RU2574775C1 - Communication device and such device control method - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.

SUBSTANCE: after selection of the device on the basis of parts of information on the device transmitted from network devices in response to search command for search of network devices, the communication device transmits the notifying signal for the notifying of network devices on presence of the communication device. If the request for connection received from the device which has received the notifying signal is transferred from the selected device, the communication device generates response displaying that the connection is approved for request for connection.

EFFECT: possibility of direct data transmission, in particular image file, to a personal computer immediately after shooting or changing the PC addressee, by execution of certain actions in the device is provided.

12 cl, 30 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication apparatus and, more particularly, to a communication apparatus that establishes a connection with a device in a network.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a method for controlling a communication apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] More recently, digital cameras equipped with a wireless communication function and storage media equipped with a wireless communication function have appeared. Using these devices, the image file obtained by the digital camera can be quickly transferred to a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as PC).

[0004] However, to establish a connection with a specific PC over the network, if there is a wireless connection to the PC, information must be recorded in the digital camera to determine the destination PC. To solve this problem, the following digital camera has been proposed (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-67231). In particular, if there is a wireless connection between the digital camera and the PC, the digital camera is connected to the target PC via a USB cable, and pairing information is entered into the digital camera in advance to indicate the PC partner. At the moment you are prompted to start a wireless connection, the digital camera alerts the network and establishes a wireless connection to a specific PC based on the entered pairing information.

[0005] Before establishing a wireless connection, the digital camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-67231 must be connected to the partner PC via a USB cable, and pairing information must be entered in advance to indicate the partner PC, resulting in is unsatisfactory usability.

[0006] Depending on the installed OS, the PC uses various discovery protocols to establish a connection between devices. Typical discovery protocols are UPnP (Universal Protocol for Automatic Hardware Configuration (Plug and Play)) and Bonjour.

[0007] UPnP is a technical standard used to connect devices, such as a PC, peripheral device, audio / video system, telephone and home appliances, over a network, and also serves to provide their functions to each other. UPnP was proposed by Microsoft in 1999, and has been supported by more than twenty companies, including Intel. UPnP protocol is based on standard technology for the Internet and aims to control the device exclusively by connecting it to the network without any complex operations or configuration work.

[0008] The Bonjour protocol is a technology for automatically detecting and connecting a device over an IP network, such as an Ethernet network or a wireless LAN (local area network). The Bonjour protocol was developed as a configuration-free technology that relies on a standard protocol defined by the Zeroconf IETF (Internet Standards Engineers Working Group) and has usability similar to Apple Talk usability. The Zeroconf working group requests three functions: the IP addressing function, the naming function, and the service discovery function. These functions are implemented as follows. In the process of addressing, communication without using a router is carried out within the local network, and the IP address is obtained automatically. The naming function uses a multi-channel DNS server in which the local host name should not be set on an ongoing basis. In the service discovery process, a search is made for a device equipped with a function that the user wishes to use. The Bonjour protocol is mainly used in the Mac OS provided by Apple.

[0009] Another detection protocol is the Jini protocol introduced by Sun Microsystems. The digital camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-67231 requires pairing information to be entered in advance, along with information about the type of detection protocol for each PC. Based on the foregoing, it will be difficult for a user who has insufficient knowledge about the network to correctly enter pairing information.

[0010] The digital camera and the PC have a so-called device relationship with a control point, when used, the digital camera provides a PC image file in accordance with a command from the PC to obtain an image file. In general, a PC serving as a control point manages a series of operations, including starting a connection to a digital camera, transmitting an image, and ending a connection. However, the user may wish to transfer the image file to the PC immediately after shooting, or change the destination PC depending on the type of image file. In this case, the usability would be improved if the user could scroll through the list of PCs on the network by performing actions with a digital camera and issue a command to establish a connection with the desired PC, holding the digital camera in his hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention provides a communications apparatus that can facilitate establishing a connection with a device on a network by using a discovery protocol to discover a device on the network, and also provides a method for controlling such a device.

[0012] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus that establishes a connection with a device on a network by using a discovery protocol to discover a device, and comprises: first transmission means for transmitting a search command to search for a device on the network, first reception means for receiving portions of device information transmitted from devices on the network in response to a search command, a first selector for selecting a device based on portions of device information received by by means of the first reception means, second transmission means for transmitting a notification signal for notifying devices in the network about the presence of the communication apparatus, after selection by the first selection means, second receiving means for receiving a connection request transmitted from the device on the network, the connection request being transmitted by the device, which received the notification signal, determination means for determining whether a connection request has been transmitted from the device selected by the first selection means, and передачи transmission means for transmitting a response indicating that the connection was approved in response to the connection request in the case where the determination means determined that the connection request was transmitted from the device selected by the first selection means.

