ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD

• US 20100022187A1
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohkita, Hideki
• Application Number:
  US12/464,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022187A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic device comprises a close proximity wireless transfer device and a connection mode switching module. The close proximity wireless transfer device executes a close proximity wireless transfer. The connection mode switching module alternately switches, when the close proximity wireless transfer device is not connected to another close proximity wireless transfer device, a connection mode of the close proximity wireless transfer device between a first mode that requests connection to the other close proximity wireless transfer device and a second mode that detects a connection request from the other close proximity wireless transfer device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a close proximity wireless transfer device configured to execute a close proximity wireless transfer; and

a connection mode switching module configured to switch a connection mode of the close proximity wireless transfer device between a first mode in which the close proximity wireless transfer device is configured to request a connection to a second close proximity wireless transfer device and a second mode in which the close proximity wireless transfer device is configured to detect a connection request from the second close proximity wireless transfer device, when the close proximity wireless transfer device is not connected to the second close proximity wireless transfer device,

wherein the connection mode switching module is configured to set the connection mode to the first mode in preference to the second mode when the electronic device is driven by an external power source, in comparison with the case of the electronic device being not driven by the external power source.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the connection mode switching module is configured to set each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode when the electronic device is driven by the external power source to be longer than each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode when the electronic device is not driven by the external power source.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the connection mode switching module is configured to set each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode when the electronic device is driven by a battery in the electronic device to be shorter than each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode when the electronic device is driven by the external power source.

2. (canceled)

5. An electronic device comprising:

a close proximity wireless transfer device configured to execute a close proximity wireless transfer; and

a connection mode switching module configured to switch, when the close proximity wireless transfer device is not connected to another close proximity wireless transfer device a connection mode of the close proximity wireless transfer device between a first mode in which connection to said another close proximity wireless transfer device is requested and a second mode in which a connection request from said another close proximity wireless transfer device is detected,

wherein the connection mode switching module is configured to determine whether a remaining capacity of a battery is not less than a threshold when the electronic device is driven by the battery in the electronic device,

when the determination shows that the remaining capacity of the battery is not less than the threshold, the connection mode switching module is configured to switch the connection mode to the first mode in preference to the second mode selected when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the threshold, and

when the determination shows that the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the threshold, the connection mode switching module is configured to switch the connection mode to the second mode in preference to the first mode selected when the remaining capacity of the battery is not less than the threshold.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the connection mode switching module is configured to set each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode when the electronic device is driven by an external power supply to be longer than each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode when the electronic device is driven by the battery.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the connection mode switching module is configured to determine whether a remaining capacity of the battery is not less than a threshold when the electronic device is driven by the battery in the electronic device,

when the determination shows that the remaining capacity of the battery is not less than the threshold, the connection mode switching module is configured to set each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode to be longer than each period in which the connection mode is kept in the first mode when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the threshold, and

when the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the threshold, the connection mode switching module is configured to set each period in which the connection mode is maintained in the second mode to be longer than each period in which the connection mode is maintained in the second mode when the remaining capacity of the battery is not less than the threshold.

8. A communication control method for an electronic device that comprises a close proximity wireless transfer device comprising:

executing a close proximity wireless transfer using the a-close proximity wireless transfer device and

switching a connection mode of the close proximity wireless transfer device between a first mode in which the close proximity wireless transfer device is configured to request connection to a second close proximity wireless transfer device and a second mode in which the close proximity wireless transfer device is configured to detect a connection request from the second close proximity wireless transfer device when the close proximity wireless transfer device is not connected to the second close proximity wireless transfer device,

wherein the switching includes setting the connection mode to the first mode in preference to the second mode when the electronic device is driven by an external power source, in comparison with the case of the electronic device being not driven by the external power source.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)