SHORT RANGE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20120309315A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakata, Ryuuji, Saito, Soichi, Matsushita, Suguru, Ozaki, Takahisa, Sasaki, Masao, Hayashi, Kazushige, Yamamoto, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

An in-vehicle apparatus selects, as a profile connection mode, one connection mode out of a first connection mode and a second connection mode, and performs profile connection using the selected one connection mode. The first connection mode is to transmit a profile connection request signal to a communication partner so as to start a connection procedure; the second connection mode is to wait for reception of a profile connection request signal from the communication partner for a predetermined time so as to start the connection procedure. When the profile connection using the selected one connection mode fails, a connection procedure using the other connection mode that was not selected previously is started. When the profile connection using the other connection mode is successful, upon occurrence of a next profile connection request, the other connection mode is selected as a profile connection mode.

Claims

1. A short range wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a connection device to connect a predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and a communication-partner side connection device in short range wireless communication; and

a controller to alternatively select a first connection mode or a second connection mode to connect the predetermined communication protocol, to start a connection procedure,

the first connection mode transmitting a predetermined communication protocol connection request signal from the connection device to the communication-partner side connection device,

the second connection mode waiting for reception of a predetermined communication protocol connection request signal from the communication-partner side connection device to the connection device for a predetermined time,

wherein;

the controller selects one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode when connecting the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device and then determines whether the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure or success;

when it is determined that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure, the controller starts the connection procedure using an other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode that is different from the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode and then determines whether the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure or success; and

when it is determined that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in success, the controller selects the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode upon next connection of the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device.

2. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the connection device connects the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and a plurality of communication-partner side connection devices in the short range wireless communication; and

upon connection of the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and one of the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices,

the controller

identifies the one of the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices as a connection target of the predetermined communication protocol, and

selects one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, the one being associated with the one of the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices that is identified as the connection target by the controller.

3. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in cases that (i) an inquiry is made to a user as to whether or not the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode is started and (ii) it is determined that the user intends to start the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, the controller starts the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode.

4. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller selects the first connection mode as the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, and selects the second connection mode as the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode.

5. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller selects the second connection mode as the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, and selects the first connection mode as the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode.

6. The short range wireless communication apparatus according claim 1, wherein:

the controller determines that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure, in cases that the controller does not receive a connection response signal of the predetermined communication protocol or a connection request signal of the predetermined communication protocol, from the communication-partner side connection device; and

the controller determines that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in success, in cases that (i) the controller receives a connection response signal of the predetermined communication protocol or a connection request signal of the predetermined communication protocol, from the communication-partner side connection device, and (ii) the controller determines that the connection procedure using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode is normally terminated between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device.

7. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller does not start the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, in cases that (i) the controller receives a connection response signal of the predetermined communication protocol or a connection request signal of the predetermined communication protocol, from the communication-partner side connection device, but (ii) the controller determines that the connection procedure using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode is not normally terminated between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device.

8. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a nonvolatile storage device to store as a first stored connection mode one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode to connect the predetermined communication protocol,

wherein;

the controller selects the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode that is stored as the first stored connection mode in the storage device when connecting the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device and then determines whether the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure or success;

when it is determined that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure, the controller starts the connection procedure using an other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode that is different from the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode and then determines whether the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure or success; and

when it is determined that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in success, the controller stores as a second stored connection mode the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode in the storage device, so as to select the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode that is stored as the second stored connection mode in the storage device upon next connection of the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device.

9. A short range wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a connection device to connect a predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and a communication-partner side connection device in short range wireless communication;

a controller to alternatively select a first connection mode or a second connection mode to connect the predetermined communication protocol, to start a connection procedure,

the first connection mode transmitting a predetermined communication protocol connection request signal from the connection device to the communication-partner side connection device,

the second connection mode waiting for reception of the predetermined communication protocol connection request signal from the communication-partner side connection device to the connection device for a predetermined time; and

a nonvolatile storage device to store as a first stored connection mode one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode to connect the predetermined communication protocol,

wherein;

the controller selects the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode that is stored as the first stored connection mode in the storage device when connecting the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device and then determines whether the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure or success;

when it is determined that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure, the controller starts the connection procedure using an other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode that is different from the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode and then determines whether the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure or success; and

when it is determined that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in success, the controller stores as a second stored connection mode the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode in the storage device, so as to select the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode that is stored as the second stored connection mode in the storage device upon next connection of the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device.

10. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the connection device connects the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and a plurality of communication-partner side connection devices in the short range wireless communication;

the storage device stores a plurality of first stored connection modes associated with the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices, respectively, the plurality of first stored connection modes being selected by the controller upon connection of the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices, respectively; and

upon connection of the predetermined communication protocol between the connection device and one of the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices,

the controller

identifies the one of the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices as a connection target of the predetermined communication protocol, and

selects the first stored connection mode, which is stored in the storage device and associated with the one of the plurality of communication-partner side connection devices that is identified as the connection target by the controller.

11. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

in cases that (i) an inquiry is made to a user as to whether or not the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode is started and (ii) it is determined that the user intends to start the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, the controller starts the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode.

12. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the controller selects the first connection mode as the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, and selects the second connection mode as the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode.

13. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the controller selects the second connection mode as the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, and selects the first connection mode as the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode.

14. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the controller determines that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in failure, in cases that the controller does not receive a connection response signal of the predetermined communication protocol or a connection request signal of the predetermined communication protocol, from the communication-partner side connection device; and

the controller determines that the connection of the predetermined communication protocol using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode results in success, in cases that (i) the controller receives a connection response signal of the predetermined communication protocol or a connection request signal of the predetermined communication protocol, from the communication-partner side connection device, and (ii) the controller determines that the connection procedure using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode is normally terminated between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device.

15. The short range wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the controller does not start the connection procedure using the other of the first connection mode and the second connection mode, in cases that (i) the controller receives a connection response signal of the predetermined communication protocol or a connection request signal of the predetermined communication protocol, from the communication-partner side connection device, but (ii) the controller determines that the connection procedure using the one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode is not normally terminated between the connection device and the communication-partner side connection device.