Communication device, receiving device, communication method, and communication system

• US 9,191,223 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Chacko, Joe
• Application Number:
  US13/396,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/242
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A communication device including circuitry 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, to determine whether data to be used for a process by the communication device is included in the received communication data, and to process the data to be used for the process by the communication device when the circuitry determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device is included in the received communication data. The circuitry is also configured to prevent the communication device from responding to the transmitting device, and to not relay the communication data received from the transmitting device to the receiving device, when the circuitry determines the data to be used for the process is included in the received communication data.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a hardware processor;

a memory comprising instructions executable by the hardware processor;

circuitry configured to;

communicate with a transmitting device and a receiving device with a communication method other than unicast;

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

determine whether data to be used for a process by the communication device is included in the received communication data;

process the data to be used for the process by the communication device when the circuitry determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device is included in the received communication data; and

prevent the communication device from responding to the transmitting device, and not relay the communication data received from the transmitting device to the receiving device, when the circuitry determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device is included in the received communication data,

wherein the receiving device is arranged at a first position where a frequency of occurrence of errors in the communication between the transmitting device and the receiving device is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the communication device is arranged at a second position where the frequency of occurrence of errors in the communication between the transmitting device and the communication device is less than the predetermined threshold,

wherein the second position of the communication device indicates 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.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device 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 circuitry, if the communication device matches the specific device indicated by the device specifying information, or if the communication device is included in the specific device group indicated by the device specifying information, determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device on the basis of the identification information.

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

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

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

the circuitry causes the determined content data to be reproduced.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

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

the circuitry 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 circuitry 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 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.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein

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

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry, 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 for the process by the communication device.

10. A communication method of a communication device, the communication method comprising:

communicating with a transmitting device and a receiving device with a method other than unicast communication;

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

determining whether data to be used for a process by the communication device is included in the received communication data;

processing the data to be used for the process by the communication device when the communication device determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device is included in the received communication data; and

preventing the communication device from responding to the transmitting device, and not relaying the communication data received from the transmitting device to the receiving device, when the communication device determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device is included in the received communication data,

wherein the receiving device is arranged at a first position where a frequency of errors in the communication between the transmitting device and the receiving device is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the communication device is arranged at a second position where the frequency of occurrence of errors in the communication between the transmitting device and the communication device is less than the predetermined threshold

wherein the second position of the communication device indicates 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.

11. 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 by unicast, wherein each communication device includes;

circuitry configured to;

communicate with the transmitting device and the receiving device with a communication method other than unicast;

receive the communication data,

determine whether data to be used for a process by the communication device is included in the received communication data, process the data to be used for the process by the communication device when the circuitry determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device is included in the received communication data, and

prevent the communication device from responding to the transmitting device, and not relay the communication data received from the transmitting device to the receiving device, when the circuitry determines the data to be used for the process by the communication device is included in the received communication data,

wherein the receiving device is arranged at a first position where a frequency of errors in the communication between the transmitting device and the receiving device is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the communication device is arranged at a second position where the frequency of occurrence of errors in the communication between the transmitting device and the communication device is less than the predetermined threshold

wherein the second position of the communication device indicates 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.