U.S. patent number 9,270,656 [Application Number 13/890,587] was granted by the patent office on 2016-02-23 for communication device, communication method, computer program, and communication system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to SONY CORPORATION. The grantee listed for this patent is Sony Corporation. Invention is credited to Takashi Kuwabara.
United States Patent |
9,270,656 |
Kuwabara |
February 23, 2016 |
Communication device, communication method, computer program, and
communication system
Abstract
There is provided a communication device including a
communication unit configured to include different communication
modes, and an information exchange unit configured to exchange,
before the communication unit transmits information to a
transmission destination device, an available communication mode
and authentication information in advance with the transmission
destination device using a communication mode included in the
communication unit, the authentication information being used when
communication is performed using the communication mode.
Inventors: |
Kuwabara; Takashi (Tokyo,
JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sony Corporation |
Tokyo |
N/A |
JP |
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Assignee: |
SONY CORPORATION (Tokyo,
JP)
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Family
ID: |
49582425 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/890,587 |
Filed: |
May 9, 2013 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20130312062 A1 |
Nov 21, 2013 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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May 17, 2012 [JP] |
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2012-113116 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L
63/08 (20130101); H04W 4/50 (20180201) |
Current International
Class: |
H04L
29/06 (20060101); H04W 4/00 (20090101) |
Field of
Search: |
;726/3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2009-140275 |
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Jun 2009 |
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JP |
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2010-011058 |
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Jan 2010 |
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JP |
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Primary Examiner: Okeke; Izunna
Assistant Examiner: Shayanfar; Ali
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hazuki International, LLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A communication between two devices comprising: a first
communication device configured to transmit information; and a
second communication device configured to directly or indirectly
receive the information transmitted by the first communication
device, wherein the first communication device includes: a first
central processing unit (CPU) configured to: control communication,
with a second communication device, using a plurality of
communication mechanisms available on the first communication
device; transmit, a first list of the plurality of communication
mechanisms available on the first communication device and
authentication information, which is to be used during the
transmission of the information to the second communication device
using the communication mechanism of the plurality of communication
mechanism before transmitting the information to the second
communication device, receive a second list of another plurality of
communication mechanisms from the transmission destination device,
wherein the other plurality of communication mechanisms are
selected, by the transmission destination device, from the
transmitted first list of the plurality of communication
mechanisms; and transmit, the information using a first
communication mechanism selected from the received second list of
the other plurality of communication mechanisms, wherein the second
communication device includes: a second central processing unit
(CPU) configured to: control communication, with the first
communication device, using a plurality of communication mechanisms
available on the second communication device, receive the first
list of the plurality of communication mechanisms, available on the
first communication device, and the authentication information,
which is to be used during the reception of the information, from
the first communication device using a communication mechanism of
the plurality of communication mechanism available on the second
communication device before receiving the information from the
first communication device, select the other plurality of
communication mechanisms from the received first list of the
plurality of communication mechanisms, transmit the second list of
the other plurality of communication mechanisms to the first
communication device, and receive the information using the first
communication mechanism, selected, by the first communication
device, from the transmitted second list of the other plurality of
communication mechanisms.
2. The communication devices according to claim 1, wherein, when
the first communication device is disconnected from the second
communication device during the transmission of the information to
the second communication device using the first communication
mechanism, the CPU is configured to: select a second communication
mechanism from the received second list of the other plurality of
communication mechanisms, wherein the second communication
mechanism is different from the first communication mechanism,
authenticate the second device using the authentication information
exchanged in advance, and resume transmission of the information to
the second communication device using the second communication
mechanism.
3. The communication devices according to claim 2, wherein the CPU
configured to: set a timeout period for each of the other plurality
of communication mechanisms.
4. The communication devices according to claim 2, wherein, when
the transmission of the information to the second communication
device is resumed, the CPU is configured to transmit, to the second
communication device, information following the information that
has been already transmitted.
5. The communication devices according to claim 2, wherein, the CPU
is configured to select the second communication mechanism from the
other plurality of communication mechanisms based on a
priority.
6. The communication devices according to claim 5, wherein, when
selecting the second communication mechanism the CPU is configured
to set a timeout period to be longer as the priority becomes
lower.
7. The communication devices according to claim 1, wherein the CPU
is configured to: control display of the received second list of
the other plurality of communication mechanisms available on the
second communication device, when the first communication device is
disconnected from the second communication device during
transmission of the information to the second communication
device.
8. The communication devices according to claim 1, wherein the CPU
is configured to: store information related to the plurality of
communication mechanisms available on the communication
devices.
9. The communication devices according to claim 1, wherein the CPU
is configured to: transmit the first list of the plurality of
communication mechanisms and the authentication information with
the second communication device using short-range wireless
communication, the authentication information being used when the
transmission of the information is performed using the first
communication mechanism.
10. The communication devices according to claim 1, wherein the CPU
is configured to: exchange, before transmitting the information to
the second communication device, a communication strategic
algorithm with the transmission second communication, wherein the
communication strategic algorithm is used to determine a method for
selecting, from the second list of the other plurality of
communication mechanisms available on the second communication
device, the first communication mechanism to be used for
transmitting the information.
