JP4371991B2 - Communication apparatus and communication control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, a communication device and a control method thereof, and in particular, when one communication device communicates with a plurality of networks, the period during which the communication device participates in each network according to the communication status and communication state in each network. It is related with the method of adjusting.

  In the field of digital wireless communication technology used in offices and homes in recent years, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802. Wireless LAN standardized as IEEE 802.11 standard group by the committee's 802.11 working group and short-range wireless communication that realizes low cost and low power consumption standardized by Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) The Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is a method, has been put into practical use and various products are put on the market.

  Among these, in the wireless LAN, there are an ad hoc mode in which communication is performed directly between a plurality of communication devices without going through a LAN (Local Area Network), and an infrastructure mode in which the communication device communicates via an access point connected to the LAN. Is defined. In wireless LAN devices operating in the ad hoc mode, as shown in FIG. 10, a wireless channel access method based on independent distributed control (DCF) is used. In this system, in order to avoid collision of frames as much as possible, the use status of the radio channel is confirmed by carrier sense before frame transmission, and if no carrier is detected, frame transmission is performed. On the other hand, when a carrier is detected, the frame interval time is measured after the radio channel shifts to the idle state, and then the back-off time in which a value is randomly set inside each transmission request communication device is measured. A CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collection Avoidance) access control method is used in which carrier sense is performed again after elapse.

  Also, in the wireless LAN operating in the infrastructure mode, as shown in FIG. 11, unlike the ad hoc mode, access control of each communication device is realized by centralized control (PCF: Point Coordination Function) by a base station such as an access point. Yes. The PCF has a CFP (Contention Free Period) that avoids contention between devices when accessing the connected communication device, and a CF (Contention Period) that allows each device to allow contention and transfer frames at an arbitrary timing. For each communication device, transmission control of each device is performed by polling, and access control by CSMA / CA is performed during the CF period.

  Further, as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, in IEEE 802.11 task group e, DLP communicates directly between communication devices connected to the same access point in infrastructure mode without going through the access point. (Direct Link Protocol) is being studied. When this function is realized, a communication device operating in the infrastructure mode and accessing the network can directly communicate with a specific communication device. FIG. 11 illustrates a state in which when the terminal TM2 shifts to DLP, it communicates directly with the terminal TM1 without receiving polling from the access point.

  On the other hand, in Bluetooth (registered trademark), a network is configured by a master that performs communication control and polling control for performing access control of communication devices, and a slave that performs communication according to a signal from the master. A piconet composed of seven slaves can be formed. When a communication device belonging to a Bluetooth (registered trademark) network is connected to a LAN, the access point is a master and the communication device connected to the network is a slave. In Bluetooth (registered trademark), a frequency hopping type spread spectrum system is used. Bluetooth (registered trademark) frequency hopping communicates with a frequency width of 1 MHz at a certain moment, but this 1 MHz signal frequency band is randomly hopped within a frequency width of 79 MHz every 625 microseconds. To do. Terminals belonging to the same piconet need to synchronize and switch frequencies to be used for communication at the same frequency every 625 microseconds. Therefore, Bluetooth (registered trademark) data communication is slotted every 625 microseconds, and a packet transmitted and received in one slot is called a single slot packet. In the piconet, time-division multiplexing (time-division slot multiplexing) of communication is performed in units of slots, so that a plurality of terminals in the piconet can communicate. All terminals in the piconet have a counter called a Bluetooth clock because they need to maintain slot synchronization. The Bluetooth clock is a counter whose clock increment is 312.5 microseconds, and the slaves belonging to one piconet have the same value as the master Bluetooth clock to match the value of the Bluetooth clock with that of the master Bluetooth clock. The clock offset, which is the difference between the two, is calculated, and the clock synchronization is maintained by adding (or subtracting) the offset to the Bluetooth clock of its own device. Terminals in one piconet have the same frequency hopping pattern. This enables communication between terminals.

In addition, Bluetooth (registered trademark) has means for realizing a configuration similar to that of the DLP studied in the wireless LAN. For example, a communication device connected to an access point (one piconet), in order to join another piconet (for example, a new piconet with a communication device such as a PC), a master (in this case) controlling the piconet Configuration that opens the connection with the access point by switching to the power saving mode that temporarily performs intermittent reception by communicating with the access point), and switches to the communication timing of other piconets (hereinafter referred to as scatternet) Is defined.
Hideaki Matsue and Masahiro Morikura “802.11 High-Speed Wireless LAN Textbook”, IDG Japan, p120

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and has the following configuration. That is, a communication device that can be connected to a plurality of networks by a wireless communication unit ,
A setting means for arbitrating and setting a communication suspension period in which communication is not performed in the network according to the communication state of each network;
Notification means for notifying the plurality of networks of the communication suspension period set by the setting means;
Based on the setting of the communication stop period, stop means for stopping communication in the plurality of networks,
The setting means, the portion of the plurality of networks each communication prohibited periods overlap, and so that the communication period of participation of each of the plurality of networks do not overlap, providing a communication hold period of each network,
In the period that partially overlap the plurality of network respective communication hold period, characterized that you stop the power supply to the radio communication unit.

  Even when a large amount of data is transmitted from one communication device and a small amount of data is transferred from the other communication device, contention on the wireless communication channel occurs. In this case, there is a problem in that access of a communication device that transfers a large amount of data is not necessarily prioritized, resulting in inefficient traffic control.

  Also, when traffic from a plurality of communication devices occurs to a specific communication device in the infrastructure mode operation of the wireless LAN, it is possible to avoid contention for the wireless communication channel by the PCF, but the data passes through the access point. Therefore, there is a problem that traffic is generated twice as compared with the case of transferring data between communication devices and the use efficiency of the radio channel is lowered. Even during direct data transfer operation between communication devices by DLP, which is being studied as a means to solve this problem, communication with the access point is interrupted during data transfer between communication devices, so it is connected to the LAN. In the configuration in which the timing control is led by the access point when other communication devices are communicating with the specific communication device through the access point in the same manner, it is difficult to adjust the communication timing by the DLP, There arises a problem that optimum access control cannot be performed.

  Also, in the Bluetooth (registered trademark) piconet operation, similarly to the wireless LAN infrastructure mode, a communication device (slave) is passed through a master (corresponding to the access point shown in the example of the wireless LAN) that controls access timing. Because communication between the two is performed, there is a problem that traffic in the wireless section increases and efficient data transfer cannot be performed. Even in the scatternet operation described in the above-mentioned conventional example as means for avoiding this problem, the access timing control for a specific slave device (hereinafter referred to as slave 1) is saved with each asynchronously operating master. Since the access timing is determined according to the timing of the power mode, there arises a problem that the initially set access time cannot be secured due to the shift of the clock frequency between the masters.

