Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program

• US 8,973,078 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagara, Toru, Shirota, Kanahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, CAI Y
• Application Number:
  US13/110,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20110292300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for establishing communication between an information processing apparatus and a communication device which are capable of communicating with each other in a plurality of communication modes. The method includes receiving at least one request from the communication device at the information processing apparatus, and transmitting at least one response to the at least one request, the at least one response being transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the communication device when the information processing apparatus is in a first communication mode, and not transmitting at least one response when the information processing apparatus is in a second communication mode.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a wireless section for establishing communication between the information processing apparatus and a communication device by receiving at least one request from the communication device, and transmitting to the communication device at least one response to the at least one request, the at least one response being transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the communication device when the information processing apparatus is in a first communication mode, and the at least one response not being transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the communication device when the information processing apparatus is in a second communication mode; and

an input section,

wherein the first communication mode enables direct communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device without passing through an access point, and the second communication mode enables non-direct communication through the access point between the information processing device and the communication device,

wherein the input section provides a mode selector which enables a user to (i) select the first communication mode so as to set the direct communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device without passing through the access point or (ii) not select the first communication mode so as to select the second communication mode which provides the non-direct communication through the access point between the information processing device and the communication device, in which the first communication mode can only be set by the user of the information processing apparatus through operation of the mode selector of the input section,

wherein when the user has set the information processing apparatus to the first communication mode and the at least one request is not received within a predetermined period of time following setting of the first communication mode, the information processing apparatus is automatically set to the second communication mode, and

wherein when communication is established between the information processing apparatus and the communication device, the information processing apparatus does not respond to requests from other communication devices.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a video decoder for at least decoding video received from the communication device.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a display for at least displaying images received from the communication device.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one request is a device search request, and the at least one response is a response to the device search request.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one request is a device information request, and the at least one response is a response to the device information request.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one request is a connection request, and the at least one response is a response to the connection request.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein upon receiving the connection request a wireless communication authentication process is triggered for purposes of establishing communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein upon establishing communication the information processing apparatus switches to the second communication mode.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein upon receiving the connection request the user of the information processing apparatus may accept or reject the request, and the response to the connection request is sent only when the user accepts the request.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein when the user accepts the request the information processing apparatus is switched to the second communication mode.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein when the user accepts the request a wireless communication authentication process is triggered for purposes of establishing communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one request comprises a device search request and a device information request, the at least one response comprises a response to the device search request and a response to the device information request, and wherein if a connection request is not received within a predetermined period of time the information processing apparatus switches to the second communication mode.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one request comprises a device search request, a device information request and a connection request, the at least one response comprises a response to the device search request, a response to the device information request and a response to the connection request, and wherein after the information processing apparatus starts to execute an application for processing data received from the communication device via a connection established using the first communication mode the apparatus does not transmit any of the at least one response.

14. A method of establishing communication between an information processing apparatus and a communication device which are capable of communicating with each other in a plurality of communication modes, said method comprising:

receiving at least one request from the communication device at the information processing apparatus; and

transmitting at least one response to the at least one request, the at least one response being transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the communication device when the information processing apparatus is in a first communication mode, and not transmitting at least one response when the information processing apparatus is in a second communication mode,

wherein the first communication mode enables direct communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device without passing through an access point, and the second communication mode enables non-direct communication through the access point between the information processing device and the communication device,

and said method further comprising

enabling a user by use of a mode selector to (i) select the first communication mode so as to set the direct communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device without passing through the access point or (ii) not select the first communication mode so as to select the second communication mode which provides the non-direct communication through the access point between the information processing device and the communication device, in which the first communication mode can only be set by the user of the information processing apparatus through operation of the mode selector,

wherein when the user has set the information processing apparatus to the first communication mode and the at least one request is not received within a predetermined period of time following setting of the first communication mode, the information processing apparatus is automatically set to the second communication mode, and

wherein when communication is established between the information processing apparatus and the communication device, the information processing apparatus does not respond to requests from other communication devices.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the at least one request is a device search request, and the at least one response is a response to the device search request.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer-readable program for implementing a method of establishing communication between an information processing apparatus and a communication device which are capable of communicating with each other in a plurality of communication modes, the method comprising:

receiving at least one request from the communication device at the information processing apparatus; and

transmitting at least one response to the at least one request, the at least one response being transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the communication device when the information processing apparatus is in a first communication mode, and not transmitting at least one response when the information processing apparatus is in a second communication mode,

wherein the first communication mode enables direct communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device without passing through an access point, and the second communication mode enables non-direct communication through the access point between the information processing device and the communication device,

and said method further comprising

enabling a user by use of a mode selector to (i) select the first communication mode so as to set the direct communication between the information processing apparatus and the communication device without passing through the access point or (ii) not select the first communication mode so as to select the second communication mode which provides the non-direct communication through the access point between the information processing device and the communication device, in which the first communication mode can only be set by the user of the information processing apparatus through operation of the mode selector,

wherein when the user has set the information processing apparatus to the first communication mode and the at least one request is not received within a predetermined period of time following setting of the first communication mode, the information processing apparatus is automatically set to the second communication mode, and

wherein when communication is established between the information processing apparatus and the communication device, the information processing apparatus does not respond to requests from other communication devices.