Device and program product for the same

• US 7,787,423 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Komiya, Daisaku, Takaki, Toshimasa, Nishiyama, Takao, Takahashi, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAGLO, EMMANUEL K
• Application Number:
  US10/936,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20050053017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 370/465, 370/349, 370/312, 370/352, 370/255, 370/338, 455/436, 455/450, 455/456.3, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 705/50, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

A device in a PAN 7 having a plurality of devices 1 to 6 connected by short range communication whose network configuration dynamically changes is provided. A cellphone 1 includes a discovery function to discovery the devices 2 to 6 for a device capable of carrying out prescribed processing based on a request for execution of the prescribed processing from the cellphone 1 and a transmission control function to transmit output control information for outputting a notice indicating the capability of carrying out the prescribed information to the devices found by the discovery.

Claims

1. A service request terminal included in a network, the network having a plurality of terminals connected with one another by wireless communication, the service request terminal comprising:

a discovery means for discovering at least one terminal, among the plurality of terminals, working as a service providing terminal capable of carrying out prescribed processing based on a request issued by the service request terminal;

a terminal information obtaining means for obtaining terminal information indicating a status with respect to the availability of the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to perform said prescribed processing;

an output means for outputting the terminal information obtained by the terminal information obtaining means to an output device of the service request terminal; and

a transmission control means for transmitting output control information to each of the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to cause the at least one terminal to create an output using an output device of said at least one terminal accessible by a person for indicating a capability of carrying out the prescribed processing so as to be perceptible to the person, wherein

said output is one or more of a sound, displayed information, and/or a vibration by said at least one terminal to indicate to the person the capability of carrying out the prescribed processing.

2. The service request terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

output control information creating means for creating the output control information.

3. The service request terminal according to claim 1, wherein the output is outputting audio sounds.

4. The service request terminal according to claim 1, wherein the output is causing a vibrator to vibrate.

5. The according to claim 1, further comprising:

a trigger output means for outputting a trigger to a device in an arbitrary range among the at least one terminal located on the destination side of the output control information, the trigger requesting specifying information for specifying the terminal to be returned; and

an obtaining means for obtaining specifying information transmitted from the terminal in the range in response to the trigger.

6. The service request terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map information creating function operable to create relative positional information indicating a relative positional relationship between the at least one terminal found by the discovery means and the service request terminal by using the obtained terminal information; and

a display for displaying said map to a person using the service request terminal to aid in finding the at least one terminal.

7. The service request terminal according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the obtained terminal information of at least one terminal found by the discovery means to the output device.

8. The service request terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a filtering means for filtering the at least one terminal found by the discovery means using the terminal information obtained by the terminal information obtaining means.

9. The service request terminal according to claim 2, wherein the output control information creating means creates the output control information using the obtained terminal information to cause the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to create an output in a timing designed by a user.

10. The service request terminal according to claim 2, wherein the output control information creating means creates the output control information using the obtained terminal information to cause the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to create an output in a determined timing.

11. The service request terminal according to claim 2, wherein the output is indicating letters or symbols at a display.

12. The service request terminal according to claim 5, wherein the trigger is a visible ray.

13. The service request terminal according to claim 7, wherein the output means selects a terminal in the closest location to the service request terminal as an output destination among the least one terminal by using the terminal information.

14. The service request terminal according to claim 7, wherein the output means selects a terminal having the largest size screen as an output destination among the at least one terminal by using the terminal information.

15. The service request terminal according to claim 7, wherein the output means selects a terminal having its display facing the service request terminal as an output destination among the at least one terminal by using the terminal information.

16. The service request terminal according to claim 8, wherein the filtering means uses a discovery condition used by the discovery means for filtering the at least one terminal.

17. The service request terminal according to claim 8, further comprising:

a status monitoring means for monitoring the status of the service request terminal and the at least one terminal found by the discovery means,

wherein the filtering means refines the filtering of the at least one terminal depending on a change in the status monitored by the status monitoring means.

18. The service request terminal according to claim 8, wherein the filtering means refines the filtering of the at least one terminal based on information of authorization for use.

19. The service request terminal according to claim 17, wherein the status monitoring means is capable of detecting a communication status with each of the least one terminal based on its moving speed.

20. The service request terminal according to claim 17, wherein the status monitoring means is capable of detecting a communication content.

21. A service providing terminal comprising:

means for providing a status with respect to the availability of said service providing terminal to perform prescribed processing in response to a request for said prescribed processing received from a service request terminal for displaying said status on an output device of said service request terminal; and

an output control means for receiving an output control information from said service request terminal, which causes an output device of the service providing terminal to create an output indicating to a person a capability of carrying out the prescribed processing so as to be perceptible to the person, and having said output device of the service providing terminal create the output wherein

said output is one or more of a sound, displayed information, and/or a vibration by said service providing terminal to indicate to the person the capability of carrying out the prescribed processing.

22. The service providing terminal according to claim 21, wherein the output is indicating letters at the display.

23. The service providing terminal according to claim 21, wherein the output is outputting audio sounds.

24. The service request terminal according to claim 21, wherein the output is causing a vibrator to vibrate.

25. The service providing terminal according to claim 21, further comprising:

an ID returning means for transmitting an ID of the service providing terminal in response to a trigger outputted from the service request terminal, the trigger requesting specifying information for specifying a terminal to be returned.

