Communication apparatus and method

• US 8,037,218 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• 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, Fujii, Kenichi, Hirose, Takatoshi, Nago, Hidetada
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Titus
• Application Number:
  US11/376,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 710/38, 710/100
• US Class Current: 710/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247

Abstract

A method of communication in a communication apparatus includes steps of suppressing communication with a first communication device, which has been connected to a first communication interface, in accordance with data from the first communication device; establishing communication with a second communication device by a second communication interface; removing suppression of communication with the first communication device after communication with the second communication device has been established; and communicating data between the first and second communication devices via the first communication and second communication interfaces.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus having a wired communication interface and a wireless communication interface, comprising:

a wireless connection unit adapted to wirelessly connect to a first communication device by the wireless communication interface, in accordance with a type of a signal received from the second communication device via the wired communication interface;

a disabling unit adapted to disable wired communication with a second communication device via the wired communication interface, until the communication apparatus wirelessly connects to the first communication device by the wireless connection unit, in accordance with the type of the signal received from the second communication device via the wired communication interface;

an enabling unit adapted to enable the wired communication with the second communication device, which has been disabled by the disabling unit, in response to success of the wireless connection to the first communication device by the wireless connection unit; and

a relaying unit adapted to relay data communication between the wired communication with the second communication device via the wired communication interface and the wireless communication with the first communication device via the wireless communication interface after enabling the wired communication with the second communication device by the enabling unit.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reception unit adapted to receive wireless communication information for connecting to a wireless network from the second communication device via the wired communication interface in accordance with the type of the signal received from the second communication device via the wired communication interface,

wherein the communication apparatus selectively performs any one of the disabling the wired communication with the second communication device by the disabling unit and the receiving the wireless communication information by the reception unit, in accordance with the type of the signal received the second communication device via the wired communication interface.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the type of the signal differs by a type of the second communication device that has been connected by the wired communication interface.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a setting unit adapted to set the wireless communication information, received by the reception unit from the second communication device via the wired communication interface, for connecting to a wireless network.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sending unit adapted to, when the wireless communication with the first communication device ends, send a signal indicating that the communication apparatus is participating in the wireless network via the wireless communication interface,

wherein the disable unit disables the wired communication with the second communication device when the wireless communication with the first communication device ends.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when wireless communication with the first communication device by the wireless communication interface cannot be established, a controller of the communication device is operated in a low power consumption mode and the wired communication with the second communication device is disabled.

7. A communication method in a communication apparatus having a wired communication interface and a wireless communication interface, comprising the steps of:

connecting the communication apparatus wirelessly to a first communication device by the wireless communication interface, in accordance with a type of a signal received, via the wired communication interface, from a second communication device;

disabling wired communication of the communication apparatus with the second communication device via the wired communication interface, until the communication apparatus wirelessly connects to the first communication device, in accordance with the type of the signal received from the second communication device via the wired communication interface;

enabling the disabled wired communication of the communication apparatus with the second communication device in response to the wireless connection of the communication apparatus to the first communication device being successfully established; and

performing data communication between the wired communication with the second communication device via the wired communication interface and the wireless communication with the first communication device via the wireless communication interface after enabling the wired communication with the second communication device.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program code for causing a computer to execute the communication method set forth in claim 7.