Wireless communication apparatus, communication control program, and communication control method

• US 7,986,635 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 2BCom LLC (Markman Advisors LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Salman
• Application Number:
  US10/860,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20040258032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,608 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/328, 370349-350, 370/313, 370/443, 370/322, 370/341, 370/453, 370/457, 370/463, 370/475, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/418, 455/352, 709249-250
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• 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

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus wirelessly communicable with a plurality of communication devices including an identifier naming unit configured to give each of the plurality of communication devices at least one local identifiers allowed to be set optionally, a communication device management unit configured to associate the local identifier with a pre-assigned identifier to each of the plurality of communication devices, and to manage a relation between the plurality of communication devices with the local identifiers, and an identifier display control unit configured to control a display device to display the local identifier in place of the pre-assigned identifier as information specifying a currently wirelessly communicable communication device among the plurality of communication devices.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus wirelessly communicable with a plurality of communication devices, each communication device having a pre-assigned identifier, the apparatus comprising:

an identifier naming unit configured to present a user interface to a user at the wireless communication apparatus, the user interface allowing the user to set, for each communication device, a plurality of local identifiers, each local identifier being correlated with an environment;

an environment detection unit configured to detect a current operative environment of the wireless communication apparatus;

a communication device management unit configured

to associate, for each communication device, the local identifiers with the pre-assigned identifier, and

to manage a relation between each communication device with the local identifiers; and

an identifier display control unit configured

to select, for each communication device, one of the respective local identifiers based on the current operative environment, and

to control a display device to display the selected local identifier in place of the pre-assigned identifier as information specifying a currently wirelessly communicable communication device among the plurality of communication devices,

wherein each of the plurality of local identifiers for a respective one of the plurality of communication devices corresponds to a different location of the respective communication device.

2. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of local identifiers for one communication device are registered in the communication device management unit.

3. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the environment detection unit detects an operating mode or information at authentication as the operative environment.

4. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2,

wherein when a respective local identifier is registered, the communication device management unit associates the respective local identifier with information on the operative environment detected by the environment detection unit and registers the respective local identifier.

5. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the environment detection unit detects whether any device depending on an environment exists or not;

and

the communication device management unit associates a respective local identifier with information indicating whether each of the plurality of the communication devices depends on an environment or not, and registers the respective local identifier.

6. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the wireless communication apparatus can make wireless communication with the plurality of communication devices in conformity with a Bluetooth specification;

and

the environment detection unit detects an attribute of each of the plurality of communication devices on the basis of Class of Device (CoD).

7. The wireless communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the wireless communication apparatus can make wireless communication with the plurality of communication devices in conformity with a Bluetooth specification;

and

the pre-assigned identifier is at least one of a device address and a friendly name.

8. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing computer executable code to perform a communication control for causing a wireless communication apparatus wirelessly communicable with a plurality of communication devices, each communication device having a pre-assigned identifier, to execute an operation, comprising:

configuring an identifier naming unit to present a user interface to a user at the wireless communication apparatus, the user interface allowing the user to set, for each communication device, a plurality of local identifiers, each local identifier being correlated with an environment;

detecting a current operative environment of the wireless communication apparatus;

associating, for each communication device, the local identifiers with the pre-assigned identifier to each of the plurality of communication devices, registering the local identifier, and managing each the communication device with the local identifiers;

selecting, for each communication device, one of the respective local identifiers based on the current operative environment, and

controlling a display device to display the selected local identifier in place of the pre-assigned identifier as information specifying a currently wirelessly communicable communication device among the plurality of communication devices,

wherein each of the plurality of local identifiers for a respective one of the plurality of communication devices corresponds to a different location of the respective communication device.

9. The computer readable recording medium storing computer executable code to perform a wireless communication control as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the plurality of local identifiers for one communication device are registered.

10. The computer readable recording medium storing computer executable code to perform a wireless communication control as claimed in claim 8,

wherein an operating mode or information at authentication is detected as the operative environment.

11. The computer readable recording medium storing computer executable code to perform a wireless communication control as claimed in claim 9,

wherein when a respective local identifier is registered, the respective local identifier is associated with information on the operative environment and the respective local identifier is registered.

12. The computer readable recording medium storing computer executable code to perform a wireless communication control as claimed in claim 8,

wherein it is detected whether any device depending on an environment exists or not;

and

a respective local identifier is associated with information indicating whether each of the plurality of the communication devices depends on an environment or not, and the respective local identifier is registered.

13. A communication control method for a wireless communication apparatus wirelessly communicable with a plurality of communication devices, each communication device having a pre-assigned identifier, the method comprising:

configuring an identifier naming unit to present a user interface to a user at the wireless communication apparatus, the user interface allowing the user to set, for each communication device, a plurality of local identifiers, each local identifier being correlated with an environment;

detecting a current operative environment of the wireless communication apparatus;

associating, for each communication device, the local identifiers with the pre-assigned identifier to each of the plurality of communication devices, registering the local identifier, and managing each the communication device with the local identifiers;

selecting, for each communication device, one of the respective local identifiers based on the current operative environment, and

controlling a display device to display the selected local identifier in place of the pre-assigned identifier as information specifying a currently wirelessly communicable communication device among the plurality of communication devices,

wherein each of the plurality of local identifiers for a respective one of the plurality of communication devices corresponds to a different location of the respective communication device.

14. The wireless communication control method as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the plurality of local identifiers for one communication device are registered.

15. The wireless communication control method as claimed in claim 13,

wherein an operating mode or information at authentication is detected as the operative environment.

16. The wireless communication control method as claimed in claim 13,

wherein when a respective local identifier is registered, the respective local identifier is associated with information on the operative environment and the respective local identifier is registered.

17. The wireless communication control method as claimed in claim 13,

wherein it is detected whether any device depending on an environment exists or not;

and

a respective local identifier is associated with information indicating whether each of the plurality of the communication devices depends on an environment or not, and the respective local identifier is registered.

18. A wireless communication apparatus wirelessly communicable with a plurality of communication devices, each communication device having a pre-assigned identifier, the apparatus comprising:

an identifier naming unit configured to present a user interface to a user at the wireless communication apparatus, the user interface allowing the user to set, for each communication device, a plurality of local identifiers, each local identifier being correlated with an environment;

an environment detection unit configured to detect a current operative environment of the wireless communication apparatus;

a communication device management unit configured

to associate, for each communication device, the local identifiers with the pre-assigned identifier, and

to manage a relation between each communication device with the local identifiers; and

an identifier display control unit configured

to select, for each communication device, one of the respective local identifiers based on the current operative environment, and

to control a display device to display the selected local identifier in place of the pre-assigned identifier as information specifying a currently wirelessly communicable communication device among the plurality of communication devices,

wherein the plurality of local identifiers are generated independently of any settings on the wireless communication apparatus or on each of the plurality of communication devices.