  In addition, when the communication traffic with the slave 1 changes and the communication time with one master is changed, it is necessary to reset the power saving mode transition time with each master, and according to the traffic change There is also a problem that it is difficult to adapt the access time sequentially. As a means to solve this problem, Bluetooth SIG is studying a method of notifying each piconet during a period (communication suspension period) in a slave participating in a plurality of piconets. There is a problem that it is difficult to perform access control according to a communication state such as traffic because the way of giving is not disclosed.

  As described above, in a communication method that allows one communication device to belong to a plurality of networks at the same time, it is necessary to adjust the timing at which each communication device can or cannot access each network. Adjustment was difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and has the following configuration. That is, the communication device is a monitoring unit that monitors the communication status with a plurality of networks, and the communication timing for communication with each of the plurality of networks is set by arbitration according to the communication status of each network. Setting means for notifying the plurality of networks of information related to the communication timing, and communication means for switching communication to each of the plurality of networks based on the setting of the communication timing, the setting means, The communication timing is dynamically changed based on a communication state monitored by a monitoring unit.

  According to the present invention, communication devices that belong to a plurality of networks simultaneously can adjust the bandwidth of each network according to the communication state, for example, the type of data related to communication, the data amount, the traffic amount, the control state of the counterpart device, and the like. For this reason, it is possible not only to appropriately allocate communication resources to each network, but also to efficiently use communication resources, and there are effects such as shortening communication time and improving productivity such as data exchange. .

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an information terminal 101, an access point 102, and a printer 103 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the information terminal 101 is connected to the access point 102 using Bluetooth (registered trademark) of a short-range wireless communication method, so that FTP, Web access, etc. are performed via a wired network in which the access point 102 participates. Use the application. The information terminal 101 is connected to the printer 103 using Bluetooth (registered trademark), and print data in the information terminal 101 is transferred to the printer 103 to perform printing processing. In the first and second embodiments, Bluetooth (registered trademark) is used as a wireless communication method. However, by simultaneously switching to a network that communicates with a plurality of networks microscopically by time division control. Any communication method implemented can be applied.

<Outline of First Embodiment>
In the case of the present embodiment, in the piconet 111 composed of the access point 102 and the information terminal 101, the access point 102 becomes a master terminal that is a control entity of the piconet in order to cope with access from other devices, and the information terminal 101 Becomes a slave terminal. On the other hand, in the piconet 112 composed of the printer 103 and the information terminal 101, the terminal 101 serves as a master terminal that is the controlling entity of the piconet in order to cope with access from other devices, and the printer 103 serves as a slave terminal. Therefore, when the information terminal 101 communicates with the printer 103 while communicating with the access point 102, the information terminal 101 constructs a scatter net between the access point 102 and the printer 103, so that the two piconet Makes it possible to share the information terminal 101. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to communicate more reliably with each terminal, the information terminal 101 communicates with each terminal by notifying each terminal of the communication stop period and controlling the communication timing.

  In the information terminal 101, an FTP client application that performs FTP communication with a server on the wired network via the access point 102 and a print application program that performs print processing with the printer 103 (hereinafter abbreviated as an application). Is executed. In this embodiment, the information terminal 101 monitors the operation state of these applications, and appropriately sets and notifies the communication stop period to be notified to the access point 102 and the printer 103 according to the change in the application state, thereby notifying the information terminal 101. Communication is performed while optimizing communication resources of the terminal 101.

<Configuration of information terminal>
The configuration of the information terminal 101 in this embodiment will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. The information terminal 101 includes at least a short-range wireless communication unit 201, a communication suspension period arbitration unit 202, a state monitoring unit 203, and a data management unit 204. These components are realized by a hardware configuration of a general-purpose computer that can execute the above-described application, communication hardware that can implement Bluetooth (registered trademark), and software executed by the computer. The short-range wireless communication unit 201 has a function of performing wireless communication with surrounding terminals using a short-range wireless communication method (Bluetooth (registered trademark in this embodiment)). The communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 has a function of arbitrating the communication suspension period of each piconet when performing communication using a scatternet. The state monitoring unit 203 has a function of monitoring the state of an application that operates on the information terminal 101 and uses communication via a scatternet. The data management unit 204 includes an operation state definition table 204a that defines the association between the operation state of the operation application and the length of the communication stop period, the operation state of the currently executed application, the corresponding communication stop period, and the communication stop. It has a function of managing information necessary for communication control by the scatternet, such as a communication stop parameter table 204b that stores a period cycle, a communication stop period start time, and the like in association with each other. The communication stop parameter table 204b is created for each application. FIG. 6 shows an example of the operation state definition table 204a.

<Communication control procedure>
Next, a communication processing procedure by the information terminal 101 using the scatternet with the access point 102 and the printer 103 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 shows the flow of data transmitted and received when a scatternet is constructed between the information terminal 101, the access point 102, and the printer 103. The time axis (Tap) based on the Bluetooth (registered trademark) clock of each terminal. , Tpc, Tpr).

  When constructing a scatternet, first, in a period Tc1-Tc2, the information terminal 101 notifies the access point 102 and the printer 103 of a communication stop period. The communication stop period notification includes a communication stop period start time (Ta1, Tb1 for each network), a communication stop period period T, and a communication stop period length L (L1, L2 for each network).

  The communication stop start time is a value for notifying the time for starting the communication stop period, and is notified, for example, as the Bluetooth clock value of the master terminal in the piconet at the time of starting the communication stop period. Since the information terminal 101 is a slave in the piconet 111, for example, based on its own Bluetooth clock, it may be converted into a master clock value shifted by the clock offset value in the piconet 111 and notified.

  The communication stop period period T is a value that notifies the period from the start of one communication stop period to the start of the next communication stop period by the number of slots. In the present embodiment, the communication stop period period T is the same for a plurality of piconets (ie, networks). This is because if the periods T are different from each other, slots assigned to each network overlap due to a phase shift in the communication stop period, and time division multiplexing cannot be realized.

The communication stop period length L is a value for notifying the length of one communication stop period by the number of slots. The communication stop period length L is determined by the information terminal 101 so as to satisfy all of the following conditions.
(1) The sum of the communication stop period length for each terminal is equal to the communication stop period period T.
(2) Either terminal is in the communication suspension period at any point in the communication suspension period T.

  In FIG. 3, the communication stop period length L1 for the access point 102 determined by the information terminal 101 and the communication stop period length L2 for the printer 103 are equal to the communication stop period period T, and the sum of L1 and L2 is one communication. The start time of the stop period and the end time of the other communication stop time are assigned to be synchronized. In FIG. 3, L1 and L2 are allocated in such a manner that T is divided into two equal parts.

