WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20070010200A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: KANEKO, Yoshio
• Application Number:
  US11/428,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A wireless communication device conducts communications with an another wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes: a short-range wireless communication unit that establishes a short-range wireless communication link with the another wireless communication device, and communicates data through the short-range wireless communication link; a sonic wave transmission unit that transmits a sonic wave for detecting a position of the another wireless communication device, after the short-range wireless communication link is established; and a communication control unit that obtains a distance to the another wireless communication device from a time period between the transmission of the sonic wave and a receipt of a reply to the transmission of the sonic wave transmitted by the another wireless communication device, and controls the short-range wireless communication unit to start communicating data when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device for conducting communications with an another wireless communication device, the wireless communication device comprising:

a short-range wireless communication unit that establishes a short-range wireless communication link with the another wireless communication device, and communicates data through the short-range wireless communication link;

a sonic wave transmission unit that transmits a sonic wave for detecting a position of the another wireless communication device, after the short-range wireless communication link is established; and

a communication control unit that obtains a distance to the another wireless communication device from a time period between the transmission of the sonic wave and a receipt of a reply to the transmission of the sonic wave transmitted by the another wireless communication device, and controls the short-range wireless communication unit to start communicating data when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication control unit comprises:

a timer that measures the time period;

a distance calculation circuit that calculates the distance based on the time period measured by the timer;

a storage device that stores the predetermined value; and

a determination circuit that determines whether or not the distance calculated by the distance calculation circuit is equal to or less than the predetermined value stored in the storage device.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the sonic wave transmission unit transmits an ultrasonic wave for detecting the position of the another wireless communication device.

4. A wireless communication device for conducting communications with an another wireless communication device, the wireless communication device comprising:

a short-range wireless communication unit that establishes a short-range wireless communication link with the another wireless communication device, and communicates data through the short-range wireless communication link;

a sonic wave reception unit that receives a sonic wave transmitted by the another wireless communication device for detecting a position of the wireless communication device, after the short-range wireless communication link is established; and

a communication control unit that transmits a notification of reception of the sonic wave to the another wireless communication device through the short-range wireless communication link, and controls the short-range wireless communication unit to start communicating data when a communication start command is received from the another wireless communication device.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein the short-range wireless communication unit receives specification information indicating a frequency and a pulse width of the sonic wave from the another wireless communication device, before the sonic wave reception unit receives the sonic wave, and

wherein the communication control unit comprises:

a storage device that stores the specification information;

a frequency measurement circuit that measures the frequency of the sonic wave received by the sonic wave reception unit;

a pulse width measurement circuit that measures the pulse width of the sonic wave received by the sonic wave reception unit;

a determination circuit that determines whether or not the measured frequency and pulse width match the specification information stored in the storage device; and

a controller that transmits a notification of reception of the sonic wave to the another wireless communication device through the short-range wireless communication link, in accordance with the determination made by the determination circuit.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein the sonic wave reception unit receives an ultrasonic wave for detecting the position of the wireless communication device.

7. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication device; and

a second wireless communication device that conducts communications between the first wireless communication device,

wherein the first wireless communication device comprises;

a first short-range wireless communication unit that establishes a short-range wireless communication link with the second wireless communication device, and communicates data through the short-range wireless communication link;

a sonic wave transmission unit that transmits a sonic wave for detecting a position of the second wireless communication device, after the first short-range wireless communication link is established; and

a first communication control unit that obtains a distance to the second wireless communication device from a time period between the transmission of the sonic wave and a receipt of a reply to the transmission of the sonic wave transmitted by the second wireless communication device, and controls the first short-range wireless communication unit to start communicating data when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and

wherein the second wireless communication device comprises;

a second short-range wireless communication unit that establishes the short-range wireless communication link with the first wireless communication device, and communicates data through the short-range wireless communication link;

a sonic wave reception unit that receives the sonic wave transmitted by the first wireless communication device for detecting a position of the wireless communication device, after the short-range wireless communication link is established; and

a second communication control unit that transmits a notification of reception of the sonic lo wave to the second wireless communication device through the second short-range wireless communication link, and controls the second short-range wireless communication unit to start communicating data when a communication start command is received from the second wireless communication device.