U.S. patent application number 11/023415 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-26 for communication device and method thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba. Invention is credited to Horiguchi, Takeo, Iwamura, Kazuaki, Tajika, Yosuke.
Application Number | 20050114869 11/023415 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 14679521 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050114869 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Iwamura, Kazuaki ; et
al. |
May 26, 2005 |
Communication device and method thereof
Abstract
A communication device to be used in an ad hoc network
environment for enabling the user to utilize an application easily
with a desired partner. After a communicable communication device
was discovered, a service information provided by the communication
device is acquired to display only the selected communication
devices in accordance with the service information. The user
selects the communication partner and causes the communication
device to execute a predetermined application.
Inventors: |
Iwamura, Kazuaki; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Tajika, Yosuke; (Tokyo, JP) ; Horiguchi,
Takeo; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FINNEGAN, HENDERSON, FARABOW, GARRETT & DUNNER
LLP
901 NEW YORK AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-4413
US
|
Assignee: |
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Kawasaki-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
14679521 |
Appl. No.: |
11/023415 |
Filed: |
December 29, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11023415 |
Dec 29, 2004 |
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09556483 |
Apr 21, 2000 |
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6862737 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
719/321 ;
709/223; 719/310 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/16 20130101;
H04L 69/329 20130101; H04W 4/00 20130101; H04W 48/18 20130101; H04W
48/16 20130101; H04W 88/02 20130101; H04L 29/06 20130101; H04L
67/36 20130101; H04W 8/005 20130101; H04W 40/24 20130101; H04W
84/18 20130101; H04W 40/246 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
719/321 ;
719/310; 709/223 |
International
Class: |
G06F 003/00; G06F
015/173 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 23, 1999 |
JP |
11-116132 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A communication device having a radio interface, comprising: a
radio communication unit configured to exchange messages wirelessly
with other devices existing around within a certain range; a
detection unit configured to detect other devices, by executing a
station discovering procedure using the radio communication unit; a
designating unit configured to designate a service to execute; an
acquiring unit configured to acquire attribute information for each
other device using the radio communication unit, the attribute
information relating to whether the other device is capable to do
the selected service; a display unit configured to firstly display
the other devices detected by the detection unit, and then secondly
display such devices that are capable to do the selected service by
eliminating other devices that are not capable to do the selected
service; and a selecting unit configured to select at least one of
other devices that are capable to do the selected service.
12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the
display unit displays each other device in an image or icon on a
screen and the selecting unit selects the selected other device
corresponding to the image or icon being appointed by a user.
13. The communication device according to claim 12, wherein each
other device is displayed on the screen with the name of the other
device.
14. The communication device according to claim 11, further
comprising an application executing unit configured to execute an
application when an instruction is received from the selected other
device through the radio communication unit.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device to
be utilized in an ad hoc network environment, and a method
therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As represented by the WWW (World Wide Web), the users of the
internet are drastically increasing in recent years. By using the
internet, data can be exchanged between arbitrary computers
connected with the internet, or an access can be made to a service
provided by a computer so that the function of the service can be
utilized. In the WWW, for example, the user is enabled by inputting
an address called the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) to the browser
to peruse the data which are laid open by the various computers
connected with the internet designated by the URL. By making an
access to not the WWW but a mail server, on the other hand,
electronic mails can be transmitted and received, or the services
such as the FTP for exchanging files with another computer can be
utilized.
[0003] These applications such as the WWW belong to a system of the
server-client type, the roles of which are shared between a server
providing the service and a client utilizing the service. In the
internet, however, an application of another type acts. In a
teleconference system which is realized in the T.120 recommendation
standardized in the ITU-T, not only data can be exchanged between
specific servers, as viewed at least from the user, but also files
can be transmitted or still images can be shared between a
plurality of computers having participated in the conference.
[0004] In order to utilize these applications, the user is required
to ask input or set the address of a partner terminal by any means.
In the case of the WWW, it is necessary to input the URL to the
browser. In order to utilize the electronic mail, it is necessary
to set the address of the mail server for the electronic mail
application. Since the address or the like of the mail server is
hardly changed, it is usually set by inquiring that of the manager
or the like of the mail server.
[0005] The utilization of the network such as the internet is
flourishing on one hand, and the device technique or the like is
developing on the other hand so far as to realize an information
device which is so compact that it can be easily carried about. In
accordance with a development of the radio technique, on the other
hand, there has been widely used the mobile communication system,
as represented by a mobile telephone, or a wireless LAN. Under
these circumstances, there has been flourishing the ad hoc network
technique for generating a network environment by gathering the
information devices without any preceding setting.