11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein, when
the first communication device is disconnected from the second
communication device during the transmission of the information
using the first communication mechanism, the CPU is configured to
select a second communication mechanism as next candidate for
resuming the transmission based on the communication strategic
algorithm, wherein the second communication mechanism is different
from the first communication mechanism.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored
thereon a set of computer executable instructions which when
executed by a computer causes the computer to control a
communication between two devices to: perform steps comprising: a
first communication device configured to transmit information; and
a second communication device configured to directly or indirectly
receive the information transmitted by the first communication
device, a first central processing unit (CPU) configured to:
control communication, with a second communication device, using a
plurality of communication mechanisms available on the first
communication device; transmitting, a first list of the plurality
of communication mechanisms available on the first communication
device and authentication information, which is to be used during
the transmission of the information to the second communication
device using the communication mechanism of the plurality of
communication mechanism before transmitting the information to the
second communication device, receiving a second list of another
plurality of communication mechanisms from the transmission
destination device, wherein the other plurality of communication
mechanisms are selected, by the transmission destination device,
from the transmitted first list of the plurality of communication
mechanisms; and transmitting, the information using a first
communication mechanism selected from the received second list of
the other plurality of communication mechanisms, wherein the second
communication device includes: a second central processing unit
(CPU) configured to: control communication, with the first
communication device, using a plurality of communication mechanisms
available on the second communication device, receive the first
list of the plurality of communication mechanisms, available on the
first communication device, and the authentication information,
which is to be used during the reception of the information, from
the first communication device using a communication mechanism of
the plurality of communication mechanism available on the second
communication device before receiving the information from the
first communication device, select the other plurality of
communication mechanisms from the received first list of the
plurality of communication mechanisms, transmit the second list of
the other plurality of communication mechanisms to the first
communication device, and receive the information using the first
communication mechanism, selected, by the first communication
device, from the transmitted second list of the other plurality of
communication mechanisms.
13. A communication system comprising: a first communication device
configured to transmit information; and a second communication
device configured to directly or indirectly receive the information
transmitted by the first communication device, wherein the first
communication device includes: a first central processing unit
(CPU) configured to: control communication, with the second
communication device, using a plurality of communication mechanisms
available on the first communication device, transmit, a first list
of the plurality of communication mechanisms available on the first
communication device and authentication information, which is to be
used during the transmission of information, to the second
communication device using a communication mechanism of the
plurality of communication mechanisms before transmitting the
information to the second communication device, receive a second
list of another plurality of communication mechanisms from the
second communication device, wherein the other plurality of
communication mechanisms are selected, by the second communication
device, from the transmitted first list of the plurality of
communication mechanisms; and transmit, the information using a
first communication mechanism selected from the received second
list of the other plurality of communication mechanisms, wherein
the second communication device includes: a second central
processing unit (CPU) configured to: control communication, with
the first communication device, using a plurality of communication
mechanisms available on the second communication device, receive
the first list of the plurality of communication mechanisms,
available on the first communication device, and the authentication
information, which is to be used during the reception of the
information, from the first communication device using a
communication mechanism of the plurality of communication mechanism
available on the second communication device before receiving the
information from the first communication device, select the other
plurality of communication mechanisms from the received first list
of the plurality of communication mechanisms, transmit the second
list of the other plurality of communication mechanisms to the
first communication device, and receive the information using the
first communication mechanism, selected, by the first communication
device, from the transmitted second list of the other plurality of
communication mechanisms.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent
Application No. JP 2012-113116 filed in the Japanese Patent Office
on May 17, 2012, the entire content of which is incorporated herein
by reference.
BACKGROUND
The present disclosure relates to a communication device, a
communication method, a computer program, and a communication
system.
With the advancement of high-resolution image, the amount of data
for content of still or moving images is getting larger and larger.
A method of sharing content between terminals may be implemented by
directly transmitting content from one terminal to another, but a
large amount of content data will increase the amount of time
necessary to transmit content.
In order to exchange data between terminals, from the viewpoint of
security, it is desirable to perform an authentication process in
advance between terminals prior to the exchange of data. A
technique for performing an authentication process between
terminals prior to the exchange of data is disclosed, for example,
in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication Nos.
2010-011058 and 2009-140275. The technique which is disclosed in
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2010-011058
and 2009-140275 employs a short-range communication to perform an
authentication process between terminals, but it actually exchanges
data using a communication mechanism that is different from the
short-range communication.
SUMMARY
However, since the communications environment is changing rapidly,
when data is transferred using certain communication mechanism, the
communication via the communication mechanism may be interrupted
before the transfer of data is completed. According to the related
art, in a case there may be a terminal having a plurality of
communication mechanisms, if the communication via a communication
mechanism is interrupted during data transmission and reception,
there is unfortunately a need for a new authentication process to
initiate the communication using another communication
mechanism.
Furthermore, according to the related art, in the case where the
communication via the communication mechanism is interrupted during
data transmission and reception, even if the communication is
initiated again using a different communication mechanism through a
new authentication process, there is a need to retransmit data all
over again. Under these circumstances, it is desired to provide a
technology for solving the inconvenience of transferring data
between terminals having a plurality of communication
mechanisms.
The embodiments of the present disclosure provides a novel and
improved communication device, communication method, computer
program, and communication system which can continue to maintain
communication between a receiver and a transmitter by causing a
communication strategy to be shared in advance between them to
switch among a plurality of communication mechanisms seamlessly
when data is exchanged between the receiver and transmitter using
the plurality of communication mechanisms.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is
provided a communication device including a communication unit
configured to include different communication modes, and an
information exchange unit configured to exchange, before the
communication unit transmits information to a transmission
destination device, an available communication mode and
authentication information in advance with the transmission
destination device using a communication mode included in the
communication unit, the authentication information being used when
communication is performed using the communication mode.
Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,
there is provided a communication device including a communication
unit configured to include different communication modes, and an
information exchange unit configured to exchange, before the
communication unit receives information from a transmission source
device, an available communication mode and authentication
information in advance with the transmission source device using a
communication mode included in the communication unit, the
authentication information being used when communication is
performed using the communication mode.
Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,
there is provided a communication method including communicating
using one communication mode of different communication modes, and
exchanging, before information is transmitted to a transmission
destination device in the communicating step, an available
communication mode and authentication information in advance with
the transmission destination device using a communication mode of
the different communication modes, the authentication information
being used when communication is performed using the communication
mode.
Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,
there is provided a computer program for causing a computer to
execute communicating using one communication mode of different
communication modes, and exchanging, before information is
transmitted to a transmission destination device in the
communicating step, an available communication mode and
authentication information in advance with the transmission
destination device using a communication mode of the different
communication modes, the authentication information being used when
communication is performed using the communication mode.
Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,
there is provided a communication system including a transmitting
device configured to transmit information, and a receiving device
configured to directly or indirectly receive the information
transmitted by the transmitting device. The transmitting device
includes a communication unit configured to include different
communication modes, and an information exchange unit configured to
exchange an available communication mode and authentication
information in advance with the receiving device using a
communication mode included in the communication unit before the
communication unit transmits information to the receiving device,
the authentication information being used when communication is
performed using the communication mode. The receiving device
includes a communication unit configured to include different
communication modes, and an information exchange unit configured to
exchange an available communication mode and authentication
information in advance with the transmitting device using a
communication mode included in the communication unit before the
communication unit receives information from the transmitting
device, the authentication information being used when
communication is performed using the communication mode.
In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure
described above, there is provided a novel and improved
communication device, communication method, computer program, and
communication system which can continue to maintain communication
between a receiver and a transmitter by causing a communication
strategy to be shared in advance between them to switch among a
plurality of communication mechanisms seamlessly when data is
exchanged between the receiver and transmitter using the plurality
of communication mechanisms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an exemplary configuration of a
communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an exemplary functional
configuration of a communication device 100A that is included in
the communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a schematic operation of each of
the communication devices 100A and 100B;
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of short-range
wireless communication;
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of transmission of
content data;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of each of the
communication devices 100A and 100B;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of communication
strategic algorithm;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of each of the
communication devices 100A and 100B;
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of a case where the
timeout period that is set at the time of switching of the
communication mechanism is changed depending on the priority;
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of each of the
communication devices 100A and 100B; and
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an exemplary configuration of
the communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will
be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings.
Note that, in this specification and the appended drawings,
structural elements that have substantially the same function and
structure are denoted with the same reference numerals, and
repeated explanation of these structural elements is omitted.
The description will be given in the following order.
<1. Embodiment of Present Disclosure> [Exemplary
Configuration of Communication System] [Exemplary Configuration of
Communication Device] [Exemplary Operation of Each Communication
Device]
<2. Summary and Conclusion>
<1. Embodiment of Present Disclosure>
[Exemplary Configuration of Communication System]
An exemplary configuration of a communication device and a
communication system having the communication device according to
an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with
reference to accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram
illustrating an exemplary configuration of a communication system 1
according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The
exemplary configuration of the communication system 1 according to
the embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with
reference to FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the communication system according to the
embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to include a
communication device 100A and a communication device 100B. The
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure is a system that is configured to exchange still or
moving images, music data, or other content between these two
communication devices 100A and 100B. The following description is
based on operations of the case where content held by the
communication device 100A is transmitted to the communication
device 100B, unless otherwise stated.
In this embodiment, the communication devices 100A and 100B may be
portable devices, and each of them may be any one of mobile phones,
smart phones, tablets, and portable music players. Further, in the
embodiment, the communication devices 100A and 100B may have the
respective corresponding plurality of communication mechanisms to
directly exchange data with each other using the communication
mechanism. Alternatively, in the embodiment, the communication
devices 100A and 100B can indirectly exchange data with each other
through a server provided in a network 10, such as the Internet, in
addition to the direct exchange of data by the communication
mechanism.
The communication system 1 according to the embodiment is a system
configured to exchange content between the communication device
100A and the communication device 100B. Therefore, the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment, when exchanging
content between the communication device 100A and the communication
device 100B, exchanges information regarding the communication in
advance between the communication device 100A and the communication
device 100B, and then when actually exchanging content, the
communication system 1 uses the exchanged information. Even if the
communication mechanism is switched into another communication
mechanism for some reasons or other at the time of exchange of
content, the communication devices 100A and 100B can continue to
exchange content with the communication system seamlessly.
The exemplary configuration of the communication system 1 according
to the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described with
reference to FIG. 1. An exemplary configuration of the
communication devices 100A and 100B that are included in the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure will now be described.
[Exemplary Configuration of Communication Device]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary functional
configuration of the communication device 100A that is included in
the communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the
present disclosure. The exemplary functional configuration of the
communication device 100A according to the embodiment of the
present disclosure will now be described with reference to FIG.
2.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the communication device 100A according
to the embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to
include a wireless communication unit 101, a display unit 102, an
antenna 103, a controller 104, a conversation unit 105, a memory
106, an operating unit 107, and a memory card 108.
The communication unit 101 communicates with other devices,
especially the communication device 100B, over a wired or wireless
network. In this embodiment, the communication unit 101 may have a
plurality of communication mechanisms. The communication mechanism
of the communication unit 101 may include, for example, wireless
communication of IEEE 802.15.1 standards, wireless communication of
IEEE 802.11 series standards such as Wi-Fi, wired communication via
LAN or USB cable, and so on.
The display unit 102 displays information which is received by the
wireless communication unit 101 or information obtained in response
to user's operation performed for the operating unit 107. For
example, the display unit 102 may include a flat panel image
display such as a liquid crystal display and an organic EL display.
A touch panel may be provided on a display surface of the display
unit 102.
