COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20120137310A1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TERUYAMA, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,713,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/320
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A communication device includes a first processing unit that detects a target and receives a first command for activating an interface upon a detection of the target. The communication device also includes a second processing unit that exchanges data with the target through the first processing unit. Further, the communication device includes an interface between the first processing unit and the second processing unit. The first processing unit selects a predetermined interface level from among a plurality of interface levels based on the first command and exchanges data with the second processing unit based on the predetermined interface level.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a first processing unit configured to detect a target and to receive a first command for activating an interface upon a detection of the target;

a second processing unit configured to exchange data with the target through the first processing unit; and

an interface between the first processing unit and the second processing unit, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to select a predetermined interface level from among a plurality of interface levels based on the first command and to exchange data with the second processing unit based on the predetermined interface level.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined interface level is selected based on an RF protocol used in a communication between the target and the first processing unit.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to transmit a second command and to receive a third command in response to the second command, the third command indicating the RF protocol.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to receive from the second processing unit a fourth command, the fourth command associating the RF protocol with the predetermined interface level.

5. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to send a fifth command based on the first command, the fifth command indicating the predetermined interface level.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to start and execute an application based on the predetermined interface level, the application exchanging data between the second processing unit and the target using the RF protocol.

7. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to receive a second command, to send a third command in response to the second command, and to receive the first command based on the third command.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to receive from the second processing unit a fourth command, the fourth command associating the RF protocol with the predetermined interface level.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to send a fifth command in response to the first command, the fifth command indicating the predetermined interface level.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to start and execute an application based on the predetermined interface level, the application exchanging data between the second processing unit and the target using the RF protocol.

11. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined interface level is selected based on an technology used in a communication between the target and the first processing unit.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to transmit a second command and to receive a third command in response to the second command, the third command indicating the RF technology.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to transmit a fourth command to the second processing unit, the fourth command indicating the RF technology.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to start and execute an application based on the predetermined interface level, the application exchanging data between the first processing unit and the target using the RF technology.

15. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to receive a second command, to send a third command in response to the second command, and to receive the first command based on the third command.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to send a fourth command in response to the first command, the fourth command indicating the predetermined interface level.

17. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first processing unit is further configured to receive a second command representing a version of the second processing unit, the first processing unit is further configured to transmit a third command in response to the second command, the second command representing a version of the first processing unit, and, when the version of the second processing unit is equivalent or higher than the version of the first processing unit, the interface exchanges messages.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, wherein the third command also represents the predetermined interface level, and, when the version of the second processing unit is equivalent or higher than the version of the first processing unit, the second processing unit transmits the command, the command indicating at least one of a poll mode and a listen mode, an RF protocol, and an interface level.

19. A communication method, comprising:

detecting a target;

receiving, at a first processing unit, a first message for activating an interface upon the detecting;

exchanging data between a second processing unit and the target through the first processing unit;

selecting, with the first processing unit, a predetermined interface level from among a plurality of interface levels based on the first message; and

exchanging data between the first processing unit and the second processing unit based on the predetermined interface level.

20. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a method comprising:

detecting a target;

receiving, at a first processing unit, a first message for activating an interface upon the detecting;

exchanging data between a second processing unit and the target through the first processing unit;

selecting, with the first processing unit, a predetermined interface level from among a plurality of interface levels based on the first message; and

exchanging data between the first processing unit and the second processing unit based on the predetermined interface level.