[0006] In the ad hock network, too, it is desired that various
applications can be utilized as in the network of the prior art. In
the ad hoc network, however, there will occur a situation in which
it is impossible to know in advance what terminal is present. Since
the address of the computer may be different each time, on the
other hand, it is difficult to ask someone for the address in
advance.
[0007] In the operating system of Microsoft, for example, as
described in Getting Started Microsoft Windows 98 (of the
registered trade mark), a list of devices, which are connected
through the network and properly set, can be viewed by the user of
the network computer so that a connectable device can be known even
in the ad hoc network. However, what can be done by the computer,
as can be deemed as the network computer, is to make an access to
its local file system but not to execute other applications.
[0008] By using the function of the network computer of the
operating system of Microsoft, the user is enabled to know which
computer exists in the periphery and whether or not it can
communicate. When an application is to be actually executed,
however, there is a problem that not only the addresses of
computers having gathered ad hoc but also what functions can be
done by the computers is unknown.
[0009] In the following, the functions to be provided by the
computer for other communication devices, as can be executed by the
teleconference application operated by the FTP server or the mail
server, that is, the functions to be executed for communications
will be generally called the "services". Since it cannot be
practically expected that all the computers have an identical
construction, it is difficult to know the services to be provided
by other computers in advance.
[0010] Even when there are a number of communicable computers
existing around, on the other hand, there is another problem that
it is difficult to select a desired one of the listed
computers.
[0011] Therefore, the invention has an object to provide means for
enabling the user to designate a proper communication partner
easily in a network environment generated ad hoc.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0012] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a
communication device comprising: detection means for detecting
communication devices capable of communicating with a self
communication device; attribute information acquiring means for
acquiring the attribute information of the communication devices
detected by the detection means; selection means for selecting, on
the basis of the attribute information acquired by the attribute
information acquiring means, one or more communication device
useful for the action of the self communication device from the
communication devices detected by the detection means; and display
means for displaying a discrimination information for
discriminating the communication device selected by the selection
means.
[0013] In the communication device of the first aspect, according
to a second aspect, the attribute information is one concerned on
services including tasks and informations, which can be provided by
the communication device detected by the detection means.
[0014] In the communication device of the second aspect, according
to a third aspect, further the device comprises of service
designating means for designating one of services, and the
selection means selects, on the basis of the attribute information,
a communication device capable of providing the service which is
designated by the service designating means.
[0015] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a
communication device comprising: detection means for detecting
communication devices capable of communicating with a self
communication device; display means for displaying a discremination
information for discriminating a communication devices detected by
the detection means; and application execution instruction sending
means for sending an instruction information for executing a
predetermined application to the communication device displayed in
the display means.
[0016] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a
communication device comprising: detection means for detecting
communication devices capable of communicating with a self
communication device; and application execution instruction
receiving means for executing a predetermined application when an
instruction information for executing the application is received
from one of the communication devices detected by the detection
means.
[0017] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a
communication method comprising: a detection step of detecting
communication devices capable of communicating with a self
communication device; an attribute information acquiring step of
acquiring the attribute information of the communication devices
detected by the detection step; a selection step of selecting, on
the basis of the attribute information acquired by the attribute
information acquiring step, one or more communication device useful
for the action of the self communication device from the
communication devices detected by the detection step; and a display
step of displaying a discrimination information for discriminating
the communication device selected by the selection step.
[0018] According to a seventh aspect, in the communication method,
the attribute information is one concerned on services including
tasks and informations, which can be provided by the communication
device detected at the detection step.
[0019] According to an eighth aspect, the communication method
further comprises a service designating step of designating one of
services, and at the selection step, a communication device capable
of providing the service which is designated at the service
designating means is selected on the basis of the attribute
information.
[0020] According to a ninth aspect, there is provided a
communication method comprising: a detection step of detecting
communication devices capable of communicating with a self
communication device; a display step of displaying a discrimination
information for discriminating the communication devices detected
by the detection step; and an application execution instruction
sending step of sending an instruction information for executing a
predetermined application to the communication device displayed in
the display step.
[0021] According to tenth aspect, there is provided a communication
method comprising: a detection step of detecting communication
devices capable of communicating with a self communication device;
and an application execution instruction receiving step of
executing a predetermined application when an instruction
information for executing the application is received from one of
the communication devices detected by the detection step.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a display screen on a display
unit of an embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another display screen on the
display unit of the embodiment;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a procedure for selecting a
communication device to be displayed on the display unit of the
embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a procedure to the execution
of an application; and
[0026] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a construction of the
communication device of the embodiment.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0027] The present invention will be described in connection with
its embodiments.
