Detection of RVU capable devices
View Patent ↗Devices and methods for quickly and definitively detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable. Aspects of the disclosed method and apparatus make use of the RVU messaging protocol, which include a Discovery phase and a Description phase. In one embodiment, a stand-alone testing device includes functionality that can test for the existence of RVU capability in a network connected device; in another embodiment, a cable/data network interface device may be modified to include such functionality. One detection method exams messages transmitted by a device during a Discovery phase for unique indicia of RVU compliance by the device. Another detection method reads a data structure from a device during a Description phase and looks for unique indicia of RVU compliance by the device. An installation method provides a process for quickly and definitively detecting an RVU compliant device.
1. A method for detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable, including:
(a) detecting data packets received from a device to be tested;
(b) determining if any of the received data packets are of a specific type; and
(c) indicating if at least one received data packet of the specific type contains an indicia of RVU capability.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific type of data packet is an M-SEARCH packet.
3. A method for detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable, including:
(a) connecting a testing device to a device to be tested, the test device embodying the method
of claim 1 detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable;
(b) connecting a video conversion device to the tested device if the tested device is not RVU capable; and
(c) connecting a cable/data network interface device to the tested device if the tested device is RVU capable.
4. A test device for detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable, including:
(a) a network interface configured to be coupled to a device to be tested; and
(b) a processor programmed to receive data packets from the device to be tested; determine if any of the received data packets are of a specific type; and indicate if at least one received data packet of the specific type contains an indicia of RVU capability.
5. The test device of claim 4 , wherein the specific type of data packet is an M-SEARCH packet.
6. The test device of claim 4 , wherein the test device is a cable/data network interface device.
7. A test device for detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable, including:
(a) network interface circuitry configured to be coupled to a device to be tested; and
(b) receiver circuitry configured for receiving data packets from the device to be tested, determining if any of the received data packets are of a specific type, and indicating if at least one received data packet of the specific type contains an indicia of RVU capability.
8. The test device of claim 7 , wherein the specific type of data packet is an M-SEARCH packet.
9. The test device of claim 7 , wherein the test device is a cable/data network interface device.
10. A method for detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable, including:
(a) transmitting a first data packet type to a device to be tested;
(b) receiving a second data packet type from the device to be tested, the second data packet
type containing an address to a data structure in the device to be tested;
(c) reading the data structure from the device to be tested; and
(d) indicating if the read data structure contains an indicia of RVU capability.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first data packet type is an M-SEARCH packet, and the second data packet type is an M-NOTIFY packet.
12. A test device for detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable, including:
(a) a network interface configured to be coupled to a device to be tested;
(b) a processor programmed to transmit a first data packet type to the device to be tested; receive a second data packet type from the device to be tested, the second data packet type containing an address to a data structure in the device to be tested; read the data structure from the device to be tested; and indicate if the read data structure contains an indicia of RVU capability.
13. The test device of claim 12 , wherein the first data packet type is an M-SEARCH packet, and the second data packet type is an M-NOTIFY packet.
14. The test device of claim 12 , wherein the test device is a cable/data network interface device.
15. A test device for detecting whether or not a device is RVU capable, including:
(a) network interface circuitry configured to be coupled to a device to be tested;
(b) transmitter circuitry configured for transmitting a first data packet type to a device to be tested; receiving a second data packet type from the device to be tested, the second data packet type containing an address to a data structure in the device to be tested; reading the data structure from the device to be tested; and indicating if the read data structure contains an indicia of RVU capability.
16. The test device of claim 15 , wherein the first data packet type is an M-SEARCH packet, and the second data packet type is an M-NOTIFY packet.
17. The test device of claim 16 , wherein the test device is a cable/data network interface device.