Communication system, communication method, computer-readable medium and image shooting device

• US 8,040,383 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Kenji, Wakabayashi, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRABHAKHER, PRITHAM DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/219,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 34821199-21114, 455 73- 903
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors connection via a network H04N2201/0039
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

A communication system includes a first and a second communication devices, and the first and the second communication devices includes a first and a second transmission units that are disposed respectively on bodies of the communication devices and wirelessly transmits predetermined information to each other. The first communication device further includes a first reception unit that is disposed in a position where the first reception unit is capable of communicating with the second transmission unit and receives second information that has been transmitted from the second transmission unit, and a first control unit that controls the first communication device such that, when communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit, the first reception unit receives the second information, and such that, when communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit, the first transmission unit transmits first information.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a first communication device and a second communication device, the first and the second communication devices being disposed in a predetermined distance range and positional relationship and performing communication between each of them,

the first and the second communication devices comprising:

a first transmission unit and a second transmission unit that are disposed respectively on bodies of the first and the second communication devices and wirelessly transmit predetermined information to each other, and

the first communication device further comprising;

a first reception unit that is disposed in a position where the first reception unit is capable of communicating with the second transmission unit and receives second information that has been transmitted from the second transmission unit; and

a first control unit that controls the first communication device such that, when communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit, the first reception unit receives the second information, and such that, when communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit, the first transmission unit transmits first information,

wherein the first communication device and the second communication device are independently movable,

wherein communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit when the second communication device receives a transmission permission signal that is sent by the first communication device in response to a transmission request signal that is sent by the second communication device, and

wherein communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit when the first communication device receives a transmission permission signal that is sent by the second communication device in response to a transmission request signal that is sent by the first communication device,

a first acceleration detection unit which detects acceleration of a movement,

wherein when the acceleration comprises a predetermined state, information that corresponds to the predetermined state is transmitted,

when registering the predetermined state,

a first receiving unit which receives a designation of a type of information that is to be transmitted

a first storage unit which correlates and stores the predetermined state of the detected acceleration and the type of the information

wherein the first control unit controls the first communication device such that, when the predetermined state of the acceleration and the type of the information are correlated and stored in the first storage unit and acceleration is detected by the first acceleration detection unit and the predetermined state of the acceleration corresponds to a state of acceleration that is stored in the first storage unit, the type of the information that corresponds to the state of the acceleration is read from the first storage unit and the type of the information is transmitted with respect to the second communication device.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first communication device further comprises:

a third transmission unit that satisfies at least one condition of a condition where its communication speed is faster than that of the first transmission unit and a condition where its communicable distance is longer than that of the first transmission unit and which wirelessly transmits third information; and

a third reception unit that receives fourth information that has been transmitted from fourth transmission unit which is included in the second communication device, and

wherein the first control unit controls the first communication device such that, when communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit, the third reception unit receives the fourth information, and such that, when communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit, the third transmission unit transmits the third information.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the first control unit controls the third communication device such that, when communication becomes impossible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit while reception of the fourth information is being performed by the third reception unit, reception of the fourth information by the third reception unit is suspended and such that, when communication becomes impossible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit while transmission of the third information is being performed by the third transmission unit, transmission of the third information by the third transmission unit is suspended.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first control unit controls the second communication device such that, when an operation mode other than an operation mode that performs communication with the second communication device is set, the communication with the second communication device is prohibited.

5. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising the first acceleration detection unit which, when a body of the communication device has moved, detects acceleration of the movement,

wherein the first control unit controls the first communication device such that, when the acceleration that has been detected by the first acceleration detection unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, communication with the second communication device is prohibited.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the first control unit controls such that, when the acceleration comprises the predetermined state, information that corresponds to the predetermined state is transmitted with respect to the second communication device.

7. The communication system of claim 6, further comprising:

when registering the predetermined state,

the first receiving unit which receives the designation of the type of information that is to be transmitted with respect to the second communication device in response to the state; and

the first storage unit which correlates and stores the predetermined state of the detected acceleration and the type of the information that has been received by the first receiving unit.

8. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a first display unit that displays an image represented by image information,

wherein the first control unit controls the first communication device such that the image information representing the image that is being displayed by the first display unit is to be transmitted with respect to the second communication device.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first control unit controls the first communication device such that the first display device displays information indicating that the first communication device is transmitting the first and the third information with the second communication device and such that, when the first communication device is receiving the second and the fourth information from the second communication device, the first display device displays information indicating that the communication device is receiving the information.

10. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first communication unit for transmitting the transmission permission signal that is sent by the first communication device; and

a second communication unit for transmitting the transmission permission signal that is sent by the second communication device.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein said first and second communication units are different from said first and second transmission units.

12. The communication system of claim 10, wherein said first and second communication units have a faster communication speed than a communication speed of each of said first and second transmission units, and

wherein said first and second communication units have a longer communicable distance than a communicable distance of each of said first and second transmission units.

13. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first communication device is incorporated in a first image shooting unit and the second communication device is incorporated in a second image shooting unit.

16. An image shooting device comprising the communication device of claim 1 and an image shooting unit that shoots a subject to acquire, as information to be transmitted by the communication device, image information representing the subject.

14. A communication method of a communication system comprising a first communication device and a second communication device the first and the second communication devices being disposed in a predetermined distance range and positional relationship, and performing communication between each of them,

the first and the second communication devices comprising—

a first transmission unit and a second transmission unit that are disposed respectively on bodies of the first and the second communication devices and wirelessly transmit predetermined information to each other,

the first communication device further comprising;

a first reception unit of the first communication device that is disposed in a position where the first reception unit is capable of communicating with the second transmission unit and receives second information that has been transmitted from the second transmission unit, and

the communication method comprising;

controlling the first communication device such that, when communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit, the first reception unit receives the second information; and

controlling the first communication device such that when communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit, the first transmission unit transmits first information˜

wherein the first communication device and the second communication device are independently movable,

wherein communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit when the second communication device receives a transmission permission signal that is sent by the first communication device in response to a transmission request signal that is sent by the second communication device, and

wherein communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit when the first communication device receives a transmission permission signal that is sent by the second communication device in response to a transmission request signal that is sent by the first communication device,

a first acceleration detection unit which detects acceleration of a movement,

wherein when the acceleration comprises a predetermined state, information that corresponds to the predetermined state is transmitted,

when registering the predetermined state,

a first receiving unit which receives a designation of a type of information that is to be transmitted

a first storage unit which correlates and stores the predetermined state of the detected acceleration and the type of the information

wherein the first control unit controls the first communication device such that, when the predetermined state of the acceleration and the type of the information are correlated and stored in the first storage unit and acceleration is detected by the first acceleration detection unit and the predetermined state of the acceleration corresponds to a state of acceleration that is stored in the first storage unit, the type of the information that corresponds to the state of the acceleration is read from the first storage unit and the type of the information is transmitted with respect to the second communication device.

15. A computer-readable medium in which is stored a communication program that is executed by a communication system comprising a first communication device and a second communication device the first and the second communication devices being disposed in a predetermined distance range and positional relationship, and performing communication between each of them,

the first and the second communication devices comprising:

a first transmission unit and a second transmission unit that are disposed respectively on bodies of the first and the second communication devices and wirelessly transmits transmit predetermined information to each other,

the first communication device further comprising;

a first reception unit of the first communication device that is disposed in a position where the first reception unit is capable of communicating with the second transmission unit and receives second information that has been transmitted from the second transmission unit, and

the computer-readable medium causing a computer to execute;

controlling the first communication device such that, when communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit, the first reception unit receives the second information; and

controlling the first communication device such that when communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit, the first transmission unit transmits first information,

wherein the first communication device and the second communication device are independently movable,

wherein communication becomes possible between the first reception unit and the second transmission unit when the second communication device receives a transmission permission signal that is sent by the first communication device in response to a transmission request signal that is sent by the second communication device, and

wherein communication becomes possible between the first transmission unit and the second reception unit when the first communication device receives a transmission permission signal that is sent by the second communication device in response to a transmission request signal that is sent by the first communication device,

a first acceleration detection unit which detects acceleration of a movement,

wherein when the acceleration comprises a predetermined state, information that corresponds to the predetermined state is transmitted,

when registering the predetermined state,

a first receiving unit which receives a designation of a type of information that is to be transmitted

a first storage unit which correlates and stores the predetermined state of the detected acceleration and the type of the information

wherein the first control unit controls the first communication device such that, when the predetermined state of the acceleration and the type of the information are correlated and stored in the first storage unit and acceleration is detected by the first acceleration detection unit and the predetermined state of the acceleration corresponds to a state of acceleration that is stored in the first storage unit, the type of the information that corresponds to the state of the acceleration is read from the first storage unit and the type of the information is transmitted with respect to the second communication device.