Wireless communication between information processing device and wireless communication terminal

• US 7,593,350 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Chirag G
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, JOSHUA Y
• Application Number:
  US10/989,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20050152376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 370254-258
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Apparatus includes a section which transmits an inquiry packet for inquiry as to whether any wireless communication terminal exists within such range as to be able to communicate with the apparatus, detects each of a plurality of wireless data communication terminals transmitting inquiry response packets in response to the packet, and completes the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within a predetermined detection completion timeout period after starting the transmission of the packet, a section which suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by the terminal detection section if a wireless communication terminal is detected, a section which performs wireless data communication with the detected wireless communication terminal while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended, and a section which restarts detection of other wireless communication terminals by the terminal detection section after the completion of the data communication is detected.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a personal area network device connecting at short range with any wireless communication terminal within range, comprising;

a terminal detector which transmits an inquiry packet for inquiry as to whether any wireless communication terminal exists within range as to be able to communicate with the apparatus, detects one by one a plurality of wireless data communication terminals transmitting inquiry response packets in response to the inquiry packet, and completes the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within a predetermined detection completion timeout period after starting the transmission of the inquiry packet;

a terminal suspender, coupled to said terminal detector, which suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within the detection completion timeout period;

a wireless transceiver, coupled to said terminal detector, which connects to and then performs wireless data communication with the wireless communication terminal detected by said terminal detector while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended; and

an initialization circuit, coupled to said terminal detector, which restarts detection of other wireless communication terminals by said terminal detector after completion of both the connection and the data communication is detected;

wherein if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within a predetermined detection suspension timeout period shorter than the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, said terminal suspender suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector; and

wherein while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended, said wireless transceiver performs data communication with the wireless communication terminal detected by said terminal detector within the detection suspension timeout period.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said terminal detector transmits a plurality of inquiry packets one by one and detects one by one the respective wireless communication terminals transmitting the inquiry response packets in response to any one of said inquiry packets, and said terminal suspender suspends the transmission of the inquiry packets by said terminal detector before the detection completion timeout period has lapsed in a case where one of the wireless communication terminals is detected by said terminal detector within the detection completion timeout period after said terminal detector started the transmission of the inquiry packets.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the detection of other wireless communication terminals is restarted by said initialization circuit, said terminal detector transmits the inquiry packet and detects one by one a plurality of wireless communication terminals transmitting the inquiry response packets, and completes the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within the detection completion timeout period after starting the transmission of the inquiry packet.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein after said terminal detector detects one of the wireless communication terminals, it notifies said terminal suspender that a wireless communication terminal is detected;

wherein after said terminal suspender receives a notice indicating that the wireless communication terminal is detected, it suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector, and instructs said wireless transceiver to start the data communication;

wherein after said wireless transceiver is instructed by said terminal suspender to start the data communication, it performs the data communication and notifies said initialization circuit of the completion of the data communication;

wherein after said initialization circuit is notified of the completion of the data communication, it instructs said terminal detector to perform the detection of wireless communication terminals again; and

wherein after said terminal detector is instructed to perform the detection of wireless communication terminals again, it transmits the inquiry packet, detects one by one a plurality of wireless communication terminals transmitting the inquiry response packets, and completes the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started again.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a group circuit which determines that a suspension condition for suspending the detection of wireless communication terminals is satisfied in response to a determination, in a case where one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, that the detected wireless communication terminal belongs to a predetermined group of wireless communication terminals based on identification information for the wireless communication terminal contained in the inquiry response packet transmitted by the wireless communication terminal, and which suspends the detection of wireless terminals after it determines that the wireless communication terminal does not belong to the group, wherein in a case where one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, said terminal suspender suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector if it is determined that the suspension condition is satisfied, and does not suspend the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector if it is determined that the suspension condition is not satisfied.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless transceiver includes:

an attribute circuit which transmits to the wireless communication terminal detected by said terminal detector an attribute information request packet for requesting transmission of attribute information set in the wireless communication terminal while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended, and which acquires the attribute information contained in an attribute information response packet transmitted from the wireless communication terminal receiving the attribute information request packet;

a suspended communication determiner which determines, based on the attribute information, whether wireless data communication with the wireless communication terminal detected by said terminal detector will be performed while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended; and

a data processor which performs the data communication while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended if it is determined that the data communication will be performed while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended, and which performs the data communication after the completion of the detection of wireless communication terminals if it is determined that the data communication will not be performed while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended;

