Wireless communication device, program, and wireless communication system

• US 10,476,686 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Masanori, Itoh, Katsutoshi, Yamaura, Tomoya, Suzuki, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US15/380,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a wireless communication device including a wireless communication unit, a communication control unit configured to control a process of detecting a nearby wireless communication device by the wireless communication unit, a connection process to the nearby wireless communication device detected in the detection process, and communication of content data with the nearby wireless communication device connected in the connection process, and a storage unit that stores content data. The communication control unit, on the basis of information received from the nearby wireless communication device in the detection process, determines if one of the content data in the storage unit or content data in the nearby wireless communication device has been updated relative to the other, and controls the connection process performed when the update is determined.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

circuitry configured to

control a process of detecting a nearby wireless communication device, the process comprising

forming a communication group with the detected nearby wireless communication device in compliance with Wi-Fi P2P,

receiving, from the nearby wireless communication device, a first attribute information included in content data in the nearby wireless communication device, wherein the first attribute information comprises an identifier or an update time of the content data,

comparing the first attribute information with a second attribute information included in content data stored in the wireless communication device, and

determining whether one of the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the nearby wireless communication device has been updated relative to the other based on a result of the comparison, and

determine, based on a result of the determination regarding the update, whether to prevent a start of a connection process, for establishing a connection with the detected nearby wireless communication device to share the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the detected nearby wireless communication device with the detected nearby wireless communication device,

wherein the first attribute information and the second attribute information are communicated using a Service Discovery Query in procedures of Service Discovery defined in Wi-Fi Direct.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the detection is started at a timing specified by a user.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

hash the second attribute information of the content data in the wireless communication device,

receive the first attribute information of content data that has been hashed from the detected nearby wireless communication device, and

compare the hashed first attribute information with the hashed second attribute information to determine a presence or absence of the update.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a computer-readable medium configured to store history information indicating a last point in time when the content data in the wireless communication device was communicated with the detected nearby wireless communication device,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to

identify the detected nearby wireless communication device from a device ID included in the first attribute information, and

determine if the content data in the wireless communication device has been updated since the last point in time concerning the detected nearby wireless communication device indicated by the history information.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

initiate a transmission, to the detected nearby wireless communication device, of update notification information indicating a presence of the update when the presence of the update has been determined, and

control the connection with the detected nearby wireless communication device in accordance with a connection request transmitted from the detected nearby wireless communication device based on reception of the update notification information.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

initiate a transmission of a connection request to the detected nearby wireless communication device when a presence of the update has been determined, and

control the connection started upon transmission of the connection request.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device operates as a master device of a wireless network, and

wherein the circuitry is further configured to

initiate a request for the detected nearby wireless communication device to join the wireless network when a presence of the update has been determined.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to

initiate a notification to a user of the update when a presence of the update has been determined, and

wherein the connection is controlled in accordance with a check operation of the user performed in response to the notification of the update.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

start detection of the nearby wireless communication device in accordance with an instruction of a user to start the detection.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein the detection is started at predetermined intervals.

13. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

determine that one of the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the detected nearby wireless communication device has been updated relative to the other when the first attribute information and the second attribute information do not match based on a result of the comparison, and

share the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the detected nearby wireless communication device with the detected nearby wireless communication device when the update is determined.

14. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

start the connection process when one of the content data in the wireless communication device or the content date in the detected nearby wireless communication device has been determined to be updated relative to the other.

15. The wireless communication device according to claim 14, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

prevent the start of the connection process when the content data in the wireless communication device or the content date in the detected nearby wireless communication device has been determined to not be updated relative to the other.

16. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

prevent the start of the connection process when the content data in the wireless communication device or the content date in the detected nearby wireless communication device has been determined to not be updated relative to the other.

11. A wireless communication method, the method being executed via at least one processor having circuitry, and comprising:

controlling a process of detecting a nearby wireless communication device, the process comprising;

forming a communication group with the detected nearby wireless communication device in compliance with Wi-Fi P2P;

receiving, from the nearby wireless communication device, a first attribute information included in content data in the nearby wireless communication device, wherein the first attribute information comprises an identifier or an update time of the content data;

comparing the first attribute information with a second attribute information included in content data stored in a wireless communication device; and

determining whether one of the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the nearby wireless communication device has been updated relative to the other based on a result of the comparison; and

determining, based on a result of the determination regarding the update, whether to prevent a start of a connection process, for establishing a connection with the detected nearby wireless communication device to share the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the detected nearby wireless communication device with the detected nearby wireless communication device,

wherein the first attribute information and the second attribute information are communicated using a Service Discovery Query in procedures of Service Discovery defined in Wi-Fi Direct.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

controlling a process of detecting a nearby wireless communication device, the process comprising;

forming a communication group with the detected nearby wireless communication device in compliance with Wi-Fi P2P;

receiving, from the nearby wireless communication device, a first attribute information included in content data in the nearby wireless communication device, wherein the first attribute information comprises an identifier or an update time of the content data;

comparing the first attribute information with a second attribute information included in content data stored in a wireless communication device; and

determining whether one of the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the nearby wireless communication device has been updated relative to the other based on a result of the comparison; and

determining, based on a result of the determination regarding the update, whether to prevent a start of a connection process, for establishing a connection with the detected nearby wireless communication device to share the content data in the wireless communication device or the content data in the detected nearby wireless communication device with the detected nearby wireless communication device,

wherein the first attribute information and the second attribute information are communicated using a Service Discovery Query in procedures of Service Discovery defined in Wi-Fi Direct.