Communication apparatus

• US 20040152440A1
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoda, Akira, Kaneko, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks

Abstract

A communication apparatus which specifies the destination of the data accurately and transmits the data without complicated operation such as designating the destination. The communication apparatus includes: a body communication section for communicating with a communication apparatus other than the communication apparatus through a human body; an instrument identification information acquiring section for acquiring instrument identification information on the other communication apparatus from the other communication apparatus using the body communication section when the human body touches the body communication section of the communication apparatus and a body communication section of the other communication apparatus; a data communication section for communicating with the other communication apparatus through communication means other than the human body; and a data transmitting section for transmitting data to the other communication apparatus identified by the instrument identification information acquired by the instrument identification information acquiring section using the data communication section.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus for communicating with another device through a body of a user, comprising:

a body communication section for communicating with a communication apparatus other than the communication apparatus through the human body;

an instrument identification information acquiring section for acquiring instrument identification information on the other communication apparatus from the other communication apparatus using said body communication section when the human body touches said body communication section of the communication apparatus and a body communication section of the other communication apparatus;

a data communication section for communicating with the other communication apparatus through communication means other than the human body; and

a data transmitting section for transmitting data to the other communication apparatus identified by the instrument identification information acquired by said instrument identification information acquiring section using said data communication section.

2. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a displaying section for displaying an image, wherein

said data transmitting section transmits the image being displayed on said displaying section to the other communication apparatus when said instrument identification information acquiring section acquires the instrument identification information while said displaying section displaying the image.

3. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an instrument identification information supply section for supplying the other communication apparatus with the instrument identification information on the communication apparatus using said body communication section to establish communication with the other communication apparatus.

4. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an error rate of communication through said data communication section is less than an error rate of communication through said body communication section.

5. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transfer rate of communication through said data communication section is greater than a transfer rate of communication through said body communication section.

6. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said other communication apparatus is a printing apparatus comprising a body communication section for communicating through the human body,

said instrument identification information acquiring section acquires instrument identification information on said printing apparatus from said printing apparatus using said body communication section when the body touches said body communication section of the communication apparatus and said body communication section of said printing apparatus, and

said data transmitting section transmits the image data to said printing apparatus identified by the instrument identification information acquired by said instrument identification information acquiring section using said data communication section so that the image data stored on the communication apparatus is to be printed.

7. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein

said instrument identification information acquiring section acquires instrument identification information on said printing apparatus multiple times from said printing apparatus using said body communication section when the body touches said body communication section of the communication apparatus and said body communication section of said printing apparatus multiple times during a predetermined time interval, and

said data transmitting section transmits the number of sheet for printing corresponding to the number how many times said instrument identification information acquiring section acquires the instrument identification information as incidental information on the image data with the image data to said printing apparatus identified by the instrument identification information acquired by said instrument identification information acquiring section using said data communication section so that a plurality of files of image data stored on the communication apparatus are to be printed.

8. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said other communication apparatus is a record medium including a body communication section for communicating through the human body,

said instrument identification information acquiring section acquires instrument identification information on said record medium from said record medium using said body communication section when the body touches said body communication section of the communication apparatus and said body communication section of said record medium, and

said data transmitting section transmits image data to said recording device using said data communication section so as to store data stored on the communication apparatus on said record medium when the communication apparatus and said recording device, in which said record medium were inserted, are connected through said data communication section.