Remote control method of external devices

Abstract

A method of controlling a plurality of external devices is performed on a computer which is set up with a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, and a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes. The management process is called to display icons corresponding to the remote control processes in a display field provided by the management process. Further, the management process acts when a specified operation is applied to one of the icons on the display field for sending a screen open instruction to one of the remote control processes corresponding to the icon to which the specified operation is applied. The remote control process which receives the screen open instruction is activated to display a control screen for use in remotely controlling the corresponding external device.

1 . A method of controlling a plurality of external devices, being performed on a computer which is set up with a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting an application work using the external devices while communicating with the management process,
 wherein the application process performs a step of sending an issuance request instruction to the management process, for requesting an issuance of an operation instruction to one of the remote control processes managed by the management process,   wherein the management process performs a step of issuing the operation instruction in response to the issuance request instruction from the application process, and transferring the operation instruction to said one remote control process, the operation instruction specifying an operation to be performed by said one remote control process, and   wherein the said one remote control process performs the specified operation in response to the operation instruction sent from the management process.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the application process further performs the steps of: sending a request instruction to the management process when a save operation is detected for requesting state information about a current state; combining data maintained in the application process with the information about the current state supplied from the management process in response to the request instruction; and saving a setup file containing combined results of the data of the application process and the information of the management process,
 wherein the management process further performs the steps of: collecting first parameters representing current states of the remote control processes from the respective remote control processes in response to the request instruction from the application process; and combining the collected first parameters with second parameters representing a current state of the management process; and supplying the application process with combined results of the first and second parameters as the information about the current state.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the application process further performs the steps of: reading a setup file when a load operation is detected, the read setup file containing configuration data specifying a state of the management process and states of the remote control processes; and supplying the management process with the configuration data, and
 wherein the management process further performs the steps of: initiating one or more of the remote control process associated with parameters described in the configuration data; and supplying the initiated remote control process with the parameters described in the configuration data.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the management process performs the step of transferring the operation instruction specifying the operation including at least one of: a synchronization operation to synchronize a current state of said one remote control process with a current state of the corresponding external device controlled by said one remote control process; and a display operation to display a remote operation screen for use in remote control of the external device corresponding to said one remote control process. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the remote control process is plugged in the management process so that the application process indirectly manages the remote control process through an intermediate management process, or alternatively the remote control process may be plugged in the application process so that the application process directly manages the remote control process. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the management process performs a step of registering a remote control process managed by the management process based on a remote control program installed in the computer. 
     
     
         7 . A method of controlling a plurality of external devices, being performed on a computer which is set up with a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting an application work using the external devices while communicating with the management process,
 wherein the application process performs: a first display step of displaying a screen of the application work provided with a plurality of graphic controls corresponding to the plurality of the external devices; and a step of sending an issuance request instruction to the management process when an operation is applied to one of the graphic controls provided in the screen of the application work,   wherein the management process performs: a step of issuing a display instruction in response to the issuance request instruction from the application process; and a step of sending the issued display instruction to one of the remote control processes corresponding to the graphic control to which the operation is applied, and   wherein said one remote control process performs: a step of receiving the display instruction sent from the management process; and a second display step of displaying a remote operation screen in response to the display instruction for use in remote control of the corresponding external device.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the remote control process is plugged in the management process so that the application process indirectly manages the remote control process through an intermediate management process, or alternatively the remote control process may be plugged in the application process so that the application process directly manages the remote control process. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the management process performs a step of registering a remote control process managed by the management process based on a remote control program installed in the computer. 
     
     
         10 . A method of controlling a plurality of external devices, being performed on a computer which is set up with a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting an application work with allocating resources to the remote control processes while communicating with the management process, wherein
 the management process performs the steps of:   receiving first information indicating a first group of resources which are available for the application work from the application process;   reserving a second group of resources among the first group of the resources for use in the remote control processes managed by the management process;   notifying one of the remote control processes of second information indicating a third group of resource(s) which is included in the second group of the resources but not used by any of the remote control processes yet, the notified remote control process selecting one or more resources from among the third group of the resource(s) and reserving the one or more resources for use in the notified remote control process; and   receiving, from the notified remote control process, third information indicating a fourth group of resource(s) which is the rest of the third group of resource(s) after the notified remote control process reserves the one or more resources among the third group of resource(s) to update the second information.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the remote control process is plugged in the management process so that the application process indirectly manages the remote control process through an intermediate management process, or alternatively the remote control process may be plugged in the application process so that the application process directly manages the remote control process. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the management process performs a step of registering a remote control process managed by the management process based on a remote control program installed in the computer. 
     