[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a communication apparatus that establishes a connection with a device on a network by using a discovery protocol for detecting a device, comprising: a first transmitting step of transmitting a search command to search for a device on the network, the first receiving stage, at which portions of device information transmitted from devices on the network are received in response to a search command, the first selection stage, at which you are device boron based on portions of information about the device received at the first reception stage, the second transmission stage, at which a notification signal is transmitted to notify devices in the network about the presence of the communication device after selection at the first selection stage, the second reception stage, at which the request is received a connection transmitted from a device on the network, the connection request being transmitted by a device that has received a notification signal, a determination step in which a determination is made whether the connection os is transmitted from the device selected in the first selection stage, and the third transmission stage, in which a response is transmitted indicating that the connection was approved in response to the connection request when it was determined at the determination stage that the connection request was transmitted from the device selected in the first stage of selection.

[0014] Further, features of the present invention will become apparent after reading the description of exemplary embodiments below, presented with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a digital camera;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a PC;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a conceptual graphical representation illustrating a connection configuration of a digital camera with a PC;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an image transfer process performed by a digital camera;

[0019] FIG. 5A-5E depict graphical representations, each of which illustrates a GUI displayed in an image transfer process performed by a digital camera;

[0020] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an image transfer process performed by a PC;

[0021] FIG. 7A and 7B are flowcharts illustrating a detection process performed by a digital camera;

[0022] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a device search process performed by a digital camera;

[0023] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a notification process performed by a digital camera;

[0024] FIG. 10A-10C are graphical representations illustrating SSDP messages for transmitting / receiving between a digital camera and a PC;

[0025] FIG. 11A and 11B are graphical representations illustrating descriptors for transmitting / receiving between a digital camera and a PC;

[0026] FIG. 12A and 12B are graphical views illustrating TXT recordings for transmitting / receiving between a digital camera and a PC;

[0027] FIG. 13A-13F are graphical representations, each of which illustrates a GUI displayed in a detection process performed by a digital camera;

[0028] FIG. 14 is a graphical representation illustrating pairing information of a digital camera;

[0029] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a detection process performed by a digital camera; and

[0030] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a detection process performed by a PC.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIRST IMPLEMENTATION

[0031] Next, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings. At the same time, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, various embodiments may be combined accordingly.

DIGITAL CAMERA STRUCTURE

[0032] As an example of a communication apparatus in accordance with the present invention, a digital camera that can capture still images and moving images will be considered. It should be noted that a device including a digital camera, such as a so-called mobile phone with a camera or a tablet device with a camera, is also an example of a communication apparatus.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a digital camera 100 in accordance with this embodiment.

[0034] The control unit 101 is formed, for example, from a central processing unit CPU (MPU) and memory (DRAM and SRAM). The control unit 101 controls the respective units of the digital camera 100 by performing various processes (programs), and also controls the transmission of data between the respective units. The control unit 101 controls the respective units of the digital camera 100 in accordance with the operation signal from the operation unit 102, which receives the action from the user.

[0035] An operation unit 102 is formed from switches for inputting various shooting-related actions, such as a power button, a zoom button, and an auto focus button. The operation unit 102 can also be formed from a menu display button, a SET button, a cursor manipulator, a pointing device, and a touch panel. When the user performs actions with these manipulators and buttons, the operation unit 102 transmits the operation signal to the control unit 101. The operation unit 102 also includes a shutter button. The shutter button is formed from the button SW1, which is pressed into the so-called half-press position, and the button SW2, which is pressed into the so-called full-press position. The shooting preparation command is issued by pressing the SW1 button, and the shooting command is issued by pressing the SW2 button. It should be noted that the shutter button for shooting a still image and the shutter button for shooting a moving image are formed as a single button in this embodiment, but the possibility of their formation as separate buttons is not excluded.

[0036] The bus 103 is a universal bus for sending various data, control signals, command signals, and the like to the respective units of the digital camera 100.

[0037] The image pickup unit 110 controls the amount of light by fixing and converts the optical image of an object captured through the lens into an image signal by a photosensitive sensor, such as a CCD matrix or CMOS matrix.

