Method of and apparatus for multi-channel management, multi-channel interference management method, multi-channel terminal, method of and apparatus for multi-channel setting, and computer product

• US 7,079,822 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2001
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Koji, Gunji, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Nhan T.
• Application Number:
  US10/029,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 455/447, 455/450, 455/464, 455/509, 455/296, 455/185.1, 455/186.1
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management

Abstract

A multi-channel input system connects between a plurality of terminals and a plurality of radio keyboards corresponding to these terminals by radio links (channels), according to a multi-channel system. A high-order terminal has a CPU that manages a setting status of each channel in this multi-channel input system, by using a channel-setting table, and notifies the setting status to any one of the terminals a according to a request from this terminal.

Claims

1. A multi-channel management apparatus, which is connected to a plurality of terminals via a network and independently communicates with each of the terminals and is applied to a multi-channel input system for making cordless connection between the plurality of terminals and a plurality of input apparatuses corresponding to these terminals based on a multi-channel system, the multi-channel management apparatus comprising:

a management unit which manages a setting status of each channel in the multi-channel input system by providing a channel-setting table showing a relationship between the plurality of terminals and a plurality of channels that can be utilized in the multi-channel input system; and

a notification unit which notifies the setting status to a particular one of the terminals according to a request from the particular terminal,

wherein the multi-channel management apparatus further comprises an interference channel candidate extraction unit, which selects a channel as a candidate interference channel having a possibility of the occurrence of interference at the time of updating a set channel, and notifies the interference channel to a terminal, when this channel other than the set channel has a data reception during a period while the set channel set at the terminal has no data reception.

2. A multi-channel management method that is applied to a multi-channel input system for making cordless connection between a plurality of terminals each connected to and independently communicating with a high-order terminal via a network and a plurality of input apparatuses corresponding to these terminals based on a multi-channel system, the multi-channel management method comprising:

managing a setting status of each channel in the multi-channel input system by providing a channel-setting table in the high-order terminal;

notifying the setting status to a particular one of the terminals according to a request from the particular terminal;

extracting an interference channel candidate for selecting a channel as a candidate interference channel having a possibility of the occurrence of interference at the time of updating a set channel; and

notifying the interference channel to a terminal, when this channel other than the set channel has a data reception during a period while the set channel set at the terminal has no data reception.

3. A computer program containing instructions which when executed on a computer causes the computer to function as:

a management unit which manages a selling status of each channel in a multi-channel input system by providing a channel-setting table provided in a high-order terminal for making cordless connection between a plurality of terminals each connected to and independently communicating with the high-order terminal via a network and a plurality of input apparatuses corresponding to these terminals based on a multi-channel system;

a notification unit which notifies the setting status to a particular one of the terminals according to a request from the particular terminal; and

an interference channel candidate extraction unit which selects a channel as a candidate interference channel having a possibility of the occurrence of interference at the time of updating a set channel, and notifies the interference channel to a terminal, when this channel other than the set channel has a data reception during a period while the set channel set at the terminal has no data reception.

4. A multi-channel terminal connected to and communicating with a high-order terminal via a network, which manages a setting status of each channel in a multi-channel input system, wherein the multi-channel terminal is in cordless connection to an input apparatus by utilizing a set channel that has been set in advance out of a plurality of channels based on a multi-channel system, the multi-channel terminal comprising:

a checking unit which checks presence or absence of a data reception in a channel other than a set channel during a period while the set channel has no data reception;

an interference channel candidate extraction unit which selects a channel as a candidate interference channel having a possibility of the occurrence of interference at the time of updating the set channel, when the checking unit has detected a data reception; and

a notification unit which notifies the candidate interference channel and a setting status of each channel of the multi-channel system to a user.

5. The multi-channel terminal according to claim 4, further comprising an interruption processing unit which interrupts a processing to execute a processing of received data, when a set channel has received data while the checking unit is checking.

6. The multi-channel terminal according to claim 4, wherein the checking unit destroys data that has been received during the checking.

7. A multi-channel interference management method applied to a multi-channel terminal, which is connected to and communicates with a high-order terminal via a network and is in cordless connection to an input apparatus by utilizing a set channel that has been set in advance out of a plurality of channels based on a multi-channel system, the multi-channel interference management method comprising:

checking presence or absence of a data reception in a channel other than a set channel during a period while the set channel has no data reception;

when it is decided in the checking process that there is data reception, selecting a channel as a candidate interference channel having a possibility of the occurrence of interference at the time of updating the set channel; and

notifying the candidate interference channel and a setting status of each channel of the multi-channel system to a user.

8. A computer program containing instructions which when executed on a computer causes the computer to function as:

a checking unit which checks presence or absence of a data reception in a channel other than a set channel during a period while the set channel set in advance out of a plurality of channels has no data reception, at a multi-channel terminal, which is connected to and communicates with a high-order terminal via a network and is utilized for making cordless connection to an input apparatus based on a multi-channel system;

an interference channel candidate extraction unit which selects a channel as a candidate interference channel having a possibility of the occurrence of interference at the time of updating the set channel, when the checking unit has detected a data reception; and

a notification unit which notifies the candidate interference channel and a setting status of each channel of the multi-channel system to a user.