  The information terminal 101 notifies the access point 102 of the communication stop period start time Ta1, the communication stop period period T, and the communication stop period length L1 to the access point 102, and notifies the printer 103 of the communication stop period length determined under the above conditions. The communication stop period start time Tb1, the communication stop period period T, and the communication stop period length L2 are notified.

  When the communication stop period notification is received from the information terminal 101, the access point 102 and the printer 103 each stop communication with the information terminal 101 according to the parameters specified in the notification. The information terminal 101 communicates with the other terminal during the communication suspension period of one terminal (either the access point 102 or the printer 103).

  In this embodiment, the communication stop period lengths L1 and L2 are allocated in the form of bisecting the communication stop period period T when the scatternet is constructed. For example, the allocation method of the L1 and L2 times is as follows: You may assign according to parameters, such as the kind of device class of the other party terminal which becomes clear at the time of communication start. As an example, when communication is established with a new communication device during communication with the access point, if it is determined that the device class of this communication device is a printer requesting high traffic, L is set to T. For example, 80% is allocated, and 20% of T is allocated to L2. As another L1 and L2 time allocation method, the communication status with a device that is already communicating at the time of establishing the scatternet may be confirmed, and the time allocation ratio of L1 and L2 may be changed according to this status. . As an example, when new communication is established by another communication device (for example, PC) during high traffic communication with the access point by FTP, 70% of the communication suspension period T is set for the access point. There is a method of allocating 30% of T to allocation and PC. In these methods, for example, the communication stop period length (ratio to the communication stop period period) associated with the device class or the number of occupied channels (slots) for each device is registered in the table in advance, and when the communication stop period is notified, This can be realized by referring to the table. When the sum of all ratios does not become 1, it may be prorated according to the ratio of the communication stop period length corresponding to each device. With the above procedure, the information terminal 101 communicates with the access point 102 and the printer 103 via the scatternet.

<Change in communication suspension period>
Next, the procedure of the communication stop period change process during communication by the scatter net in the information terminal 101 will be described with reference to FIG. This communication suspension period changing process is started with the start of communication by the scatternet as a trigger.

  In step S <b> 401, the state monitoring unit 203 of the information terminal 101 collects operation states of applications that are executed in the information terminal 101 and that use communication via a scatternet. In this step, the state monitoring unit 203 may collect the operation state by periodically issuing a state request to the application. For example, when the application starts communication, the state monitoring unit 203 notifies the state monitoring unit 203 of the operation state. The state monitoring unit 203 may acquire the operation state of the application.

  In step S402, the information terminal 101 compares the operation state collected in step S401 with the operation state at the time of the previous collection stored in the communication stop parameter table 204b of the data management unit 204, and there is a change in the application state. Determine if there was. Since an item is registered for each process ID in the communication stop parameter table 204b, an operation state is compared for an item (that is, an application) whose process ID matches the application being executed. If the operation state has changed as a result of the comparison, the collected operation state is saved (updated) in the communication stop parameter table 204b of the data management unit 204, and the process proceeds to step S403. If the state has not changed, the process returns to step S401. .

  In step S <b> 403, the information terminal 101 performs communication stop period arbitration processing for determining a new communication stop period for the access point 102 and the printer 103. Details of the communication suspension period arbitration process will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S404, the information terminal 101 performs communication stop period notification processing for notifying the access point 102 and the printer 103 of the new communication stop period determined in step S403. Details of the communication stop period notification process will be described later with reference to FIG. After notifying each terminal of the communication suspension period in this step, the process returns to step S401 again to monitor the operation state of the application. The communication suspension period is changed by the above procedure.

<Notice of communication suspension period>
Next, the procedure of communication suspension period arbitration processing (step S403) in the information terminal 101 will be described with reference to FIG. In step S501, the communication stop period arbitration unit 202 acquires the operation state of the application whose operation state has changed from the communication stop parameter table 204b of the data management unit 204, and analyzes the state. In step S502, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 determines whether the operation state is a new connection to the network, that is, communication is started. If it is a new connection state, the process proceeds to step S503, and if it is a state other than the start of communication, the process proceeds to step S504.

  In step S503, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 registers the process ID of the application that has started communication in the communication suspension parameter table 204b of the data management unit 204 as an active application, and the communication suspension parameter table 204b related to the application. Create Further, the communication stop period length L corresponding to the operation state of the current application is registered in the communication stop parameter table 204b in association with the process ID of the operating application. The communication stop parameter table 204b stores other parameters of the communication stop period (communication stop period period and start time), which are set in step S508. The correspondence between the operation state of the current application and the communication suspension period length L is defined in the operation state definition table 204a (see FIG. 6). The operation state definition table 204a may be prepared for each application that uses communication, but the operation states that can be taken by various applications (printer application and FTP application in FIG. 6) as shown in FIG. In summary, applications can share the operation state definition table 204a.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the operation state definition table 204a and the communication stop parameter table 204b. In the operation state definition table 204a, the value of the communication stop period length L is registered as a ratio with respect to the case where the communication stop period period T is 1. For example, in the case of the operation state of the print application in the present embodiment, when the state is “Printing (Print_Printing)”, in order to obtain as much communication band as possible, the communication stop period length L is registered as 0.01. . In the case of “waiting for print job (Print_Idle)”, “receiver buffer busy (Print_Buffer_Full)”, or “printer error (Print_Error)”, the print application does not communicate the print data and prints the printer status and command. Since it is sufficient if a communication band for transmission / reception can be secured, the communication stop period length L is registered as 0.95. Similarly, in the case of the operation state of the FTP client application in this embodiment, when the state is “file transfer (FTP_Transfer)”, in order to obtain as much communication band as possible, the communication stop period length L is 0.01. It is registered. In the state of “waiting for transfer file (FTP_Idle)” or “file transfer error (FTP_Error)”, it is sufficient for the FTP client application to secure a communication band for command transmission / reception, and therefore the communication stop period length L is 0.95. It is registered with. The operation state definition table 204a as described above is prepared in the data management unit 204 in advance before executing an application on the information terminal 101.

  In this embodiment, one network is used by one application. However, when the information terminal 101 supports multitasking, a plurality of applications being executed at the same time may use one network. In this case, a slot assigned to one network is shared by applications that use the network and are executed in parallel. Therefore, the sum of communication participation periods (= 1−communication suspension period) by a plurality of applications using the same network is obtained, and a value obtained by subtracting the sum from the communication suspension period period (= 1) is defined as the total communication suspension period length. It may be registered in the communication stop parameter table. If the calculated sum is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum value, the minimum value is registered. That is, for example, when two applications use the same network, assuming that the length of communication suspension period is La and Lb, if (La + Lb-1)> minimum value, that value is set, otherwise the minimum value is set, The communication stop period length related to these two applications is registered in the communication stop parameter table 204b. Of course, this is an example.

