Wireless communication device, wireless communication system, wireless communication method, and program

• US 10,567,979 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Katsutoshi, Suzuki, Hideyuki, Naito, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Guang W
• Application Number:
  US15/937,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20180220311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

There is provided a wireless communication device including a control-message creation/transmission-instruction unit which sends notification information via a wireless communication network and also sends response information in the case of receiving notification information sent from another device, a reception/interpretation processing unit which receives, from another device which has received the notification information of the wireless communication device, response information of such other device and also receives the notification information sent from such other device, and an operation mode determination unit which determines, based on operation mode determination information included in the notification information of such other device or the response information of such other device, that the wireless communication device is caused to operate as one of a master device and a slave device.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

circuitry configured to;

send first request information via a wireless communication network using a first frequency;

wait, from another device which has received the first request information, for first response information with respect to the first request information using the first frequency for a predetermined duration;

receive the first response information from the another device;

in response to receiving the first response information, send first operation mode determination information indicating a priority index of the wireless communication device to the another device;

receive, from the another device, second operation mode determination information indicating a priority index of the another device; and

determine, based on the first and the second operation mode determination information, that the wireless communication device is caused to operate as one of a master device or a slave device.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first request information is a periodic message sent from the wireless communication device when operating as a master device or a message repeatedly sent within a fixed time period.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication device is caused to operate as a slave device in case that a priority index of the wireless communication device is lower than the priority index of the another device.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first request information is communication request information sent from the wireless communication device when the wireless communication device is operating as a slave device, and the first response information is response information sent from the another device when the another device is operating as a master device.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to switch a communication frequency at a time of sending the first request information of the wireless communication device and a communication frequency at a time of waiting for the first response information from the another device.

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

compare the second operation mode determination information received from the another device with the first operation mode determination information; and

determine, based on a result of the comparison, that the wireless communication device is caused to operate as one of a master device and a slave device.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the wireless communication device to operate in a manner that an operation switches between a master device operation and a slave device operation in case the wireless communication device is connected to a plurality of other devices via a wireless communication network.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first request information of the wireless communication device includes an instruction for causing a second other device, which is already connected as a slave device to the wireless communication device, to operate as a slave device to a first other device in case the wireless communication device operates as a slave device to the first other device which is newly connected thereto via a wireless communication network.

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

a memory configured to function as a work area for data processing performed by the circuitry and to function as a storage medium for storing data.

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

an antenna configured to receive a signal including the first and second response information.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein the circuitry is configured to down-convert the signal including the first and second response information received by the antenna.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is caused to operate as a master device in case that a priority index of the wireless communication device is lower than the priority index of the another device.

13. A wireless communication method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

sending first request information via a wireless communication in network using a first frequency;

waiting, from another device which has received the first request formation, for first response information with respect to the first request information using the first frequency for a predetermined duration;

receiving the first response information from the another device;

in response to receiving the first response information, sending first operation mode determination information indicating a priority index of the wireless communication device to the another device;

receiving, from the another device, second operation mode determination information indicating a priority index of the another device; and

determining, based on the first and the second operation mode determination information, that the wireless communication device is caused to operate as one of a master device or a slave device.

14. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a wireless communication a wireless communication device, control the wireless communication device to perform a method comprising:

sending first request information via a wireless communication in network using a first frequency;

waiting, from another device which has received the first request information, for first response information with respect to the first request information using the first frequency for a predetermined duration;

receiving the first response information from the another device;

in response to receiving the first response information, sending first operation mode determination information indicating a priority index of the wireless communication device to the another device;

receiving, from the another device, second operation mode determination information indicating a priority index of the another device; and

determining, based on the first and the second operation mode determination information, that the wireless communication device is caused to operate as one of a master device or a slave device.