     
         13 . A method of controlling a plurality of external devices, being performed on a computer which is set up with a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting at least a reproduction work of a music piece using resources while communicating with the management process, the method comprising:
 the application process allocating a resource to each of plural tracks of the music piece;   the application process outputting musical performance information reproduced from the plural tracks of the music piece utilizing the respective resources allocated to the respective tracks;   the management process collecting resource information from the respective remote control processes, the resource information indicating the group of the resources reserved by the respective remote control processes;   the application process receiving the resource information from the management process, the resource information indicating a group of resources used by the respective remote control processes;   the application process, in response to a display request of a remote operation screen regarding to one of the tracks, identifying an external device based on the resource allocated to the track and the resource information received from the management process, the identified external device being supplied with the musical performance information reproduced from the track utilizing the allocated resource; and   the application process sending an issuance request instruction to the management process as regards to one remote control process corresponding to the identified external device,   the management process issuing the display instruction to said one remote control process in response to the issuance request instruction, and   said one remote control process displaying a remote operation screen in response to the display instruction from the management process, so that the external device corresponding to said one track can be remotely controlled on the displayed remote operation screen.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the remote control process is plugged in the management process so that the application process indirectly manages the remote control process through an intermediate management process, or alternatively the remote control process may be plugged in the application process so that the application process directly manages the remote control process. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the management process performs a step of registering a remote control process managed by the management process based on a remote control program installed in the computer. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for controlling a plurality of external devices, comprising:
 a plurality of remote control modules corresponding to the plurality of the external devices;   a management module for managing the remote control modules while communicating with the remote control modules, and   an application module for conducting an application work using the external devices while communicating with the management module,   wherein the application module sends an issuance request instruction to the management module for requesting an issuance of an operation instruction to one of the remote control modules managed by the management module,   wherein the management module issues the operation instruction in response to the issuance request instruction from the application module, and transfers the operation instruction to said one remote control module, the operation instruction specifying an operation to be performed by said one remote control module, and   wherein said one remote control module performs the specified operation in response to the operation instruction sent from the management module.   
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for controlling a plurality of external devices, comprising:
 a plurality of remote control modules corresponding to the plurality of the external devices;   a management module for managing the remote control modules while communicating with the remote control modules; and   an application module for conducting an application work using the external devices while communicating with the management module,   wherein the application module displays a screen of the application work provided with a plurality of graphic controls corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, and sends an issuance request instruction to the management module when an operation is applied to one of the graphic controls provided in the screen of the application work,   wherein the management module issues a display instruction in response to the issuance request instruction from the application module, and sends the issued display instruction to one of the remote control modules corresponding to the graphic control to which the operation is applied, and   wherein said one remote control module receives the display instruction sent from the management module, and displays a remote operation screen in response to the display instruction for use in remote control of the corresponding external device.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for controlling a plurality of external devices, comprising:
 a plurality of remote control modules corresponding to the plurality of the external devices;   a management module for managing the remote control modules while communicating with the remote control modules; and   an application module for conducting an application work with allocating resources to the remote control modules while communicating with the management module,   wherein the management module receives first information indicating a first group of resources which are available for the application work from the application module, then reserves a second group of resources among the first group of the resources for use in the remote control modules managed by the management module, then notifies one of the remote control modules of second information indicating a third group of resource(s) which is included in the second group of the resources but not used by any of the remote control modules yet, the notified remote control module selects one or more resources from among the third group of the resource(s) and reserves the one or more resources for use in the notified remote control module, and thereafter receives, from the notified remote control module, third information indicating a fourth group of resource(s) which is the rest of the third group of resource(s) after the notified remote control module reserves the one or more resources among the third group of resource(s) to update the second information.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for controlling a plurality of external devices, comprising:
 a plurality of remote control modules corresponding to the plurality of the external devices;   a management module for managing the remote control modules while communicating with the remote control modules; and   an application module for conducting at least a reproduction work of a music piece using resources while communicating with the management module,   wherein the application module allocates a resource to each of plural tracks of the music piece, then outputs musical performance information reproduced from the plural tracks of the music piece utilizing the respective resources allocated to the respective tracks, then receives resource information from the management module, the resource information indicating a group of resources used by the respective remote control modules, then identifies an external device in response to a display request of a remote operation screen regarding to one of the tracks based on the resource allocated to the track and the resource information received from the management module, the identified external device being supplied with the musical performance information reproduced from the track utilizing the allocated resource, and sends an issuance request instruction to the management module as regards to one remote control module corresponding to the identified external device,   wherein the management module collects the resource information from the respective remote control modules, the resource information indicating the group of the resources used by the respective remote control modules, and issues the display instruction to said one remote control module in response to the issuance request instruction, and   wherein said one remote control module displays a remote operation screen in response to the display instruction from the management module, so that the external device corresponding to said one track can be remotely controlled on the displayed remote operation screen.   
     
