Electronic apparatus having a communication device

• US 20040174249A1
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kusubashi, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/7.4
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0083 using wireless transmission, e.g. radio, light, infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/321 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

An electronic apparatus has a communication device, memory which stores identification information for identifying an external device having been previously connected to the communication device, an operation switch, a connection establishing unit for establishing connection with the external device designated by identification information stored in said memory in response to the operation of said operation switch, and a receiver for receiving data transmitted from the external device with which the connection is established by the connection establishing unit via the communication device.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus having a communication device, comprising:

a memory which stores identification information for identifying an external device having been previously connected to the communication device;

an operation switch;

means for establishing connection with an external device designated by identification information stored in said memory in response to the operation of said operation switch; and

means for receiving data transmitted from the external device with which the connection is established by the establishing means via the communication device.

2. An electronic apparatus according to the claim 1, further comprising:

means for reproducing the data received by the receiving means; and

means for determining whether or not a data form of a data which may be transmitted by an external device connected to the communication device coincides with a data form of a data which may be reproduced by the reproducing means,

wherein the memory stores identification information for identifying the external device connected to the communication device under a condition where the data forms coincide with each other.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determining means determines whether or not a type of an encoding scheme applied to data to be transmitted, which type is transmitted from said external device connected to the communication device, is a type of an encoding scheme which may be decoding by the reproducing means.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determining means determines whether or not a type of an encoding scheme applied to data to be transmitted and a value of a sampling frequency used in the encoding, which type and values are transmitted from said external device connected to the communication device, are a type of an encoding scheme and a value of a sampling frequency which may be decoded by said reproducing means.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data transmitted from the external device is audio data, and said reproducing means includes an output unit which outputs sounds corresponding to the audio data.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification information for identifying the external device includes address information allocated to the external device.

7. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting the communication device in either one of a first communication mode for receiving data transmitted from the external device or a second communication mode for bidirectionally transmitting and receiving data between the external device and the communication device.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said memory stores identification information for identifying the external device wirelessly connected to the communication device as first identification information when the communication device is in the first communication mode, and stores identification information for identifying the external device wirelessly connected to the communication device as second identification information when the communication device is in the second communication mode.

9. An electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said establishing means includes means for transmitting a connection request to the external device designated by the identification information stored as the first identification information in response to an operation of said operation switch when the communication device is in the first communication mode, and for transmitting a connection request to the external device designated by the identification information stored as the second identification information in response to an operation of the operation switch when the communication device is in the second communication mode.

10. A communication control method for controlling communication made by an electronic apparatus, comprising steps of:

storing identification information for identifying an external device which has been previously established a connection with the electronic apparatus;

inputting an instruction;

establishing connection with the external device designated by the identification information stored in the storage step in response to the instruction; and

receiving data transmitted from the external device over the established connection.

11. A communication control method according to claim 10, further comprising determining whether or not a data form of data which may be transmitted by the external device connected to the electronic apparatus coincides with a data form of data which may be reproduced by the electronic apparatus,

wherein the storing step stores identification information for identifying the external device connected to the electronic apparatus only where it is determined that the data forms coincides with each other.

12. A communication control method according to claim 11, wherein the determining step determines whether or not a type of an encoding scheme applied to data to be transmitted, which type is transmitted from the external device to the electronic apparatus, is a type of an encoding scheme which may be decoded by the electronic apparatus.

13. A communication control method according to claim 11, wherein the determining step determines whether or not a type of an encoding scheme applied to data to be transmitted and a value of a sampling frequency used in the encoding, which type and sampling are transmitted from the external device to the electronic apparatus, are a type of an encoding scheme and a value of a sampling frequency which may be decoded by the electronic apparatus.

14. A communication control method according to claim 10, further comprising setting the electronic apparatus in either one of a first communication mode for receiving data transmitted from the external device or a second communication mode for bidirectionally transmitting and receiving data between the electronic apparatus and the external device.

15. A communication control method according to claim 14, wherein the storing step stores identification information for identifying the external device connected to the electronic apparatus as first identification information when the electronic apparatus is in the first communication mode, and stores identification information for identifying the external device connected to the electronic apparatus as second identification information when the electronic apparatus is in the second communication mode.

16. A communication control method according to claim 15, wherein the establishing step transmits a connection request to the external device designated by the identification information stored as the first identification information in response to the instruction input when the electronic apparatus is in the first communication mode, and transmits a connection request to the external device designated by identification information stored as the second identification information in response to the instruction when the electronic apparatus is in the second communication mode.

17. An electronic apparatus having a communication device, comprising:

a memory which stores identification information for identifying an external device having been previously connected to the communication device;

an operation switch;

means for establishing connection with an external device designated by identification information stored in said memory in response to the operation of said operation switch; and

means for reproducing data transmitted from the external device with which the connection is established by the establishing means via the communication device.

18. An electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the identification information for identifying the external device includes address information allocated to the external device.

19. An electronic apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for setting the communication device in either one of a first communication mode for receiving data transmitted from the external device or a second communication mode for bidirectionally transmitting and receiving data between the external device and the communication device.

20. An electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the data transmitted from the external device is audio data, and said reproducing means includes an output unit which outputs sounds corresponding to the audio data.