Communication apparatus, terminal apparatus, image processing system, and communication method

• US 9,967,698 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishi, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US15/448,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• 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 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, and a communication-apparatus-side controller. The first communication unit wirelessly communicates with plural terminal apparatuses, the number of which is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum number of connections allowed. The second communication unit wirelessly communicates with a connection-requesting terminal apparatus that attempts to wirelessly communicate with the first communication unit. The communication-apparatus-side controller transmits, to the connection-requesting terminal apparatus via the second communication unit, information indicating that wireless communication via the first communication unit is not available in a case where the number of connections established for wireless communication via the first communication unit has reached the predetermined maximum number of connections allowed.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute;

a first communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a first communication interface,

wherein a number of the plurality of terminal apparatuses is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum number of connections allowed;

a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate information concerning connection conditions to establish the first communication interface;

wherein the first communication unit is configured to establish the first communication interface by using the information concerning connection conditions; and

a communication apparatus-side controller configured to perform a reservation process for another terminal apparatus, from among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the another terminal apparatus requesting communication via the first communication interface after the number of the plurality of terminal apparatuses connected with the first communication unit has reached the predetermined maxim number;

wherein the reservation process comprises a process for allowing the another terminal apparatus to preferentially use the first communication interface when the first communication interface become available.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus-side controller is configured to transmit information indicating that the first communication interface has become available to the another terminal apparatus in response to the first communication interface becoming available.