Communication apparatus, control method, and storage medium

• US 9,408,017 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Masatomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US14/305,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20140378059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.1, 455/574, 455/522, 455/343.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication apparatus having a first communication function of periodically transmitting a predetermined signal and communicating with another apparatus and a second communication function of communicating with another apparatus by producing an electric field or magnetic field determines whether a partner apparatus exists in a communicable range of the second communication function, and controls the first communication function to stop transmission of the predetermined signal in the case where it is determined that the partner apparatus exists in the communicable range.

Claims

1. A communication apparaus, comprising:

a first communication unit configured to perform wireless communication using a first communication method;

a second communication unit configured to perform wireless communication using a second communication method whose power consumption is less than power consumption used when the first communication unit performs wireless communication;

a determination unit configured to determine disconnection of a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and a partner apparatus via the second communication unit; and

a control unit configured to control, in a case where the first communication unit is in a sleep state whose power consumption is less than power consumption in an awake mode when the determination unit determines the disconnection, the first communication unit so that a mode of the first communication unit is switched from the sleep mode to the awake mode.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission unit configured to, in a case where there is data to be transmitted to the partner apparatus and the first communication unit is in the sleep state, transmit, by the second communication unit, a signal indicating that there is data to be transmitted using the first communication method,

wherein the communication apparatus is configured to transmit the data to the partner apparatus using the first communication unit, in a case where a response to the signal is received from the partner apparatus via the first communication unit.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit configured to perform setup with the partner apparatus in order to communicate using the first communication unit, in a case where a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the partner apparatus via the second communication unit is established.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

wherein the control unit is configured to control the first communication unit so that the first communication unit enters the sleep state after the setup is completed.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the disconnection of a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and a partner apparatus via the second communication unit, by periodically transmitting a confirmation signal to the partner apparatus using the second communication unit, and receiving a response to the confirmation signal from the partner apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the first communication unit to resume transmission of a predetermined signal, in a case where a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the partner apparatus via the second communication apparatus is disconnected.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where information for starting communication using the first communication unit is communicated with the partner apparatus by the second communication unit while the first communication unit is in the sleep state, and in a case where the mode of the first communication unit is switched from the sleep mode to the awake mode,

the communication apparatus is configured to receive data from the partner apparatus using the first communication unit.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the communication apparatus transmits a response to the information for starting communication using the first communication unit received from the partner apparatus by the second communication unit to the partner apparatus using the first communication unit.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determination unit is further configured to determines whether the partner apparatus is capable of determining whether the communication apparatus exists in the communicable range of the third communication unit of the partner apparatus, and

the control unit is configured to control the first communication unit to enter the sleep state, in a case where the partner apparatus is capable of determining whether the communication apparatus exists in the communicable range of the third communication unit of the partner apparatus, and it is determined that the communication apparatus exists in the communicable range.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit performs wireless communication as a station that is to connects to an access point.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication method is a method compliant with IEEE 802.11 standard, and the second communication method is Near Field Communication.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit performs wireless communication as an access point that periodically transmits a beacon.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first communication unit stops sending the beacon in the sleep state.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit further determines establishment of a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the partner apparatus via the second communication unit,

the control unit controls, in a case where the determination unit determines that a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and the partner apparatus via the second communication unit is established, the first communication unit so that the mode of the first communication unit is switched from the awake mode to the sleep mode.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, in a case where the first communication unit enters the sleep state by being controlled by the control unit, information included in the beacon is transmitted to the partner apparatus via the second communication unit.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the awake state is a state in which the first communication unit can perform wireless communication, and the sleep mode is a state in which the first communication unit does not perform wireless communication.

17. A communication apparatus having a first communication unit configured to communicate wirelessly with another apparatus and a second communication unit configured to perform at least one of power reception from another apparatus or communication with the other apparatus by an electric field or magnetic field produced by the other apparatus, comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether the communication apparatus exists in a communicable range of a third communication unit of the partner apparatus, which is corresponding to the second communication unit;

a control unit configured to control the first communication unit to enter a sleep state, in a case where it is determined that the communication apparatus exists in the communicable range, and

a timer configured to be reset in response to a confirmation signal from the partner apparatus being received by the second communication unit after the first communication unit has entered the sleep state, and to measure elapsed time after being reset,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine that the communication apparatus no longer exists in the communicable range of the third communication unit of the partner apparatus, in a case where the time measured by the timer exceeds a predetermined value, and

wherein the control unit is configured to control the first communication unit that has entered the sleep state so as to activate the first communication unit, in a case where the communication apparatus no longer exists in the communicable range of the third communication unit of the partner apparatus.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the predetermined value is set to be greater than a time interval at which the partner apparatus periodically transmits the confirmation signal.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the timer is configured to operate with power obtained by the power reception.

20. A method of controlling a communication apparatus that comprises a first communication unit configured to perform wireless communication using a first communication method and a second communication unit configured to perform wireless communication using a second communication method whose power consumption is less than power consumption used when the first communication unit performs wireless communication, the method comprising:

determining, disconnection of a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and a partner apparatus via the second communication unit; and

controlling, in a case where the first communication unit is in a sleep state whose power consumption is less than power consumption in an awake mode when the disconnection is determined, the first communication unit so that a mode of the first communication unit is switched from the sleep mode to the awake mode.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer provided with a first communication unit configured to perform wireless communication using a first communication method and a second communication unit configured to perform wireless communication using a second communication method whose power consumption is less than power consumption used when the first communication unit performs wireless communication to execute:

determining disconnection of a wireless connection between the communication apparatus and a partner apparatus via the second communication; and

controlling, in a case where the first communication unit is in a sleep state whose power consumption is less than power consumption in an awake mode when the disconnection is determined, the first communication unit so that a mode of the first communication unit is switched from the sleep mode to the awake mode.