Information processing to control polling for short range wireless communication

• US 10,348,598 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Daisuke, Amano, Sho
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soltanzadeh, Maryam
• Application Number:
  US14/907,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• 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 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Provided is a terminal device including an acquisition unit configured to acquire a result of determination of whether another terminal device that has a function for short range wireless communication is positioned near the terminal device and a control unit configured to, on the basis of the result of the determination, control a time interval of polling related to the short range wireless communication.

Claims

1. A first terminal device, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to receive information from a second terminal device via wireless communication,

wherein the information indicates availability of a function for short range wireless communication in the second terminal device;

a determination unit configured to determine one of a first position of the second terminal device or a second position of the second terminal device,

wherein the first position is within a distance range, of the first terminal device, for the short range wireless communication with the first terminal device, and

wherein the second position is outside the distance range, of the first terminal device, for the short range wireless communication with the first terminal device; and

a control unit configured to set a time interval of polling that corresponds to the short range wireless communication,

wherein the time interval of polling is set to a first value based on the first position, of the second terminal device, that is within the distance range of the first terminal device for the short range wireless communication,

wherein the time interval of polling is set to a second value based on the second position, of the second terminal device, that is outside the distance range from the first terminal device for the short range wireless communication, and

wherein the second value is shorter than the first value.

2. The first terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to set the time interval based on a command to set the time interval.

3. The first terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a register configured to store the time interval; and

a module that comprises the function for the short range wireless communication,

wherein the command is configured to update the register through the module.

4. The first terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication is near field communication (NFC).

5. The first terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the near field communication is based on at least one of ISO/IEC 14443 Type A, ISO/IEC 14443 Type B, ISO/IEC 15693, ISO/IEC 18092, or ISO/IEC 21481.

6. The first terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a short range wireless communication unit configured to communicate with the second terminal device through the short range wireless communication.

7. The first terminal device according to claim 1,

wherein a first communication range of the wireless communication is wider than a second communication range of the short range wireless communication.

8. The first terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication is wireless local area network (LAN) communication.

9. The first terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the wireless local area network (LAN) communication is based on IEEE 802.11.

10. The first terminal device according to claim 8,

wherein the wireless communication unit is further configured to receive one of a beacon or a probe response from the second terminal device, and

wherein one of the beacon or the probe response comprises the information that indicates the availability of the function for the short range wireless communication in the second terminal device.

11. The first terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the information is for a supported configuration method.

12. The first terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to communicate, with the second terminal device, via the wireless communication.

13. The first terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic flux generation unit configured to generate a magnetic flux,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control the generation of the magnetic flux such that the magnetic flux is generated in one of:

a first direction, wherein the second terminal device is present in the first direction, or

a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

14. The first terminal device according to claim 13, wherein the magnetic flux generation unit includes an electromagnetic coil.

15. The first terminal device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is further configured to change, a surface area of the generated magnetic flux, based on a size of an antenna of the second terminal device that communicates with the first terminal device via the short range wireless communication.

16. The first terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the function for the short range wireless communication includes at least one of:

a reader/writer for the short range wireless communication, or

a tag for the short range wireless communication.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a first terminal device, cause the first terminal device to execute operations, the operations comprising:

receiving information from a second terminal device via wireless communication,

wherein the information indicates availability of a function for short range wireless communication in the second terminal device;

determining one of a first position of the second terminal device or a second position of the second terminal device,

wherein the first position is within a distance range, of the first terminal device, for the short range wireless communication with the first terminal device, and

wherein the second position is outside the distance range, of the first terminal device, for the short range wireless communication with the first terminal device; and

setting a time interval of polling that corresponds to the short range wireless communication,

wherein the time interval of polling is set to a first value based on the first position, of the second terminal device, that is within the distance range of the first terminal device for the short range wireless communication,

wherein the time interval of polling is set to a second value based on the second position, of the second terminal device, that is outside the distance range from the first terminal device for the short range wireless communication, and

wherein the second value is shorter than the first value.

18. An information processing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory configured to store instructions for execution by the one or more processors,

wherein the one or more processors is configured to;

control a first terminal device;

receive information from a second terminal device via wireless communication,

wherein the information indicates availability of a function for short range wireless communication in the second terminal device;

determine one of a first position of the second terminal device or a second position of the second terminal device,

wherein the first position is within a distance range, of the first terminal device, for the short range wireless communication with the first terminal device, and

wherein the second position is outside the distance range, of the first terminal device, for the short range wireless communication with the first terminal device; and

set, a time interval of polling that corresponds to the short range wireless communication,

wherein the time interval of polling is set to a first value based on the first position, of the second terminal device, that is within the distance range of the first terminal device for the short range wireless communication,

wherein the time interval of polling is set to a second value based on the second position, of the second terminal device, that is outside the distance range from the first terminal device for the short range wireless communication, and

wherein the second value is shorter than the first value.