26. A non-transitory computer readable medium medium encoded with a computer program for controlling a service request terminal included in a network, the network having a plurality of terminals connected with one another by wireless communication, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code for, when executed by a processor, performing a method including the steps of:

issuing a request regarding a prescribed processing to at least one of the plurality of terminals;

discovering at least one terminal, among the plurality of terminals, working as a service providing terminal capable of carrying out the prescribed processing based on the request;

obtaining terminal information indicating a status with respect to the availability of the at least one terminal for performing said prescribed processing;

outputting the terminal information to an output device of the service request terminal; and

transmitting an output control information to each of the at least one terminal found by the discovering step to cause an output device of the at least one terminal to create an output indicating a capability of carrying out the prescribed processing so as to be perceptible to a person wherein

said output is one or more of a sound, displayed information, and/or vibration of the at least one terminal to indicate to the person the capability of carrying out the prescribed processing.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium medium encoded with a computer program for performing the method of:

providing a status with respect to the availability of a service providing terminal to perform prescribed processing in response to a request for said prescribed processing received from a service request terminal for displaying said status on an output device of said service request terminal wherein

said output is one or more of a sound, displayed information, and/or vibration by the service providing terminal to indicate to the person the capability of carrying out the prescribed processing,

receiving an output control information from the service request terminal, in response to said receiving, the service providing terminal creating an output indicating a capability of carrying out the prescribed processing so as to be perceptible to a person, and

an output device of the service providing terminal providing the output to the person.

28. A service request terminal for connecting to a short-range wireless network having a plurality of networked terminals all connected with one another by wireless communication on said wireless network in a particular geographical area covered by said short-range network, the service request terminal comprising:

a user interface means for obtaining a request for prescribed processing from a user of said terminal;

a discovery means for polling said networked terminals with a request for performing said prescribed processing, and further for receiving information from said networked terminals regarding said prescribed processing, wherein said discovery means uses said information received from said networked terminals regarding said prescribed processing to determine at least one of said networked terminals capable of performing said prescribed processing;

a terminal information obtaining means for obtaining terminal information indicating a current status with respect to the availability of the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to perform said prescribed processing;

a display for displaying an indication of the terminal information obtained by the terminal information obtaining means for indicating said status of the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to perform said prescribed processing;

a transmission control means for automatically transmitting output control information to the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to cause the at least one terminal to create an output using an output device of said at least one terminal accessible by a person in said particular geographical area for indicating a capability of carrying out the prescribed processing so as to be perceptible to the person,

wherein said display also displays relative positional information indicating a relative positional relationship between the at least one terminal in said particular geographical location found by the discovery means and the service request terminal for indicating to the user the location of the at least one terminal with respect to the location of the service request terminal.

29. The service request terminal of claim 28, wherein said prescribed processing performed by said at least one terminal is one of:

an audio output service, a display service, or a combination of a display and audio output service.

30. A service request terminal for connecting to a short-range wireless network having a plurality of networked terminals all connected with one another by wireless communication on said wireless network in a particular geographical area covered by said short-range network, the service request terminal comprising:

a user interface means for obtaining a request for prescribed processing from a user of said terminal;

a discovery means for polling said networked terminals with a request for performing said prescribed processing, and further for receiving information from said networked terminals regarding said prescribed processing, wherein said discovery means uses said information received from said networked terminals regarding said prescribed processing to determine which of said networked terminals is capable of performing said prescribed processing;

a terminal information obtaining means for obtaining terminal information indicating a current status with respect to the availability of the networked terminals capable of performing said prescribed processing to perform said prescribed processing;

a display for displaying a location of said networked terminals capable of performing said prescribed processing that have a status of being capable of performing said prescribed processing in said particular geographical location; and

a transmission control means for automatically transmitting output control information to a selected one of said networked terminals capable of performing said prescribed processing based on a predetermined criteria comparing said networked terminals capable of performing said prescribed processing against teach other, wherein

said control information is to cause the selected terminal to create an output using an output device of said selected terminal accessible by a person in said particular geographical area for indicating a capability of carrying out the prescribed processing so as to be perceptible to the person wherein

said output includes information for instructing a display of the selected terminal to display information to indicate to the user the capability of the selected terminal of carrying out the prescribed processing.

31. The service request terminal of claim 30, wherein said prescribed processing is for displaying material on a display of said networked terminals, and wherein said predetermined criteria is based on a size of the displays.

32. The service request terminal of claim 30, further comprising a map information creating function operable to create a map showing a relative positional relationship between the selected terminal and the service request terminal, wherein said display also displays the map for indicating to the user the location of the selected terminal with respect to the location of the service request terminal.

33. A service request terminal for connecting to a short-range wireless network having a plurality of networked terminals all connected with one another by wireless communication on said wireless network in a particular geographical area covered by said short-range network, the service request terminal comprising:

a user interface means for obtaining a request for displaying information remotely from a user of said service request terminal;

a discovery means for polling said networked terminals with a request for performing said displaying, and further for receiving information from said networked terminals regarding said displaying, wherein said discovery means uses said information received from said networked terminals regarding said prescribed processing to determine which of said networked terminals is capable of performing said displaying;

a terminal information obtaining means for obtaining terminal information indicating a current status with respect to the availability of the terminals found by the discovery means to perform said displaying;

a display for displaying an indication of the terminal information obtained by the terminal information obtaining means for indicating said status of the terminals found by the discovery means to perform said prescribed processing, said indication including a map showing the relative positional relationship between the terminals found by the discovery means for indicating to the user the location of the discovered terminals with respect to the location of the service request terminal; and

a transmission control means for automatically transmitting output control information to the at least one terminal found by the discovery means to cause the at least one terminal to create a display output that is perceptible by the user.