US 7,321,938 B2
Data transfer apparatus, network system, and data transfer method
Yoshikatsu Niwa, Kanagawa (Japan); and Shinya Masunaga, Tokyo (Japan)
Assigned to Sony Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/965,030.
Claims priority of application No. 2000-302883 (JP), filed on Sep. 29, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2002/0065942 A1, May 30, 2002
Int. Cl. G06F 15/173 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 709—238  [709/249; 709/230; 710/305; 710/306; 370/392; 370/463; 370/466] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A data transfer apparatus for connecting a plurality of buses and for transmitting data through a first bus to a second bus according to destination information related to the data, the data transfer apparatus being connected to the second bus through a second data transfer apparatus, the data transfer apparatus comprising:
transferring means for transferring the data from the data transfer apparatus to the second data transfer apparatus according to the destination information;
determining means for determining, according to the destination information, whether a node serving as a destination of the data is connected to the second bus;
wherein, when the determining means determines that the node is not connected, a data transmission source receives a predetermined error information signal,
wherein the predetermined error information signal prevents retransmission;
wherein at least one packet of the data, transmitted to the node that is not connected, is processed as an error packet;
wherein the destination information comprises a node ID and a bus ID; and
wherein the data transfer apparatus is formed of an IEEE-1394 bridge conforming to the BRAIN specification.