wherein said initialization circuit restarts detection of other wireless communication terminals by said terminal detector after a predetermined condition, the predetermined condition being selected from the group consisting of the detection of the completion of the data communication and the determination that the data communication will not be performed while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of sets each including said terminal detector, said terminal suspender, said wireless transceiver and said initialization circuit are provided;

and wherein at least one of said terminal suspenders suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector associated with that terminal suspender if a wireless communication terminal detected by said terminal detector associated with that terminal suspender within the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started has not been detected by other terminal detectors whose number is equal to or larger than a predetermined number.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the detection of other wireless communication terminals is restarted by said initialization circuit, said terminal detector transmits the inquiry packet and detects one by one wireless communication terminals with which the data communication has not been performed by said wireless transceiver among a plurality of wireless communication terminals transmitting the inquiry response packets.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication does not include communication of information relating to making a connection between the wireless transceiver and the detected wireless communication terminal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication includes communication of an advertisement from the wireless transceiver to the detected wireless communication terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication includes communication of an identification of a store in which the wireless transceiver is in to the detected wireless communication terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication includes communication of information between two wireless communication terminals and the wireless transceiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication includes communication of information from the wireless communication terminal to the wireless transceiver, which displays the information via an external display connected thereto.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the information includes a web page.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication terminal is a personal data assistant.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless data communication includes a service to connect the wireless communication terminal to a network.

9. A method comprising:

connecting a personal area network device at short range with any wireless communication terminal within range, comprised of;

transmitting by a terminal detector an inquiry packet to detect wireless communication terminals within range as to be able to communicate with an information processing device, detecting one by one a plurality of wireless communication terminals transmitting inquiry response packets in response to the inquiry packet, and completing the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within a predetermined detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started;

suspending the detection of wireless communication terminals if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started;

connecting to and performing wireless data communication with the two or more detected wireless communication terminals while the detection of wireless communication terminals is in a suspended state, wherein the connection to and the data communication with the two or more detected wireless communication terminals occurs during respective corresponding suspension states;

restarting detection of other wireless communication terminals in said terminal detection step after the completion of the data communication is detected; and

if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within a predetermined detection suspension timeout period shorter than the detection completion timeout period alter the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, suspending the detection of the wireless communication terminals, and while the detection of the wireless communication terminals is suspended performing data communication with the one of the wireless communication terminals detected within the detection suspension timeout period.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored therein for controlling communication between a wireless communication terminal and an information processing device of a personal area network, the computer readable program code in said computer readable storage medium being effective to, when executed on the information processing device, cause the information processing device to connect the personal area network at short range with any wireless communication terminal within range by executing a series of computer executable steps effective to;

transmit an inquiry packet for inquiry as to whether any wireless communication terminal exists within range as to be able to communicate with said information processing device, detect one by one a plurality of wireless data communication terminals transmitting inquiry response packets in response to the inquiry packet, and complete the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within a predetermined detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started,

suspend the detection of wireless communication terminals if a wireless communication terminal is detected within the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packets;

perform wireless data communication with the wireless communication terminal while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended, wherein the wireless data communication does not include communication of information related to establishing a connection with the wireless communication terminal;

restart detection of other wireless communication terminals after the completion of the data communication is detected; and

if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within a predetermined detection suspension timeout period shorter than the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, suspend the detection of wireless communication terminals, and while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended perform data communication with the wireless communication terminal detected within the detection suspension timeout period.

11. A method comprising:

deploying computing infrastructure by integrating computer readable code into an information processing device of a personal area network connecting at short range to any wireless communication terminal within range, the information processing device configured by the computer readable code to control communication between a wireless communication terminal and the information processing device, the information processing device being provided with a terminal detection section which is configured by the computer readable code to transmit an inquiry packet for inquiry as to whether any wireless communication terminal exists within range as to be able to communicate with the information processing device, detect one by one a plurality of wireless data communication terminals transmitting inquiry response packets in response to the inquiry packet, and complete the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within a predetermined detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, wherein the information processing device is configured by the computer readable code stored on the information processing device to perform the following;

suspending the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by the terminal detection section if a wireless communication terminal is detected within the detection completion timeout period after the terminal detection section started the transmission of the inquiry packets;

connecting to the wireless communication terminal detected by the terminal detection section while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended;

performing wireless data communication with the wireless communication terminal detected by the terminal detection section while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended;

restarting detection of other wireless communication terminals by the terminal detection section after the completion of the data communication is detected; and

if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within a predetermined detection suspension timeout period shorter than the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, suspending the detection of the wireless communication terminals, and while the detection of the wireless communication terminals is suspended performing data communication with the one of the wireless communication terminals detected within the detection suspension timeout period.