The antenna 103 is an antenna for short-range wireless
communication which operates at a given frequency (e.g., 13.56
MHz). The controller 104 controls operations of the communication
device 100A. For example, the controller 104 controls operations of
the components of the communication device 100A by executing the
program stored in the memory 106. An operation of the communication
device 100A which is controlled by the controller 104 may include,
for example, the display of information on the display unit 102,
the communication performed by the communication unit 101 or the
antenna 103, and so on.
The conversation unit 105 includes, for example, a speaker or a
microphone, and performs a voice telephone conversation with other
devices or telephone sets. The memory 106 may include, for example,
a ROM, a RAM, and so on, and may be used to store the program for
controlling the operation of the communication device 100A. The
operating unit 107 includes various types of buttons that are used
to operate the communication device 100A. In response to the
operation of the operating unit 107, the controller 104 controls
the operation of the communication device 100A. In addition, if a
touch panel is provided on a display surface of the display unit
102, then the touch panel functions as the operation unit 107.
The memory card 108 is a storage medium for storing various types
of information, and may be configured to be removable from the
communication device 100A. In addition, the memory card 108 stores
still or moving images, music data, or other content data. The
content data which is stored in the memory card 108 is transmitted
from the communication unit 101 to the communication device 100B by
the controller 104.
The exemplary functional configuration of the communication device
100A is illustrated in FIG. 2. The communication device 100B has a
substantially similar configuration to that of the communication
device 100A. The controller 104 of the communication device 100A
exchanges available communication mode and authentication
information in advance with the communication device 100B. This
exchange of the communication mode and authentication information
is performed via short-range wireless communication using the
antenna 103 before the communication device 100A transmits
information to the communication device 100B. The authentication
information is information necessary when the communication is
performed based on the available communication mode. Because the
controller 104 performs the exchange of the communication mode and
authentication information before transmitting content, even if the
communication mechanism being used for transmitting content is
switched for some reasons when the communication device 100A
transmits content to the communication device 100B, the
communication device 100A can continue to transmit content
seamlessly.
The exemplary functional configuration of the communication device
100A according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has been
described with reference to FIG. 2. Next, the operation of the
communication devices 100A and 100B that are included in the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure will now be described.
[Exemplary Operation of Each Communication Device]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a schematic operation of each of
the communication devices 100A and 100B that are included in the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure. The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 3 shows an overview
of the operation performed by each of the communication devices
100A and 100B when the communication device 100A transmits content
to the communication device 100B. An overview of the operation
performed by each of the communication devices 100A and 100B that
are included in the communication system 1 according to the
embodiment of the present disclosure will now be given with
reference to FIG. 3.
When transmitting content to the communication device 100B, the
communication device 100A selects the content to be transmitted to
the communication device 100B (step S101). The selection of content
which is performed by the communication device 100A in step S101 is
not limited to any particular method. As an example, in the
communication device 100A, the controller 104 may cause the display
unit 102 to display a list of contents and thus cause a user to
select content from the list that is to be transmitted to the
communication device 100B.
In the above step S101, when the content to be transmitted to the
communication device 100B has been selected by the communication
device 100A, then the communication device 100A exchanges
information regarding available communication functions with the
communication device 100B (step S102). This exchange process of
information in this step S102 may be performed, for example, by the
controller 104. In step S102, when the communication device 100A
has exchanged information regarding the available communication
functions with the communication device 100B, then the
communication device 100A transmits a communication strategic
algorithm to the communication device 100B (step S103). The
communication strategic algorithm is used to determine a method for
selecting a communication mechanism to be used when the
communication device 100A exchanges content with the communication
device 100B. This transmission process may be performed, for
example, by the communication unit 101. The communication device
100A then shares an authentication mechanism with the communication
device 100B (step S104). The authentication mechanism is used when
the communication device 100A communicates with the communication
device 100B.
When the exchange of information regarding available communication
functions, the transmission of a communication strategic algorithm,
and the sharing of an authentication mechanism have been performed,
the communication device 100A then transmits content data which is
selected in step S101 to the communication device 100B (step S105).
This transmission process of content data may be performed, for
example, by the communication unit 101. At the time of transmission
of the content data, the communication device 100A selects one
communication function among the communication functions exchanged
in step S102 based on the communication strategic algorithm
transmitted in step S103, and then performs an authentication
process with the communication device 100B by the authentication
mechanism shared in step S104.
The exchange of information regarding available communication
functions, the transmission of a communication strategic algorithm,
and the sharing of an authentication mechanism are performed via
short-range wireless communication using the antenna 103 in a state
in which the communication devices 100A and 100B are in close
proximity to each other. Because the short-range wireless
communication is communication technology which can be implemented
only at a close range, the authentication performed via short-range
wireless communication between the communication devices 100A and
100B may be a simple authentication process which shows just the
fact that they are equipments which have initiated the
communication with each other at the same time.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of short-range
wireless communication performed in a state in which the
communication devices 100A and 100B are in close proximity to each
other. When content data is exchanged between the communication
device 100A and the communication device 100B, as illustrated in
FIG. 4, the communication devices 100A and 100B are to be in close
proximity to each other before the communication device 100A
transmits the content data to the communication device 100B. The
short-range wireless communication which is performed between the
communication devices 100A and 100B then allows the available
communication function, communication strategic algorithm, and
authentication mechanism to be shared between the communication
devices 100A and 100B.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the transmission
of content data from the communication device 100A to the
communication device 100B. After the available communication
functions, communication strategic algorithm, and authentication
mechanism are shared between the communication devices 100A and
100B via short-range wireless communication, the transmission of
content data from the communication device 100A to the
communication device 100B is performed even in a state in which the
communication devices 100A and 100B are separated from each other,
as shown in FIG. 5. The communication device 100A, when
transmitting content data to the communication device 100B, uses
information of the available communication function, communication
strategic algorithm, and authentication mechanism, which have been
exchanged with the communication device 100B.
