Wireless receiving apparatus, wireless communication system, and method of supporting antenna installation

• US 8,395,712 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Tetsuya, Tanaka, Koichiro, Obayashi, Keiichiro, Funabiki, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U
• Application Number:
  US13/147,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20110292301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 348/731, 348725-726, 348/570, 348/21, 348552-555, 348/674, 348/678, 348/738, 348/727, 348/685, 342/359, 342 74- 75, 342/423, 342/425, 342/426, 455/67.1, 455 672- 677, 455/25, 455/226.1, 455/226.2, 455/277.1, 455/151.1, 455/562.1, 455/272, 455130-135, 725/72, 375/232
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114

Abstract

A television (10) includes: a WiHD-RX (11) which receives signals transmitted from a camcorder (20) and a BD system (30); an orientation detection unit (102) which detects information indicating a relative position between a WiHD-TX (21) and a WiHD-RXTX (31); a communication status obtainment unit (104a) which obtains communication status information indicating whether or not it is possible to transmit a video signal or an audio signal from one of the camcorder (20) and the BD system (30) to the other; and a change information generation unit (104b) which generates, based on a detection result of by the orientation detection unit (102), and outputs change information when the communication status information indicates that the transmission is not possible. The change information indicates a direction for moving a communication range of the video signal or the audio signal from the WiHD-TX (21) closer to the WiHD-RXTX (31).

Claims

1. A wireless receiving apparatus comprising:

a receiving-apparatus antenna for receiving signals transmitted from a first apparatus and a second apparatus via an antenna of each of the first apparatus and the second apparatus;

a detection unit configured to detect information indicating a relative position between a first antenna of the first apparatus and a second antenna of the second apparatus with respect to a position of said receiving-apparatus antenna;

a communication status obtainment unit configured to obtain, from the first apparatus or the second apparatus, communication status information indicating whether or not it is possible to transmit a video signal or an audio signal from one of the first apparatus and the second apparatus to the other; and

a change information generation unit configured to generate, when the communication status information obtained by said communication status obtainment unit indicates that the transmission is not possible, change information based on the information detected by said detection unit and output the change information, the change information indicating a change direction for an orientation of the first antenna such that a communication range is closer to the second antenna, and the communication range being a range covered by the transmission of the video signal or the audio signal from the first antenna.

2. The wireless receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an image display unit configured to display an image showing the change direction indicated in the change information output from said change information generation unit.

3. The wireless receiving apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said image display unit is configured to display, in addition to the image showing the change direction, a video represented by the video signal transmitted from said first apparatus or said second apparatus and received via said receiving-apparatus antenna.

4. The wireless receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first antenna is rotatably supported by a rotation drive unit configured to operate according to the change information, and

said change information generation unit is configured to generate the change information indicating a change direction for the orientation of the first antenna and output the generated change information to the rotation drive unit to rotate the first antenna in the change direction.

5. The wireless receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said detection unit is configured to detect, as information indicating the relative position, (i) a first incident angle of a signal transmitted from said first apparatus with respect to said receiving-apparatus antenna and (ii) a second incident angle of a signal transmitted from said second apparatus with respect to said receiving-apparatus antenna, and

said change information generation unit is configured to determine a relative position between the first antenna and the second antenna from a magnitude relation between the first incident angle and the second incident angle, and generate the change information indicating the change direction for the orientation of the first antenna according to the relative position.

6. The wireless receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said detection unit is configured to detect, as information indicating the relative position, (i) a first incident angle of a signal transmitted from said first apparatus with respect to said receiving-apparatus antenna and (ii) a second incident angle of a signal transmitted from said second apparatus with respect to said receiving-apparatus antenna,

said receiving-apparatus antenna transmits, to said first apparatus or said second apparatus, information indicating the first incident angle and the second incident angle, and

said change information generation unit is configured to generate the change information indicating a change direction for the orientation of the first antenna according to a relative position between the first antenna and the second antenna, the relative position being determined, from a magnitude relation between the first incident angle and the second incident angle, by one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus which has received the information.

7. The wireless receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said communication status obtainment unit is configured to obtain communication status information indicating whether or not it is possible to transmit a video signal or an audio signal from one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus to the other using a high rate physical layer (HRP) specified by a WirelessHD standard.

8. The wireless receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said communication status obtainment unit is further configured to repeatedly obtain communication status information indicating whether or not the transmission is possible, until said communication status obtainment unit obtains communication status information indicating that the transmission is possible, and

said change information generation unit is further configured to repeatedly output change information indicating a direction for moving the communication range of the first antenna closer to the second antenna, until said communication status obtainment unit obtains the communication status information indicating that the transmission is possible.

9. A wireless communication system comprising a first apparatus, a second apparatus, and a wireless receiving apparatus,

wherein the first apparatus includes a first antenna for transmission of a signal between the first apparatus and the second apparatus and between the first apparatus and the wireless receiving apparatus,

the second apparatus includes a second antenna for transmission of a signal between the second apparatus and the first apparatus and between the second apparatus and the wireless receiving apparatus,

said wireless receiving apparatus includes:

a receiving-apparatus antenna for receiving signals transmitted from the first apparatus and the second apparatus via the first antenna and the second antenna respectively included in the first apparatus and the second apparatus;

a detection unit configured to detect information indicating a relative position between the first antenna and the second antenna with respect to a position of the receiving-apparatus antenna;

a communication status obtainment unit configured to obtain, from the first apparatus or the second apparatus, communication status information indicating whether or not it is possible to transmit a video signal or an audio signal from one of the first apparatus and the second apparatus to the other; and

a change information generation unit configured to generate, when the communication status information obtained by said communication status obtainment unit indicates that the transmission is not possible, change information based on the information detected by said detection unit and output the change information, the change information indicating a change direction for an orientation of the first antenna such that a communication range is closer to the second antenna, and the communication range being a range covered by the transmission of the video signal or the audio signal from the first antenna.

10. A method of supporting antenna installation, said method being performed by a wireless receiving apparatus,

the wireless receiving apparatus including a receiving-apparatus antenna for receiving signals transmitted from a first apparatus and a second apparatus via an antenna of each of the first apparatus and the second apparatus,

said method comprising:

detecting information indicating a relative position between a first antenna of the first apparatus and a second antenna of the second apparatus with respect to a position of the receiving-apparatus antenna;

obtaining, from the first apparatus or the second apparatus, communication status information indicating whether or not it is possible to transmit a video signal or an audio signal from one of the first apparatus and the second apparatus to the other; and

generating, when the communication status information obtained in said obtaining indicates that the transmission is not possible, change information based on the information detected by said detecting, and outputting the change information, the change information indicating a change direction for an orientation of the first antenna such that a communication range is closer to the second antenna, and the communication range being a range covered by the transmission of the video signal or the audio signal from the first antenna.