     
         20 . A program set for use in controlling a plurality of external devices, the program set being installable in a computer to set up therein a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting an application work using the external devices while communicating with the management process,
 wherein the application process performs a step of sending an issuance request instruction to the management process for requesting an issuance of an operation instruction to one of the remote control processes managed by the management process,   wherein the management process performs a step of issuing the operation instruction in response to the issuance request instruction from the application process, and transferring the operation instruction to said one remote control process, the operation instruction specifying an operation to be performed by said one remote control process, and   wherein the said one remote control process performs the specified operation in response to the operation instruction sent from the management process.   
     
     
         21 . A program set for use in controlling a plurality of external devices, the program set being installable in a computer to set up therein a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting an application work using the external devices while communicating with the management process,
 wherein the application process performs: a first display step of displaying a screen of the application work provided with a plurality of graphic controls corresponding to the plurality of the external devices; and a step of sending an issuance request instruction to the management process when an operation is applied to one of the graphic controls provided in the screen of the application work,   wherein the management process performs: a step of issuing a display instruction in response to the issuance request instruction from the application process; and a step of sending the issued display instruction to one of the remote control processes corresponding to the graphic control to which the operation is applied, and   wherein said one remote control process performs: a step of receiving the display instruction sent from the management process; and a second display step of displaying a remote operation screen in response to the display instruction for use in remote control of the corresponding external device.   
     
     
         22 . A program set for use in controlling a plurality of external devices, the program set being installable in a computer to set up therein a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting an application work with allocating resources to the remote control processes while communicating with the management process, wherein
 the management process performs the steps of:   receiving first information indicating a first group of resources which are available for the application work from the application process;   reserving a second group of resources among the first group of the resources for use in the remote control processes managed by the management process;   notifying one of the remote control processes of second information indicating a third group of resource(s) which is included in the second group of the resources but not used by any of the remote control processes yet, the notified remote control process selecting one or more resources from among the third group of the resource(s) and reserving the one or more resources for use in the notified remote control process; and   receiving, from the notified remote control process, third information indicating a fourth group of resource(s) which is the rest of the third group of resource(s) after the notified remote control process reserves the one or more resources among the third group of resource(s) to update the second information.   
     
     
         23 . A program set for use in controlling a plurality of external devices, the program set being installable in a computer to set up therein a plurality of remote control processes corresponding to the plurality of the external devices, a management process for managing the remote control processes while communicating with the remote control processes and an application process for conducting at least a reproduction work of a music piece using resources while communicating with the management process,
 the application process allocating a resource to each of plural tracks of the music piece;   the application process outputting musical performance information reproduced from the plural tracks of the music piece utilizing the respective resources allocated to the respective tracks;   the management process collecting resource information from the respective remote control processes, the resource information indicating the group of the resources reserved by the respective remote control processes;   the application process receiving the resource information from the management process, the resource information indicating a group of resources used by the respective remote control processes;   the application process, in response to a display request of a remote operation screen regarding to one of the tracks, identifying an external device based on the resource allocated to the track and the resource information received from the management process, the identified external device being supplied with the musical performance information reproduced from the track utilizing the allocated resource; and   the application process sending an issuance request instruction to the management process as regards to one remote control process corresponding to the identified external device,   the management process issuing the display instruction to said one remote control process in response to the issuance request instruction, and   said one remote control process displaying a remote operation screen in response to the display instruction from the management process, so that the external device corresponding to said one track can be remotely controlled on the displayed remote operation screen.