Communications equipment that carries out communication within network having plural pieces of communications equipment

• US 20020026492A1
• Filed: 08/08/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujita, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]

Abstract

When data transmission is to be conducted between a master station and a slave station, the master station moves the other slave stations to such a park mode (standby state) that they do not make a communication request. Thus the master station and the slave station can conduct data transmission from and to each other with priority use of a communication network. After completion of the data transmission process, the master station sends each slave station a notification of release of the communication network to return each slave station to the normal operating state.

Claims

1. A network having plural pieces of communications equipment comprising:

a first notification means for notifying priority use of said network to the communications equipment within said network; and

a second notification means for notifying release of said network to the communications equipment within said network after completion of communication with priority use of said network.

2. The network according to claim 1, wherein the communications equipment that has received the notification from the first notification means changes its mode according to whether it carries out communication with priority use of said network.

3. The network according to claim 2, wherein the mode change is a change to such a mode that the communications equipment does not make a communication request.

4. The network according to claim 3, wherein upon receiving the notification from said second notification means, the communications equipment is released from the mode in which the communications equipment does not make a communication request.

5. The network according to claim 2, wherein the mode change is a change to a mode of low power consumption.

6. The network according to claim 1, wherein the notification from said first notification means and said second notification means is carried out by a control station.

7. The network according to claim 1, wherein the communications equipment carries out communication based on the Bluetooth scheme.

8. Communications equipment comprising:

a first notification means for notifying other pieces of communications equipment that the communications equipment carries out communication with priority use of a network; and

a second notification means for notifying release of the network to the other pieces of communications equipment after completion of the communication with priority use of the network.

9. The communications equipment according to claim 8, wherein the notification from said first notification means is to change the pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out communication with priority use of the network to such a mode that they do not make a communication request.

10. The communications equipment according to claim 9, wherein the notification from said second notification means is to release the pieces of communications equipment from such a mode that they do not make a communication request.

11. The communications equipment according to claim 8, wherein the notification from said first notification means is to change the pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out communication with priority use of the network to a mode of low power consumption.

12. The communications equipment according to claim 8, wherein said communications equipment carries out communication based on the Bluetooth scheme.

14. The network according to claim 13, wherein said changing means changes the mode by broadcasting a predetermined notification to the plural pieces of communications equipment within said network.

15. The network according to claim 13, further comprising a negotiation means that makes one piece of communications equipment negotiate with the other piece of communications equipment with which the one piece of communications equipment carries out data communication, wherein

said changing means changes the mode of all the pieces of communications equipment but the pieces of communications equipment that have negotiated with each other through said negotiation means.

16. The network according to claim 13, wherein said changing means changes the mode of the other pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out data communication to such a mode that they do not make a communication request.

17. The network according to claim 13, wherein said changing means changes the mode of the other pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out data communication to a mode of low power consumption.

19. The communications equipment according to claim 18, wherein said changing means changes the mode by broadcasting a predetermined notification to all pieces of communications equipment within a network.

20. The communications equipment according to claim 18, further comprising a negotiation means that makes one piece of communications equipment negotiate with the other piece of communications equipment with which the one piece of communications equipment carries out data communication, wherein

said changing means changes the mode of all the pieces of communications equipment but the pieces of communications equipment that have negotiated with each other through said negotiation means.

21. The communications equipment according to claim 18, wherein said changing means changes the mode of the pieces of communications equipment that do not conduct data transmission to such a mode that they do not make a communication request.

22. The communications equipment according to claim 18, wherein said changing means changes the mode of the pieces of communications equipment that do not conduct data transmission to a mode of low power consumption.

24. The communications equipment according to claim 23, wherein the determination as to whether communication is carried out through said communication means is made on the basis of whether said communications equipment have negotiated with another before data communication.

25. The communications equipment according to claim 23, wherein said changing means changes the mode of its own to such a mode that the communications equipment does not made a communication request.

26. The communications equipment according to claim 23, wherein said changing means changes the mode of its own to a mode of low power consumption.

13. A network having plural pieces of communications equipment comprising:

a communication means that provides data communication between pieces of communications equipment; and

a changing means that changes the mode of the other pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out data communication during the communication through said communication means.

18. Communications equipment comprising:

a communication means that carries out data communication with at least one other piece of communications equipment; and

a changing means that changes the mode of the other pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out data communication during the communication through said communication means.

23. Communications equipment comprising:

a communication means that provides data communication; and

a changing means that changes its own mode according to whether said communication means carries out communication on the basis of information received from another piece of communications equipment.

27. A control method for a network having plural pieces of communications equipment, comprising:

a first notification step of notifying the plural pieces of communications equipment within said network of priority use of said network; and

a second notification step of notifying the plural pieces of communications equipment of release of said network after completion of communication with priority use of said network.

28. A control method for communications equipment, comprising:

a first notification step of notifying priority use of a network to other pieces of communications equipment; and

a second notification step of notifying release of said network after completion of communication with priority use of said network.

29. A control method for a network having plural pieces of communications equipment, comprising:

a communication step of providing data communication between pieces of communications equipment; and

a changing step of changing the mode of other pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out data communication during the communication in said communication step.

30. A control method for communications equipment, comprising:

a communication step of providing data communication with at least one other piece of communications equipment; and

a changing step of changing the mode of other pieces of communications equipment that do not carry out data communication during the communication in said communication step.

31. A control method for communications equipment, comprising:

a communication step of providing data communication; and

a changing step of changing the mode of its own according to whether communication is carried out in said communication step on the basis of information received from another piece of communications equipment.