Portable electronic device and wireless connection control method therefor

• US 7,289,800 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US11/106,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/419, 455/418, 455/562.1, 340/988, 340/995.19, 340/998, 701/209, 701/207
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A portable electronic device and a wireless connection control method are provided. The portable electronic device includes an azimuth detecting section that measures an absolute azimuth of a device main body; a radio communication section that performs radio communication with connection object electronic devices; and a control section that performs control for establishing connection by the radio communication with the connection object electronic devices using the radio communication section, wherein the control section performs control for specifying a connection object to establish connection on the basis of absolute azimuth information detected by the azimuth detecting section and reception information received from the connection object electronic devices by the radio communication section.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

azimuth detecting means that measures an absolute azimuth of a device main body;

radio communication means that performs radio communication with connection object electronic devices; and

control means that performs control for establishing connection by the radio communication with the connection object electronic devices using the radio communication means, wherein

the control means performs control for specifying a connection object to establish connection based on absolute azimuth information detected by the azimuth detecting means and reception information received from the connection object electronic devices by the radio communication means wherein the control means performs control for specifying connection candidates based on the reception information received from the connection object electronic devices by the radio communication means and specifying a connection object from the connection candidates to establish connection based on azimuth information of the connection object electronic devices included in the reception information and the absolute azimuth information detected by the azimuth detecting means.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a distance determination section configured to determine an approximate distance between the portable electronic device and the first object electronic device.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the control section specifies the first object electronic device as the connection object if the approximate distance is below a threshold and the absolute azimuth has a relationship with the second absolute azimuth.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the relationship is that the absolute azimuth and the second absolute azimuth are approximately opposite.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the reception information includes an approximate distance between the portable electronic device and the first object electronic device.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein the control section specifies the first object electronic device as the connection object if the approximate distance is below a threshold and the absolute azimuth has a relationship with the second absolute azimuth.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the relationship is that the absolute azimuth and the second absolute azimuth are approximately opposite.

8. A portable electronic device comprising:

an azimuth detecting section that measures an absolute azimuth of a device main body;

a radio communication section that performs radio communication with connection object electronic devices; and

a control section that performs control for establishing connection by the radio communication with the connection object electronic devices using the radio communication section, wherein

the control section performs control for specifying a connection object to establish connection on the basis of absolute azimuth information detected by the azimuth detecting section and reception information received from the connection object electronic devices by the radio communication section wherein the control section performs control for specifying connection candidates based on the reception information received from the connection object electronic devices by the radio communication section and specifying a connection object from the connection candidates to establish connection based on azimuth information of the connection object electronic devices included in the reception information and the absolute azimuth information detected by the azimuth detecting section.

9. A wireless connection control method for a portable electronic device for wirelessly connecting a portable electronic device to connection object electronic devices, the method comprising:

performing radio communication with the connection object electronic devices;

performing control for specifying connection candidates based on received reception information received from the connection object electronic devices via radio communication; and

performing control for specifying a connection object from the connection candidates to establish connection based on azimuth information of the connection object electronic devices included in the reception information and absolute azimuth information of a main body of the portable electronic device detected by an azimuth detecting section of the portable electronic device.