COMMUNICATION APPARATUS CAPABLE OF PERFORMING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION VIA ANTENNA AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160073363A1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaechi, Shuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,807,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0283 with sequential power up or power down of successive circuit blocks, e.g. switching on the local oscillator before RF or mixer stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication apparatus comprises a close proximity wireless communication unit which is able to perform close proximity wireless communication with an external apparatus; a power control unit which starts control of power supply of the communication apparatus when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus; and a control unit which executes shutdown processing for reducing power to each block controlled by the power control unit, wherein when the shutdown processing is executed, the control unit disables the close proximity wireless communication unit before start of the shutdown processing.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a close proximity wireless communication unit configured to be able to perform close proximity wireless communication with an external apparatus;

a power control unit configured to start control of power supply of the communication apparatus when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus; and

a control unit configured to execute shutdown processing for reducing power to each block controlled by the power control unit,

wherein when the shutdown processing is executed, the control unit disables the close proximity wireless communication unit before start of the shutdown processing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the close proximity wireless communication unit operates using power generated by the electromagnetic waves received from the external apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives the electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus, the close proximity wireless communication unit transmits a signal to the power control unit, and the power control unit starts control of power supply to each block of the communication apparatus in accordance with the signal from the close proximity wireless communication unit, and

wherein when the close proximity wireless communication unit is disabled, even if the electromagnetic waves are received from the external apparatus, the close proximity wireless communication unit transmits no signal to the power control unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives the electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus, the close proximity wireless communication unit transmits a response to the external apparatus, and

wherein when the close proximity wireless communication unit is disabled, even if the electromagnetic waves are received from the external apparatus, the close proximity wireless communication unit transmits no response to the external apparatus.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit starts the shutdown processing in response to an operation of a power button by a user.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a remaining capacity of a battery becomes not larger than a predetermined amount, the control unit starts the shutdown processing.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the shutdown processing is complete, the close proximity wireless communication unit is enabled.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when a remaining capacity of a battery is not larger than a predetermined amount, even if the shutdown processing is complete, the close proximity wireless communication unit is not enabled.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the close proximity wireless communication unit has a recording area for recording information for setting enabling/disabling of the close proximity wireless communication unit, and information indicating enabling is recorded as an initial value in the recording area,

the control unit controls enabling/disabling of the close proximity wireless communication unit by recording information in the recording area, and

when power supply to the close proximity wireless communication unit is stopped, the information recorded in the recording area is reset to the initial value.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect a power supply voltage of the communication apparatus,

wherein the control unit controls to set one of enabling and disabling of an operation of the close proximity wireless communication unit in accordance with the power supply voltage.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

when the power supply voltage is a voltage at which a specific function of the communication apparatus cannot be executed, the control unit controls to disable the operation of the close proximity wireless communication unit, and

when the power supply voltage is a voltage at which the specific function of the communication apparatus can be executed, the control unit controls to enable the operation of the close proximity wireless communication unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit different from the close proximity wireless communication unit,

wherein in accordance with communication of the close proximity wireless communication unit with the external apparatus, the control unit controls to start processing for establishing communication with the external apparatus by using the communication unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image capturing unit configured to capture an object and generate image data.

14. A communication apparatus comprising:

a close proximity wireless communication unit configured to be able to perform close proximity wireless communication with an external apparatus;

a power control unit configured to start control of power supply to each block of the communication apparatus; and

a control unit configured to execute shutdown processing for reducing power to each block controlled by the power control unit,

wherein when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus, the close proximity wireless communication unit transmits a signal to the power control unit, and the power control unit starts control of power supply to each block of the communication apparatus in accordance with the signal from the close proximity wireless communication unit, and

wherein when the shutdown processing is executed, the control unit controls not to transmit the signal from the close proximity wireless communication unit to the power control unit before start of the shutdown processing.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control unit controls the close proximity wireless communication unit not to respond to the external apparatus before the start of the shutdown processing.

16. A communication apparatus comprising:

a close proximity wireless communication unit configured to be able to perform close proximity wireless communication with an external apparatus;

a power control unit configured to start power supply processing of the communication apparatus when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus; and

a control unit configured to execute shutdown processing for reducing power to each block controlled by the power control unit,

wherein the shutdown processing and the power supply processing are not executed at the same time.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control unit controls the power control unit not to execute the power supply processing when the shutdown processing starts, and controls not to execute the shutdown processing when the power supply processing starts.

18. A control method of a communication apparatus having a close proximity wireless communication unit configured to be able to perform close proximity wireless communication with an external apparatus, the method comprising:

a power control step of starting control of power supply of the communication apparatus when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus; and

a control step of executing shutdown processing for reducing power to each unit controlled in the power control step,

wherein when the shutdown processing is executed, the close proximity wireless communication unit is disabled in the control step before the shutdown processing starts.

19. A control method of a communication apparatus having a close proximity wireless communication unit configured to be able to perform close proximity wireless communication with an external apparatus, the method comprising:

a power control step of starting control of power supply to each block of the communication apparatus; and

a control step of executing shutdown processing for reducing power to each block controlled in the power control step,

wherein when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus, the close proximity wireless communication unit transmits a signal for the power control step, and control of power supply to each unit of the communication apparatus starts in accordance with the signal from the close proximity wireless communication unit in the power control step, and

wherein when the shutdown processing is executed, it is controlled, in the control step, not to transmit the signal from the close proximity wireless communication unit in the power control step before start of the shutdown processing.

20. A control method of a communication apparatus having a close proximity wireless communication unit configured to be able to perform close proximity wireless communication with an external apparatus, the method comprising:

a power control step of starting power supply processing of the communication apparatus when the close proximity wireless communication unit receives electromagnetic waves from the external apparatus; and

a control step of executing shutdown processing for reducing power to each block controlled in the power control step,

wherein the shutdown processing and the power supply processing are not executed at the same time.