The overview of the operation performed by each of the
communication devices 100A and 100B that are included in the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure has been described with reference to FIG. 3. Next, the
operation performed by the communication devices 100A and 100B that
are included in the communication system 1 according to the
embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in
detail.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the
communication devices 100A and 100B that are included in the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure. The flowchart of FIG. 6 shows in further detail the
processes performed in steps S102 and S103 shown in FIG. 3. The
operation of the communication devices 100A and 100B will now be
described with reference to FIG. 6.
The communication device 100A, when exchanging information
regarding the available communication function with the
communication device 100B, notifies a list of communication
mechanisms available on its own device to the communication device
100B (step S111). The list of communication mechanisms available on
its own device is notified to the communication device 100B, for
example, via short-range wireless communication using the antenna
103 by the controller 104.
The list of communication mechanisms available on its own device
includes, for example, a desired priority policy that defines the
priority level of communication mechanism or a list of
communication types. The list of communication types includes, for
example, information such as communication types, available
communication options, a typical transmission or reception speed, a
typical communication coverage, parameters that give the
attenuation curve of communication rate according to the distance
(in the case of wireless communication), timeout period, and so on.
In addition, the communication types include, for example, wired
P2P (Peer to Peer) such as USB, short-range wireless P2P such as
NFC, wireless P2P such as Wi-Fi ad hoc communication or Bluetooth
communication, P2P via a network such as the Internet, and the use
of a mediation server on a network such as the Internet.
A communication mode to be used in preference to other modes is
specified by the desired priority policy. For example, when
wireless P2P such as Wi-Fi ad hoc communication or Bluetooth
communication is used preferentially in order for the communication
device 100A to exchange data with the communication device 100B,
the communication device 100A specifies the wireless P2P to be used
preferentially.
In step S111, if the list of communication mechanisms available on
the communication device 100A is transmitted via short-range
wireless communication from the communication device 100A to the
communication device 100B, then the communication device 100B
notifies a receivable list of communication mechanisms from among
the received list of communication mechanisms to the communication
device 100A (step S112). This notification of step S112 is
performed via short-range wireless communication, which is the same
as that of step S111.
In step S112, if the list of communication mechanisms which can be
received by the communication device 100B is transmitted via
short-range wireless communication from the communication device
100B to the communication device 100A, then the communication
device 100A transmits a communication strategic algorithm to the
communication device 100B (step S113). In this case, the
communication strategic algorithm is used to determine a method for
selecting a communication mechanism to be used when the
communication device 100A communicates with the communication
device 100B. The transmission in step S113 is performed via
short-range wireless communication, which is the same as that of
step S111 or S112.
In this way, the exchange of available communication functions or
the sharing of communication strategic algorithm is performed in
advance between the communication devices 100A and 100B, prior to
exchanging content data between them. By performing the exchange of
available communication functions or the sharing of communication
strategic algorithm, and further by performing the sharing of an
authentication mechanism between the communication devices 100A and
100B, the communication devices 100A and 100B can continue to
exchange content seamlessly.
An example of a communication strategic algorithm which is shared
between the communication devices 100A and 100B will now be
described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the
communication strategic algorithm which is shared between the
communication devices 100A and 100B according to the embodiment of
the present disclosure. An example of the communication strategic
algorithm that is shared between the communication devices 100A and
100B will now be described with reference to FIG. 7.
In order to select a communication mechanism to be used between the
communication devices 100A and 100B from among the available
communication mechanisms, it is determined whether a preferential
communication mode that is specified to be used preferentially from
among the available communication modes is available (step S121).
The preferential communication mode is specified based on the
desired priority policy described above.
In step S121, if it is determined that the preferential
communication mode that is specified to be used preferentially from
among the available communication mechanisms between the
communication devices 100A and 100B is not available, then it is
determined whether the communication devices 100A and 100B are
connected to each other by a wired connection (step S122).
In step S122, if it is determined that the communication devices
100A and 100B are not connected to each other by a wired
connection, then it is determined whether there is a wireless
communication mode having a higher speed than via a network, such
as the Internet, from among the communication mechanisms available
between the communication devices 100A and 100B (step S123).
In step S123, it is determined that there is no wireless
communication mode having a higher speed than via a network such as
the Internet from among the communication mechanisms available
between the communication devices 100A and 100B, then it is
determined whether P2P communication via a network such as the
Internet is available (step S124).
In step S124, if it is determined that P2P communication via a
network such as the Internet is not available, then the content
data is determined to be exchanged between the communication
devices 100A and 100B using a mode in which the exchange is
performed via a mediation server provided on the network such as
the Internet (step S125).
On the other hand, in steps S121 through S124, if any one of the
above-described conditions is satisfied, it is determined that the
communication devices 100A and 100B select a communication mode
which satisfies each of the conditions, and then the communication
process is performed using the selected communication mode (step
S126).
Subsequently, it is determined whether a disconnection of
communication is detected during the exchange of content data (step
S127). If it is determined that a disconnection of communication is
detected, then the process is returned to step S121 and the
determination processes are repeated. On the other hand, if it is
determined that a disconnection of communication is not detected,
then the communication strategic algorithm is terminated.
In this way, a communication strategic algorithm is determined and
the determined communication strategic algorithm is shared between
the communication devices 100A and 100B in advance. Therefore, even
if the communication is disconnected during the exchange of content
data, the communication devices 100A and 100B can continue to
exchange content seamlessly by switching the communication
mechanism into another.
