Method and system for providing a device identification mechanism within a consumer audio/video network

A method of providing device identification to access information within a network, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) constructing a list of global unique identifiers (GUIDs) wherein each GUID identifies a unique device of said network and wherein said constructing orders GUIDs within said list of GUIDs according to their associated physical identifier values, wherein said physical identifier values are assigned by a local bus of said network;
• b) receiving a request originating from an application program to determine topology information corresponding to a device of said network wherein said request includes a first GUID corresponding to said device;
• c) using said list of GUIDs to determine a first index value corresponding to a position of said first GUID within said list of GUIDs;
• and
• d) referencing a topology map data structure with said first index value to obtain said topology information, wherein said topology map data structure is organized based on physical identifiers.

A method of providing device identification within a network, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) constructing a list of global unique identifiers (GUIDs) wherein each GUID is persistent and identifies a unique device of said network and wherein said constructing orders GUIDs within said list of GUIDs according to their associated physical identifier values, wherein said physical identifier values are assigned by a local bus of said network;
• b) receiving a request originating from an application program to communicate with a device of said network wherein said request includes an identifier corresponding to said device;
• c) translating said identifier into a first GUID corresponding to said device;
• d) using said list of GUIDs to determine a first index value corresponding to a position of said first GUID within said list of GUIDs wherein said first index value is a first physical identifier;
• and
• e) issuing a communication to said device over said local bus using said first physical identifier, wherein said communication corresponds to said application program request.

An electronic system having a processor, an internal bus and a computer readable memory unit, said system coupled to an IEEE 1394 local bus, wherein said memory unit having instructions stored therein that implement a method of providing device identification to access information within a network, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) constructing a list of global unique identifiers (GUIDs) wherein each GUID is persistent and identifies a unique device of said network and wherein said constructing orders GUIDs within said list of GUIDs according to their associated physical identifier values, wherein said physical identifier values are assigned by a local bus of said network;
• b) receiving a request originating from an application program to determine information corresponding to a device of said network wherein said request includes a first GUID corresponding to said device;
• c) using said list of GUIDs to determine a first index value corresponding to a position of said first GUID within said list of GUIDs;
• and
• d) referencing a map data structure with said first index value to obtain said information wherein said map data structure is organized based on physical identifiers.

An apparatus for providing device identification to access information within a network, said apparatus comprising:

• a) means for constructing a list of global unique identifiers (GUIDs), wherein each GUID is persistent and identifies a unique device of said network, by ordering GUIDs within said list of GUIDs according to their associated physical identifier values, wherein said physical identifier values are assigned by a local bus of said network;
• b) means for receiving a request originating from an application program to determine information corresponding to a device of said network wherein said request includes a first GUID corresponding to said device;
• c) means for using said list of GUIDs to determine a first index value corresponding to a position of said first GUID within said list of GUIDs;
• and
• d) means for referencing a map data structure with said first index value to obtain said information wherein said map data structure is organized based on physical identifiers.