System, terminal apparatus, main apparatus, and method

• US 20180115826A1
• Filed: 11/29/2017
• Published: 04/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: SUYAMA, Akihiko, ISHIDA, Masahiro, AKUTAGAWA, Tomoyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,652,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/06 Arranging circuit leads; Relieving strain on circuit leads
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Provided is a system including: a sink device related information acquisition unit configured to acquire sink device related information, which is information on sink device capable of receiving a signal transmitted from a transmission unit of a main apparatus in response to an operation of switching the transmission unit of the main apparatus on, the sink device related information being acquired before the operation of switching the transmission unit on; a first display control unit configured to display, when information on sink device is contained in the sink device related information, the information on sink device on a display unit based on the sink device related information; and a second display control unit configured to cause, when information on sink device is not contained in the sink device related information, the main apparatus to try to detect sink device, and to display information on sink device on the display unit based on a result of the detection.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory that stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at leas one processor to;

receive an operation of switching a transmission unit of a main apparatus on/off;

acquire, when an operation of switching the transmission unit on is received, a sink device related information on sink device capable of receiving a signal transmitted from the transmission unit of the main apparatus; and

display, when information on sink device is contained in the sink device related information, the information on sink device on a display unit based on the sink device related information, and transmit, when information on sink device is not contained in the sink device related information, a command for causing the main apparatus to try to detect sink device.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of instructions causes the at least one processor to:

display on the display unit, when information on no sink device is contained in the sink device related information, the information on no sink device that is acquired from the main apparatus in response to the command.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the main apparatus comprises an audio device comprising:

the transmission unit configured to transmit an audio signal via wireless communication and capable of being switched on/off;

a detection unit configured to detect sink device; and

a storage unit configured to store information on sink device detected by the detection unit,

wherein the sink device comprises another audio device capable of receiving an audio signal transmitted from the transmission unit of the main apparatus,

wherein the plurality of instructions causes the at least one processor to;

display an operation screen configured to receive an operation of switching the transmission unit on/off and to display a list of the sink device,

receive an operation of selecting the sink device,

inquire the main apparatus about an on/off state of the transmission unit when starting to display the operation screen on the display unit;

request, when the transmission unit is on, the main apparatus to transmit the sink device related information;

display a list of the sink device based on the sink device related information received from the main apparatus;

transmit, when the control unit has received an operation of switching the transmission unit on during display of the operation screen, a command for switching the transmission unit on to the main apparatus and request the main apparatus to transmit the sink device related information;

display, when the sink device related information received from the main apparatus contains information on sink device, a list of the sink device on the display unit based on the sink device related information; and

transmit, when the sink device related information does not contain information on sink device, a command for detecting sink device to the main apparatus, and cause the detection unit of the main apparatus to try to detect sink device, to thereby acquire the sink device related information, which is a result of the detection, from the main apparatus.

4. A main apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory that stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive a request to switch a transmission unit on;

transmit to a terminal apparatus, when a request to switch the transmission unit on is received by the reception unit, sink device related information, which is information on sink device capable of receiving a signal transmitted from the transmission unit, the sink device related information being acquired before the reception of the request to switch the transmission unit on; and

detect, when the sink device related information does not contain information on sink device, sink device in response to a command transmitted to the main apparatus.

5. A method, comprising:

acquiring sink device related information, which is information on sink device capable of receiving a signal transmitted from a transmission unit of a main apparatus in response to an operation of switching the transmission unit on, the sink device related information being acquired before the operation of switching the transmission unit on;

determining whether or not the sink device related information contains information on sink device;

displaying, when it is determined that the sink device related information contains information on sink device, the information on sink device on a display unit based on the sink device related information; and

causing, when it is determined that the sink device related information does not contain information on sink device, the main apparatus to try to detect sink device and causing the display unit to display information on sink device based on a result of the detection.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the main apparatus and the sink device comprise audio devices.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the transmission unit of the main apparatus is configured to transmit, in response to an instruction to select of the sink device, an audio signal to the selected sink device.

8. The method according to claim 5,

wherein the main apparatus comprises an audio device,

wherein the transmission unit of the main apparatus is configured to transmit an audio signal via wireless communication and is capable of being switched on/off,

wherein the sink device comprises another audio device capable of receiving an audio signal transmitted from the transmission unit of the main apparatus,

wherein the main apparatus comprises:

a first communication unit configured to communicate to/from the terminal apparatus;

a detection unit configured to detect sink device;

a storage unit configured to store the sink device related information on sink device detected by the detection unit; and

a control unit configured to control operations of the transmission unit, the first communication unit, and the detection unit, and

the method further comprising;

switching, by the control unit, when the transmission unit is off and the control unit has received a command for switching the transmission unit on from the terminal apparatus, the transmission unit on and transmit the sink device related information stored in the storage unit to the terminal apparatus;

transmitting, by the control unit, when the transmission unit is on and the control unit has received a command for requesting the sink device related information from the terminal apparatus, the sink device related information stored in the storage unit to the terminal apparatus; and

causing, by the control unit, when the control unit has received a command for specifying the sink device from the terminal apparatus, the transmission unit to transmit the audio signal to the specified sink device.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the main apparatus is free from the display unit configured to display information on sink device, and

wherein the terminal apparatus comprises the display unit configured to display information on sink device.