Communication device, communication scheme determination method, and program

• US 8,621,126 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sueyoshi, Masahiro, Okada, Hiroshi, Miyabayashi, Naoki, Yoneda, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): DALEY, CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US12/829,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 710/109, 455/41.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 710/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Provided is a communication device including a first communication unit that is capable of sending a polling-signal in a specific polling cycle and receiving a response-signal sent from a counterpart device in response to the polling-signal, based on a first scheme, a second communication unit that is capable of sending a polling-signal in a longer polling cycle than the first communication unit and receiving a response-signal sent from the counterpart device in response to the polling-signal, based on a second scheme, and a scheme determination unit that waits for reception of the response-signal by the second or the first communication unit for a specific period of time longer than the polling cycle of the second communication unit with a time of the response-signal being received by the first or the second communication unit as a reference, and determines a scheme usable by the counterpart device based on the reception result.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

circuitry configured to

send a first polling signal in a specific polling cycle and receive a first response signal sent from a counterpart device in response to the first polling signal, based on a first scheme;

send a second polling signal in a longer polling cycle than the first polling signal and receive a second response signal sent from the counterpart device in response to the second polling signal, based on a second scheme; and

wait for reception of one of the first and second response signal from a time point of the other one of the first and second response signal being received for a predetermined period of time longer than the polling cycle of the second polling signal, and determine a scheme usable by the counterpart device based on the reception result.

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

circuitry configured to stop operation of the communication device compatible with a scheme not usable by the counterpart device, in case the scheme usable by the counterpart device is determined to be one of the first and the second schemes.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display that displays information about the scheme usable by the counterpart device based on a determination result.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to wait, in case the first response signal is received, for reception of the second response signal for the predetermined period of time from a time point of the reception of the first response signal, determine, in case the second response signal is received, that the schemes usable by the counterpart device are the first and the second schemes, and determine, in case the second response signal is not received, that the scheme usable by the counterpart device is the first scheme only.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the the circuitry is configured to wait, in case the second response signal is received, for reception of the first response for the predetermined period of time from a time point of the second reception of the response signal, determine, in case the first response signal is received, that the schemes usable by the counterpart device are the first and the second schemes, and determine, in case the first response signal is not received, that the scheme usable by the counterpart device is the second scheme only.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first scheme is a NFC (Near Field Communication) scheme, and wherein the second scheme is a TransferJet scheme.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to start a first-scheme launcher that is for starting an application compatible with the first scheme or a second-scheme launcher that is for starting an application compatible with the second scheme, depending on a determination result of the waiting.

8. The communication device according claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to send a third polling signal in a longer polling cycle than the second polling signal and receives a third response signal sent from the counterpart device in response to the third polling signal, based on a third scheme, wherein the circuitry is configured to wait for reception of the first, second, or third response signal for a predetermined period of time longer than the polling cycle of the third polling signal from a time point of any of the first, second, and third response signal being received, and determine a scheme usable by the counterpart device based on the reception result.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first polling signal and the second polling signal are sent substantially simultaneously.

10. A communication scheme determination method comprising:

sending a first polling signal of a first scheme in a specific polling cycle and sending a second polling signal of a second scheme in a longer polling cycle than the first scheme;

receiving a response signal of the first or the second scheme sent from a counterpart device in response to the first and second polling signals sent in the sending; and

waiting for reception of one of the response signal of the second or the first scheme from a time point of the other one of the response signal of the second or the first scheme being received for a predetermined period of time longer than the polling cycle of the second scheme, and determining a scheme usable by the counterpart device based on the reception result.

11. The communication scheme determination method according to claim 10, wherein the first polling signal and the second polling signal are sent substantially simultaneously.

12. A non-transitory recording medium encoded with a program for causing a computer to realize a method comprising:

sending a first polling signal of a first scheme in a specific polling cycle and sending a second polling signal of a second scheme in a longer polling cycle than the first scheme;

receiving a response signal of the first or the second scheme sent from a counterpart device in response to the first and second polling signals sent in the sending; and

waiting for reception of one of the response signal of the second or the first scheme from a time point of the other one of the response signal of the second or the first scheme being received for a predetermined period of time longer than the polling cycle of the second scheme, and determining a scheme usable by the counterpart device based on the reception result.

13. The recording medium according to claim 12, wherein the first polling signal and the second polling signal are sent substantially simultaneously.