First Embodiment
[0028] A communication device (as will be called the "self device")
of the first embodiment is provided with a display unit for
detecting a communication device (as will be called the "other
device") or an information device such as a computer or a mobile
telephone existing around and for informing the user of the
detected other device so that a desired communication partner can
be selected.
[0029] The self device acquires, when it detects the other device
around, the attribute information of the other device and displays
only the selected ones of the detected other devices in accordance
with the attribute information. This "attribute information"
includes the service to be realized by that other devices. The
acquisition of this attribute information may be either in a list
of condition satisfying items or in the form of whether or not
attributes sent from the self device to be displayed are
supported.
[0030] By allowing the user to designate the attribute information,
on the other hand, only the devices of others in a necessary range
can be displayed at each time.
[0031] When there exist around a number of other devices having an
attribute capable of providing a service of a printer, for example,
a less number of other devices are displayed by changing the
conditions such that only the other devices of a PostScript
printers are displayed, so that the user can select a more proper
other device easily.
[0032] When communications are made to realize some processing, on
the other hand, a significant communication partner is restricted
according to the function which is provided by the self device.
[0033] For the computer having only the client function of the FTP,
for example, only the computer having the function of the FTP
server is the significant partner to be connected.
[0034] Thus, it is insignificant information for that FTP client
whether or not a teleconference application is supported. This
other device would be surplus information even if displayed.
[0035] In the self device having the function of the FTP client,
therefore, a possible partner can be presented and selected
exclusively by the user, if only the other device selected
according to the attribute of the self device such as the other
device having the function of the FTP server is displayed.
[0036] This function is effective not only for the user at all
times but also for a physically small communication device such as
a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) which has to reduce the display
region because the quantity of information displayed can be
reduced.
Second Embodiment
[0037] A communication device (as will be called the "self device")
of a second embodiment enables one or a plurality of communication
devices (as will be called the "other devices"), as recognized to
be able to mutually communicate, which are displayed in a display
unit, is provided with an application executing unit for executing
an application, when selected in a selected state, in each other
device selected.
[0038] An application of the prior art such as a client application
of the FTP is executed in a computer acting as the client, and the
address of a partner to be connected is then inputted.
[0039] However, the application is enabled to be executed to
simplify the procedure for the user to execute by selecting the
other device displayed in the display unit and by connecting the
selected other device merely by selecting the application in the
selected state.
[0040] It is also possible to prevent such an input mistake or the
like as might otherwise take place when the address of the
displayed other device is to be inputted to the application.
[0041] In a system which is provided with such a graphical user
interface as realized in the operating system of Microsoft,
moreover, applications are expressed icons, for example. A desired
application can also be executed by dragging and dropping its icon
on the selected other device.
[0042] By this user interface, the intuitive operation can be made
to improve the convenience of the user.
Embodiment of the Invention
[0043] One embodiment of the invention will be described in the
following.
[0044] (First Construction Example of Communication Device)
[0045] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a construction of a
communication device 1 (as will be called the "self device") of
this embodiment.
[0046] A radio communication unit 12 realizes a function to
exchange messages wirelessly with other communication devices (as
will be called the "other devices"). This unit can be realized by
employing the technique of wireless LAN or the like using the ISM
band.
[0047] A detection unit 14 executes a station discovering procedure
to detect a communicable other device existing around by sending a
message to the radio communication unit 12 or by receiving a
message from the other device through the radio communication unit
12.
[0048] An attribute information acquiring unit 16 executes a
procedure to acquire attribute information for each communicable
other device, as detected at the detection unit 14, thereby to
acquire the attribute information. At this time, a construction may
be made such that the attribute information can be acquired in the
form of whether or not a service designated by a service
designating unit 20 can be provided. When there is a communication
on whether or not a service can be provided from the other device
(that is, when a later-described Request message is received), on
the other hand, a reply on whether or not the service is possible
(that is, a later-described Reply message) is sent through the
radio communication unit 12.
[0049] On the basis of the service kind designated at the service
designating unit 20, a device selecting unit 18 selects the
communicable other device, which is detected by using the attribute
information acquired by the attribute information acquiring unit
16, and outputs it to a display unit 22.
[0050] The display unit 22 displays a discrimination information
for discriminating the other device which is selected by the device
selecting unit 18, and presents it to the user of the self device
1. Not only the discrimination information of the other device is
displayed for the user, but also the user can select one from the
display other devices, so that an application executing unit 24 is
informed of the discrimination information of the selected other
device. At this time, the application executing unit 24 is further
informed of the information on the application which is selected to
be executed in the selected other device.
