Data receiving apparatus, data transmitting apparatus, method for controlling the same and program

• US 8,731,469 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2009
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Koshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US12/936,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20110028096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00915 Assigning priority to, or interrupting, a particular operation
• 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 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present invention enables a data obtaining apparatus to select data to be transferred without maintaining a communication connection through close-proximity wireless communication. Accordingly, when a digital camera is communicatively connected to an external device through close-proximity wireless communication, a central processor of the digital camera obtains, from the external device, index information indicating a list of data stored in the external device. Next, the central processor terminates the communication connection to the external device and receives a designation of data to be transferred via an operation unit based on the index information. After having designated data to be transferred, an image processing unit of the digital camera obtains designated data from the external device when the camera is communicatively reconnected to the external device through close-proximity wireless communication.

Claims

1. A data receiving apparatus comprising:

a communication unit that communicates with a data transmitting apparatus through close-proximity wireless communications;

a detecting unit that detects a state of a connection to the data transmitting apparatus,

wherein the communication unit receives, from the data transmitting apparatus, index information indicating a list of data stored in a storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if the detecting unit detects that a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been established via the communication unit; and

a designation unit that designates data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus based on the index information, after receiving the index information, if the detection unit detects that the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been terminated, wherein, after the detecting unit detects the first connection, the designation unit cannot designate data to be received until the first connection is disconnected,

wherein the communication unit receives, from the data transmitting apparatus, the data designated by the designation unit if a second connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the communication unit, after the designation unit has designated the data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus and after the detecting unit has detected a termination of the first connection.

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

a memory that stores identification information for identifying an apparatus; and

a determination unit that, if the detecting unit detects that a connection with an external apparatus has been established after having detected the termination of the first connection, compares the identification information stored in the memory in advance to identification information received from the external apparatus, and determines whether a second connection with the data transmitting apparatus with which the first connection was established has been established has been established.

3. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies a user with a notification that prompts the termination of the first connection with the data transmitting apparatus after receiving the index information from the data transmitting apparatus via the communication unit.

4. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a displaying unit that displays the list of data stored in the storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus based on the index information,

wherein the designated data includes information specifying data, designated by a user, among the list of data.

5. The data receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the designation unit designates the data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus after the detecting unit has detected the termination of the first connection.

6. A system comprising a data receiving apparatus and a data transmitting apparatus,

wherein the data receiving apparatus comprises:

a first communication unit that communicates with a data transmitting apparatus through close-proximity wireless communications;

a first detecting unit that detects a state of a connection to the data transmitting apparatus;

wherein the first communication unit receives, from the data transmitting apparatus, index information indicating a list of data stored in a storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if the first detecting unit detects that a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been established via the first communication unit, and

a designation unit that designates data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus based on the index information, after receiving the index information, if the detection unit detects that the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been terminated, wherein, after the first detecting unit detects the first connection, the designation unit cannot designate data to be received until the first connection is disconnected;

wherein the first communication unit receives, from the data transmitting apparatus, the data designated by the designation unit if a second connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the first communication unit, after the designation unit has designated the data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus and after the first detecting unit has detected a termination of the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication, and

wherein the data transmitting apparatus comprises;

a second communication unit that communicates with the data receiving apparatus through close-proximity wireless communications; and

a second detecting unit that detects a state of a connection to the data receiving apparatus,

wherein the second communication unit transmits, to the data receiving apparatus, the index information indicating the list of data stored in the storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if the second detecting unit detects that a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data receiving apparatus has been established via the second communication unit, and

wherein the second communication unit transmits, to the data receiving apparatus, the data selected by the data receiving apparatus based on the index information if a second connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data receiving apparatus is established via the second communication unit, after the index information has been transmitted and after the second detecting unit has detected a termination of the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data receiving apparatus.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the data transmitting apparatus further comprises:

a memory that stores identification information for identifying an apparatus; and

a determination unit that, if the second detecting unit detects that a connection with an external apparatus has been established after having detected the termination of the first connection with the data receiving apparatus, compares the identification information stored in the memory in advance to identification information received from the data receiving apparatus, and determines whether a second connection with the data receiving apparatus with which the first connection was established has been established.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the data transmitting apparatus further comprises a notification unit that notifies a user with a notification that prompts the termination of the first connection with the data receiving apparatus after transmitting the index information to the data receiving apparatus via the second communication unit.

