Wireless system, wireless device, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein communication program, and communication method

• US 10,306,451 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Hiroyuki, Imura, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Liao, Hsinchun
• Application Number:
  US15/222,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A communication system as an example of an exemplary embodiment includes two mobile terminals and two BLE terminals. The mobile terminals establish connections with the BLE terminals. Specifically, one of the mobile terminals and one of the BLE terminals are connected together such that the mobile terminal is a central and the BLE terminal is a peripheral. In the state of being connected to the mobile terminal, the BLE terminal communicates with the other BLE terminal in the state of being connected to the other mobile terminal. The BLE terminals may establish a connection with each other and communicate with each other, or may communicate with each other without establishing a connection with each other.

Claims

1. A wireless system including a plurality of devices capable of performing wireless communication,

the wireless system comprising a first device, a second device, a third device, and a fourth device,

the first device and the second device

establishing a connection between the first device and the second device such that the first device is a master and the second device is a slave, and performing wireless communication with each other,

the fourth device and the third device

establishing a connection between the fourth device and the third device such that the fourth device is a master and the third device is a slave, and performing wireless communication with each other,

the second device

in the state of being connected as a slave to the first device, performing wireless communication with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device, the second device is configured to:

determine whether to communicate with the third device without establishing a connection with the third device based on a request from an application;

set a type of a packet to one of a non-connection and connection based on the determination; and

transmit the set type of packet.

2. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

the second device

executes a transmission process for wirelessly transmitting data by broadcast or multicast,

executes a reception process for wirelessly receiving data transmitted by broadcast or multicast, and

in the state of being connected as a slave to the first device executes the transmission process and the reception process, thereby communicating with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device.

3. The wireless system according to claim 2, wherein

the second device in the state of being connected to the first device repeatedly executes the transmission process and the reception process, thereby performing wireless communication with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device, without establishing a connection with the third device in response to a determination to communicate with the third device without establishing a connection.

4. The wireless system according to claim 2, wherein

the second device in the state of being connected to the first device repeatedly executes the transmission process and the reception process, thereby performing wireless communication with another device present around the second device.

5. The wireless system according to claim 4, wherein

the second device repeatedly executes the transmission process and the reception process to search for another device around the second device and establishes a connection with the third device detected by the search and in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device.

6. The wireless system according to claim 4, wherein

the second device alternately and repeatedly executes the transmission process and the reception process.

7. The wireless system according to claim 4, wherein

a sleep period in which neither the transmission process nor the reception process is performed is present at least between the transmission process and the reception process, between the transmission process and the transmission process, or between the reception process and the reception process.

8. The wireless system according to claim 2, wherein

at least any of an execution period of the transmission process, timing for executing the transmission process, an execution period of the reception process, and timing for executing the reception process is variable.

9. The wireless system according to claim 8, wherein

at least any of the execution period of the transmission process, the timing for executing the transmission process, the execution period of the reception process, and the timing for executing the reception process is randomly set.

10. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

the second device in a state of not being connected to the third device in response to a determination to communicate with the third device without establishing a connection transmits or receives predetermined data by wireless communication to or from the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device.

11. The wireless system according to claim 10, wherein

the second device transmits or receives, as the predetermined data, data for use in an application.

12. The wireless system according to claim 11, wherein

the application is a gaming application.

13. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

the second device in the state of being connected as a slave to the first device establishes a connection with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device and performs wireless communication with the third device in a state where the established connection is maintained in response to a determination to communicate with the third device using a connection.

14. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

in the state where the first device and the second device are connected together, the first device and the second device repeatedly perform synchronous communication with each other.

15. The wireless system according to claim 14, wherein

the wireless system executes an allowance period setting process for setting an allowance period for a connection between the first device and the second device, and

the second device in the state of being connected to the first device executes a determination process for determining, based on the allowance period, whether or not to execute the synchronous communication with the first device.

16. The wireless system according to claim 14, wherein

the second device broadcasts a timing of the synchronous communication between the first device and the second device.

17. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

the first device and the second device repeatedly perform synchronous communication with each other, and

the fourth device and the third device repeatedly perform synchronous communication with each other.

18. The wireless system according to claim 17, wherein

the wireless system further executes an adjustment process for adjusting at least either one of timing of the synchronous communication between the first device and the second device and timing of the synchronous communication between the fourth device and the third device.

19. The wireless system according to claim 18, wherein

in the adjustment process, the timing of the synchronous communication between the first device and the second device and the timing of the synchronous communication between the fourth device and the third device are adjusted to be close to each other.

20. The wireless system according to claim 17, wherein

the second device performs wireless communication with the third device during a time period where the first device and the second device are not performing the synchronous communication and where the fourth device and the third device are not performing the synchronous communication.

21. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

the second device sets a time interval of synchronous communication in the connection between the second device and the third device and performs synchronous communication with the third device at the set time interval, and

the second device adjusts the time interval of the synchronous communication with the third device, thereby preferentially performing communication with the first device.

22. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

the second device

executes an interval setting process for setting an interval of wireless communication, and

establishes a connection with the third device in response to a determination to communicate with the third device using a connection in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device and then performs wireless communication between the second device and the third device at the interval set in the interval setting process.

23. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein

the wireless system

executes a first allowance period setting process for setting a first allowance period for a connection between the first device and the second device, and

executes a second allowance period setting process for setting a second allowance period for a connection between the second device and the third device,

the second device in the state of being connected to the first device executes a determination process for determining, based on the first allowance period, whether or not to execute synchronous communication with the first device,

the third device in the state of being connected to the second device executes a determination process for determining, based on the second allowance period, whether or not to execute synchronous communication with the second device, and

in the second allowance period setting process, the second allowance period is set to be longer than the first allowance period.

24. A wireless device capable of performing wireless communication with a plurality of devices, the wireless device configured to:

establish a connection with a first device among the plurality of devices such that the first device is a master and the wireless device is a slave;

in the state of being connected as a slave to the first device, perform wireless communication with a third device in a state of being connected as a slave to a second device different from the first device;

determine whether to communicate with the third device without establishing a connection with the third device based on a request from an application;

set a type of a packet to one of a non-connection and connection based on the determination; and

transmit the set type of packet.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a communication program executable by a processor of a wireless device capable of performing wireless communication with a plurality of devices, the communication program causing the processor to execute:

establishing a connection with a first device among the plurality of devices such that the first device is a master and the wireless device is a slave;

in a state where the wireless device is connected as a slave to the first device, performing wireless communication with a third device in a state of being connected as a slave to a second device different from the first device;

determining whether to communicate with the third device without establishing a connection with the third device based on a request from an application;

setting a type of a packet to one of a non-connection and connection based on the determination; and

transmitting the set type of packet.

26. A communication method to be executed by a wireless system including a plurality of devices capable of performing wireless communication,

the wireless system comprising a first device, a second device, a third device, and a fourth device,

the communication method comprising:

establishing a connection between the first device and the second device such that the first device is a master and the second device is a slave, and performing wireless communication between the first device and the second device; and

establishing a connection between the fourth device and the third device such that the fourth device is a master and the third device is a slave, and performing wireless communication between the fourth device and the third device,

the second device, in the state of being connected as a slave to the first device, performing wireless communication with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device, wherein the second device;

determines whether to communicate with the third device without establishing a connection with the third device based on a request from an application;

sets a type of a packet to one of a non-connection and connection based on the determination; and

transmits the set type of packet.