Communication device, communication method, program and communication system

• US 8,965,278 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takayama, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US12/624,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20100130126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication device includes: an electromagnetic-wave generating means for outputting an electromagnetic wave; and a transmitting/receiving means for transmitting data by modulating the electromagnetic wave in accordance with data as well as receiving data transmitted from the other device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device as the other party of communication, wherein the transmitting/receiving means transmits attribute information indicating communication ability of the device itself as well as receives attribute information indicating communication ability of the other device as the data, and the electromagnetic-wave generating means reduces power of the electromagnetic wave to be outputted after receiving the attribute information.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

an electromagnetic-wave generating means for outputting an electromagnetic wave; and

a transmitting/receiving means for transmitting first data by modulating the electromagnetic wave, and receiving second data transmitted from another device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device as another party of communication,

wherein the transmitting/receiving means transmits attribute information indicating communication ability of the communication device itself as the first data, and receives attribute information indicating communication ability of the other device as the second data, the received attribute information including information about a low RF output communication for performing communication at a low power and information about an intermittent RF output communication for performing communication in which output of the electromagnetic wave is repeatedly stopped for a fixed period, and

the electromagnetic-wave generating means reduces power of the electromagnetic wave to be outputted by performing both of the low RF output communication and the intermittent RF output communication based on the received attribute information, wherein output of the electromagnetic wave at the low power is repeatedly stopped for the fixed period and the low power is higher than 0.3 A/m and lower than 1.5 A/m.

2. The communication device according to claim 1,

wherein, in an active mode in which the first data is transmitted by modulating the electromagnetic wave, and the second data transmitted from the other device is received by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device, the transmitting/receiving means receives the second data transmitted from the other device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device with lower power as compared with the power before receiving the attribute information.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the low power is lower than a value prescribed by NFCIP-1.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device outputs the electromagnetic wave in the power from 0.3 A/m to 7.5 A/m in the low RF output communication function.

3. A communication method in a communication device including an electromagnetic-wave generating means for outputting an electromagnetic wave and a transmitting/receiving means for transmitting first data by modulating the electromagnetic wave, and receiving second data transmitted from another device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device as another party of communication, the method comprising:

transmitting attribute information indicating communication ability of the communication device itself as the first data, and receiving attribute information indicating communication ability of the other device as the second data by the transmitting/receiving means, the received attribute information including information about a low RF output communication for performing communication at a low power and information about an intermittent RF output communication for performing communication in which output of the electromagnetic wave is repeatedly stopped for a fixed period; and

reducing power of the electromagnetic wave to be outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means by performing both of the low RF output communication and the intermittent RF output communication based on the received attribute information, wherein output of the electromagnetic wave at the low power is repeatedly stopped for the fixed period and the low power is higher than 0.3 A/m and lower than 1.5 A/m.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a communication device to execute the processing of:

transmitting attribute information indicating communication ability of the communication device itself as first data, and receiving attribute information indicating communication ability of another device as second data by a transmitting/receiving means for transmitting data by modulating an electromagnetic wave, the received attribute information including information about a low RF output communication for performing communication at a low power and information about an intermittent RF output communication for performing communication in which output of the electromagnetic wave is repeatedly stopped for a fixed period, and receiving the second data transmitted from the other device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device as another party of communication, and

reducing power of the electromagnetic wave to be outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means by performing both of the low RF output communication and the intermittent RF output communication based on the received attribute information, wherein output of the electromagnetic wave at the low power is repeatedly stopped for the fixed period and the low power is higher than 0.3 A/m and lower than 1.5 A/m.

5. A communication system comprising:

a first communication device; and

a second communication device which is another party of communication,

wherein the first communication device includes;

an electromagnetic-wave generating means for outputting an electromagnetic wave, and

a first transmitting/receiving means for transmitting first data by modulating the electromagnetic wave, and receiving second data transmitted from the second communication device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating means or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the second communication device,

the first transmitting/receiving means transmits attribute information indicating communication ability of the first communication device as the first data, and receives attribute information indicating communication ability of the second communication device as the second data, the received attribute information including information about a low RF output communication for performing communication at a low power and information about an intermittent RF output communication for performing communication in which output of the electromagnetic wave is repeatedly stopped for a fixed period,

the electromagnetic-wave generating means reduces power of the electromagnetic wave to be outputted by performing both of the low RF output communication and the intermittent RF output communication based on the received attribute information, wherein output of the electromagnetic wave at the low power is repeatedly stopped for the fixed period and the low power is higher than 0.3 A/m and lower than 1.5 A/m,

the second communication device includes;

a second transmitting/receiving means for receiving the first data transmitted from the first communication device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the first communication device, and transmitting the second data by modulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the first communication device or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the second communication device itself, and

the second transmitting/receiving means receives the attribute information indicating communication ability of the first communication device as the first data, and transmits the attribute information indicating communication ability of the second communication device as the second data.

6. A communication device comprising:

an electromagnetic-wave generating unit configured to output an electromagnetic wave; and

a transmitting/receiving unit configured to transmit first data by modulating the electromagnetic wave, and receive second data transmitted from another device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating unit or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the other device as another party of communication,

wherein the transmitting/receiving unit transmits attribute information indicating communication ability of the communication device itself, and receives attribute information indicating communication ability of the other device as data, the received attribute information including information about a low RF output communication for performing communication at a low power and information about an intermittent RF output communication for performing communication in which output of the electromagnetic wave is repeatedly stopped for a fixed period, and

the electromagnetic-wave generating unit reduces power of the electromagnetic wave to be outputted by performing both of the low RF output communication and the intermittent RF output communication based on the received attribute information, wherein output of the electromagnetic wave at the low power is repeatedly stopped for the fixed period and the low power is higher than 0.3 A/m and lower than 1.5 A/m.

7. A communication system comprising:

a first communication device; and

a second communication device which is another party of communication,

wherein the first communication device includes;

an electromagnetic-wave generating unit configured to output an electromagnetic wave, and

a first transmitting/receiving unit configured to transmit first data by modulating the electromagnetic wave, and receive second data transmitted from the second communication device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the electromagnetic-wave generating unit or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the second communication device,

the first transmitting/receiving unit transmits attribute information indicating communication ability of the first communication device as the first data, and receives attribute information indicating communication ability of the second communication device as the second data, the received attribute information including information about a low RF output communication for performing communication at a low power and information about an intermittent RF output communication for performing communication in which output of the electromagnetic wave is repeatedly stopped for a fixed period,

the electromagnetic-wave generating unit reduces power of the electromagnetic wave to be outputted by performing both of the low RF output communication and the intermittent RF output communication based on the received attribute information, wherein output of the electromagnetic wave at the low power is repeatedly stopped for the fixed period and the low power is higher than 0.3 A/m and lower than 1.5 A/m,

the second communication device includes;

a second transmitting/receiving unit configured to receive the first data transmitted from the first communication device by demodulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the first communication device, and transmit the second data by modulating the electromagnetic wave outputted by the first communication device or the electromagnetic wave outputted by the second communication device itself, and

the second transmitting/receiving unit receives the attribute information indicating the communication ability of the first communication device as the first data, and transmits the attribute information indicating communication ability of the second communication device as the second data.