9. A method for controlling a data receiving apparatus having a communication unit that performs close-proximity wireless communications, the method comprising:

detecting a state of a connection to a data transmitting apparatus via the communication unit;

receiving, from the data transmitting apparatus via the communication unit, index information indicating a list of data stored in a storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus that has been established via the communication unit is detected;

designating data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus based on the index information after receiving the index information if the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus is detected to have been terminated, wherein, after the detecting detects the first connection, the designating cannot designate data to be received until the first connection is disconnected; and

receiving, from the data transmitting apparatus, the designated data via the communication unit if a second connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the communication unit, after the data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus has been designated and after a termination of the first connection has been detected.

10. A method for controlling a system including a data receiving apparatus having a first communication unit that performs close-proximity wireless communication communications, and a data transmitting apparatus having a second communication unit that performs close-proximity wireless communications, the method comprising:

detecting, by the data receiving apparatus, a state of a connection to the data transmitting apparatus via the first communication unit;

receiving, by the data receiving apparatus, from the data transmitting apparatus via the first communication unit, index information indicating a list of data stored in a storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus that has been established via the first communication unit is detected;

designating, by the data receiving apparatus, data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus based on the index information after receiving the index information, if the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus is detected to have been terminated, wherein, after the detecting detects the first connection, the designating cannot designate data to be received until the first connection is disconnected;

receiving, by the data receiving apparatus, from the data transmitting apparatus, the designated data via the first communication unit if a second connection with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the first communication unit, after the data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus has been designated and after a termination of the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been detected;

detecting, by the data transmitting apparatus, a state of a connection to the data receiving apparatus via the second communication unit;

transmitting, by the data transmitting apparatus, to the data receiving apparatus via the second communication unit, the index information indicating the list of data stored in the storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus that has been established via the second communication unit is detected; and

transmitting, by the data transmitting apparatus, to the data receiving apparatus via the second communication unit, the data selected by the data receiving apparatus based on the index information if a second connection with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the second communication unit, after the index information has been transmitted and after the termination of the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been detected.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code that, when executed causes a data receiving apparatus having a communication unit that performs close-proximity wireless communications to:

detect a state of a connection to a data transmitting apparatus via the communication unit;

receive, from the data transmitting apparatus via the communication unit, index information indicating a list of data stored in a storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus that has been established via the communication unit is detected;

designate data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus based on the index information, after receiving the index information, if the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus is detected to have been terminated, wherein, after detection of the first connection, data to be received cannot be designated until the first connection is disconnected; and

receive, from the data transmitting apparatus, the designated data via the communication unit if a second connection with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the communication unit, after the data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus has been designated and after a termination of the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication has been detected.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code that, when executed, causes a data receiving apparatus having a first communication unit that performs close-proximity wireless communication communications to:

detect a state of a connection to the data transmitting apparatus via the first communication unit;

receive from the data transmitting apparatus via the first communication unit, index information indicating a list of data stored in a storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus that has been established via the first communication unit is detected;

designate data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus based on the index information, after receiving the index information, if the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus is detected to have been terminated, wherein, after detection of the first connection, data to be received cannot be designated until the first connection is disconnected; and

receive, by the data receiving apparatus, from the data transmitting apparatus, the designated data via the first communication unit if a second connection with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the first communication unit, after the data to be received from the data transmitting apparatus has been designated and after a termination of the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been detected,

wherein execution of the computer-executable code further causes a data transmitting apparatus having a second communication unit that performs close-proximity wireless communications to;

detect a state of a connection to the data receiving apparatus via the second communication unit;

transmit to the data receiving apparatus via the second communication unit, the index information indicating the list of data stored in the storage medium of the data transmitting apparatus if a first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus that has been established via the second communication unit is detected; and

transmit to the data receiving apparatus via the second communication unit, the data selected by the data receiving apparatus based on the index information if a second connection with the data transmitting apparatus is established via the second communication unit, after the index information has been transmitted and after the termination of the first connection through close-proximity wireless communication with the data transmitting apparatus has been detected.