Information processing apparatus and method, and program

• US 8,036,520 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Noriaki, Yamaji, Hidenori, Yoshimoto, Kazumi, Narukawa, Yoshitaka, Koda, Michitomo
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle; Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith; Linda B
• Application Number:
  US11/705,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 396/57, 396/242, 396/243, 396/300, 396/299, 396/56, 370/230
• US Class Current: 396/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus configured to make a transition to one of a plurality of modes each defining processing to be executed and execute the one of a plurality of modes to which a transition has been made, which may include first selection means; second selection means; communication controlling means; determination means; and mode transition control means.

Claims

1. An image-taking apparatus comprising:

storing means for storing information pertaining to a number of predetermined correlations between a number of single processing modes and a number of communication schemes, respectively, in which the number of communication schemes include an ad hoc scheme and an infrastructure scheme, wherein each respective single processing mode defines processing of image data to be executed by the image-taking apparatus, under each single processing mode the image-taking apparatus is configured not to communicate with a mate of communication via a network, the mate of communication comprises another image-taking apparatus, each single processing mode corresponds to a network processing mode under which the image-taking apparatus operates in the corresponding single processing mode and is configured to communicate with a mate of communication via a network;

first selection means for selecting a communication scheme, on the basis of the predetermined correlation between a single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in and a communication scheme obtained from the storage means;

second selection means for selecting, a network processing mode, on the basis of the single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in;

communication controlling means for controlling communication so as to start communication with the mate of communication via the network by the selected communication scheme;

determination means for determining whether a mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode; and

mode transition control means for controlling the image-taking apparatus to perform, if the mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is found to be a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode, a mode transition to the selected network processing mode.

2. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

image taking means for taking an image of a subject,

wherein said second selection means selects, on the basis of a correlation between an image taking mode configured to take an image of said subject that is said single processing mode and an image taking-time photo exchange mode that is said network processing mode in which an image of said subject is taken and the taken image is transmitted to a mate of communication via said network, said image taking-time photo exchange mode related with said image taking mode that is a current mode.

3. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

display means,

wherein said second selection means selects, on the basis of a browse mode configured to display said taken image that is said single processing mode and a browse-time photo exchange mode that is said network processing mode in which said taken image is displayed and transmitted to a mate of communication via said network, said browse-time photo exchange mode related with said browse mode that is a current mode.

4. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second selection means selects, on the basis of a correlation between a print mode that is said single processing mode in which an image is printed and a network print mode that is said network processing mode in which a mate of communication is made print an image via said network, said mate of communication is a printing device, said network print mode related with said print mode that is a current mode.

5. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first selection means selects, on the basis of a predetermined correlation between said single processing mode and said network communication scheme that one of the ad hoc scheme and the infrastructure scheme, said communication scheme of said network based on one of said ad hoc scheme and said infrastructure scheme.

6. An information processing method configured to control an image-taking apparatus comprising:

storing information in a storage means pertaining to a number of predetermined correlations between a number of single processing modes and a number of communications schemes, respectively, in which the number of communication schemes include an ad hoc scheme and an infrastructure scheme, wherein each respective single processing mode defines processing of image data to be executed by the image-taking apparatus, under each single processing mode the image-taking apparatus is configured not to communicate with a mate of communication via a network, the mate of communication comprises another image-taking apparatus, each single processing mode corresponds to a network processing mode under which the image-taking apparatus operates in the corresponding single processing mode and is configured to communicate with a mate of communication via a network;

selecting, a communication scheme, on the basis of the predetermined correlation between a single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in and a communication scheme obtained from the storage means;

selecting, a network processing mode, on the basis of the single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in;

controlling communication so as to start communication with the mate of communication via the network by the selected communication scheme;

determining whether a mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode; and

controlling the image-taking apparatus to perform, if the mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is found to be a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode, a mode transition to the selected network processing mode.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program for controlling an image-taking apparatus comprising:

instructions for storing information pertaining to a number of predetermined correlations between a number of single processing modes and a number of communication schemes, respectively, in which the number of communication schemes include an ad hoc scheme and an infrastructure scheme, wherein each respective single processing mode defines processing of image data to be executed by the image-taking apparatus, under each single processing mode the image-taking apparatus is configured not to communicate with a mate of communication via a network, the mate of communication comprises another image-taking apparatus, each single processing mode corresponds to a network processing mode under which the image-taking apparatus operates in the corresponding single processing mode and is configured to communicate with a mate of communication via a network;

instructions for selecting, a communication scheme, on the basis of the predetermined correlation between a single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in and a communication scheme of said network obtained from the storage means;

instructions for selecting, a network processing mode, on the basis of the single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in;

instructions for controlling communication so as to start communication with the mate of communication via the network by the selected communication scheme;

instructions for determining whether a mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode; and

instructions for controlling, if the mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is found to be a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode, a mode transition to the selected network processing mode.

8. An image-taking apparatus comprising:

a storing section configured to store information pertaining to a number of predetermined correlations between a number of single processing modes and a number of communication schemes, wherein each respective single processing mode defines processing of image data to be executed by the image-taking apparatus, under each single processing mode the image-taking apparatus is configured not to communicate with a mate of communication via a network, the mate of communication comprises another image-taking apparatus, each single processing mode corresponds to a network processing mode under which the image-taking apparatus operates in the corresponding single processing mode and is configured to communicate with a mate of communication via a network;

a first selection section configured to select a communication scheme, on the basis of the predetermined correlation between a single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in and a communication scheme obtained from the storage section;

a second selection section configured to select, a network processing mode, on the basis of the single processing mode that the image-taking apparatus currently operates in;

a communication controller configured to control communication so as to start communication with the mate of communication via the network by the selected communication scheme;

a determination section configured to determine whether a mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode; and

a mode transition control section configured to control, if the mode to which the mate of communication makes a transition is found to be a mode that is in concert with the selected network processing mode, a mode transition such that a transition is made to the selected network processing mode.