use upon disconnection of the associated entity.
1. An apparatus for providing automatic ID allocation method for audio/video control entities, comprising:
means for providing a list for currently allocated audio/video control entities;
means for determining allocating a current identifier value to an initialized entity when an audio/visual control entity is initialized;
means for searching the list to see if a value matching the current identifier is contained in the list;
means for determining if a value matching the current identifier is contained in the list and then, until the current identifier value does not match a value contained on the list:
incrementing the current identifier value; and
checking the list to see if the incremented value is contained in the list; and
means for adding the current identifier value to the list if the current identifier value is not contained in the list.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the list is initially empty.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the current identifier value allocated to the initialized entity is zero.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an entity comprises a audio/video control unit.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an entity comprises an audio/video control plug.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an entity comprises an audio/video control subunit.