Communication apparatus and its control method

• US 7,984,196 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shichino, Takahiro, Hirose, Takatoshi, Fujii, Kenichi, Nago, Hidetada
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US11/373,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/249, 710/306, 713/300, 713/323, 713/324, 455/9, 455/445, 358/1.14, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus recognizes whether an information input apparatus is in a wirelessly communicable state at periods shorter than a disconnection waiting time in an information transfer protocol which transfers information between the information input apparatus and an information output apparatus. If the wireless communication apparatus recognizes that the information input apparatus is not in the wireless communicable state, it permits and expedites processing of a request for connection with the information output apparatus sent from another information input apparatus over a wireless network.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus including:

a wired connection unit that connects to an information processing apparatus over a bus;

a wireless communication unit that communicates with a communication partner of the information processing apparatus over a wireless network;

a confirmation unit that confirms a state of communications between the communication apparatus and the communication partner; and

a change unit that changes a state of a connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to a quasi-disconnection state by operating the wired connection unit, depending on a confirmation result obtained by the confirmation unit, to simulate a temporary disconnection between the wired connection unit and the information processing apparatus, and that initializes the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, before a waiting time defined for disconnecting a connection between the communication apparatus and the communication partner has elapsed,

wherein the change unit controls the wired connection unit to change the state of the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to the quasi-connection state, when the wireless communication unit receives, from another communication partner, a connection request for connecting with the information processing apparatus while the confirmation unit confirms that the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other, and

wherein the change unit is formed at least in part by a computer processor.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the quasi-disconnection state is a state in which the communication apparatus is physically connected to the information processing apparatus.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the change unit sets a state of a bus connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to the quasi-disconnection state.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further including a management unit that manages the information processing apparatus in a non-communicating state depending on the confirmation result obtained from the confirmation unit.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation unit confirms the state of communication with the communication partner at intervals shorter than a data delay time-out period defined in the information transfer protocol used for communication with the communication partner.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit informs that the information processing apparatus is ready to use, when the wireless communication unit receives, from another communication partner, a discovery request for discovering the information processing apparatus while the confirmation unit confirms that the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit sends a drop out notification for dropping out from the wireless network, when the confirmation unit confirms that the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other, and wherein the wireless communication unit sends an entry notification indicating an entry to the wireless network after the change unit changes the state of the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to the quasi-disconnection state.

5. A communication apparatus that connects with an information processing apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

a wired connection unit that connects to the information processing apparatus over a bus;

a wireless communication unit that communicates over a wireless network;

a recognition unit that recognizes whether the communication apparatus is in a state capable of communicating with a communication partner of the information processing apparatus over the wireless network at periods shorter than a disconnection waiting time defined in an information transfer protocol used for transferring information between the communication apparatus and the communication partner; and

a control unit that sets a state of a connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to a quasi-disconnection state by operating the wired connection unit, to simulate a temporary disconnection between the wired connection unit and the information processing apparatus, and that initializes the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus,

wherein the control unit controls the wired connection unit to change the state of the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to the quasi-connection state, when the wireless communication unit receives, from another communication partner, a connection request for connecting with the information processing apparatus while the recognizing unit recognizes that the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other, and

wherein the control unit is formed at least in part by a computer processor.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wired connection unit is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and wherein the control unit temporarily sets a bus voltage, Vbus, of the USB interface to Low and then sets Vbus back to High.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, if the recognition unit recognizes that the communication apparatus cannot communicate with the communication partner, the wireless communication unit informs another communication partner, from which the wireless communication unit receives a discovery request for the information processing apparatus, that the information processing apparatus is in an idle state.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, if the recognition unit recognizes that the communication apparatus cannot communicate with the communication partner, the wireless communication unit sends a drop-out notification indicating a drop-out from the wireless network and then sends an entry notification indicating an entry to the wireless network.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recognition unit sends, via the wireless communication unit to the communication partner, a confirmation signal for confirming whether the information processing apparatus can communicate with the communication partner.