[0051] On the basis of the discrimination information noticed from
the display unit 22, the application executing unit-24 demands each
of the selected other devices to execute the selected
application.
[0052] On the side of the selected other device, the application
executing unit 24 has functions to receive the execution demand of
the application sent and to execute the designated application in
the other device.
[0053] Of the modules shown in FIG. 5, the detection unit 14, the
attribute information acquiring unit 16, the device selecting unit
18, the service designating unit 20 and the application executing
unit 24 can be packaged as a software.
[0054] On the other hand, the display unit 22 can utilize a general
purpose display device belonging to its self device such as a CRT
in a computer, if any, as its display device, and can also realize
the portion instructing the display of an image necessary for the
display device, as a software.
[0055] (Display Example of Communication Device)
[0056] FIG. 1 presents a screen displayed on the display unit 22 of
the self device 1.
[0057] In FIG. 1, there are displayed around in the display unit 22
three computers, as named Satoh, Tanaka and Suzuki, and one printer
designated by Printer A, as the communicable other devices.
[0058] At this time, as the communicable other devices actually
existing around, there exist three computers and two PDA (Personal
Digital Assistants) in addition to the computer displaying FIG. 1.
For the self device 1 or the computer, however, the remaining other
devices are not displayed because they do not provide significant
services. This is because the self device 1 can execute the
teleconference application and may print the data shared by the
application and because the other devices displayed by the user is
designated to enable to execute the teleconference application and
have the function of the printer.
[0059] The three computers displayed have installed the same
teleconference application as that of the self device 1 so that a
teleconference can be held when the connection is made with those
computers. However, the remaining computers are not displayed
because they do not have the same teleconference application
installed.
[0060] When another application is to be executed in the self
device 1 by the user, it is possible to set only the computer
supporting that application. The display screen of the display unit
22 at this time is shown in FIG. 2.
[0061] In FIG. 2, there are displayed not only the computer, as
named Satoh in FIG. 1, but also computers named Hayashi and
Takahashi. However, there are not displayed the computers named
Tanaka and Suzuki and the printer of FIG. 1. In this way, only the
other devices necessary for the user can be displayed by
designating the application.
[0062] (Procedure 1 for Displaying Communication Devices)
[0063] FIG. 3 shows an example of realizing procedure when
communicable other devices are thus selectively displayed.
[0064] At first, the self device 1 executes a station discovering
procedure for discovering a communicable other device existing
around. This procedure can be realized by the technique, as
exemplified by Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No.
7-87937.
[0065] As a result of this procedure, the self device 1 executes
the procedure to acquire the service information for each of the
other devices discovered.
[0066] At first, the self device 1 sends the Request message
containing an information on the service.
[0067] The other device n having received the Request message
examines whether or not the service designated by that message can
be provided, and sends the result as the Reply message to the self
device 1.
[0068] In accordance with the result contained in the received
Reply message, the self device 1 decides whether or not each other
device is to be displayed.
[0069] In the case of this procedure, the procedure to acquire the
service information is repeated for the other devices each time the
reference for selecting the other device to be displayed is
changed. Despite of this repetition, however, there is achieved an
advantage that the quantity of information to be sent and received
by one procedure can be reduced.
[0070] (Procedure 2 for Displaying Communication Device)
[0071] When the Request message is received, another procedure can
send a list of possible services as the Reply message.
[0072] In this case, the quantity of information to be sent as the
Reply message may increase. By storing this value, however, there
is achieved an advantage that the procedure need not be executed
again when the display is changed.
[0073] (Another Procedure for Displaying Communication Device)
[0074] On the other hand, this information acquiring procedure can
be constructed of one of the prior art such as Service Location
Protocol (IETF Internet Draft,
draft-ietf-svrloc-protocol-17.txt).
[0075] (Second Construction Example of Communication Device)
[0076] Next, another construction example of the self device 1 is
made by a display in the PDA having a radio interface.
[0077] This PDA can execute the applications for an address book
and a schedule management. The user carries the PDA ordinarily to
use it for the schedule management or the like. Moreover, the PDA
shares the address and the schedule information, as stored therein,
with the computers and is given a synchronizing function conforming
to the IrMC standards so that it can refer to the information
stored in the computers while working on the desk. Therefore, the
significant communication partner for the PDA is the other devices
supporting the synchronizing function of the IrMC standards.
[0078] In this case, what is to be displayed need not be changed
because it is communicable, but may be decided by the function
provided by the PDA.
