WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20070149124A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: ONOZAWA, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A wireless communication device for effecting wireless communication using a short-range wireless communication method having a ranging function, which carries out wireless connection establishment/disconnection control using ranging information. For example, the wireless communication device determines the range to another wireless communication device within wireless communication range, and if it finds a wireless communication device present within a predetermined range establishes a wireless connection with that wireless communication device, and disconnects the connection if the wireless communication device with which the device is in wireless connection passes beyond a predetermined range.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device that carries out wireless communication using a short-range wireless communication method having a ranging function, the wireless communication device comprising:

a ranging unit which determines distances to other wireless communication devices within a wireless communication distance using the ranging function;

an identification unit which, using the determined distances, identifies a communication device from among the other wireless communication devices as an identified other wireless communication device with which a wireless connection is to be established;

a control unit which establishes wireless connection with the identified other wireless communication device; and

a data transmission unit which carries out data transmission using the wireless connection,

wherein the ranging unit determines the distance to the identified other wireless communication device with which the wireless connection is established and the control unit disconnects the wireless connection if the distance to the identified other wireless communication device satisfies a predetermined condition.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the identification unit identifies first wireless communication device whose the determined distance is within a predetermined distance, and further identifies, from the first wireless communication device, a wireless communication device whose the determined distance is closest as the identified other wireless communication device.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the identification unit identifies first wireless communication device whose the determined distance is within a predetermined distance, and further identifies, from the first wireless communication device, a wireless communication device approaches within a predetermined distance within a predetermined time period, as the identified other wireless communication device.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the identification unit identifies a wireless communication device for which a number of times whose the determined distance has approached within the predetermined distance from beyond a predetermined distance has reached a predetermined number of times, as the identified other wireless communication device.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a status acquisition unit which acquires a status of the other wireless communication devices,

wherein the identification unit identifies a wireless first communication devices whose the determined distances are within a predetermined distance, and further, whose status as acquired by the status acquisition unit is a predetermined first status, as one wireless communication device with which the wireless connection is to be established.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit disconnects the wireless connection if the distance to the identified other wireless communication device exceeds a predetermined disconnect distance.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit disconnects the wireless connection if the distance to the identified other wireless communication device is within a predetermined distance, and further, exceeds a predetermined distance within a predetermined time period.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit disconnects the wireless connection if the number of times the determined distance has approached within the predetermined distance from beyond a predetermined distance has reached a predetermined number of times.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a status acquisition unit which acquires a status of the other wireless communication devices,

wherein the control unit disconnects the wireless connection if the determined distance is beyond a predetermined distance, and further, a status of the identified other wireless communication device acquired by the status acquisition unit is a predetermined second status.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a list generation unit which, if a plurality of wireless communication devices is within wireless communication distance, generates a list correlating an order of priority of connection with each wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices,

wherein the control unit establishes wireless connections with the plurality of wireless communication devices in an order according to the order of priority of the list.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 10, further comprising a device information acquisition unit which acquires device information from each of the plurality of wireless communication devices,

wherein the list generation unit determines the order of priority using at least the distances to each wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices from among the distances to each of the wireless communication devices and the device information.