[0038] The audio input unit 120 senses sound around the digital camera 100 through an internal omnidirectional microphone, an external microphone connected through an audio input connector, and the like.

[0039] The storage device 104 includes, for example, RAM (random access memory) and flash memory, and also includes both non-volatile memory and volatile memory for temporarily recording image signals, sound signals, digital setting information cameras 100, etc.

[0040] The recording medium 141 is a recording medium that can be connected to the digital camera 100. The recording medium 141 can record various data and the like generated by the digital camera 100. Examples of the recording media 141 are a hard disk, an optical disk and a flash -memory. An embodiment will illustrate a flash memory device, which is called a memory card, and may be inserted in the digital camera 100.

[0041] An audio output unit 151 is generated, for example, from an audio output connector, and transmits an audio signal to output an audio signal from a connected headphone, speaker, or the like. An audio output unit 151 may be included in the digital camera 100.

[0042] A video output unit 150 is generated, for example, from a video output connector, and transmits an image signal for displaying a video signal on a connected external display device or the like. The audio output unit 151 and the video output unit 150 may be formed into a single integrated connector, such as an HDMI® connector.

[0043] A digital camera 100, in accordance with this embodiment, can communicate with another device through a communication unit 152 and a network. The communication unit 152 receives / transmits data from / to an external device via serial or parallel data transmission via a wired or wireless connection using a communication interface such as an RS232C, USB, IEEE1394, P1284, SCSI, modem, LAN, or IEEE802.11 interface. By processing the communication protocol corresponding to the communication interface, the communication unit 152 can receive / transmit data from / to an external device. Examples of a communication protocol are the HTTP protocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and the PTP-IP protocol (Image Transfer Protocol over IP Networks).

[0044] The display unit 130 displays image data recorded on the recording medium 141 and GUIs, such as various menus. The display unit 130 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display device or an organic electroluminescent display device.

PERSONAL COMPUTER STRUCTURE (PC)

[0045] As an example of an information processing apparatus, a personal computer (PC) that can load still and moving images will be considered. It should be noted that examples of an information processing apparatus are also a printer, a so-called tablet PC, a smartphone and a television receiver with the function of connecting to the Internet.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a PC 200 in accordance with this embodiment.

[0047] The PC 200 includes a display unit 201, an operation unit 202, a central processing unit 203, a main data storage device 204, an auxiliary data storage device 205, and a communication device 206. The main functions of the respective blocks are similar with respect to the functions of the blocks in the digital camera 100, therefore, their detailed description will not be repeated. It should be noted that a display device, such as a liquid crystal display device, is used as the display unit 201. The PC 200 does not have to include a display unit 201, it is enough for it to have a control function to control the display on the display unit 201. The auxiliary data storage device 205 may be a device that reads and writes data from and to a hard disk or external storage medium. Examples of external storage media are an optical disk (e.g., DVD-RW, CD-ROM, CD-R or DVD-RAM), a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk or magneto-optical disk), and non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). As the operation unit 202, a keyboard, mouse, or touchpad may be used.

[0048] The communication interface and protocol used in the communication device 206 are the same as the communication interface and protocol of the digital camera 100, so their description will not be repeated. PC 200 may receive / transmit data from / to an external device using communication device 206.

CONFIGURATION OF CONNECTING DIGITAL CAMERA TO PC

[0049] As an example of a form of participation in a network of a digital camera and a PC, the connection configuration in the infrastructure will be explained. In the case where a direct connection of a digital camera with a PC is sufficient, they can be connected, for example, via a wireless self-organizing (ad-hoc) network or Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi Direct is a standard formulated by the Wi-Fi Alliance, which is an association dedicated to the development of wireless LANs. In accordance with this standard, devices, such as a mobile phone, tablet, PC, digital camera, printer, and portable gaming device, which are equipped with a wireless communication function, can be connected wirelessly even without an access point.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a conceptual graphical representation illustrating a network configuration in which a digital camera 100 and a plurality of PCs 200 are involved.

[0051] Reference numeral 301 denotes a router. The router provides a routing function for building a network and redirects data transfer between devices connected to the network, such as a portable device and a PC. The router works in accordance with the stack of internetwork protocols and builds a LAN using the IP address assigned to it as a gateway. Router 301 includes an interface for a wired or wireless connection. As an example of a wired connection, the router and device are physically connected via a LAN cable. An example of a wireless connection is an IEEE802.11x compliant connection (x is a, b, g, n, etc.). The SSID (Wireless Network Identifier) and encryption key are set in the router. In the case when the device, which is intended for connection, sets the SSID and encryption key, and they are approved, it establishes a connection with the router.