  In step S504, it is determined whether a plurality of items (items correspond to one process ID) are registered in the communication stop parameter table 204b. Multiple items correspond to applications that use different networks. If not a plurality of registrations, the process proceeds to step S508, and the communication stop period start time is registered in the communication stop parameter table 204b. In this case, since it is not necessary to adjust the communication stop period for each network, an appropriate time can be set as the communication stop period start time. The communication suspension period T is also set here, but this value may be a predetermined value.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S504 that there are a plurality of registrations (ie, if there are already registered items at the time of new registration, or if the state of the application has changed in a plurality of registered states), stop With reference to the period parameter table 204b, all the registered communication suspension period lengths L are read (L1 ′ and L2 ′ in FIG. 5). In step S506, it is determined whether the sum of the communication stop period lengths is equal to the communication stop period T (1 in this example because it is normalized). If not, the process proceeds to step S507 to adjust the communication stop period.

  In step S507, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 changes the communication suspension period length so that the sum of the communication suspension period lengths becomes 1. In FIG. 5, the communication suspension period length is changed so that the sum of the communication suspension period lengths L1 ′ and L2 ′ becomes 1.

  In step S508, the communication stop period start time is registered in the communication stop parameter table 204b. As shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the end of one communication stop period and the start of the other communication stop period are synchronized. For this reason, if the communication stop period start time Tb1 is appropriately set for one network, a value obtained by adding the communication stop period length L2 corresponding to the value is set as the communication stop period start time Ta1 for the other network. Of course, the communication suspension period is T, which is common. The communication stop parameter table may be registered as a value obtained by normalizing the communication stop period period T. In this case, when transmitting the communication stop period parameter to each terminal, the Bluetooth clock Need to be converted to In this case, since the communication suspension period T is set to 1, the conversion may be performed by multiplying the value of T by the Bluetooth clock. Of course, this value may be registered in the communication stop parameter table. Thereafter, the communication stop period notification process is started in step S404 in FIG. 4, and the communication stop period start time, the communication stop period period, and the communication stop period length, which are parameters of the changed communication stop period, are passed, and the communication stop is performed. By requesting the period notification process, the communication stop period arbitration process is terminated.

  The communication suspension period arbitration process in step S403 will be specifically described. For example, communication stop period arbitration when the operation state of the print application is changed from “Waiting for print job (Print_Idle)” to “Printing (Print_Printing)” and the operation state of the FTP application is “Waiting for transfer file (FTP_Idle)” In the process, first, in step S503, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 refers to the operation state definition table 204a, and sets a new communication suspension period length L2 ′ for the printer 103 in the suspension period parameter table 204b to 0.95. To do. Further, the communication suspension period length L1 ′ for the access point 102 is not changed because the state has not changed, and is kept at 0.01.

  In step S506, since the sum of L1 ′ and L2 ′ is less than 1, the process proceeds to S507, and the value of L2 ′ is changed to 0.05 so that the sum of the communication suspension period lengths L1 ′ and L2 ′ is equal to 1. To do. In step S508, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 is based on the set L1 ′ and L2 ′, so that one of the terminals enters the communication suspension period at any point in the communication suspension period T. Then, a new communication stop period start time for the access point 102 and the printer 103 is set, and a new communication stop period parameter for each terminal is passed to the communication stop period notification process. In the process of step S507 of the above specific example, the value of L1 ′ is changed according to the setting value 0.95 of L2 ′, but the value of L2 ′ is set to 0. 0 according to the setting value 0.01 of L1 ′. The value may be changed to 99, or the value of L1 ′ may be changed to 0.03, and the value of L2 ′ may be changed to 0.97. When either one is changed, which one is changed may be determined in advance, for example, or a larger value may be changed. With the above procedure, the mediation of the communication suspension period is performed.

<Another example of adjustment criteria>
Also, when adjusting the communication suspension period, if the communication suspension period length of one network becomes longer, the bandwidth of that network will be narrowed, so which bandwidth will be narrowed based on the Bluetooth profile used, etc. Can also be determined. The Bluetooth profile is a protocol defined for each device, and includes, for example, a profile for moving image reproduction, a profile for audio reproduction, a profile for printing, and a general-purpose profile. At this time, when a profile for moving image reproduction or a profile for audio reproduction is used, communication using these profiles requires a certain band or more for content reproduction. Therefore, once the communication suspension period length is determined according to the type of data and the type of profile, it is possible to change the communication suspension period length to be longer when adjusting the communication suspension period length in step S508. Not desirable. This is because the bandwidth may be narrowed and playback may be interrupted. Also in the printer profile, when an electrophotographic printer is used, if a certain amount of bandwidth is not secured because of a large amount of data, there is a possibility that printing will be interrupted due to a buffer underrun.

  Therefore, if a profile for equipment that requires a guaranteed bandwidth is used, such as a video playback profile, audio playback profile, or printer profile, the network on which the profile is used In order not to extend the communication suspension period length for the other network, adjustment is made with the communication suspension period length for other networks.

<Notice of communication suspension period>
Next, the procedure of the communication stop period notification process in the information terminal 101 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 shows the flow of data transmitted / received when the communication stop period is changed during communication between the information terminal 101, the access point 102, and the printer 103, based on the Bluetooth clock of each terminal. It is illustrated along the time axis (tAP, tPC, tPR). In FIG. 7, the information terminal 101 notifies the access point 102 of the communication stop period L1 and the printer 103 of the communication stop period L2, and communicates with the other terminal during the communication stop period of one terminal. And we are communicating via scatternet.

  Here, when the operation state of the printer is changed in the period Tc4-Tc5 and the communication stop period for the printer 103 is changed by the communication stop period arbitration process, the information terminal 101 first sends the information to the printer 103 in the period Tc4-Tc5. On the other hand, referring to the communication stop parameter table 204b set by the communication stop period arbitration process, the printer 103 is notified of the communication stop period start time Tc5, the communication stop period period T, and the communication stop period length L2 ′.

  Similarly, in the period Tc5-Tc6, which is a communication period with the access point 102 next to the period when the information terminal 101 notifies the printer 103 of a new communication stop period, the communication stop period start time Ta5, By notifying the communication stop period period T and the communication stop period length L1 ′, the access point 102 is notified of a new communication stop period.

