COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD

• US 20130017787A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ESHITA, Shiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a communication apparatus including a short-range wireless communication unit for performing a short-range wireless communication with an external communication device, a position detection unit for detecting current position information, a storage unit for storing a communication position list registering therein position information at a time of performing the short-range wireless communication, and a control unit for acquiring the current position information from the position detection unit and for controlling a generation state of a standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit in accordance with a comparison result obtained by comparing the acquired current position information with the communication position list.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a short-range wireless communication unit for performing a short-range wireless communication with an external communication device;

a position detection unit for detecting current position information;

a storage unit for storing a communication position list registering therein position information at a time of performing the short-range wireless communication; and

a control unit for acquiring the current position information from the position detection unit and for controlling a generation state of a standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit in accordance with a comparison result obtained by comparing the acquired current position information with the communication position list.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, if the current position information is a location which is registered on the communication position list according to the comparison result of the current position information and the communication position list, the control unit controls generation of the standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit to be in a dense state, and

wherein, if the current position information is not a location which is registered on the communication position list according to the comparison result, the control unit controls generation of the standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit to be in a sparse or stop state.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case the short-range wireless communication is performed with the external communication device by the short-range wireless communication unit, the control unit performs a list management process for enabling position information at a time of the communication to be registered on the communication position list.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case the short-range wireless communication for the purpose of sending contents data is performed with the external communication device by the short-range wireless communication unit, the control unit performs a list management process for enabling position information at a time of the communication to be registered on the communication position list.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the communication position list registers position information at a time of sending contents data by the short-range wireless communication unit, the registration being performed in a state where the position information is associated with each of the contents data,

wherein, if contents data whose associated position information is not coincident with the current position information exists in the communication position list according to the comparison result of the current position information and the communication position list, the control unit controls generation of the standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit to be in a dense state, and

wherein, if contents data whose associated position information is not coincident with the current position information does not exist in the communication position list according to the comparison result, the control unit controls generation of the standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit to be in a sparse or stop state.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, in a case the short-range wireless communication for the purpose of sending contents data is performed with the external communication device by the short-range wireless communication unit, the control unit performs a list management process for enabling position information at a time of the communication to be registered on the communication position list as position information associated with the sent contents data.

7. A communication control method of controlling a communication apparatus including a short-range wireless communication unit for performing a short-range wireless communication with an external communication device, a position detection unit for detecting current position information, and a storage unit for storing a communication position list registering therein position information at a time of performing the short-range wireless communication, the method comprising:

acquiring current position information from the position detection unit; and

controlling a generation state of a standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit in accordance with a comparison result obtained by comparing the acquired current position information with the communication position list.