An example of dynamic switching of communication mechanism when
content data is exchanged between the communication devices 100A
and 100B will now be described.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of each of the
communication devices 100A and 100B that are included in the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure. The flowchart of FIG. 8 illustrates the operation of
the case where the communication is disconnected when data is
exchanged between the communication devices 100A and 100B. The
operation of the communication devices 100A and 100B that are
included in the communication system 1 according to the embodiment
of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to
FIG. 8.
If the communication devices 100A and 100B detect a disconnection
of the communication performed using the communication mechanism by
which data has been exchanged, then the source communication device
100A waits for transmission (reception by the communication device
100B is requested) to be performed using a communication method
which is the next candidate to be determined by the communication
strategic algorithm (step S131). In addition, the destination
communication device 100B waits for reception (transmission by the
communication device 100A is requested) performed using the
communication method that is the next candidate to be determined by
the communication strategic algorithm (step S141).
Subsequently, the communication device 100A determines whether the
communication device 100B initiates reception within a
predetermined timeout period (step S132), and the communication
device 100B determines whether the communication device 100A
initiates transmission within a predetermined timeout period (step
S142). If it is determined that the reception is initiated by the
communication device 100B, then the communication device 100A
performs a corresponding communication process based on the
communication mode which is determined in step S131 (step S133). If
it is determined that the transmission is initiated by the
communication device 100A, then the communication device 100B
performs a corresponding communication process based on the
communication mode which is determined in step S141 (step S143). If
it is determined that the reception is not initiated by the
communication device 100B, then the process is returned to step
S131, and the communication device 100A waits for transmission to
be performed using a communication method that is the next
candidate determined by the communication strategic algorithm. If
it is determined that the transmission is not initiated by the
communication device 100A, then the process is returned to step
S141, and the communication device 100B waits for reception to be
performed using the communication method that is the next candidate
determined by the communication strategic algorithm.
Furthermore, each process performed by the communication devices
100A and 100B illustrated in FIG. 8 is performed independently, not
in synchronization with each other. Because a disconnection of
communication is detected independently by each of the
communication devices 100A and 100B, the subsequent processes will
be performed independently by each of the communication devices
100A and 100B.
The process illustrated in FIG. 8 will be described in detail with
reference to the following example. By causing the communication
devices 100A and 100B to be in close proximity to each other as
shown in FIG. 4 and thus by performing short-range wireless
communication, the sharing of content is initiated between the
communication devices 100A and 100B. However, there is not
necessary to continue to cause the communication devices 100A and
100B to be in close proximity to each other until the sharing of
content between the communication devices 100A and 100B is
completed. The communication devices 100A and 100B may be spaced
away from each other such that the communication between them is no
longer performed.
If a disconnection of short-range wireless communication is
detected, each of the communication devices 100A and 100B specifies
a new communication mechanism based on the communication strategic
algorithm which has been shared at the time of initiating the
communication, as shown in FIG. 7. For example, it is assumed that
Bluetooth (registered trademark) is specified as a new
communication mechanism based on the communication strategic
algorithm.
Subsequently, each of the communication devices 100A and 100B
checks whether the communication performed using the new
communication mechanism is available. In this case, because an
authentication process of the communication devices 100A and 100B
is performed by the previously exchanged authentication mechanism,
the communication can be initiated automatically with a new
communication mechanism without performing a new authentication
process.
If the communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark) is
disconnected during the exchange of data, then the communication
devices 100A and 100B specify a new communication mechanism based
on the communication strategic algorithm. In this case, when the
communication is re-established within a predetermined timeout
period, the communication that uses the new communication mechanism
is resumed. When the communication using the new communication
mechanism is resumed, the communication devices 100A and 100B
continue to exchange content data without re-transmitting data
which has previously exchanged.
In addition, the timeout period that is set at the time of
switching of the communication mechanism may be dependent on the
priority. For example, the timeout period becomes shorter as the
priority becomes higher, and the timeout period becomes longer as
the priority becomes lower. By setting the timeout period in this
way, the communication devices 100A and 100B can reduce the time
taken until the establishment of communication that uses a
communication mode having a higher priority. In addition, if the
time necessary for switching of communication mode is constant,
then consequently it is possible to reduce the time taken until the
re-establishment of communication that uses a communication
mode.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of the case where the
timeout period that is set at the time of switching of
communication mechanisms is changed depending on the priority.
Three communication modes are illustrated in FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, the
length of timeout period of each communication mode is shown in a
rectangular shape. FIG. 9 also illustrates the case where the
priority is decreasing in the order of mode1, mode2, and mode3. In
this way, by setting the timeout period, the communication devices
100A and 100B can reduce the time taken until the communication is
re-established using the mode3.
A coverage area in which communication can be performed via
short-range wireless communication is very narrow, and is highly
dependent on the distance between devices. Therefore, in some
cases, the switching from the present communication mechanism to
another communication mechanism is desired immediately after the
sharing process of the authentication mechanism shown in step S104
of FIG. 3 is terminated. An operation of such a case will be
described.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of each of the
communication devices 100A and 100B that are included in the
communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present
disclosure. The flowchart of FIG. 10 illustrates an operation of
the case where the switching of communication mode is requested
from the receiving-side communication device 100B when data is
exchanged between the communication devices 100A and 100B. The
operation of each of the communication devices 100A and 100B that
are included in the communication system 1 according to the
embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with
reference to FIG. 10.
When the sharing process of authentication mechanism via shot-range
wireless communication between the communication devices 100A and
100B is terminated, the communication device 100B transmits a
request for switching of communication mechanism to the
communication device 100A (step S151). The communication device
100A, when receiving the request for switching of communication
mechanism from the communication device 100B, initiates a
transmission process using the requested communication mode (step
S152).
