Communication control device, method of controlling communication, and program

• US 10,306,045 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hirotaka, Takahashi, Makoto, Suzuki, Yuichi, Kanema, Yasuki, Kajihara, Chisako, Kadono, Tohru, Iwatsu, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Manoharan, Muthuswamy G
• Application Number:
  US15/118,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20170054839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724097 Worn on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

[Object] To reduce power consumption even more.

[Solution] Provided is a communication control device including a communication necessity information acquisition unit configured to acquire communication necessity information indicating necessity to communicate with an external device, and a drive control unit configured to control drive of a first communication unit and a second communication unit on a basis of the acquired communication necessity information, the first communication unit communicating with the external device using a first communication mode, the second communication unit communicating with the external device using a second communication mode capable of transferring data at a rate higher than the first communication mode. The drive control unit controls a drive state of each of the first communication unit and the second communication unit to be set to one of an active state capable of communicating with the external device, a power-saving state having lower power consumption than the active state, and an inactive state being a power off state.

Claims

1. A communication control device comprising:

a processing device and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing device, implement;

a communication necessity information acquisition unit configured to acquire communication necessity information indicating necessity to communicate with an external device;

a drive control unit configured to control drive of a first communication unit and a second communication unit on a basis of the acquired communication necessity information, the first communication unit communicating with the external device using a first communication mode, the second communication unit communicating with the external device using a second communication mode capable of transferring data at a rate higher than the first communication mode; and

a communication mode selection unit configured to select a communication mode to perform communication from the first communication unit and the second communication unit based on an amount of communication data predicted from the communication necessity information, so that communication is performed with low power consumption,

wherein the drive control unit sets a drive state of the selected communication unit to the active state and causes the selected communication unit to communicate with the external device, and sets the drive state of the non-selected communication unit to a power-saving state and wherein an authentication process for communication with the external device in the second communication mode is performed by communication with the external device using the first communication mode.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein, when the communication necessity information is not acquired in a predetermined time, the drive control unit sets at least one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit to the power-saving state.

3. The communication control device according to claim 2,

wherein, when the communication necessity information is not acquired in a further predetermined time, the drive control unit sets at least one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit to the inactive state.

4. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein, when the communication necessity information is acquired, the drive control unit sets at least one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit to the active state.

5. The communication control device according to claim 4,

wherein, when information indicating that a predetermined operation input is performed by a user is acquired as the communication necessity information, the drive control unit sets at least one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit to the active state.

6. The communication control device according to claim 5,

wherein the predetermined operation input is a voice input given by a user.

7. The communication control device according to claim 5,

wherein, when information indicating that communication from the external device to at least one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit is performed is acquired as the communication necessity information, the drive control unit sets at least one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit, which performs communication, to the active state.

8. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein, when a transfer data rate predicted on a basis of the communication necessity information exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the communication mode selection unit selects the second communication mode, and

wherein the drive control unit causes the second communication unit to communicate with the external device.

9. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein, when information indicating that a given application is activated is acquired as the communication necessity information, the communication mode selection unit selects the second communication mode, and

wherein the drive control unit causes the second communication unit to communicate with the external device.

10. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein the drive control unit sets a drive state of one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit, which does not perform communication, to the power-saving state or the inactive state.

11. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein, when a communication path is established with the external device in the second communication mode, the second communication unit is prevented from establishing a communication path with another external device.

12. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein the communication control device controls communication between the external device and a wearable terminal used while being attached to a user.

13. The communication control device according to claim 1,

wherein, when both the first communication unit and the second communication unit are set to one of the power-saving state and the inactive state, at least one function of a processor of the communication control device is deactivated.

14. The communication control device according to claim 13,

wherein, when communication from the external device to at least one of the first communication unit and the second communication unit is performed, the deactivated function of the processor of the communication control device is restored.

15. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein selection of the communication mode is further based on a maximum transfer data rate of the first and second communication modes and on a time predicted to be necessary for communication.

16. A method of controlling communication, the method comprising:

acquiring communication necessity information indicating necessity to communicate with an external device;

controlling drive of a first communication unit and a second communication unit on a basis of the acquired communication necessity information, the first communication unit communicating with the external device using a first communication mode, the second communication unit communicating with the external device using a second communication mode capable of transferring data at a rate higher than the first communication mode; and

selecting a communication mode to perform communication from the first communication unit and the second communication unit based on an amount of communication data predicted from the communication necessity information, so that communication is performed with low power consumption,

wherein a drive state of the selected communication unit is controlled to be set to the active state and to cause the selected communication unit to communicate with the external device, and the drive state of the non-selected communication unit is controlled to be set to a power-saving state and wherein an authentication process for communication with the external device in the second communication mode is performed by communication with the external device using the first communication mode.

17. The method of controlling communication according to claim 16, wherein selecting the communication mode is further based on a maximum transfer data rate of the first and second communication modes and on a time predicted to be necessary for communication.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, perform a method comprising:

acquiring communication necessity information indicating necessity to communicate with an external device;

controlling drive of a first communication unit and a second communication unit on a basis of the acquired communication necessity information, the first communication unit communicating with the external device using a first communication mode, the second communication unit communicating with the external device using a second communication mode capable of transferring data at a rate higher than the first communication mode; and

selecting a communication mode to perform communication from the first communication unit and the second communication unit based on an amount of communication data predicted from the communication necessity information, so that communication is performed with low power consumption,

wherein a drive state of the selected communication unit is controlled to be set to the active state and to cause the selected communication unit to communicate with the external device, and the drive state of the non-selected communication unit is controlled to be set to a power-saving state and wherein an authentication process for communication with the external device in the second communication mode is performed by communication with the external device using the first communication mode.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein selecting the communication mode is further based on a maximum transfer data rate of the first and second communication modes and on a time predicted to be necessary for communication.