  When the notification of the new communication stop period is received from the information terminal 101, the access point 102 and the printer 103 stop communication with the information terminal 101 according to the parameters specified in the notification, and the information terminal 101 stops communication with one terminal. Communicate with the other terminal during the period. With the above procedure, a change in the communication suspension period is notified during communication via the scatternet.

  With the configuration and control described above, the apparatus according to the present embodiment belonging to a plurality of networks can allocate slots according to the application state and secure necessary bandwidths so that the allocation of slots allocated to each network does not overlap. . For this reason, it is possible to dynamically realize the optimum assignment corresponding to the change in the state of the application. Furthermore, slots can be allocated to a plurality of networks so that there is no space. That is, efficient communication can be realized.

  Note that the information terminal according to the present embodiment controls the bandwidth of each network by passing the parameters for the communication suspension period to each terminal as described above. This means that the communication terminal arbitrates the communication timing for each network. It can be said that the information regarding the communication timing determined as a result of this is notified to each network.

[Second Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the operation state table 901a in FIG. 9 is used instead of the operation state definition table 204a in FIG. 6, and the communication stop period parameter table 901b in FIG. 9 is used in place of the communication stop period parameter table 204b. The configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. Of course, a change in the processing contents accompanying the change of the table occurs. Hereinafter, in the embodiment, a change in communication state when the information terminal 101 performs communication between the access point 102 and the printer 103 is monitored based on the type of transfer data, and the access point 102, An embodiment in which communication is performed while optimizing the communication resources of the information terminal 101 by appropriately setting and notifying the communication stop period to be notified to the printer 103 will be described. Note that the communication suspension period allocation method at the time of constructing the scatternet is the same procedure as in the first embodiment, so the description thereof is omitted, and the communication suspension period change process during communication by the scatternet in the information terminal 101 is omitted. The procedure will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same FIG. 4 is referred to in some cases, but the trigger for changing the communication period is different.

<Communication period change processing according to data type>
This communication suspension period changing process is started with the start of communication by the scatternet as a trigger. First, the case where the communication period changing process is performed according to the type of transfer data as the communication state will be described.

  In step S401, the state monitoring unit 203 of the information terminal 101 collects the types of data transferred by communication using a scatternet. In this step, the state monitoring unit 203 may collect the operation state by periodically issuing an acquisition request for the type of data to be transferred to each communication device. For example, the information terminal 101 starts transferring data. In this case, the state monitoring unit 203 may acquire the type of transfer data by notifying the state monitoring unit 203. The information terminal 101 can determine the data type based on the Bluetooth profile used in each network. The Bluetooth profile is a protocol formulated for each device (access point and printer in the example of FIG. 1), and is determined according to the network device used by the application executed by the information device 101. For example, if printing is performed from the printer 103, a printer profile is used. If image data is read from an access point, a still image profile is used. If the printer profile is used, the transferred data type can be determined as print data. If the still image profile is used, the transferred data can be determined as a thumbnail file. In this way, the data type can be determined based on the Bluetooth profile. Of course, this is only an example. For example, the application may be configured to notify the status monitoring unit 203 of the data type to be transferred, or the status monitoring unit 203 monitors the file name to be transferred, The data type can be determined by reading the file extension (however, the file structure of the information terminal 101 is limited). For example, in Windows (registered trademark), the file extension represents the file type, and the data type can be determined based on the value of the file extension.

  In step S402, the information terminal 101 compares the operation state collected in step S401 with the operation state at the previous collection stored in the data management unit 204, and determines whether or not the type of transfer data has changed. . Here, for example, when the information terminal 101 has accessed the Web page via the access point 102 and then the file has started to be downloaded, or when it is in an idle state in communication with the printer 103. The collected operation state is stored in the data management unit 204 when the state has changed, for example, when print data transfer processing is started, and the process proceeds to step S403. If the state has not changed, the collected operation state is stored. Is stored in the data management unit 204, and the process returns to step S401.

  In step S <b> 403, the information terminal 101 performs communication stop period arbitration processing for determining a new communication stop period for the access point 102 and the printer 103. Details of the communication suspension period arbitration process will be described later.

  In step S404, the information terminal 101 performs communication stop period notification processing for notifying the access point 102 and the printer 103 of the new communication stop period determined in step S403. Details of the communication suspension period notification process will be described later. After notifying each terminal of the communication suspension period in this step, the process returns to step S401 again to monitor the operation state of the application.

<Communication stop period arbitration process>
Next, the procedure of the communication suspension period arbitration process in the information terminal 101 will be described with reference to FIG. In step S801, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 acquires the operation state of the application whose operation state has changed from the data management unit 204, and analyzes the operation state.

  In step S802, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 determines whether there is a newly registered terminal whose operation state has changed. If there is a newly registered terminal, the process proceeds to step S803, and if it is in a state other than the start of communication, the process proceeds to step S804.

  In step S803, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 uses the individual identification information (terminal ID, for example, address information) of the partner communication device that is newly registered, that is, the communication is newly started, as the communication suspension period parameter of the data management unit 204. Register as a communication status monitoring terminal in the table 901b. Further, the communication suspension period length L is also registered according to the operation state (data type to be transmitted / received) for the terminal. The communication stop period length corresponding to this data type is acquired with reference to the operation state table 901a. The data type can be determined according to the application to be executed, for example. When the data type is notified in the process of establishing a communication channel or the like prior to data transfer, or when the data type is determined according to the protocol, the data type transferred prior to data transfer can be determined.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of the operation state table 901a. In the operation state table 901a, the individual identification information (terminal ID) of the terminal and the communication state (data type in FIG. 9 and the case of detecting the communication state change according to the type of data transferred in FIG. 9 are described. In this area, the standard applied differs depending on the determination condition.) And the corresponding communication stop period length L is registered. Other fields are set in step S807. The terminal ID may not be in the operation state table 901a, but in this example, the data type is registered for each terminal ID.

  In the operation state table 901a of FIG. 9, the value of the communication stop period length L is registered as a ratio with respect to the case where the communication stop period period T is 1. For example, in the present embodiment, when the criterion for determining the communication state is the type of transfer data, if the transfer data is a “document file (DOC file)”, it is desired to obtain as much communication band as possible. It is registered as 0.01. In addition, when transferring data such as “Null data”, it is sufficient to secure a communication band for holding a communication path, so the communication suspension period L is registered as 0.95. Similarly, in the communication state with the printer in the present embodiment, when the type of data to be transferred is “print data”, the communication stop period length L is registered as 0.01 in order to obtain as much communication band as possible. The In addition, in the case of “status signal” for notifying the printer status or “Null data” for maintaining the communication path, it is sufficient to secure a communication band for transmitting and receiving a small amount of data. It is registered as 0.95.