[0079] Therefore, the PDA inquires, if it discovers the
communicable other device from around, each of the discovered other
devices about whether or not the synchronizing function is
supported.
[0080] As a result of inquirig, only the other device to provide
the synchronizing function is displayed.
[0081] The user can select that of the displayed other devices,
which is desired to be actually synchronized, and can synchronize
the data. As compared with the case in which all the other devices
are displayed, therefore, the selection can be made easier to
sufficiently display even the self device which is difficult to
retain a large place for the area such as the PDA for the
display.
[0082] In a mobile telephone stored with the address book, like the
PDA, when the data are connected to be copied in the PDA or the
computer, what is displayed is that of the around communicable
other devices, which can manage the address book.
[0083] (Other Display Example of Communication Device)
[0084] The types of the display of the self device 1 can take
various modes.
[0085] When the area to be used for the display is extremely
restricted as in the mobile telephone, for example, this telephone
is desired to list up and present only the names attached to the
other devices.
[0086] When the display area is excessive in size, on the other
hand, the other device can be selected more intuitively by the user
if it is displayed together with icons or the like indicating the
service it provides.
[0087] (Display Example of Another Service of Communication
Device)
[0088] The services can naturally be displayed not only by the
icons but also by their names in a character string.
[0089] Apart from what service could be utilized, the information
of the face image of the owner of a computer could be used as one
expressing the user when it is desired to select a plurality of
other devices having the same functions, that is, when the user
desires to have a connection with a specific one of computers
existing around and having the teleconference application
installed.
[0090] (Application Executing Procedure of Communication
Device)
[0091] Here will be described a procedure for executing an
application by making a connection with a desired partner when
there is displayed only one other device having appropriate
attributes from the communicable other devices, as described
hereinbefore.
[0092] The user selects one or more from the other devices around,
as displayed in FIG. 1. This selecting method can take various
modes in dependence upon the used modes of the operating system and
the display.
[0093] This particular other device can be selected, for example,
by selecting the area containing the displayed other device to be
selected with the mouse.
[0094] Another method can be exemplified by moving the cursor to
each of the other devices to be selected and by clicking the
mouse.
[0095] Alternatively, the position of the other device displayed
can be touched, when a computer having a touch panel is used.
[0096] One or more other devices displayed in the display unit 22
are selected by any of the methods thus above described or by
another method.
[0097] When an application is selected in this state, connections
are made with the selected other devices, and the application is
executed in each of the other devices connected so that the user
can utilize the application.
[0098] A flow chart of this procedure is shown in FIG. 4.
[0099] At first, the user executes (at Step S1) an application for
creating a network environment. However, this portion may be
modified such that it is executed at all times as a portion of the
operating system or such that it is so set as to be executed at the
starting time of the self device so that the user does not instruct
it explicitly.
[0100] Next, a station discovering procedure is executed (at Step
S2), as shown in FIG. 3, to examine communicable other devices
around. If other devices are discovered in the station discovering
procedure, a service information acquisition is executed (at Step
S3) for each of the other device discovered, and a list of
appropriately serviceable other devices is displayed (at Step
S4).
[0101] The user selects one or more demanding an actual
communication (at Step S5) from the other devices displayed and
selects an application to be utilized together with the selected
other devices (at Step S6).
[0102] When this procedure is executed, the application is executed
(at Step S7) in the selected other devices.
[0103] As the means for selecting the application, the following
methods can be adopted in addition to the method of selecting the
application from the menu of a window or the like in which the
communicable other devices is displayed.
[0104] When the application is expressed as a graphic element such
as the icon, more specifically, the application can be designated
by moving the icon or its copy to the screen, in which the partner
other device to communicate are selected, or dragging and dropping
it.
[0105] When the other device to communicate is only one, on the
other hand, the icon may be directly dragged and dropped while
omitting the procedure of selecting that other device. When the
selection of the application is thus executed, the application
execution unit 24 sends the message demanding the selected other
device for the execution of the application so that the application
is executed in the other device having received it.
[0106] Services to be provided by one other device may change for a
short time either because what can be executed at a time is only
one application or because the resources necessary for executing
the application are restricted. In such a case, a procedure to
inquire whether or not an application can be executed is executed
again and confirmed before the execution of the application is
actually demanded, and the execution is demanded of only the device
which can still provide the service.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0107] Even when communication devices having various functions in
an ad hoc environment gather, according to the invention, the user
of the communication device is easily enabled to make a connection
with a desired partner by a simple operation thereby to execute the
necessary application and to utilize those functions.
* * * * *