COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION METHOD, COMMUNICATION CIRCUIT, MOBILE PHONE, PROGRAM, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM WITH PROGRAM RECORDED THEREIN

• US 20090190502A1
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kaminokado, Tsukasa, Fukae, Fumihiro, Naoe, Hitoshi, Mameda, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,986,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication apparatus (1) is a primary station for communicating with a secondary station, and includes: a first protocol control section (111) for transmitting, at a time when communication connection is to be established with the secondary station, (i) a station discovery command with which to confirm a presence of the secondary station, and (ii) a first connect request command, after the station discovery command is transmitted, so as to carry out connection processing; second protocol control means (112) for transmitting, at a time when communication connection is to be established with the secondary station, a second connect request command so as to carry out connection processing; and a protocol switching section (113) for (i) causing the first protocol control section (111) to initially transmit the station discovery command, and in a case where a response to the station discovery command has not been received after an elapse of a predetermined time since the station discovery command was transmitted, (ii) causing the second protocol control section (112) to transmit the second connect request command.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A communication apparatus which serves as a primary station for communicating with a secondary station,

said communication apparatus comprising:

first protocol control means for transmitting (i) a station discovery command with which to confirm a presence of the secondary station, and (ii) a first connect request command, after the station discovery command is transmitted and when a response to the station discovery command is received, so as to carry out connection processing;

second protocol control means for transmitting a second connect request command so as to carry out connection processing, without transmitting a station discovery command for confirming a presence of the secondary station; and

protocol switching means for causing the second protocol control means to transmit the second connect request command, in a case where a response to the station discovery command has not been received after an elapse of a predetermined time since the station discovery command was transmitted before transmission of the second connect request command.

11. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

message presenting means for presenting a predetermined message for urging the secondary station to be made in a receptive state, before the protocol switching means causes the first protocol control means to initially transmit the station discovery command.

12. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first protocol is an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) protocol, and the second protocol is an IrSimple protocol.

13. The communication apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first protocol is an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) protocol, and the second protocol is an IrSimple protocol.

15. A program for causing a computer to function as a communication apparatus recited in claim 10.

16. A program for causing a computer to function as a communication apparatus recited in claim 11.

17. A program for causing a computer to function as a communication apparatus recited in claim 12.

18. A program for causing a computer to function as a communication apparatus recited in claim 13.

19. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program recited in claim 15 is recorded.

20. A communication circuit for functioning as a communication apparatus recited in claim 10.

21. A communication circuit for functioning as a communication apparatus recited in claim 11.

22. A communication circuit for functioning as a communication apparatus recited in claim 12.

23. A communication circuit for functioning as a communication apparatus recited in claim 13.

24. A mobile phone comprising a communication apparatus recited in claim 10, the mobile phone causing the communication apparatus to transmit data received from an external communication apparatus connected via a communications network.

25. A mobile phone comprising a communication apparatus recited in claim 11, the mobile phone causing the communication apparatus to transmit data received from an external communication apparatus connected via a communications network.

26. A mobile phone comprising a communication apparatus recited in claim 12, the mobile phone causing the communication apparatus to transmit data received from an external communication apparatus connected via a communications network.

27. A mobile phone comprising a communication apparatus recited in claim 13, the mobile phone causing the communication apparatus to transmit data received from an external communication apparatus connected via a communications network.

14. A communication method for a communication apparatus serving as a primary station which communicates with a secondary station,

said communication method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting (i) a station discovery command with which to confirm a presence of the secondary station, and (ii) a first connect request command, after the station discovery command is transmitted and when a response the station discovery command is received, so as to carry out connection processing;

(b) transmitting a second connect request command so as to carry out connection processing, without transmitting a station discovery command for confirming a presence of the secondary station; and

(c) causing the second connect request command to be transmitted in the step (b), in a case where a response to the station discovery command has not been received after an elapse of a predetermined time since the station discovery command was transmitted before transmission of the second connect request command.

28. A communication apparatus which serves as a primary station for communicating with a secondary station, wherein

the communication apparatus is switchable between a first protocol and a second protocol at a time when communication connection is to be established with the secondary station, the first protocol causing transmission of (i) a station discovery command with which to confirm a presence of the secondary station, and (ii) a first connect request command, after the station discovery command is transmitted when a response the station discovery command is received, for carrying out data communication based on the first protocol, so as to carry out connection processing, and the second protocol causing transmission of a second connect request command for carrying out data communication based on the second protocol,

the station discovery command is transmitted before the second connect request command is transmitted, and in a case where a response to the station discovery command is received, a first connect request command is transmitted,

the second connect request command is transmitted in a case where the response to the station discovery command has not been received after an elapse of a predetermined time since the station discovery command was transmitted.