  Further, when the type of file to be transferred requires communication with a relatively short cycle such as voice data (not shown), the communication stop period cycle T can be set short. Of course, the values in FIG. 9 are merely examples, and the definition of the data type classification and the communication suspension period length corresponding to the classification can be variously changed. However, even if it is changed, the communication stop period length L is reduced when a wide communication band is required, and the communication stop period length L is increased when the narrow communication band is in time.

  In addition, when the criterion for determining the communication state is the data amount, a communication band that secures the specific data amount in a specific range is determined, and the communication stop period length L that can secure this band is registered. Here, in the present embodiment, the communication stop period length L to be registered is described as a fixed value, but the state always takes a constant value as in the case where traffic is used as a criterion for determining the communication state. Under such circumstances, the value of the registered period L can be changed at any time.

  FIG. 9 also shows an example of the communication stop parameter table 901b. In association with the terminal ID, the data type, communication stop period length, communication stop period period, and communication stop period start time are registered. This table is dynamically updated and updated to the contents corresponding to the operation state by the procedure of FIG.

  In step S804, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 refers to the operation state table 901a, so that the access point 102 (that is, the piconet 111) or the printer 103 (that is, the piconet 112) corresponding to the current operation state of the application is updated. The communication stop period length L1 ′ or L2 ′ is set in the communication stop parameter table 901b.

  In step S805, the communication stop period arbitration unit 202 calculates the sum of the communication stop period lengths L1 ′ and L2 ′, determines whether the value is equal to the communication stop period period T, and if not equal to step S806. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S807.

  In step S806, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 changes the communication suspension period length so that the sum of the communication suspension period lengths L1 ′ and L2 ′ becomes equal to the communication suspension period period T. Further, as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the end of one communication stop period and the other communication stop period are synchronized. Therefore, the relationship between the adjusted communication stop period lengths L1 ′ and L2 ′ and the communication stop period period is L1 ′ + L2 ′ = T (= 1). In step S806, the values of the communication stop period lengths L1 ′ and L2 ′ registered in the communication stop parameter table 901b are adjusted so that this condition is satisfied. Which is changed and adjusted may be the same as in the first embodiment.

  In step S807, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 sets the newly set communication suspension period lengths L1 ″ and L2 ″ in the communication suspension parameter table 901b and stores them in the data management unit 204. That is, the communication suspension period T is not changed in this embodiment, and the period of communication suspension for each network and the start are synchronized. Therefore, if the communication stop period length changes, it is necessary to change the communication stop period start time accordingly. For example, if the communication stop period start time for one network is used as a reference (this is called the reference side), when changing the reference side period, only the communication stop period length is changed, and the communication stop period start time is set to There is no need to change. When changing the other period that is not the reference side, the communication stop period start time is shifted by the changed amount at the same time as changing the communication stop period length. For example, if the communication stop period length is extended, the communication stop period start time is advanced by the extended time. It is clear that either communication stop period may be used as a reference. That is, the stop period before the adjustment in step S806 is L1 ′, and the stop period after the adjustment is L1 ″. In this case, if the communication stop period start time before the adjustment to be changed is T1, T1− ( L1 ″ −L1 ′) is the communication stop period start time after adjustment.

  Then, the communication stop period notification process in step S404 is started, and the communication stop period start time, the communication stop period period, and the communication stop period length, which are parameters of the changed communication stop period, are connected to the information terminal 101. The communication stop period arbitration process is completed by passing the request to the network terminal (that is, the access point 102 and the printer 103) and requesting the communication stop period notification process. However, the notification target may be a terminal whose communication suspension period parameter is changed.

  The communication stop period arbitration process will be described in detail. For example, the type of transfer data from the information terminal 101 to the printer 103 changes from “status signal” to “print data” and is transferred to one access point. In the communication suspension period arbitration process when the data type is “Null data”, first, in step S804, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 refers to the operation state table, and a new communication suspension period for the access point 102 is obtained. The length L1 ′ is set to 0.95, and the new communication suspension period length L2 ′ to the printer 103 is set to 0.01. In step S805, since the sum of L1 ′ and L2 ′ is less than 1, the process proceeds to S806, and the value of L2 ′ is set to 0.05 so that the sum of the communication suspension period lengths L1 ′ and L2 ′ is equal to 1. change. In step S807, the communication suspension period arbitration unit 202 says that either terminal enters the communication suspension period at any point in the communication suspension period T based on the set L1 ′ and L2 ′. Under the conditions, a new communication stop period start time for the access point 102 and the printer 103 is set, and a new communication stop period parameter for each terminal is passed to the communication stop period notification process. In the process of step S805 of the above specific example, the value of L1 ′ is changed according to the setting value 0.95 of L2 ′, but the value of L2 ′ is set to 0 according to the setting value 0.01 of L1 ′. .99 may be changed, or the value of L1 ′ may be changed to 0.03, the value of L2 ′ may be changed to 0.97, and so on. With the above procedure, the mediation of the communication suspension period is performed.

  As described above, in a system configured to communicate by connecting one communication device to multiple networks, a common communication terminal communicating with each network stops communication with each network. By having a means for mediating the period to be notified and notifying the counterpart device, it is possible to efficiently distribute a limited communication band among a plurality of devices. Further, as a method for determining the communication suspension period, the type of data is monitored as a communication state transferred between communication devices, and each device adapted sequentially according to the change when a state change, that is, a change in data type is detected, By providing a means to switch the allocation of communication stop time, it is possible to perform fine control such as allocating more communication bandwidth to other devices after file transfer from one device is completed, for example, more efficient It is also possible to achieve a good communication bandwidth allocation.

[Third Embodiment]
In this embodiment, instead of the operation state definition table 204a of FIG. 6, a communication stop period is determined corresponding to the amount of transfer data, and other communication stop parameters are determined based on the determined communication stop period. Or the adjustment is performed. Hereinafter, in the embodiment, a change in communication state when the information terminal 101 performs communication between the access point 102 and the printer 103 is monitored based on the amount of transferred data, and the access point 102, By appropriately setting and notifying the communication stop period to be notified to the printer 103, communication is performed while optimizing the communication resources of the information terminal 101. Note that the communication suspension period allocation method at the time of constructing the scatternet is the same procedure as in the first embodiment, so the description thereof is omitted, and the communication suspension period change process during communication by the scatternet in the information terminal 101 is omitted. The procedure will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same FIG. 4 is referred to in some cases, but the trigger for changing the communication period is different.

