Wireless Communication Device and Wireless Communication System

• US 20090016281A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Isozu, Masaaki, Watanabe, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless communication device configured to perform communication with another wireless communication device which exists outside the wireless communication range by performing communication through a path via a neighboring wireless communication device includes: a communication control unit configured to compute the number of links until a signal from the other wireless communication device is received; a device information holding unit configured to associate the number of computed links with information relating to the other wireless communication device and holding therein; and a display control unit configured to control the information relating to the other wireless communication device associated to the number of links based on the number of links, so as to be displayed.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device configured to perform communication with another wireless communication device which exists outside the wireless communication range by performing communication through a path via a neighboring wireless communication device comprising:

communication control means configured to compute the number of links until a signal from said other wireless communication device is received;

device information holding means configured to associate said number of computed links with information relating to said other wireless communication device and holding therein; and

display control means configured to control the information relating to said other wireless communication device associated to the number of links based on said number of links, so as to be displayed.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the signal of said other wireless communication device includes a lifetime initial value and a current value of the signal in a header portion;

and wherein said communication control means transfer said current value of said lifetime regarding the signal from said other wireless communication device, after updating said current value, to yet another wireless communication device, while also performing computing of said number of links based on said initial value and said current value of said lifetime.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 2, wherein said communication control means subtract 1 from said current value of said lifetime regarding the signal from said other wireless communication device, and if the result thereof is not 0, transfers to yet another wireless communication device, while also performing computing of said number of links by subtracting said current value from said initial value of said lifetime.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein said display control means display information relating to said other wireless communication device which is associated with the number of links by display size according to said number of links.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein said display control means display information relating to said other wireless communication device which is associated with the number of links so that the smaller said number of links is the greater the display size is.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein said display control means display information relating to said other wireless communication device which is associated with the number of links by display color according to said number of links.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein said display control means display information relating to said other wireless communication device which is associated with the number of links by background according to said number of links.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein said display control means display said number of links as well as information relating to said other wireless communication device which is associated with the number of links.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein said display control means display information relating to a user of the other wireless communication device as information relating to said other wireless communication device.

10. A wireless communication system wherein each wireless communication device performs communication with another wireless communication device which exists outside the wireless communication range by performing communication through a path via a neighboring wireless communication device comprising:

communication control means configured to compute the number of links until a signal from said other wireless communication device is received;

device information holding means configured to associate said number of computed links with information relating to said other wireless communication device and holding therein; and

display control means configured to control the information relating to said other wireless communication device associated to the number of links based on said number of links, so as to be displayed.

11. A display method for a wireless communication device to perform communication with another wireless communication device which exists outside the wireless communication range by performing communication through a path via a neighboring wireless communication device comprising the steps of:

receiving the signal from said other wireless communication device from said neighboring wireless communication device;

computing the number of links until the signal from said other wireless communication device is received based on the signal from said other wireless communication device; and

displaying information relating to said other wireless communication device corresponding to the number of links based on said computed number of links.

12. A program causing a computer to execute the steps of, with a wireless communication device performing communication with another wireless communication device which exists outside the wireless communication range by performing communication through a path via a neighboring wireless communication device:

receiving the signal from said other wireless communication device from said neighboring wireless communication device;

computing the number of links until the signal from said other wireless communication device is received based on the signal from said other wireless communication device; and

displaying information relating to said other wireless communication device corresponding to the number of links based on said computed number of links.

13. A wireless communication device to perform communication with another wireless communication device comprising:

imaging means configured to image an image;

shared proposal message transmission means configured to send a message which proposes sharing an image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device;

shared list holding means configured to hold an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

image transmission means configured to transmit the image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.

14. The wireless communication device according to claim 13, wherein said shared list holds a time limit corresponding to said identifier;

and wherein upon said time limit being exceeded, said corresponding identifier becomes invalid.

15. The wireless communication device according to claim 13, wherein said image transmitting means sends a reduced image of the image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device;

and wherein only in the event of not being declined, the image which is imaged by said imaging means is sent to said other wireless communication device.

16. A wireless communication system wherein each wireless communication device performs communication with another wireless communication device, each wireless communication device comprising:

imaging means configured to image an image;

shared proposal message transmission means configured to send a message which proposes sharing an image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device;

shared list holding means configured to hold an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

image transmission means configured to transmit the image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.

17. An image transmission method, with a wireless communication device which has imaging means to image an image and which performs communication with another wireless communication device, comprising the steps of:

sending a message which proposes sharing an image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device;

holding an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

transmitting the image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.

18. A program causing a computer to execute the steps of, with a wireless communication device which has imaging means to image an image and which performs communication with another wireless communication device:

sending a message which proposes sharing an image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device;

holding an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

transmitting the image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.

19. A wireless communication device configured to perform communication with another wireless communication device which exists outside the wireless communication range by performing communication through a path via a neighboring wireless communication device comprising:

a communication control unit configured to compute the number of links until a signal from said other wireless communication device is received;

a device information holding unit configured to associate said number of computed links with information relating to said other wireless communication device and holding therein; and

a display control unit configured to control the information relating to said other wireless communication device associated to the number of links based on said number of links, so as to be displayed.

20. A wireless communication system wherein each wireless communication device performs communication with another wireless communication device which exists outside the wireless communication range by performing communication through a path via a neighboring wireless communication device comprising:

a communication control unit configured to compute the number of links until a signal from said other wireless communication device is received;

a device information holding unit configured to associate said number of computed links with information relating to said other wireless communication device and holding therein; and

a display control unit configured to control the information relating to said other wireless communication device associated to the number of links based on said number of links, so as to be displayed.

21. A wireless communication device configured to perform communication with another wireless communication device comprising:

an imaging unit configured to image an image;

a shared proposal message transmission unit configured to send a message which proposes sharing an image which is imaged by said imaging unit to said other wireless communication device;

a shared list holding unit configured to hold an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

an image transmission unit configured to transmit the image which is imaged by said imaging unit to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.

22. A wireless communication system wherein each wireless communication device performs communication with another wireless communication device, each wireless communication device comprising:

an imaging unit configured to image an image;

a shared proposal message transmission unit configured to send a message which proposes sharing an image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device;

a shared list holding unit configured to hold an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

an image transmission unit configured to transmit the image which is imaged by said imaging means to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.

23. An image transmission method for a wireless communication device which has an image-capturing unit to image-capture an image and which performs communication with another wireless communication device, comprising the steps of:

sending a message which proposes sharing an image which is image-captured by said image-capturing means to said other wireless communication device;

holding an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

transmitting the image which is image-captured by said image-capturing unit to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.

24. A program causing a computer to execute the steps of, with a wireless communication device which has an image-capturing unit to image-capture an image and which performs communication with another wireless communication device:

sending a message which proposes sharing an image which is image-captured by said image-capturing unit to said other wireless communication device;

holding an identifier of said other wireless communication device as a shared list upon receiving acknowledgement from said other wireless communication device as to said shared proposal message; and

transmitting the image which is image-captured by said image-capturing unit to said other wireless communication device wherein the identifier is held in said shared list.