Communication apparatus and communication control method

• US 9,191,896 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eshita, Shiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US13/484,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20130017787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/574, 348/207.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a communication apparatus including a short-range wireless communication unit for performing a short-range wireless communication with an external communication device, a position detection unit for detecting current position information, a storage unit for storing a communication position list registering therein position information at a time of performing the short-range wireless communication, and a control unit for acquiring the current position information from the position detection unit and for controlling a generation state of a standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit in accordance with a comparison result obtained by comparing the acquired current position information with the communication position list.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus configured for:

performing a short-range wireless communication with an external communication device;

detecting current position information of the communication apparatus;

storing a communication position list registering therein position information history of the communication apparatus where the short-range wireless communication has been performed;

acquiring the current position information and controlling a generation state of a standby radio signal, for performing the short-range wireless communication with the external communication device, in accordance with a comparison result obtained by comparing the acquired current position information of the communication apparatus with the position information history of the communication apparatus registered in the communication position list;

registering position information at a time of sending contents data, where registration being performed in a state where the position information is associated with each of the contents data,

wherein, if contents data whose associated position information is not coincident with the current position information exists in the communication position list according to the comparison result of the current position information and the communication position list, controlling generation of the standby radio signal to be in a dense state, and

controlling generation of the standby radio signal to be in a sparse or stop state if contents data does not exist in the communication position list.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, if the current position information is a location which is registered on the communication position list according to the comparison result of the current position information and the communication position list, the control unit controls generation of the standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit to be in a dense state, and

wherein, if the current position information is not a location which is registered on the communication position list according to the comparison result, the control unit controls generation of the standby radio signal from the short-range wireless communication unit to be in a sparse or stop state.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case the short-range wireless communication is performed with the external communication device by the short-range wireless communication unit, the control unit performs a list management process for enabling position information at a time of the communication to be registered on the communication position list.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case the short-range wireless communication for the purpose of sending contents data is performed with the external communication device by the short-range wireless comparison result obtained by comparing the acquired current position information of the communication apparatus with the position information history of the communication apparatus registered in the communication position list.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case the short-range wireless communication for the purpose of sending contents data is performed with the external communication device, performing a list management process for enabling position information at a time of the communication to be registered on the communication position list as position information associated with the sent contents data.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the short-range wireless communication unit periodically transmits the generated standby radio signal to the external communication device, and

wherein a period interval, at which the short-range wireless communication unit periodically transmits the generated standby radio signal, varies in accordance with a state of the generated standby radio signal.

7. A communication control method of controlling a communication apparatus for performing a short-range wireless communication with an external communication device, detecting current position information, and storing a communication position list registering therein position information history of the communication apparatus where the short-range wireless communication has been performed, the method comprising:

acquiring the current position information of the communication apparatus;

controlling a generation state of a standby radio signal, for performing the short-range wireless communication with the external communication device, in accordance with a comparison result obtained by comparing the acquired current position information of the communication apparatus with the position information history of the communication apparatus registered in the communication position list;

registering position information at a time of sending contents data, where registration being performed in a state where the position information is associated with each of the contents data,

wherein, if contents data whose associated position information is not coincident with the current position information exists in the communication position list according to the comparison result of the current position information and the communication position list, controlling generation of the standby radio signal to be in a dense state, and

controlling generation of the standby radio signal to be in a sparse or stop state if contents data does not exist in the communication position list.