[0052] In the case where a device, such as a portable device or a PC, is connected to the LAN via a wired or wireless connection, an IP address is assigned to the connected device automatically or manually. A typical protocol for automatic assignment is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). Data transfer protocols and IP addresses passing through the network in communication between devices are analyzed to determine the path along which data should be transmitted.

[0053] In this embodiment, the router 301 builds a LAN network in which the gateway is indicated by the address 192.168.0.1. The digital camera 100, which is connected to the LAN via a wireless connection, is assigned an IP address of 192.168.0.10. PC 200 "ComputerA", which is connected using a wireless connection, is assigned an IP address of 192.168.0.20. The PC 200 “ComputerB”, which is connected using a wireless connection, is assigned an IP address of 192.168.0.21. PC 200 ComputerC, which is connected using a wired connection, is assigned an IP address of 192.168.0.22. Using an example of a network having such an infrastructure, an embodiment will explain a method for connecting a digital camera 100 to a PC 200 with which a user wishes to establish a connection.

[0054] In the digital camera 100, in accordance with this embodiment, the auxiliary data storage device 105 records a program that can communicate with the PC 200 in accordance with the UPnP and Bonjour standards serving as discovery protocols for searching the device over the network. The program records the commands for performing data transfer using the UPnP and Bonjour protocols, as well as device information that is specific to the digital camera 100, which is necessary for data transfer using the UPnP and Bonjour protocols.

[0055] In each of the PCs 200a and 200c, in accordance with this embodiment, a program that can communicate with the digital camera 100, in accordance with the UPnP standard serving as one detection protocol, is installed on the auxiliary data storage device 205. The program records commands for performing data transfer using the UPnP protocol, and information about a specific PC necessary for data transfer using the UPnP protocol.

[0056] In the PC 200b, in accordance with this embodiment, a program that can communicate with the digital camera 100, in accordance with the Bonjour standard serving as one detection protocol, is installed on the auxiliary data storage device 205. The program records the commands for performing data transfer using the Bonjour protocol, and information about a specific PC required for data transfer using the Bonjour protocol.

[0057] In a digital camera 100, in accordance with this embodiment, a program that can receive / transmit an image file from / to a PC 200 in accordance with the PTP-IP standard serving as a protocol for transmitting an image is recorded on an auxiliary device 105 data storage. The program records commands for performing data transfer using the RTP-IP protocol, an object format code that defines the file transmitted by data transfer using the PTP-IP protocol, and device properties that serve as information to identify settings or conditions of the digital camera.

[0058] In each of the PCs 200a, 200b and 200c, according to this embodiment, a program that can communicate with the PC 200 in accordance with the PTP-IP standard serving as a protocol for transmitting the image file is installed on the auxiliary device 205 data storage.

[0059] The image files are stored in advance in the recording medium 141 of the digital camera 100 and on the auxiliary data storage device 205 of the PC 200, in accordance with this embodiment. The image transmission processing in this embodiment is implemented by connecting the digital camera 100 to the PC 200 through the network, and also by storing the image file transmitted from the digital camera 100 in a directory on the auxiliary data storage device 205 of the PC 200.

[0060] An embodiment will illustrate in detail the form in which a digital camera 100 connects to a PC 200 using the UPnP and Bonjour detection protocols, and transmits an image file to the PC 200 using the PTP-IP protocol. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to a network configuration, a network connection method, a type of discovery protocol, or a transmission protocol, which are described in this embodiment.

PROCESSING IMAGE TRANSFER IN A DIGITAL CAMERA

[0061] First, in the following sequence of processes, the operation of the digital camera 100 will be explained.

(1) The digital camera 100 is connected to the PC 200 through a network built through the router 301.

(2) The image file transmitted from the digital camera 100 is stored in a directory on the auxiliary data storage device 205 of the PC 200.

(3) DIGITAL CAMERA 100 LEAVES THE NETWORK.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the basic principle of operation of the digital camera 100. This sequence starts when the control unit 101 detects that the user has pressed a power button or a play button included in the operation unit 102. It should be noted that the processing represented by the flowchart is implemented by controlling the respective units of the digital camera 100 using the control unit 101 in accordance with the input signals Alami from the respective blocks and program. This also applies to processing represented by another flowchart, unless otherwise indicated.

