Communication system, communication apparatus and communication method as well as program

• US 8,244,917 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takayama, Yoshihisa, Kusakabe, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Titus
• Application Number:
  US10/557,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,993 Days
• Field of Search: 710/11
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication system, a communication apparatus, and a communication method as well as to a program for acquiring the advantages of a plurality of communication protocols are provided. An NFC communication is executed between an NFC communication unit 51 of a communication apparatus 1 and an NFC communication unit 61 of a communication apparatus 2, thereby it is recognized that a communication (BT communication) by Bluetooth (registered trademark) is possible, and further the BD addresses of a BT communication units 52 and 62 are exchanged as communication information necessary to the BT communication. Then, in the communication apparatuses 1 and 2, the NFC communication between the NFC communication units 51 and 61 is switched (overhanded) to the BT communication between BT communication units 52 and 62, and the BT communication is executed based on the BD addresses of the BT communication units 52 and 62.

Claims

1. A communication system having a plurality of first communication apparatuses, each of the plurality of first communication apparatuses comprising:

first communication means for executing a first communication between each first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus by a first communication protocol;

acquisition means for;

(a) acquiring, using the first communication, identification information formed by a random number of the second communication apparatus;

(b) transmitting, from one of the first communication apparatuses to the second communication apparatus, a request for available protocol information;

(c) receiving, from the second communication apparatus, the requested available protocol information, the received available protocol information being indicative of each communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus; and

(d) acquiring protocol information of the communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus;

exchange means for exchanging communication information necessary to a second communication executed using the communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus between each first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

switching means for switching the first communication between each first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus from the first communication executed by the first communication protocol to the second communication executed by the communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus; and

second communication means for executing the second communication by the communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus between each first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus based on the communication information exchanged by the exchange means.

2. A communication apparatus comprising:

first communication means for executing a first communication between the communication apparatus and another communication apparatus by a first communication protocol;

acquisition means for;

(a) acquiring identification information formed by a random number of the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

(b) transmitting, to the another communication apparatus, a request for available protocol information;

(c) receiving, from the another communication apparatus, the requested available protocol information, the received available protocol information being indicative of each communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus; and

(d) acquiring protocol information of the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus through the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

exchange means for exchanging communication information necessary to a second communication executed using the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed using the first communication protocol;

switching means for switching the first communication between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus from the first communication executed by the first communication protocol to the second communication executed using the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus; and

second communication means for executing the second communication by the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus based on the communication information exchanged by the exchange means.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first communication executed by the first communication protocol and the another communication executed by the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus include wireless communication, and, when the another communication apparatus is located in the vicinity of the communication apparatus, the first communication means executes the first communication by the first communication protocol between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first communication is executed by specifying the another communication apparatus located in the vicinity of the communication apparatus.

13. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the acquisition means determines whether to switch to the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus based on a transmission rate associated with the received available protocol information.

5. A method of executing a communication between a communication apparatus and another communication apparatus, the method comprising:

executing a first communication between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus by a first communication protocol;

acquiring identification information formed by a random number of the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

transmitting to the another communication apparatus, a request for available protocol information;

receiving, from the another communication apparatus, the requested available protocol information, the received available protocol information being indicative of each communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus;

acquiring information of the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

exchanging communication information necessary to a second communication executed by the communication protocol that is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

switching the communication between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus from the first communication executed by the first communication protocol to the second communication executed by the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus; and

executing the second communication by the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus based on the communication information exchanged.

6. A computer-readable medium including executable instructions that when executed by a processor performs steps for processing a communication between a communication apparatus and another communication apparatus, said steps comprising:

a first communication step of executing a first communication between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus by a first communication protocol;

an acquisition step of acquiring identification information formed by a random number of the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol,

transmitting, to the another communication apparatus, a request for available protocol information;

receiving, from the another communication apparatus, the requested available protocol information, the received available protocol information being indicative of each communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus;

acquiring information of the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

an exchange step of exchanging communication information necessary to a second communication executed by the communication protocol that is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus by the first communication executed by the first communication protocol;

a switching step of switching the first communication between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus from the first communication executed by the first communication protocol to the second communication executed by the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus; and

a second communication step of executing the second communication by the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus based on the communication information exchanged at the exchange step.

7. A communication apparatus for executing a communication between the communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

a logical layer communication unit that executes a wireless communication between the communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus using a logical communication protocol;

a first communication unit that executes a wireless communication between the communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus using a first communication protocol;

a second communication unit that executes a wireless communication between the communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus using a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are a lower layer protocol to the logical communication protocol;

an acquisition unit configured to;

(a) acquire identification information formed by a random number from the second communication apparatus used to execute the wireless communication using the first communication protocol;

(b) transmitting to the second communication apparatus, a request for available protocol information;

(c) receiving, from the second communication apparatus, the requested available protocol information, the received available protocol information being indicative of each communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus;

(d) acquiring information of the communication protocol being available for use by the second communication apparatus; and

(e) acquiring setting information used to establish the wireless communication using the communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus, through the communication using the first communication protocol, wherein the setting information is necessary to execute the wireless communication by the communication protocol which is available by the second communication apparatus; and

a control unit that controls to establish the wireless communication using the second communication protocol based on the acquired setting information and terminates the wireless communication using the first communication protocol.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first communication protocol is NFCIP-1.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the acquisition unit repeatedly executes polling for requesting identification information until a response is received.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein a transaction ID and a transaction key are exchanged with the second communication apparatus for mutual authentication, through the communication using the first communication protocol, wherein mutual authentication occurs after acquiring the identification information and before acquiring the setting information.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communication apparatus is a first mobile apparatus and the second communication apparatus is a second mobile apparatus.

12. A communication apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

(a) using a first communication protocol, execute a first communication between the communication apparatus and another communication apparatus, the another communication apparatus having identification information formed by a random number;

(b) using the first communication, acquire the identification information;

(c) transmit, to the another communication apparatus, a request for available protocol information;

(d) receive, from the another communication apparatus, the requested available protocol information, the received available protocol information being indicative of each communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus; and

(e) acquire protocol information of the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus;

(f) using the first communication, exchange communication information necessary to a second communication executed using the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus;

(g) switch the first communication between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus from the first communication executed by the first communication protocol to the second communication executed using the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus; and

(h) execute the second communication by the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus based on the exchanged communication information.

14. The communication apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the another communication apparatus is located in a vicinity of the communication apparatus, the first communication by the first communication protocol between the communication apparatus and the another communication apparatus is executed.

15. The communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first communication is executed by specifying the another communication apparatus located in the vicinity of the communication apparatus.

16. The communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus includes wireless communication.

17. The communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the communication protocol which is available by the another communication apparatus includes at least one of Bluetooth and WLAN.

18. The communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first communication protocol is NFC.