PORTABLE INFORMATION TERMINAL, PORTABLE INFORMATION SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREON PORTABLE INFORMATION TERMINAL CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20110306294A1
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Adachi, Hiroaki, Yamazaki, Masatoshi, Ooe, Tooru, Shoji, Masahiro, Kubota, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

When a portable information terminal operates in an unused state, a predetermined access point is searched for. As a result, when the predetermined access point is detected, a connection to the predetermined access point is established, and a predetermined data communication process is performed.

Claims

1. A portable information terminal comprising:

first change means for changing a state of the portable information terminal between an unused state and a used state;

search means for searching for a predetermined access point at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state; and

communication processing means for, when the predetermined access point is detected by the search means, connecting to the predetermined access point and performing a predetermined data communication process.

2. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein power consumption in the unused state is lower than that in the used state.

3. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the portable information terminal is capable of being opened and closed by a user, and

the first change means changes the state of the portable information terminal to the used state when the portable information terminal is in an opened state, and changes the state of the portable information terminal to the unused state when the portable information terminal is in a closed state.

4. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the search means automatically and repeatedly searches for the predetermined access point, and

the communication processing means automatically connects to the predetermined access point and automatically performs the data communication process.

5. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

program execution means for executing a plurality of application programs;

reception means for receiving, from each application program, an instruction for a process of transmission or reception of data which is performed with another information processing apparatus via a network, wherein

the search means automatically searches for the predetermined access point, and

the communication processing means automatically performs transmission or reception of the data, which is received by the reception means from each application program, via the predetermined access point.

6. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

storage means for storing information concerning at least one first access point, which is settable by a user, and information concerning at least one second access point, which is not settable by the user;

access point information setting means for setting the information concerning the at least one first access point, by the user; and

search time defining means for defining a time to search for the at least one first access point, wherein

the search means includes;

first access point search means for, when the time defined by the search time defining means comes, searching for the at least one first access point on the basis of the information concerning the at least one first access point; and

second access point search means for automatically and repeatedly searching for the at least one second access point on the basis of the information concerning the at least one second access point.

7. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication processing means connects to the predetermined access point and receives predetermined data via the predetermined access point.

8. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising communication cutoff means for cutting off a connection to the predetermined access point after the communication processing means ends the predetermined data communication process via the predetermined access point detected by the search means.

9. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the search means searches for the predetermined access point by using near-field wireless communication.

10. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising condition determination means for determining whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state, wherein

the search means searches for the predetermined access point when it is determined by the condition determination means that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

11. The portable information terminal according to claim 10, wherein, when a predetermined time comes, the condition determination means determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

12. The portable information terminal according to claim 10, further comprising process defining means for defining a process of transmission or reception of data, which is performed with the other information processing apparatus via a network, and an execution time of the process, wherein

the communication processing means includes data transmission/reception process means for performing the transmission or reception of the data which is defined by the process defining means, via the predetermined access point detected by the search means,

when the execution time defined by the process defining means comes, the condition determination means determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, and

when it is determined by the condition determination means that the predetermined condition is satisfied and the predetermined access point is detected by the search means, the data transmission/reception process means performs the transmission or reception of the data.

13. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein

at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state, the search means searches for the predetermined access point by automatically and repeatedly attempting to receive a beacon transmitted from the predetermined access point, and detects the predetermined access point by receiving the beacon, and

the communication processing means includes:

connection establishment means for, when it is determined by the search means that the beacon is received, attempting to establish a connection to the predetermined access point which transmits the beacon, and

data transmission/reception means for, when the connection to the predetermined access point is established, performing transmission or reception of predetermined data via the predetermined access point.

14. The portable information terminal according to claim 13, further comprising process defining means for defining a process of transmission or reception of data, which is performed with the other information processing apparatus via a network, and an execution time of the process, wherein

the communication processing means further includes execution time determination means for, when the connection to the predetermined access point is established by the connection establishment means, determining whether or not the defined execution time has come, and

when the execution time has come, the data transmission/reception means performs the defined transmission or reception of the data.

15. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising display means, wherein

power is supplied to the display means in the used state, and the power is not supplied to the display means in the unused state,

the first change means changes the state of the portable information terminal between the used state and the unused state in accordance with a predetermined operation performed by a user, and

the portable information terminal further comprises display control means for, when the state of the portable information terminal is changed from the unused state to the used state in accordance with the predetermined operation performed by the user, displaying contents of data received by the communication processing means, on the display means.

16. The portable information terminal according to claim 8, further comprising second change means for changing a power control mode between a power saving mode and a non-power saving mode, wherein

the search means searches for the predetermined access point at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state and in the power saving mode, and

the second change means changes the power control mode to the non-power saving mode when the predetermined access point is detected by the search means, and changes the power control mode to the power saving mode when the connection to the predetermined access point is cut off by the communication cutoff means.

17. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising second change means for changing a power control mode between a power saving mode and a non-power saving mode, wherein

the search means searches for the predetermined access point at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state and in the power saving mode, and

the second change means changes the power control mode to the non-power saving mode when the predetermined access point is detected by the search means, and changes the power control mode to the power saving mode when the data communication process by the communication processing means ends.

18. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the communication processing means automatically performs reception of one or more application programs via the predetermined access point, and

the portable information terminal further comprises installation means for, when the reception of the one or more application programs is performed, automatically performing installation of the one or more application programs to the portable information terminal.

19. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the communication processing means automatically performs reception of one or more application programs via the predetermined access point, and

the portable information terminal further comprises:

list creation means for, when the portable information terminal is started, creating and outputting a list of application programs;

selection means for selecting an application program from the list in accordance with a predetermined operation performed on the portable information terminal;

application program execution means for executing the selected application program; and

list creation object addition means for automatically adding the one or more application programs received automatically by the communication processing means, as displayed objects to the list created by the list creation means.

20. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the communication processing means automatically performs reception of one or more application programs via the predetermined access point, and

the portable information terminal further comprises:

list creation means for creating and outputting a list of application programs in accordance with a predetermined operation performed on the portable information terminal;

selection means for selecting an application program from the list in accordance with a predetermined operation performed on the portable information terminal;

application program execution means for executing the selected application program; and

list creation object addition means for automatically adding the one or more application programs received automatically by the communication processing means, as displayed objects to the list created by the list creation means.

21. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising near field data communication means for:

repeatedly searching for another terminal which becomes a communication partner present in a communicable range of the portable information terminal, by using near field wireless communication;

automatically wirelessly connecting to the other terminal; and

automatically transmitting or receiving data to or from the wirelessly connected other terminal, wherein

the communication processing means transmits the data received by the near field data communication means, to another information processing apparatus via the predetermined access point.

22. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising near field data communication means for:

repeatedly searching for another terminal which becomes a communication partner present in a communicable range of the portable information terminal, by using near field wireless communication;

automatically wirelessly connecting to the other terminal; and

automatically transmitting or receiving data to or from the wirelessly connected other terminal, wherein

the near field data communication means transmits data received by the communication processing means to the other terminal.

23. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

clocking means;

a wireless communication module for performing near-field wireless communication;

arithmetic processing means;

second change means for changing a power control mode between a non-power saving mode, in which power is supplied to the clocking means, the arithmetic processing means, and the wireless communication module, and a power saving mode, in which the power is supplied to the clocking means and the wireless communication module but the power is not supplied to the arithmetic processing means; and

time determination means for determining, by using the clocking means, whether or not a predetermined time has come at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state and in the power saving mode, wherein

the second change means changes the power control mode to the non-power saving mode when it is determined by the time determination means that the predetermined time has come, and

the search means searches for the predetermined access point by using the wireless communication module and the arithmetic processing means, at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state and in the non-power saving mode.

24. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication module for performing near-field wireless communication;

arithmetic processing means; and

second change means for changing a power control mode between a non-power saving mode, in which power is supplied to the arithmetic processing means and the wireless communication module, and a power saving mode, in which the power is supplied to the wireless communication module but the power is not supplied to the arithmetic processing means, wherein

the search means searches for the predetermined access point by using the wireless communication module, at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state and in the power saving mode,

the second change means changes the power control mode to the non-power saving mode when the predetermined access point is detected by the search means, and

when the power control mode is changed to the non-power saving mode by the second change means, the communication processing means connects to the predetermined access point by using the wireless communication module and the arithmetic processing means, and performs the data communication process.

25. A portable information terminal comprising:

process defining means for defining a process of transmission or reception of data, which is performed with another apparatus via a network, and an execution time of the process;

time determination means for determining whether or not the execution time defined by the process defining means has come;

connection means for, when it is determined by the time determination means that the execution time has come, attempting to connect to a predetermined access point; and

data transmission/reception means for, when a connection to the predetermined access point is established by the connection means, performing the transmission or reception of the data, which is defined by the process defining means, via the predetermined access point.

26. A portable information system comprising:

first change means for changing a state of the portable information system between an unused state and a used state;

search means for searching for a predetermined access point at least when the portable information system operates in the unused state; and

communication processing means for, when the predetermined access point is detected by the search means, connecting to the predetermined access point and performing a predetermined data communication process via the predetermined access point.

27. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a portable information terminal control program which is executed by a computer of a portable information terminal having two modes of an unused state and a used state, the portable information terminal control program causing the computer to operate as:

first change means for changing a state of the portable information terminal between the unused state and the used state;

search means for searching for a predetermined access point at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state; and

communication processing means for, when the predetermined access point is detected by the search means, connecting to the predetermined access point and performing a predetermined data communication process via the predetermined access point.

28. A method of controlling a portable information terminal, the method comprising:

a first change step of changing a state of the portable information terminal between an unused state and a used state;

a search step of searching for a predetermined access point at least when the portable information terminal operates in the unused state; and

a communication processing step of, when the predetermined access point is detected at the search step, connecting to the predetermined access point and performing a predetermined data communication process via the predetermined access point.