Subsequently, each of the communication devices 100A and 100B
performs the corresponding communication process according to the
flowchart shown in FIG. 3 (steps S153 and S154), and performs the
exchange of content data. In addition, the communication device
100A excludes the short-range wireless communication in advance
from among the available communication modes exchanged in step S102
of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3.
Since the short-range wireless communication is excluded in advance
from among the available communication modes exchanged in step S102
of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, the communication via short-range
wireless communication can be excluded from selectable candidates
in the subsequent communications. In addition, by performing such a
process, the communication devices 100A and 100B can dynamically
exclude a communication mechanism, which has a high communication
priority but is unstable. In addition, even when the case where the
communication mechanism, which has been not available at the time
of initiating the communication, becomes available depending on the
change in the surrounding environments, a new communication
mechanism can be incorporated into the communication strategic
algorithm by performing the process described above.
Moreover, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 10, the receiving-side
communication device 100B transmits a request for switching of
communication mechanism, or alternatively the transmitting-side
communication device 100A may transmit a request for switching of
communication mechanism.
Subsequently, when P2P communication is not enabled between the
communication devices 100A and 100B, a method of exchanging content
data between the communication devices 100A and 100B using a
mediation server provided on a network will now be described.
In the switching process of communication mechanism shown in FIG.
8, when the P2P communication has timed-out entirely, the source
communication device 100A changes the destination of content into a
cloud or dedicated server on the network 10 according to the
communication strategic algorithm which is shared in the flowchart
shown in FIG. 3. At this time, in order to reduce the time
necessary to receive and transmit content, the source communication
device 100A may transmit preferentially content that have not yet
transmitted.
The destination communication device 100B may obtain the content
that is uploaded by the communication device 100A using the
specified authentication mechanism (an ID or password). The content
is uploaded into a cloud or dedicated server on the network 10
specified based on the communication strategic algorithm which is
shared in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3.
In addition, when there are no content in a cloud or dedicated
server on the network 10 at the time of checking by the destination
communication device 100B, the communication device 100B performs a
polling operation on a cloud or dedicated server on the network 10
for a certain period of time or at a certain number of times. The
polling operation is performed based on information that is shared
in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3.
In this example, there may be considered the case where a cloud or
a server on the network 10 does not take over the middle of
transmission of content. In order to use effectively data received
at the time of reception and transmission in P2P communication,
when data is obtained from a cloud or a server on the network 10,
it is preferable to be able to exchange only data that has not yet
transmitted. However, there may be also cases where a cloud or a
server on the network 10 performs the uploading or downloading of
the same content in parallel, or a cloud or a server on the network
10 has no function that downloads only a portion of data that is
uploaded halfway.
When content information is exchanged between the communication
devices 100A and 100B using the process shown in FIG. 3,
transmission division information and hash information are shared
in advance between the communication devices 100A and 100B. In
addition, the unit of transmission division may be optionally
determined in accordance with communication environments. Thus, the
exchange of content data between the communication devices 100A and
100B is performed in the units defined by the transmission division
information.
The communication devices 100A and 100B, when exchanging data via a
cloud or a server on the network 10, regard the previously shared
hash information as key information and specify a portion of
content, thereby performing the reception or transmission. By
regarding the previously shared hash information as key
information, the communication devices 100A and 100B can realize
the pseudo parallel execution of the uploading and downloading of
content.
The procedure for switching of a communication method in the case
where a recording medium which is used to share content between the
communication devices 100A and 100B can be further connected to
other devices will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram for
explaining an exemplary configuration of the communication system 1
according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11
illustrates a personal computer 200 in addition to the
communication devices 100A and 100B. The personal computer 200 is
configured to be connectable with a memory card 108 of the
communication device 100B.
The communication device 100B stores the communication strategic
algorithm and authentication information on the memory card 108.
The communication strategic algorithm and authentication
information are obtained in advance from the communication device
100A in the process shown in FIG. 3. When the communication between
the communication devices 100A and 100B is disconnected after the
exchange of content data is initiated between the communication
devices 100A and 100B, the memory card 108 stored with the
communication strategic algorithm and authentication information is
inserted into the personal computer 200. Thus, communication
between the communication device 100A and the personal computer 200
can be resumed.
In this time, the communication device 100B can store content data
obtained from the communication device 100A in the memory card 108.
Thus, the communication device 100B can store the content data
stored in the memory card 108 on the personal computer 200 when the
communication between the communication device 100A and the
personal computer 200 into which the memory card 108 is inserted is
resumed after the communication between the communication devices
100A and 100B is disconnected.
<2. Summary and Conclusion>
As described above, the communication device 100A and the
communication device 100B that are included in the communication
system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure
exchange information in advance between the communication device
100A and the communication device 100B before the communication
device 100A transmits content data to the communication device
100B. The previously exchanged information is related to the
communication between the communication devices 100A and 100B.
The information regarding communication between the communication
devices 100A and 100B may be exchanged, for example, using
short-range wireless communication between the communication
devices 100A and 100B. The previous exchange of information between
the communication device 100A and the communication device 100B
makes it possible to prevent the authentication mechanism from
being exchanged whenever switching is performed even if the
communication mechanism is switched one after another, thereby
allowing the user to be unaware of switching of communication
mechanism and thereby being capable of exchanging data
seamlessly.
Since the switching algorithm of communication mechanism is shared
between the communication devices 100A and 100B at the time of
initiating the communication between the communication devices 100A
and 100B, the communication devices 100A and 100B can switch
automatically a plurality of communication mechanisms without
causing the user to become aware of the switching. In addition,
since the switching algorithm of communication mechanism is shared
between the communication devices 100A and 100B, the communication
devices 100A and 100B can automatically switch a communication
mechanism into a new one even when the communication for performing
the switching of communication mechanism has not been
performed.