<Communication period change processing according to the amount of transferred data>
Next, the case where the communication period changing process is performed according to the amount of transfer data as the communication state will be described with reference to FIG. In step S401, the state monitoring unit 203 of the information terminal 101 collects the amount of data transferred by communication using a scatternet. In this step, the state monitoring unit 203 may collect the operation state by issuing an acquisition request for the amount of data transferred to each communication device on a regular basis. For example, the information terminal 101 starts transferring data. In this case, the state monitoring unit 203 may acquire the transfer data amount by notifying the state monitoring unit 203 of the amount of data (for example, the file capacity and the number of files) to be transferred in advance. The information terminal 101 acquires the data amount from the file capacity, the number of files, and the like notified prior to the data transfer from, for example, an application that uses each network. The value is passed to the state monitoring unit 203.

  In step S402, the information terminal 101 compares the operation state collected in step S401 with the operation state at the previous collection stored in the data management unit 204, and determines whether or not the type of transfer data has changed. . Here, for example, in the information terminal 101, when the state changes due to the transfer of a small amount of data by accessing a Web page via the access point 102 or the transfer of a large amount of data by starting a file download, communication with the printer 103 is performed. In this case, when a large amount of data is transferred and the status is changed, for example, when print data transfer processing is started from the printer status information transfer status in the idle state, the collected operation status is displayed in the data management unit 204 (communication). 9 is different from the table 901b in FIG. 9 in that the column of the operation state is the data amount.), And determination and arbitration of the communication stop period length L corresponding to the data amount at that time In step S403, the same processing as described above is performed. If there is no change in the state, the collected operation state is stored in the data management unit 204, and the process returns to step S401. It should be noted that the amount of data can be changed every time data transfer is performed, and it is not always necessary to change the bandwidth immediately when the amount of data slightly changes. Therefore, for example, a threshold value may be provided for the fluctuation value of the data amount, and it may be determined that the data amount has changed when there is a certain upper position.

  The processing in step S403 in FIG. 4 is the same as in the second embodiment. However, in order to determine the communication stop period length, the operation state table 901a in FIG. 9 is not used, but a table in which the data amount is associated with the communication stop period length is used instead of the data type. Step S404 is the same as that in the second embodiment.

  As described above, in a system configured to communicate by connecting one communication device to multiple networks, a common communication terminal communicating with each network stops communication with each network. By having a means for mediating the period to be notified and notifying the counterpart device, it is possible to efficiently distribute a limited communication band among a plurality of devices. Further, as a method for determining the communication suspension period, the amount of data is monitored as a communication state transferred between communication devices, and when a change in state, that is, a change in the amount of data is detected, communication with each device sequentially adapted according to the change is performed. By providing a means to switch the allocation of stop time, it is possible to perform fine control such as allocating more communication bandwidth to other devices after file transfer from one device is completed, for example, and more efficient There is also an effect that communication band allocation can be realized.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, instead of the operation state definition table 204a of FIG. 6, a communication stop period is determined in accordance with the control state of the communication partner device in each network, and the rest is based on the determined communication stop period. The communication stop parameter is determined or adjusted. Hereinafter, in the embodiment, a change in the communication state when the information terminal 101 performs communication between the access point 102 and the printer 103 is monitored based on the control state of the counterpart device, and the access point is determined according to the state change. 102, by appropriately setting and notifying the communication stop period to be notified to the printer 103, communication is performed while optimizing communication resources of the information terminal 101. Note that the communication suspension period allocation method at the time of constructing the scatternet is the same procedure as in the first embodiment, so the description thereof is omitted, and the communication suspension period change process during communication by the scatternet in the information terminal 101 is omitted. The procedure will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same FIG. 4 is referred to in some cases, but the trigger for changing the communication period is different.

<Communication period change processing according to device control status>
Next, the case where the communication period changing process is performed according to the control state from / to the partner device as the communication state will be described with reference to FIG. In step S <b> 401, the state monitoring unit 203 of the information terminal 101 collects control state information of the counterpart device for communication via the scatternet. In this step, the state monitoring unit 203 may collect the operation state by periodically issuing an acquisition request for control state information with each communication device. For example, the information terminal 101 may collect / Alternatively, when the control information is being transferred to the communication partner device, the state monitoring unit 203 may acquire the control state information by notifying the state monitoring unit 203 of the communication state.

  In step S402, the information terminal 101 compares the operation state collected in step S401 with the operation state at the previous collection stored in the data management unit 204, and determines whether or not the type of transfer data has changed. . Here, for example, when the information terminal 101 accesses the network camera 104 arranged on the network via the access point 102 and temporarily acquires the control right for the pan head control of the network camera 104, etc. When the state has changed, the collected operation state (that is, the control state information of the counterpart device) is stored in the data management unit 204, and the process proceeds to step S403 to perform the same processing as described above. If there is no change in the state, the collected operation state is stored in the data management unit 204, and the process returns to step S401.

  The processing in step S403 in FIG. 4 is the same as in the second embodiment. However, in order to determine the communication stop period length, the operation state table 901a in FIG. 9 is not used, but a table in which the control state information of the counterpart device is associated with the communication stop period length is used instead of the data type. Step S404 is the same as that in the second embodiment.

  As described above, in a system configured to communicate by connecting one communication device to multiple networks, a common communication terminal communicating with each network stops communication with each network. By having a means for mediating the period to be notified and notifying the counterpart device, it is possible to efficiently distribute a limited communication band among a plurality of devices. Furthermore, as a method for determining the communication suspension period, the control state of the counterpart device is monitored as the communication state transferred between the communication devices, and when the change of state, that is, the change of the control state of the counterpart device is detected, the communication is adapted sequentially according to the change. By providing a means for switching the allocation of the communication stop time with each device, for example, when control of a certain device is started, fine control such as allocating a large communication band to that device is performed. Thus, it is possible to achieve an effect that a more efficient communication band allocation can be realized.

[Fifth Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, instead of the operation state definition table 204a of FIG. 6, a communication stop period is determined in accordance with the control state of the communication partner device in each network, and the rest is based on the determined communication stop period. The communication stop parameter is determined or adjusted. Hereinafter, in the embodiment, a change in the communication state when the information terminal 101 performs communication between the access point 102 and the printer 103 is monitored based on the communication traffic, and the access point 102, the printer is changed according to the change in the communication traffic. Communication is performed while optimizing the communication resources of the information terminal 101 by appropriately setting and notifying the communication stop period to be notified to 103. Note that the communication suspension period allocation method at the time of constructing the scatternet is the same procedure as in the first embodiment, so the description thereof is omitted, and the communication suspension period change process during communication by the scatternet in the information terminal 101 is omitted. The procedure will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same FIG. 4 is referred to in some cases, but the trigger for changing the communication period is different.

