Wireless communication apparatus and electronic device

• US 8,934,385 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Koyama, Shunsuke, Yamaguchi, Eiichiro, Nagasaki, Shintaro, Wakabayashi, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): PASIA, REDENTOR M
• Application Number:
  US13/650,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 370/278, 370/282, 370/329, 370/338, 370/390, 370/474
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 TPC being performed in particular situations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus includes a transmitter circuit whose transmission power is set variably, a wireless communication section having a receiver circuit, and a processing section that executes a control of the wireless communication section. The processing section sets the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a first transmission power when it executes normal data communication and sets the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a second transmission power smaller than the first transmission power when it executes a pairing process.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter circuit whose transmission power is set variably;

a wireless communication section having a receiver circuit; and

a processing section configured to execute a control of the wireless communication section,

the processing section being further configured to

set the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a first transmission power when it executes normal data communication, and

set the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a second transmission power smaller than the first transmission power when it executes a pairing process,

the processing section being further configured such that

during an initial stage of the pairing process, the processing section sets the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to the second transmission power while it communicates a find packet for finding a device to be paired, and

after the find packet has been communicated, the processing section sets the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a third transmission power larger than the second transmission power and communicates a pairing process packet for executing the pairing process,

the processing section being further configured to

set a unique address that designates a specific paired device as a destination determining address in a packet used for the normal data communication, and

set a global address that does not designate a specific device as the destination determining address in the find packet,

the processing section being further configured such that

after it has communicated the find packet, the processing section sets the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to the third transmission power, communicates a communication setting packet in which the global address has been set as the destination determining address, and sets the unique address using the communication setting packet.

2. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the processing section is configured such that when a device to be paired with transmits a response packet after having received the find packet, the processing section sets the unique address based on a device ID set in the response packet.

3. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the processing section is configured to set the unique address by receiving the response packet having a different response time in accordance with the device ID from a device to be paired with.

4. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein

an address holding register that holds the destination determining address is further provided, and

the processing section is configured such that the process of setting the unique address includes transmitting the communication setting packet having the unique address set in its payload to the device to be paired with and writing the unique address to the address holding register.

5. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the processing section is configured to set a communication frequency to be used in the payload of the communication setting packet and transmit the communication setting packet to the device to be paired with.

6. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the processing section is configured to write the global address to the address holding register when the pairing process ends.

7. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter circuit whose transmission power is set variably;

a wireless communication section having a receiver circuit; and

a processing section configured to execute a control of the wireless communication section,

the processing section being further configured to

set the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a first transmission power when it executes normal data communication, and

set the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a second transmission power smaller than the first transmission power when it executes a pairing process,

the processing section being further configured such that

during an initial stage of the pairing process, the processing section sets the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to the second transmission power while it communicates a find packet for finding a device to be paired, and

after the find packet has been communicated, the processing section sets the transmission power of the transmitter circuit to a third transmission power larger than the second transmission power and communicates a pairing process packet for executing the pairing process,

the processing section being further configured to

set a unique address that designates a specific paired device as a destination determining address in a packet used for the normal data communication, and

set a global address that does not designate a specific device as the destination determining address in the find packet,

the processing section being further configured such that when the normal data communication starts, the processing section communicates a communication setting packet in which the global address is set as the destination determining address.