[0063] First, in step S401, the control unit 101 performs initialization processing for the digital camera 100. In the initialization processing, the control unit 101 checks whether the recording medium 141 has been inserted, controls the lens barrel to prepare for shooting, and switches to the mode that is intended to activate by determining which of the power and play buttons has been pressed. The mode includes a shooting mode in which the image file is obtained by shooting, a playback mode in which the image file is displayed and viewed on the display unit 130, a menu mode in which shooting parameters are changed, and a wireless connection establishment mode in which the wireless connection is established . In this embodiment, when the user presses the play button included in the operation unit 102 to activate the camera, the camera starts to work in the playback mode and displays the playback mode GUI (Fig. 5A) on the display unit 130 according to the embodiment.

[0064] In step S402, the control unit 101 determines whether a wireless establishment mode has been selected. An icon 501 of a button for entering the wireless establishment mode is located on the GUI interface shown in FIG. 5A. When the user performs operations with the operation unit 102 and presses the button icon 501, the control unit 101 determines that the wireless connection mode has been selected, activates the wireless connection mode, displays the GUI shown in FIG. 5B, and proceeds to step S403. If “NO” is received in step S402, then the control unit 101 waits for the button icon 501 to be pressed.

[0065] In step S403, the control unit 101 determines whether a device to be connected has been selected. On the GUI shown in FIG. 5B, a list of devices available for connecting to the digital camera 100 is displayed as button icons. When the user clicks on the button icon, the control unit 101 proceeds to process the connection of the digital camera 100 with each device. The button icon 502 is a button icon for transitioning to processing a connection with a PC 200 serving as a device available for connection. The embodiment is aimed at connecting the digital camera 100 to the PC 200. Therefore, when the user performs operations with the operation unit 102 and presses the button icon 502, the control unit 101 determines that the device to be connected has been selected is displayed on the display unit 130 the GUI shown in FIG. 5C, and proceeds to step S404. If “NO” is received in step S403, the control unit 101 waits until the user clicks on the icon of the button of the device to be connected.

[0066] In step S404, the control unit 101 determines whether the current connection is a new connection. The GUI shown in FIG. 5C, displays a button icon 503 for connecting to a PC 200, a connection to which has not been previously established, and a button icon 504 for reconnecting to a PC 200, a connection to which was previously established. When the user performs operations with the operation unit 102 and clicks on the button icon 503, the control unit 101 determines that the digital camera 100 should be connected to a PC 200, which has not been previously connected, displays the GUI shown in FIG. . 5D, and proceeds to step S405. When the user clicks on the button icon 504, the control unit 101 determines that the digital camera 100 should be connected to the PC 200 previously connected to, and proceeds to step S406.

[0067] In step S405, the control unit 101 receives the input of a setting item to establish a network connection. On the GUI shown in FIG. 5D, there are text boxes for entering an SSID (wireless network identifier) and an encryption key, which are the settings necessary to establish a wireless connection with the router 301. It should be noted that the SSID is an identifier for an access point in a wireless LAN IEEE802.11 LAN is also the name given to prevent interference. The encryption key is the key to encrypt the wireless LAN to prevent unauthorized access. The user displays an on-screen keyboard (not shown) on the display unit 130 and performs operations with the operation unit 102 for inputting characters. The control unit 101 temporarily records all selected characters in the memory 104.

[0068] In step S406, the control unit 101 performs a network connection establishment process. A button icon 505 displayed on the GUI shown in FIG. 5D is a button icon for confirming the start of a wireless connection. In the process of connecting the digital camera 100 to the PC 200, the connection with which has not been previously established, the user performs operations with the operation unit 102 and clicks on the button icon 505. Then, the control unit 101 begins to establish a connection with the router 301 based on the SSID and the encryption key temporarily recorded in the memory 104 in step S405. The SSID and encryption key used to reconnect the digital camera 100 to the PC 200 previously connected to are stored as pairing information in the non-volatile memory of the storage device 104 together with another piece of information after the connection with the PC 200 is successfully established. Information Elements pairing will be described later. In the process of connecting the digital camera 100 to the PC 200, the connection with which was previously established, the control unit 101 loads the SSID and the encryption key of the pairing information recorded in the non-volatile memory of the memory 104 into the RAM memory of the storage device 104, and begins to establish a connection with the router 301 If the connection to the router 301 is successful, then the router 301 assigns an IP address to the digital camera 100. The control unit 101 writes the assigned IP address to the RAM memory of the memory 104.

