Portable wireless terminal, wireless terminal, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method

• US 9,002,285 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Yasuhiro, Ishizeki, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/448,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20120202433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455/71
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

Disclosed is a wireless terminal for performing independent distributed-type wireless communication with a portable wireless terminal. The wireless terminal is provided with: a channel setting section for setting a channel on which wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal is performed; a trigger receiving section for receiving a trigger; a free channel search section for searching for a free channel in response to the trigger received, and for delivering a signal, which changes the set channel in accordance with the search result, to the channel setting section; and a transmission section for transmitting to the portable wireless terminal a signal which reports the change.

Claims

1. A portable wireless terminal that performs autonomous distributed wireless communication with a wireless terminal, the wireless terminal including a second channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal, a trigger receiver unit that receives a trigger, a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the second channel setting unit based on a search result, and a transmitter unit that transmits a signal for reporting the change to the portable wireless terminal, the portable wireless terminal comprising;

a trigger sending unit that sends a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel;

a first channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal based on channel information which is a response for the sent trigger from the wireless terminal;

an event detection unit that detects a predetermined event after wireless communication using the channel that has been set by the first channel setting unit is started,

wherein the trigger sending unit sends the trigger if the event detection unit detects the predetermined event,

wherein the event detection unit detects the portable wireless terminal being operated.

2. A portable wireless terminal that performs autonomous distributed wireless communication with a wireless terminal, the wireless terminal including a second channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal, a trigger receive unit that receives a trigger,

a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the second channel setting unit based on a search result, and a transmitter unit that transmits a signal for reporting the change to the portable wireless terminal, the portable wireless terminal comprising:

a trigger sending unit that sends a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel;

a first channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal based on channel information which is a response for sent trigger from the wireless terminal;

an event detection unit that detects a predetermined event after wireless communication using the channel that has been set by the first channel setting unit is started, wherein the trigger sending unit sends the trigger if the event detection unit detects the predetermined event,

wherein the portable wireless terminal is an endoscope scope of a wireless endoscope system,

the wireless terminal is an endoscope processor of the wireless endoscope system,

the event detection unit, after wireless communication with the endoscope processor is started, performs at least one of

detecting pressing of a switch for adjusting white balance,

detecting gripping of the endoscope scope by an operator, acquiring location information to detect entrance to a diagnosis room,

detecting a distance with the endoscope processor being less than or equal to a predetermined value,

detecting that a constant time has passed since the endoscope scope was powered on,

as an event for starting a diagnosis, and

the trigger sending unit sends the trigger to the endoscope processor if the event detection unit detects the event for starting the diagnosis.

3. A portable wireless terminal that performs autonomous distributed wireless communication with a wireless terminal, the wireless terminal including a second channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal, a trigger receiver unit that receives a trigger, a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the second channel setting unit based on a search result, and a transmitter unit that transmits a signal for reporting the channel to the portable wireless terminal, the portable wireless terminal comprising:

a trigger sending unit that sends a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel;

a first channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal based on channel information which is a response for the sent trigger from the wireless terminal;

an event detection unit that detects a predetermined event after wireless communication using the channel that has been set by the first channel setting unit is started,

wherein the trigger sending unit sends the trigger if the event detection unit detects the predetermined event,

wherein the trigger sending unit sends the trigger after the channel is set in the first channel setting unit,

the first channel setting unit changes the channel, which has currently been set in the first channel setting unit, based on channel information which is a response for the sent trigger from the wireless terminal.

4. A wireless communication system in which a portable wireless terminal and a wireless terminal perform autonomous distributed wireless communication, wherein

the portable wireless terminal comprises:

a trigger sending unit that sends a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel;

a first channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal based on channel information which is a response for the sent trigger from the wireless terminal; and

an event detection unit that detects a predetermined event after wireless communication using the channel that has been set by the first channel setting unit is started, the trigger sending unit sends the trigger if the event detection unit detects the predetermined event,

the wireless terminal comprises;

a second channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal;

a trigger receiver unit that receives a trigger sent from the portable wireless terminal;

a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger, and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the first channel setting unit and the second channel setting unit based on a search result;

a transmitter unit that opens wireless communication using the channel set in the second channel setting unit and transmits channel information set in the second channel setting unit to the portable wireless terminal,

wherein the portable wireless terminal is an endoscope scope of a wireless endoscope system,

the wireless terminal is an endoscope processor of the wireless endoscope system, the event detection unit, after wireless communication with the endoscope processor is started, performs at least one of

detecting pressing of a switch for adjusting white balance,

detecting gripping of the endoscope scope by an operator,

acquiring location information to detect entrance to a diagnosis room,

detecting a distance with the endoscope processor being less than or equal to a predetermined value,

detecting that a constant time has passed since the endoscope scope was powered on,

as an event for starting a diagnosis, and

the trigger sending unit sends the trigger to the endoscope processor if the event detection unit detects the event for starting the diagnosis.

5. A wireless communication method in a wireless communication system in which a portable communication, the wireless terminal including:

a channel setting unit that sets a channel to be used for wireless communication with the portable wireless terminal

a trigger receiver unit that receives a trigger;

a vacant channel search unit that searches for a vacant channel according to the received trigger, and sends a signal for changing the set channel to the second channel setting unit based on a search result; and

a transmitter unit that transmits a signal for reporting the change to the portable wireless terminal, the wireless communication method comprising;

a trigger sending step of sending a trigger to the wireless terminal, the trigger being used for allowing the wireless terminal to search for a vacant channel;

a channel setting step, of setting a channel that is used for performing wireless communication with portable wireless terminal based on channel information which is a response for the sent trigger from the wireless terminal;

an event detection step of detecting a predetermined event after wireless communication using the channel that has been set by the first channel setting step is started, wherein, the trigger sending step, the trigger is sent if the predetermined event is detected in the event detection step,

wherein the portable wireless terminal is an endoscope scope of a wireless endoscope system,

the wireless terminal is an endoscope processor of the wireless endoscope system, in the event detection step, after wireless communication with the endoscope processor is started, at least one of

detecting pressing of a switch for adjusting white balance, detecting gripping of the endoscope scope by an operator, acquiring location information to detect entrance to a diagnosis room,

detecting a distance with the endoscope processor being less than or equal to a predetermined value, and

detecting that a constant time has passed since the endoscope scope was powered on, is performed as an event for starting a diagnosis, and

in the trigger sending step, the trigger is sent to the endoscope processor if the event detection unit detects the event for starting the diagnosis.