Apparatus, Method, and Computer-Readable Recording Medium for Communication Apparatus

• US 20090184805A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Naoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.510
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a first communicating part that reads data stored in a storage device of an outside apparatus and writes data in the storage device of the outside apparatus, a second communicating part that transmits and receives data with respect to the outside apparatus, and an operation controlling part that operates either the first communicating part or the second communicating part. The operation controlling part is configured to operate the first communicating part when power is supplied to the communication apparatus and operate the second communicating part when power is not supplied to the communication apparatus.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a first communicating part that reads data stored in a storage device of an outside apparatus and writes data in the storage device of the outside apparatus;

a second communicating part that transmits and receives data with respect to the outside apparatus; and

an operation controlling part that operates either the first communicating part or the second communicating part;

wherein the operation controlling part is configured to operate the first communicating part when power is supplied to the communication apparatus and operate the second communicating part when power is not supplied to the communication apparatus.

2. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a shared antenna that is shared by the first and second communicating parts; and

a shared storage device that stores data related to the communication apparatus;

wherein the operation controlling part includes

a correcting part configured to correct a resonance frequency of the shared antenna in correspondence with one of the first and the second communicating parts to be operated, and

a selecting part configured to select a communicating part for accessing the shared storage device from one of the first and the second communicating parts to be operated.

3. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selecting part is configured to select the first communicating part as the communicating part for accessing the shared storage device when power is supplied to the communication apparatus and select the second the second communicating part as the communicating part for accessing the shared storage device when no power is supplied to the communication apparatus.

4. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shared antenna includes an antenna coil and a resonance condenser that are connected in series, wherein the correcting part includes a condenser connected in parallel with the antenna coil.

5. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shared antenna includes an antenna coil, a resonance condenser, and a switching member that are connected in parallel, wherein the correcting part includes a condenser connected in series with the antenna coil.

6. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communicating part includes an authenticating part that authenticates the outside apparatus.

7. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a display part;

wherein the first communicating part is configured to display a result of the authentication by the authenticating part.

8. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a data managing part that manages the data stored in the shared storage device, wherein the data stored in the shared storage device includes history data related to the history of usage of the communication apparatus and user data related to the user of the communication apparatus.

9. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a write control part that controls writing of data to the shared storage device; and

a type determining part that determines the type of the outside apparatus;

wherein the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus includes the history data and the user data;

wherein the write control part is configured to write the history data and the user data included in the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus to the shared storage device when the type determining part determines that the outside apparatus is the same type as the communication apparatus;

wherein the write control part is configured to write the user data included in the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus to the shared storage device when the type determining part determines that the outside apparatus is not the same type as the communication apparatus.

10. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

an update determining part that determines whether the history data stored in the shared storage device can be updated;

wherein the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus includes history data and user data;

wherein the write control part is configured to write all of the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus to the shared storage device when the update determining part determines that the history data stored in the shared storage device can be updated;

wherein the write control part is configured to write the user data included in the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus to the shared storage device when the update determining part determines that the history data stored in the shared storage device cannot be updated.

11. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a history determining part that determines an existence of any writing history in the shared storage device, the writing history indicating whether the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus are written in the shared storage apparatus;

wherein the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus includes history data and user data;

wherein the write control part is configured to write the user data included in the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus to the shared storage device when the history determining part determines that writing history exists in the shared storage device;

wherein the write control part is configured to write all of the data read from the storage device of the outside apparatus to the shared storage device when the history determining part determines that no writing history exists in the shared storage device.

12. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a writing completion determining part that determines whether writing of data is completed by the write control part; and

a display part that displays a result of the determination of the writing completion determining part.

13. A method of communicating by using a communication apparatus, comprising the steps of:

a) reading data stored in a storage device of an outside apparatus and writing data in the storage device of the outside apparatus;

b) transmitting and receiving data with respect to the outside apparatus; and

c) executing step a) when power is supplied to the communication apparatus and executing step b) when power is not supplied to the communication apparatus.

14. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program is recorded for causing a computer to execute a communications method using a communication apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

a) reading data stored in a storage device of an outside apparatus and writing data in the storage device of the outside apparatus;

b) transmitting and receiving data with respect to the outside apparatus; and

c) executing step a) when power is supplied to the communication apparatus and executing step b) when power is not supplied to the communication apparatus.