Communications device and method, recording medium, and program

• US 20060152477A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Makoto, Noda, Takuro, Kakuda, Hiroshi, Komatsuzaki, Yoriko
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communications apparatus and method, a storage medium and a program that make it possible for the user to select a device to be made a communications partner more quickly and reliably. The searcher device 21 performs a search so as to detect only one device. If the response message from the searchee device 32 is obtained by the searcher device 21, on the display section of the searcher device 21 is displayed a selection screen for selecting whether or not to make the searchee device 32 a communications partner. If the searchee device 32 is not selected as a communications partner, the searcher device 21 performs another search so as to detect two devices. If the searchee device 31 and the searchee device 32 are detected in the second search, the searcher device 21 excludes the searchee device 32, which was not selected as a communications partner in the previous search, and displays a selection screen for selecting whether or not to perform communications with the searchee device 31. The present invention is applicable to various kinds of communications apparatuses, such as personal computers, PDAs, mobile phones and the like.

Claims

1. A communications apparatus characterized by comprising:

search means for searching, through wireless communications, for devices existing within a range reachable by signals;

display control means for displaying a first selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a first device found by said search means a communications partner; and

memory means for storing identification information of said first device if, through said first selection screen displayed by said display control means, said first device is not selected as a communications partner;

wherein, if said first device is not selected as a communications partner, said search means performs a search again; and

wherein said display control means excludes, based on said identification information stored in said memory means, said first device from the devices detected through the search performed again, and displays a second selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a second device detected through the search performed again a communications partner.

2. The communications apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized by further comprising:

communications control means for performing subsequent wireless communications with the first device or the second device as the communications partner if the first device is selected as a communications partner through the first selection screen or if the second device is selected as a communications partner through the second selection screen.

3. The communications apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that:

if a plurality of devices are simultaneously detected through the search performed by said search means, said display control means displays the first or the second selection screen with one of the plurality of devices as the first or the second device.

4. The communications apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that:

if a plurality of devices are simultaneously detected through the search performed by said search means, said display control means displays the first or the second selection screen with, of the plurality of devices, the device detected first as the first or the second device.

5. The communications apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized by further comprising:

detection means for detecting reception intensity, at said communications apparatus, of signals transmitted from the devices detected through the search;

wherein, based on the detection result by said detection means, said display control means displays the first or the second selection screen with a device that transmits signals of an intensity of or above a predetermined threshold value as the first or the second device.

6. The communications apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that:

if a plurality of devices are simultaneously detected through the search performed by said search means, based on the detection result by said detection means, said display control means displays the first or the second selection screen with, of the plurality of devices, the device that transmits the signal of the highest intensity as the first or the second device.

7. The communications apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that:

said memory means stores identification information of all the devices that were not selected as a communications partner.

8. The communications apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that:

said search means controls the search range such that the search range for the second search and onward is wider than the search range for the first search.

9. A communications method characterized by comprising:

a search step of searching, through wireless communications, for devices existing within a range reachable by signals;

a display control step of displaying a first selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a first device found through the process of said search step a communications partner; and

a memory step of storing identification information of said first device if, through said first selection screen displayed through the process of said display control step, said first device is not selected as a communications partner;

wherein, if said first device is not selected as a communications partner, a search is performed again through the process of said search step; and

wherein through the process of said display control step said first device is excluded, based on the identification information stored through the process of said memory step, from the devices detected through the search performed again, and a second selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a second device detected through the search performed again a communications partner is displayed.

10. A storage medium for storing a computer readable program, said program characterized by comprising:

a search step of searching, through wireless communications, for devices existing within a range reachable by signals;

a display control step of displaying a first selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a first device found through the process of said search step a communications partner; and

a memory step of storing identification information of said first device if, through said first selection screen displayed through the process of said display control step, said first device is not selected as a communications partner;

wherein, if said first device is not selected as a communications partner, a search is performed again through the process of said search step; and

wherein, through the process of said display control step said first device is excluded, based on the identification information stored through the process of said memory step, from the devices detected through the search performed again, and a second selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a second device detected through the search performed again a communications partner is displayed.

11. A computer readable program characterized by comprising:

a search step of searching, through wireless communications, for devices existing within a range reachable by signals;

a display control step of displaying a first selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a first device found through the process of said search step a communications partner; and

a memory step of storing identification information of said first device if, through said first selection screen displayed through the process of said display control step, said first device is not selected as a communications partner;

wherein, if said first device is not selected as a communications partner, a search is performed again through the process of said search step; and

wherein, through the process of said display control step said first device is excluded, based on the identification information stored through the process of said memory step, from the devices detected through the search performed again, and a second selection screen for selecting whether or not to make a second device detected through the search performed again a communications partner is displayed.