Communication apparatus and method of controlling the same

• US 9,578,482 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Koshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shand, Roberta A
• Application Number:
  US14/347,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

This invention relates to a communication apparatus capable of facilitating a connection with a device in a network by using a discovery protocol for discovering a device in a network. After selecting a device based on pieces of device information transmitted from devices in the network in response to a search command to search devices in the network, the communication apparatus transmits a notification signal to notify devices in the network of the presence of the communication apparatus. If a connection request received from a device which has received the notification signal is one transmitted from the selected device, the communication apparatus transmits a response representing that connection is accepted for the connection request.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus which establishes a connection with a device in a network by using a discovery protocol for discovering the device, comprising:

a communication interface that communicates with a device in a network;

a processor that controls operation of the communication interface; and

wherein the processor;

controls the communication interface to transmit a search command to search devices in the network;

controls the communication interface to receive pieces of device information transmitted from devices in the network in response to the search command;

selects a device based on an instruction via an operation unit of the communication apparatus from among the devices from which the pieces of device information are received;

controls the communication interface to transmit an advertisement signal to advertise to devices in the network of presence of the communication apparatus after the selection of the device;

controls the communication interface to receive a connection request transmitted from a device in the network, the connection request being transmitted by a device which has received the advertisement signal;

determines whether the connection request has been transmitted from the selected device; and

controls the communication interface to transmit a response representing that a connection is accepted in response to the connection request if it is determined that the connection request has been transmitted from the selected device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit and wherein the processor further controls the display unit to display the pieces of device information, and

wherein the instruction is to select information displayed on the display unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

each piece of the device information contains information of a service provided by the corresponding device, and

the processor controls the display unit to display information of a device which provides a predetermined service.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor registers, as a destination, a device which has an accepted connection after the communication interface transmits the response; and

the processor further selects a device from registered devices while no connection is established with another device,

a device is selected from the registered devices, the processor controls the communication interface to transmit the advertisement signal without transmitting the search command.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the transmission of the response, data communication is performed with the selected device by using a data transfer protocol.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the data transfer protocol includes PTP/IP.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device information contains a discovery protocol type.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus includes one of an image capture apparatus, a mobile phone, and a tablet device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device includes one of an image capture apparatus, a mobile phone, a tablet device, a printer, and a TV receiver.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discovery protocol includes one of UPnP and Bonjour.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor controls the communication interface to transmit a search command based on UPnP and a search command based on Bonjour.

12. A method of controlling a communication apparatus which establishes a connection with a device in a network by using a discovery protocol for discovering the device, the method comprising:

transmitting a search command to search devices in the network;

receiving pieces of device information transmitted from devices in the network in response to the search command;

selecting a device based on an instruction via an operation unit of the communication apparatus from among the devices from which the pieces of device information are received;

transmitting an advertisement signal to advertise to devices in the network of presence of the communication apparatus after the selection of the device;

receiving a connection request transmitted from a device in the network, the connection request being transmitted by a device which has received the advertisement signal;

determining whether the connection request has been transmitted from the selected device; and

transmitting a response representing that a connection is accepted in response to the connection request if it is determined that the connection request has been transmitted from the selected device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program that causes, when executed, a processor to perform a method of controlling a communication apparatus which establishes a connection with a device in a network by using a discovery protocol for discovering the device, the method comprising:

transmitting a search command to search devices in the network;

receiving pieces of device information transmitted from devices in the network in response to the search command;

selecting a device based on an instruction via an operation unit of the communication apparatus from among the devices from which the pieces of device information are received;

transmitting an advertisement signal to advertise to devices in the network of presence of the communication apparatus after the selection of the device;

receiving a connection request transmitted from a device in the network, the connection request being transmitted by a device which has received the advertisement signal;

determining whether the connection request has been transmitted from the selected device; and

transmitting a response representing that a connection is accepted in response to the connection request if it is determined that the connection request has been transmitted from the selected device.