WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, PROGRAM, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120051244A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagara, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a response request signal, a transmitting unit configured to transmit a response signal in response to the response request signal, a measuring unit configured to continuously measure received power of the response request signal received by the receiving unit, and a communication control unit configured to cause the transmitting unit to transmit the response signal to a wireless communication apparatus that has transmitted the response request signal if the received power of the response request signal is higher than a threshold value.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a response request signal;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit a response signal in response to the response request signal;

a measuring unit configured to continuously measure received power of the response request signal received by the receiving unit; and

a communication control unit configured to cause the transmitting unit to transmit the response signal to a wireless communication apparatus that has transmitted the response request signal if the received power of the response request signal is higher than a threshold value.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the case where the receiving unit receives the response request signal from each of a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses, if the received power of the response request signal transmitted from one of the wireless communication apparatuses is higher than a threshold value and a difference between the received power of the response request signal and the received power of each of the response request signals transmitted from the other wireless communication apparatuses is larger than a setting value, the communication control unit causes the transmitting unit to transmit the response signal to the one of the wireless communication apparatus.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication control unit further causes the transmitting unit to transmit the response signal after the received power of the response request signal has fallen below the threshold value.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if the received power of the response request signal is on the increase and exceeds the threshold value and if the received power of the response request signal is on the decrease and falls below the threshold value, the communication control unit causes the transmitting unit to transmit the response signal.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a notifying unit;

wherein the communication control unit controls communication for establishing a connection with the wireless communication apparatus that has transmitted the response request signal after the transmitting unit has transmitted the response signal, and wherein when the establishment of a connection performed by the communication control unit is completed, the notifying unit notifies the establishment of communication.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display a screen for asking a user whether establishment of a connection is allowed before the communication control unit starts communication for establishing a connection.

7. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the communication control unit controls transmission of the response signal on the basis of the received power of the response request signal subjected to an averaging process.

8. A program comprising:

program code for causing a computer to function as a receiving unit configured to receive a response request signal, a transmitting unit configured to transmit a response signal in response to the response request signal, a measuring unit configured to continuously measure received power of the response request signal received by the receiving unit, and a communication control unit configured to cause the transmitting unit to transmit the response signal to a wireless communication apparatus that has transmitted the response request signal if the received power of the response request signal is higher than a threshold value.

9. A wireless communication method comprising:

receiving a response request signal;

continuously measuring received power of the response request signal; and

transmitting a response signal to a wireless communication apparatus that has transmitted the response request signal if the received power of the response request signal is higher than a threshold value.

10. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication apparatus configured to intermittently transmit a response request signal; and

a second wireless communication apparatus, the second wireless communication apparatus including a receiving unit configured to receive the response request signal, a transmitting unit configured to transmit a response signal in response to the response request signal, a measuring unit configured to continuously measure received power of the response request signal received by the receiving unit, and a communication control unit configured to cause the transmitting unit to transmit the response signal to the wireless communication apparatus that has transmitted the response request signal if the received power of the response request signal is higher than a threshold value.