Furthermore, when the communication mechanism between the
communication devices 100A and 100B is switched, the communication
devices 100A and 100B continue to receive and transmit data without
re-transmitting data which has previously received and transmitted.
Thus, it is possible to prevent unwanted traffic from occurring
when a communication mechanism is switched, and a receiving-side
can obtain the desired data immediately even when the communication
is switched.
The process illustrated in the embodiment described above may be
performed in hardware or software. When the process illustrated in
each of the embodiments described above is performed in software, a
controller such as a CPU incorporated in the communication device
100A or the communication device 100B may read out sequentially a
computer program stored in a recording medium such as ROM, HDD,
SSD, or the like, and may execute the program.
It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various
modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may
occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as
they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents
thereof.
For example, in the above embodiments, information is exchanged
between the communication devices 100A and 100B before content data
is transferred using short-range wireless communication, but the
communication mode which can be used in the exchange of information
prior to the transfer of content data is not limited to the above
embodiments. For example, information may be exchanged between the
communication devices 100A and 100B using the IrDA standard
protocol instead of short-range wireless communication. In
addition, for example, a two-dimensional barcode may be used in the
exchange of information prior to transferring content data. When
the communication device 100A is provided with a camera, a
two-dimensional barcode in which available communication modes are
embedded is displayed on the display unit 102 of the communication
device 100B and the camera captures the two-dimensional barcode,
thereby facilitating the exchange of information between the
communication devices 100A and 100B.
Furthermore, for example, if the communication device 100A is
disconnected from the communication device 100B when the
communication device 100A transmits content data to the
communication device 100B, the communication device 100A may allow
the display unit 102 to display available communication modes which
are previously exchanged between the communication devices 100A and
100B. By allowing the display unit 102 to display available
communication modes which are previously exchanged between the
communication devices 100A and 100B, the user can determine which
communication mode is used to transmit content data. Of course, the
communication device 100B that receives content data may cause the
display unit 102 to display available communication modes.
Additionally, the present technology may also be configured as
below.
(1) A communication device including:
a communication unit configured to include different communication
modes; and
an information exchange unit configured to exchange, before the
communication unit transmits information to a transmission
destination device, an available communication mode and
authentication information in advance with the transmission
destination device using a communication mode included in the
communication unit, the authentication information being used when
communication is performed using the communication mode.
(2) The communication device according to (1), wherein, when the
communication unit is disconnected from the transmission
destination device in transmitting information to the transmission
destination device, the communication unit selects a communication
mode different from the available communication mode exchanged by
the information exchange unit, authenticates the transmission
destination device using the authentication information exchanged
by the information exchange unit, and resumes transmission of
information to the transmission destination device.
(3) The communication device according to (2), wherein the
communication unit is configurable to set a timeout period for the
available communication mode exchanged by the information exchange
unit.
(4) The communication device according to (2) or (3), wherein, when
the communication unit resumes transmission of information to the
transmission destination device, the communication unit transmits,
to the transmission destination device, information following the
information that has been already transmitted.
(5) The communication device according to any one of (2) to (4),
wherein, when selecting a different communication mode, the
communication unit selects a communication mode based on a
priority.
(6) The communication device according to (5), wherein, when
selecting a different communication mode, the communication unit
sets a timeout period to be longer as the priority becomes
lower.
(7) The communication device according to any one of (1) to (6),
further including:
an information presentation unit configure to present the available
communication mode exchanged by the information exchange unit when
the communication unit is disconnected from the transmission
destination device in transmitting information to the transmission
destination device.
(8) The communication device according to any one of (1) to (7),
further including:
a storage unit for storing information related to the available
communication mode exchanged by the information exchange unit.
(9) The communication device according to (1), wherein the
information exchange unit exchanges the available communication
mode and the authentication information with the transmission
destination device using short-range wireless communication, the
authentication information being used when communication is
performed using the communication mode.
(10) A communication device including:
a communication unit configured to include different communication
modes; and
an information exchange unit configured to exchange, before the
communication unit receives information from a transmission source
device, an available communication mode and authentication
information in advance with the transmission source device using a
communication mode included in the communication unit, the
authentication information being used when communication is
performed using the communication mode.
(11) A communication method including:
communicating using one communication mode of different
communication modes; and
exchanging, before information is transmitted to a transmission
destination device in the communicating step, an available
communication mode and authentication information in advance with
the transmission destination device using a communication mode of
the different communication modes, the authentication information
being used when communication is performed using the communication
mode.
(12) A computer program for causing a computer to execute:
communicating using one communication mode of different
communication modes; and
exchanging, before information is transmitted to a transmission
destination device in the communicating step, an available
communication mode and authentication information in advance with
the transmission destination device using a communication mode of
the different communication modes, the authentication information
being used when communication is performed using the communication
mode.
(13) A communication system including:
a transmitting device configured to transmit information; and
a receiving device configured to directly or indirectly receive the
information transmitted by the transmitting device,
wherein the transmitting device includes a communication unit
configured to include different communication modes, and an
information exchange unit configured to exchange an available
communication mode and authentication information in advance with
the receiving device using a communication mode included in the
communication unit before the communication unit transmits
information to the receiving device, the authentication information
being used when communication is performed using the communication
mode, and
wherein the receiving device includes a communication unit
configured to include different communication modes, and an
information exchange unit configured to exchange an available
communication mode and authentication information in advance with
the transmitting device using a communication mode included in the
communication unit before the communication unit receives
information from the transmitting device, the authentication
information being used when communication is performed using the
communication mode.
* * * * *