10. A control method performed by a communication apparatus having a wired connection unit connecting to an information processing apparatus over a bus, the method comprising:

communicating with a communication partner of the information processing apparatus over a wireless network;

confirming a state of communications between the communication apparatus and the communication partner; and

changing a state of a connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to a quasi-disconnection state by operating the wired connection unit, depending on a confirmation result obtained by performing the confirming, to simulate a temporary disconnection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, and initializing the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, before a waiting time defined for disconnecting a connection between the communication apparatus and the communication partner has elapsed,

wherein the state of the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus is changed to the quasi-connection state, when a connection request for connecting with the information processing apparatus is wirelessly received from another communication partner while the state of communications between the communication apparatus and the communication partner is confirmed to be a state in which the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other.

11. A control method performed by a communication apparatus including a wired connection unit connecting to an information processing apparatus over a bus, and a wireless communication unit for the information processing apparatus to perform communications over a wireless network, the method comprising:

recognizing whether the communication apparatus is in a state capable of communicating with a communication partner of the information processing apparatus over the wireless network at periods shorter than a disconnection waiting time defined in an information transfer protocol used for transferring information between the communication apparatus and the communication partner; and

setting a state of a connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to a quasi-disconnection state by operating the wired connection unit, to simulate a temporary disconnection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, and initializing the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus,

wherein the state of the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus is changed to the quasi-connection state, when a connection request for connecting with the information processing apparatus is wirelessly received from another communication partner while the state of communications between the communication apparatus and the communication partner is recognized to be a state in which the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer-executable control program that, when executed by a communication apparatus, causes the communication apparatus to perform a method of connecting to an information processing apparatus over a bus, the method comprising:

communicating with a communication partner of the information processing apparatus over a wireless network;

confirming a state of communications between the communication apparatus and the communication partner; and

changing a state of a connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to a quasi-disconnection state by operating the wired connection unit, depending on a confirmation result obtained by performing the confirming, to simulate a temporary disconnection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, and initializing the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, before a waiting time defined for disconnecting the connection between the communication apparatus and the communication partner has elapsed,

wherein the state of the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus is changed to the quasi-connection state, when a connection request for connecting with the information processing apparatus is wirelessly received from another communication partner while the state of communications between the communication apparatus and the communication partner is confirmed to be a state in which the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer-executable control program that, when executed by a communication apparatus, causes the communication apparatus to perform a method of connecting to an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

recognizing whether the communication apparatus is in a state capable of communicating with a communication partner of the information processing apparatus over a wireless network at periods shorter than a disconnection waiting time defined in an information transfer protocol used for transferring information between the communication apparatus and the communication partner; and

setting a state of a connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus to a quasi-disconnection state by operating the wired connection unit, to simulate a temporary disconnection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus, and initializing the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus,

wherein the state of the connection between the communication apparatus and the information processing apparatus is changed to the quasi-connection state, when a connection request for connecting with the information processing apparatus is wirelessly received while the state of communications between the communication apparatus and the communication partner is recognized to be a state in which the communication apparatus and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other.

17. A communication adaptor comprising:

a bus connection unit that connects to a peripheral device over a bus;

a wireless communication unit that communicates with a communication partner of the peripheral device over a wireless network, the communication partner being another peripheral device and/or a computer;

a transferring unit that transfers information received from the peripheral device via the bus connection unit to the communication partner via the wireless communication unit, and transfers information received from the communication partner via the wireless communication unit to the peripheral device via the bus connection unit;

a confirmation unit that confirms a state of communications between the communication adaptor and the communication partner, and

a change unit that changes a state of a connection between the communication adaptor and the peripheral device to a quasi-disconnection state by operating the wired connection unit, depending on a confirmation result obtained by the confirmation unit, to simulate a temporary disconnection between the bus connection unit and the peripheral device, and that initializes the connection between the communication adapter and the peripheral device, before a waiting time defined for disconnecting the connection between the communication adapter and the communication partner has elapsed,

wherein the change unit controls the wired connection unit to change the state of the connection between the communication adapter and the peripheral device to the quasi-connection state, when the wireless communication unit receives, from another communication partner, a connection request for connecting with the peripheral device while the confirmation unit confirms that the communication adapter and the communication partner cannot communicate with each other, and

wherein the change unit is formed at least in part by a computer processor.