PORTABLE WIRELESS TERMINAL, WIRELESS TERMINAL, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20120202433A1
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Yasuhiro, Ishizeki, Manabu
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

Disclosed is a wireless terminal for performing independent distributed-type wireless communication with a portable wireless terminal. The wireless terminal is provided with: a channel setting section for setting a channel on which wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal is performed; a trigger receiving section for receiving a trigger; a free channel search section for searching for a free channel in response to the trigger received, and for delivering a signal, which changes the set channel in accordance with the search result, to the channel setting section; and a transmission section for transmitting to the portable wireless terminal a signal which reports the change.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal that performs autonomous distributed wireless communication with a portable wireless terminal, the wireless terminal comprising:

a channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal;

a trigger receiver unit that receives a trigger;

a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the channel setting unit based on a search result; and

a transmitter unit that transmits a signal for reporting the changing to the portable wireless terminal.

2. The wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein the channel setting unit sets the channel before a signal sent from the portable wireless terminal is received.

3. The wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein, while the wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal is being performed using the channel, the vacant channel search unit sends the signal for changing the channel to the channel setting unit.

4. The wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein the trigger receiver unit receives the trigger from the portable wireless terminal.

5. The wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless terminal is a processor device of a wireless endoscope system.

6. A portable wireless terminal that performs autonomous distributed wireless communication with a wireless terminal, the wireless terminal including a channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal, a trigger receiver unit that receives a trigger, a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the channel setting unit based on a search result, and a transmitter unit that transmits a signal for reporting the change to the portable wireless terminal, the portable wireless terminal comprising:

a sending unit that sends a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel.

7. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 6, wherein the sending unit sends the trigger when the wireless communication with the wireless terminal is started.

8. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 6, wherein the sending unit sends the trigger while the wireless communication with the wireless terminal is being performed.

9. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 6, wherein the portable wireless terminal is an endoscope scope of a wireless endoscope system.

10. A wireless communication system in which a portable wireless terminal and a wireless terminal perform autonomous distributed wireless communication, wherein the portable wireless terminal comprises:

a sending unit that sends a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel, and

the wireless terminal comprises;

a channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal;

a trigger receiver unit that receives a trigger sent from the portable wireless terminal;

a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the channel setting unit based on a search result; and

a transmitter unit that transmits a signal for reporting the changing to the portable wireless terminal.

11. The wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein the channel setting unit sets the channel before a signal sent from the portable wireless terminal is received.

12. The wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein, while the wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal using the channel is being performed, the vacant channel search unit sends the signal for changing the channel to the channel setting unit.

13. A wireless communication method in a wireless communication system in which a portable wireless terminal and a wireless terminal perform autonomous distributed wireless communication, the wireless communication method comprising:

a sending step in which a transmitter unit of the portable wireless terminal sends a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel;

a channel setting step in which a channel setting unit of the wireless terminal sets a channel that is used for performing wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal;

a trigger reception step in which a trigger receiver unit of the wireless terminal receives a trigger from the portable wireless terminal;

a vacant channel search step in which a vacant channel search unit of the wireless terminal searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the channel setting unit based on a search result; and

a transmission step in which a transmitter unit of the wireless terminal transmits a signal for reporting the changing to the portable wireless terminal.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein the channel is set before a signal sent from the portable wireless terminal is received.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein the signal for changing the set channel is sent while the wireless communication is being performed with the portable wireless terminal by using the channel.