COMMUNICATION DEVICE, RECEIVING DEVICE, COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120254354A1
• Filed: 02/15/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: IWAMI, Hideki, YOSHIMURA, Osamu, YAMAURA, Tomoya, ITOH, Katsutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

There is provided a communication device including a communication unit configured to receive communication data transmitted/received between a transmitting device and a receiving device that is a transmission target of transmission data transmitted by the transmitting device by unicast, a data determination unit configured to determine data to be used for a process from among the received communication data, and a processing unit configured to process the data determined to be used for the process. The processing unit, in processing the determined data, prevents the communication unit from responding to the transmitting device or the receiving device.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive communication data transmitted/received between a transmitting device and a receiving device that is a transmission target of transmission data transmitted by the transmitting device by unicast;

a data determination unit configured to determine data to be used for a process from among the received communication data; and

a processing unit configured to process the data determined to be used for the process, wherein

the processing unit, in processing the determined data, prevents the communication unit from responding to the transmitting device or the receiving device.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the data determination unit determines the data to be used for the process on the basis of identification information indicating a type of data included in the communication data.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein

when the communication data includes device specifying information indicating a specific device or a specific device group,

the data determination unit, if the communication device matches the device indicated by the device specifying information, or if the communication device is included in the device group indicated by the device specifying information, determines the data to be used for the process on the basis of the identification information.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the data determination unit, if the communication device does not match the device indicated by the device specifying information, and if the communication device is not included in the device group indicated by the device specifying information, does not determine the data on the basis of the identification information.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the data determination unit determines content data representing an image and/or audio, and

the processing unit causes the determined content data to be reproduced.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the processing unit causes time information indicating a time of the communication device to be transmitted to the transmitting device,

the communication unit receives the communication data including the transmission data transmitted from the transmitting device whose time has been adjusted on the basis of the time information, and

the processing unit calculates a communication delay time between the communication device and the transmitting device, and processes the determined data after the calculated communication delay time has elapsed.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is arranged at a position where a communication environment between the transmitting device and the communication device is better than a communication environment between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission data transmitted from the transmitting device is transmission data that has been received by the transmitting device from another transmitting device and then re-transmitted to the receiving device.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein

the communication unit further receives communication delay time information transmitted from the other transmitting device, the communication delay time information indicating a communication delay time between the other transmitting device and the receiving device that is the transmission target of the transmission data, and

the processing unit processes the determined data after the communication delay time indicated by the communication delay time information has elapsed.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein the processing unit, on the basis of delay control information having set therein information indicating whether or not to use the communication delay time information, processes the determined data after the communication delay time has elapsed if the delay control information indicates that the communication delay time information is to be used.

11. A receiving device comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive transmission data transmitted by a transmitting device by unicast;

a relay determination unit configured to determine a transmission target of the received transmission data;

a relay processing unit configured to, when the transmission target of the transmission data includes a device other than the receiving device, cause the transmission data to be transmitted to the transmission target device; and

a data determination unit configured to, when the transmission target of the transmission data includes the receiving device, determines data to be used for a process from among the received transmission data.

12. The receiving device according to claim 11, wherein

when the transmission target of the transmission data includes a device other than the receiving device, and the transmission target of the transmission data also includes the receiving device,

the processing unit processes the determined data after a relay delay time required to transmit the transmission data to the transmission target device and a communication delay time between the receiving device and the transmission target device have elapsed.

13. The receiving device according to claim 11, wherein

the processing unit causes time information indicating a time of the receiving device to be transmitted to the transmitting device,

the communication unit receives the transmission data transmitted from the transmitting device whose time has been adjusted on the basis of the time information, and

when the transmission target of the transmission data includes a device other than the receiving device and the transmission target of the transmission data also includes the receiving device, the processing unit:

calculates a communication delay time between the receiving device and the transmitting device, and

processes the determined data after a relay delay time required to transmit the transmission data to the transmission target device and the calculated communication delay time have elapsed.

14. A communication method comprising:

receiving communication data transmitted/received between a transmitting device and a receiving device that is a transmission target of transmission data transmitted by the transmitting device by unicast;

determining data to be used for a process from among the received communication data; and

processing the data determined to be used for the process, wherein

in processing the determined data, no response is made to the transmitting device or the receiving device.

15. A communication method comprising:

receiving transmission data transmitted by a transmitting device by unicast;

determining a transmission target of the received transmission data;

transmitting, if the transmission target of the transmission data includes a device other than the communication device, the transmission data to the transmission target device;

determining, if the transmission target of the transmission data includes the communication device, determines data to be used for a process from among the received transmission data; and

processing the data determined to be used for the process.

16. A communication system comprising:

a transmitting device;

a receiving device that is a transmission target of transmission data transmitted by the transmitting device by unicast; and

one or more communication devices configured to receive communication data transmitted/received between the transmitting device and the receiving device, wherein

each communication device includes;

a communication unit configured to receive the communication data,

a data determination unit configured to determine data to be used for a process from among the received communication data, and

a processing unit configured to process the data determined to be used for the process, and

the processing unit, in processing the determined data, prevents the communication unit from responding to the transmitting device or the receiving device.