Information processing apparatus and method

• US 20040077313A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oba, Haruo, Rekimoto, Junichi, Sugawara, Taku, Ayatsuka, Yuji, Matsushita, Nobuyuki, Inagaki, Takeo
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method that allow wireless communications to be readily and quickly started. When a cellular phone 1 is placed in proximity to a personal computer 11, a strap ID is transmitted from a contactless IC tag 3 of a cellular phone strap 2 to a reader/writer 12 of the personal computer 11. The personal computer 11 has a table of association between the strap ID and a Bluetooth device name of the cellular phone 1. The personal computer 11, upon obtaining the strap ID, refers to the association table and thereby identifies the cellular phone 1 as a party for carrying out Bluetooth communications therewith. The personal computer 11, by referring to the Bluetooth device name, identifies the cellular phone 1 from among a plurality of Bluetooth devices including the cellular phone 1, and carries out Bluetooth communications with the cellular phone 1. The present invention can be applied to various information processing apparatuses such as cellular phones and personal computers.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

storage-processing means for storing identification information of a wireless communication device that operates based on induced electric power generated by receiving electromagnetic wave, and first terminal-name information of a first communication terminal, the identification information and the first terminal-name information being associated with each other;

first obtaining-processing means for obtaining the identification information from the wireless communication device when it is placed in proximity, by a first wireless communication unit that allows communication by way of electromagnetic wave;

synchronization-processing means for establishing synchronization for communication by a second wireless communication unit with a second communication terminal that exists in proximity;

second obtaining-processing means for obtaining second terminal-name information of the second communication terminal when synchronization has been established therewith by the synchronization-processing means; and

identification-processing means for identifying the communication terminal having the first terminal-name information associated with the identification information obtained by the first obtaining-processing means, from the second communication terminal having the second terminal-name information obtained by the second obtaining-processing means, based on the information stored by the storage-processing means.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising acceptance-processing means for accepting input of the first terminal-name information,

wherein the storage-processing means stores the identification information obtained by the first obtaining-processing means and the first terminal-name information accepted by the acceptance-processing means in association with each other.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the storage-processing means further stores information indicating a communication method of the first communication terminal in association with the identification information.

4. An information processing method comprising:

a storage-processing step of storing identification information of a wireless communication device that operates based on induced electric power generated by receiving electromagnetic wave, and first terminal-name information of a first communication terminal, the identification information and the first terminal-name information being associated with each other;

a first obtaining-processing step of obtaining the identification information from the wireless communication device when it is placed in proximity, by a first wireless communication unit that allows communication by way of electromagnetic wave;

a synchronization-processing step of establishing synchronization for communication by a second wireless communication unit with a second communication terminal that exists in proximity;

a second obtaining-processing step of obtaining second terminal-name information of the second communication terminal when synchronization has been established therewith in the synchronization-processing step; and

an identification-processing step of identifying the communication terminal having the first terminal-name information associated with the identification information obtained in the first obtaining-processing step, from the second communication terminal having the second terminal-name information obtained in the second obtaining-processing step, based on the information stored in the storage-processing step.

5. A program for allowing a computer to execute:

a storage-processing step of storing identification information of a wireless communication device that operates based on induced electric power generated by receiving electromagnetic wave, and first terminal-name information of a first communication terminal, the identification information and the first terminal-name information being associated with each other;

a first obtaining-processing step of obtaining the identification information from the wireless communication device when it is placed in proximity, by a first wireless communication unit that allows communication by way of electromagnetic wave;

a synchronization-processing step of establishing synchronization for communication by a second wireless communication unit with a second communication terminal that exists in proximity;

a second obtaining-processing step of obtaining second terminal-name information of the second communication terminal when synchronization has been established therewith in the synchronization-processing step; and

an identification-processing step of identifying the communication terminal having the first terminal-name information associated with the identification information obtained in the first obtaining-processing step, from the second communication terminal having the second terminal-name information obtained in the second obtaining-processing step, based on the information stored in the storage-processing step.

6. An information processing apparatus comprising:

storage-processing means for storing first identification information for identifying a wireless communication device that operates based on induced electric power generated by receiving electromagnetic wave, and second identification information for identifying a first communication terminal, the first identification information and the second identification information being associated with each other;

first obtaining-processing means for obtaining the first identification information from the wireless communication device when it is placed in proximity, by a first wireless communication unit-that allows communication by way of electromagnetic wave;

second obtaining-processing means for obtaining, from a second communication terminal that exists in proximity, third identification information for identifying the second communication terminal, by a second wireless communication unit;

identification-processing means for identifying the first communication terminal having the second identification information associated with the first identification information obtained by the first obtaining-processing means, from the second communication terminal having the third identification information obtained by the second obtaining-processing means, based on the information stored by the storage-processing means; and

synchronization-processing means for establishing synchronization for communication by the second wireless communication unit with the first communication terminal identified by the identification-processing means.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising acceptance-processing means for accepting input of the second identification information,

wherein the storage-processing means stores the first identification information obtained by the first obtaining-processing means and the second identification information accepted by the acceptance-processing means in association with each other.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the storage-processing means further stores information indicating a communication method of the first communication terminal in association with the first identification information.

9. An information processing method comprising:

a storage-processing step of storing first identification information for identifying a wireless communication device that operates based on induced electric power generated by receiving electromagnetic wave, and second identification information for identifying a first communication terminal, the first identification information and the second identification information being associated with each other;

a first obtaining-processing step of obtaining the first identification information from the wireless communication device when it is placed in proximity, by a first wireless communication unit that allows communication by way of electromagnetic wave;

a second obtaining-processing step of obtaining, from a second communication terminal that exists in proximity, third identification information for identifying the second communication terminal, by a second wireless communication unit;

an identification-processing step of identifying the first communication terminal having the second identification information associated with the first identification information obtained in the first obtaining-processing step, from the second communication terminal having the third identification information obtained in the second obtaining-processing step, based on the information stored in the storage-processing step; and

a synchronization-processing step of establishing synchronization for communication by the second wireless communication unit with the first communication terminal identified in the identification-processing step.

10. A program for allowing a computer to execute:

a storage-processing step of storing first identification information for identifying a wireless communication device that operates based on induced electric power generated by receiving electromagnetic wave, and second identification information for identifying a first communication terminal, the first identification information and the second identification information being associated with each other;

a first obtaining-processing step of obtaining the first identification information from the wireless communication device when it is placed in proximity, by a first wireless communication unit that allows communication by way of electromagnetic wave;

a second obtaining-processing step of obtaining, from a second communication terminal that exists in proximity, third identification information for identifying the second communication terminal, by a second wireless communication unit;

an identification-processing step of identifying the first communication terminal having the second identification information associated with the first identification information obtained in the first obtaining-processing step, from the second communication terminal having the third identification information obtained in the second obtaining-processing step, based on the information stored in the storage-processing step; and

a synchronization-processing step of establishing synchronization for communication by the second wireless communication unit with the first communication terminal identified in the identification-processing step.