<Communication period change processing according to traffic volume>
Next, the case where the communication period changing process is performed by changing the traffic amount as the communication state will be described with reference to FIG. In step S401, the state monitoring unit 203 of the information terminal 101 collects the types of data transferred by communication using a scatternet. In this step, the state monitoring unit 203 may collect the operation state by periodically issuing a traffic information acquisition request with each communication device. For example, the information terminal 101 may collect traffic with the communication partner device. When the state is changed, the state monitoring unit 203 may acquire the control state information by notifying the state monitoring unit 203 of the communication state. The information terminal 101 counts the number of packets exchanged with each network, for example, and calculates the number of packets per unit time. In this case, the status monitoring unit 203 is informed of the total number of packets per unit time. Further, a change in traffic may be detected based on busy information received when the reception buffer of the communication counterpart device becomes full. In this case, it is not necessary to count the number of packets. In this case, the state monitoring unit 203 is notified that there is busy information. Note that when the number of packets per unit time is counted, a slight change does not cause a problem. Therefore, a threshold value may be provided for the amount of change, and the state may be changed when the change exceeds a certain value.

  In step S402, the information terminal 101 compares the operation state collected in step S401 with the operation state at the previous collection stored in the data management unit 204, and determines whether or not the type of transfer data has changed. . Here, for example, when print data is transferred to the printer 103 in the information terminal 101, the reception buffer of the printer 103 is temporarily full, and a traffic signal is received because a status signal indicating busy is received. If the status has decreased and the status has changed, the collected operating status is stored in the data management unit 204, and the process proceeds to step S403 to perform the same processing as described above. If there is no change in the state, the collected operation state is stored in the data management unit 204, and the process returns to step S401. The communication suspension period is changed by the above procedure.

  The processing in step S403 in FIG. 4 is the same as in the second embodiment. However, in order to determine the communication stop period length, the operation state table 901a in FIG. 9 is not used, but a table in which the traffic amount and the communication stop period length are associated is used instead of the data type. Step S404 is the same as that in the second embodiment. When the monitoring target is buffer full information of the counterpart device, a table in which the communication stop period length corresponding to the full state and the communication stop period length in other cases is registered is used.

  As described above, in a system configured to communicate by connecting one communication device to multiple networks, a common communication terminal communicating with each network stops communication with each network. By having a means for mediating the period to be notified and notifying the counterpart device, it is possible to efficiently distribute a limited communication band among a plurality of devices. Further, as a method of determining the communication suspension period, the traffic of each network is monitored as a communication state transferred between communication devices, and when a change in state, that is, a change in traffic is detected, the communication with each device adapted sequentially according to the change is detected. By providing means for switching the allocation of communication stop time, for example, when there is too much traffic for a certain device, it is possible to perform fine control such as allocating a narrow communication band to that device, and more efficient It is also possible to achieve a good communication bandwidth allocation.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, Bluetooth is used as a short-range wireless communication method. However, the present invention is not limited to Bluetooth, and a plurality of networks can be shared by sharing one node constituting a network, such as a wireless LAN. As long as it is a communication method that can join the plurality of networks in a time division manner by notifying the timing of communication to the plurality of networks in a wireless communication method capable of performing inter-connection, It should be noted here that the present invention is applicable.

  Note that the present invention can be applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, and a printer), and a device (for example, a copying machine and a facsimile device) including a single device You may apply to. Another object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or recording medium) in which a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded to a system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or CPU) of the system or apparatus. (MPU) can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. A case where part or all of the actual processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing is also included. Furthermore, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function is determined based on the instruction of the program code. The case where the CPU of the expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing is also included.

The figure which shows an example of embodiment of this proposal Functional block diagram of the information terminal in the first embodiment The figure which shows an example of the communication processing procedure by the scatter net in 1st embodiment. The flowchart showing the communication stop period change processing procedure in the embodiment The flowchart showing the communication suspension period arbitration processing procedure in the first embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the operation | movement state table in 1st embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the communication stop period notification process procedure in 1st embodiment. A flowchart showing a communication suspension period arbitration processing procedure in the second embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the operation | movement state table in 2nd embodiment. The figure explaining the control operation of the ad hoc mode in wireless LAN The figure explaining the control operation of the infrastructure mode in wireless LAN

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Information terminal 102 Access point 103 Printer 201 Near field communication means 202 Communication stop period arbitration part 203 Status monitoring part 204 Data management part

Claims (10)

Monitoring means for monitoring the communication status with a plurality of networks;
The communication timing including the communication stop period cycle for communicating with each of the plurality of networks and the start time and length of the communication stop period within the communication stop period cycle is adjusted according to the communication state of each network. set, and setting means for notifying the information on the communication timing set for the plurality of network,
Communication means for switching communication to each of the plurality of networks based on the setting of the communication timing;
The setting means dynamically changes the communication timing based on a communication state monitored by the monitoring means ,
The communication stop period cycle is synchronized with each of the plurality of networks, and the communication stop period assigned to each network in the communication stop period period is changed according to the communication state of each network. .   The setting means sets the communication timing of each network so that communication stop periods for the plurality of networks do not overlap each other and communication participation periods for each of the plurality of networks do not overlap each other. Item 4. The communication device according to Item 1.   The monitoring unit monitors the type of data to be transferred as the communication state, and the setting unit sets a communication timing with each network according to the type of data to be transferred. The communication apparatus according to 1 or 2.   The monitoring unit monitors the amount of data transferred as the communication state, and the setting unit sets a communication timing with each network according to the amount of transferred data. 2. The communication device according to 2.   The monitoring unit monitors a control state of a communication partner device as the communication state, and the setting unit sets a communication timing with each network according to the control state of the communication partner device. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2.   The monitoring means monitors the traffic volume with the communication partner as the communication state, and the setting means sets the communication timing with each network according to the traffic volume with the communication partner. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2.   The setting means sets the communication timing with each network so as to maintain the bandwidth of the network to which the device is connected when the device of the communication partner requires a certain bandwidth guarantee. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A communication device control method comprising:
A monitoring process for monitoring communication states with a plurality of networks;
The communication timing including the communication stop period cycle for communicating with each of the plurality of networks and the start time and length of the communication stop period within the communication stop period cycle is adjusted according to the communication state of each network. A setting step of setting and notifying information about the set communication timing to the plurality of networks;
A communication step of switching communication for each of the plurality of networks based on the setting of the communication timing;
The setting step dynamically changes the communication timing based on the communication state monitored by the monitoring step ,
The communication stop period period is the same for each of the plurality of networks, and the communication stop period assigned to each network in the communication stop period period is changed according to the communication state of each network. .   A computer program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 8.   A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon the computer program according to claim 9.

Images