Communication apparatus

• US 20050143046A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/343.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

If a control section fails to detect a connectable device by Inquiry/Page_Scan before an OFF timer times out, the control section halts the Inquiry/Page_Scan. The control section keeps this state until time-out of an ON timer. Upon time-out of the ON timer, the control section starts Inquiry/Page. The control section issues a request for a role switch to the connectable device detected by Inquiry/Page. Upon acceptance of the request, the control section effects a master/slave role switch.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus that is used as a terminal in a communication network wherein one of a plurality of terminals acts as a master and the other(s) as slave(s), thereby executing communication between the terminals, comprising:

detection means for detecting a signal that is sent from the terminal acting as the master in order to call the communication apparatus;

halt means for halting the detection means upon non-detection of the signal during a first time period;

transmission means for transmitting the signal;

start means for causing the transmission means to start transmission of the signal, upon passage of a second time period from the halt of the detection means;

means for issuing a request for a master/slave role switch to the terminal that responds to the signal transmitted from the transmission means; and

means for executing the master/slave role switch upon acceptance of the request.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim.1, further comprising:

means for halting the transmission means upon absence of the response to the signal by the end of passage of a third time period from the start of the transmission of the signal from the transmission means; and

means for causing the transmission means to start transmission of the signal, upon passage of the second time period from the halt of the transmission means.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for halting the transmission means upon rejection of the request; and

means for causing the transmission means to start transmission of the signal, upon passage of the second time period from the halt of the transmission means.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein as regards the halt means, said first time period is a user-designated time period.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein as regards the start means, said second time period is a user-designated time period.