[0069] In step S407, the control unit 101 performs a detection process (device search) to establish a connection with the PC 200. Details of the detection process will be described later.

[0070] In step S408, the control unit 101 starts the image transmission service. The image transmission service in this embodiment means processing the transmission of an image file using the PTP-IP protocol. If, in step S407, a PC 200 was selected that is to be connected, then the PC 200 transmits a command packet to the digital camera 100 to establish a communication session. When the digital camera 100 receives a command packet through the communication unit 152, the control unit 101 analyzes the packet and performs processing to establish a communication session. In the case of using the PTP-IP protocol in this embodiment, this command is an "OpenSession" command. After establishing a communication session, the digital camera 100 transmits a response command to the PC 200, displays the GUI shown in FIG. 5E, and starts the image transfer service. The GUI shown in FIG. 5E is a GUI illustrating a case in which a connection with the PC 200a shown in FIG. 3, has been completed. In another example, the GUI may not be displayed on the display unit 130.

[0071] In step S409, the control unit 101 determines whether an image transmission request from the PC 200 has been received. The digital camera 100 receives a command packet representing the image file transfer command from the PC 200 through the router 301. The control unit 101 analyzes the instruction packet, and if it determines that this command represents the image file transfer command, then it proceeds to step S410. If “NO” is received in step S409, then the control unit 101 waits until a command packet has been received prompting transmission of the image file.

[0072] In step S410, the control unit 101 transmits an image file to the PC 200. In the transmission processing, the control unit 101 reads from the recording medium 141 an image file indicated by the instruction packet and loads it into the RAM memory of the memory 104. Then, the control unit 101 divides the image file to the packets, and transmits them to the PC 200. After transferring all the packets, in accordance with the size of the image file, the control unit 101 transmits a response command to the PC 200, after which the image transfer is completed.

[0073] In step S411, the control unit 101 determines whether a notification of completion of the image transmission service has been received from the PC 200. The PC 200 transmits a command packet through the router 301 to terminate the communication session with the digital camera 100. In the case of using the PTP-IP protocol in this embodiment, this command is a “CloseSession” command. The control unit 101 analyzes the instruction packet received through the communication unit 152, performs the process of terminating the communication session, and proceeds to step S412. If “NO” is received in step S411, then the control unit 101 awaits the receipt of a command packet to terminate the communication session.

[0074] In step S412, the control unit 101 leaves the network. In this case, the control unit 101 unloads the program that has been loaded into the RAM memory of the storage device 104, and continues to operate in accordance with the image transfer protocol. Then, the control unit 101 performs multicast transmission to the network of the command to leave the network based on the discovery protocol. In the case of using the UPnP protocol in this embodiment, a multicast SSDP: Byebye message is sent. In the case of using the Bonjour protocol, the multicastDNS: goodbye message is sent in bulk.

[0075] The basic principle of operation regarding the image transfer process performed by the digital camera 100 in accordance with this embodiment has been described above. The digital camera 100 functions as a device that operates in accordance with a command transmitted from the PC 200 in response to an image transfer protocol command.

PROCESSING IMAGE TRANSFER TO PC

[0076] Next, the principle of operation of the PC 200 when performing the above processes (1) to (3) will be explained.

[0077] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the basic principle of operation of the PC 200. This sequence starts after the activation processing of the PC 200 is completed. When the activation processing is completed, the PC 200 is activated by pressing the power button (not shown), which serves as one button of the operation unit. PC 200 checks each hardware module, etc. The central processing unit 203 of the CPU loads an operating system (hereinafter, referred to as an OS system) into the main data storage device 204, which is stored in the auxiliary data storage device 205.

[0078] First, in step S601, the CPU 203 establishes a network connection. In the process of establishing a network connection, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU connects the PC 200 through a wireless or wired device 206 to a router 301, which performs the construction of the desired network. The central processing unit 203 of the CPU records the IP address that is assigned by the router 301 in the main storage device 204. It should be noted that the wireless and wired connection methods are similar to those depicted in FIG. 3 and in step S406 of FIG. 4, therefore, their description will not be repeated.

[0079] In step S602, the CPU 203 performs a discovery (device search) process. Details of the discovery process will be described later.

[0080] In step S603, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU issues an image transmission service start command. The image transmission service in this embodiment means processing the transmission of an image file using the PTP-IP protocol. In this case, the central processing unit 203, the CPU transmits a command packet for establishing a communication session with the digital camera 100. In the case of using the PTP-IP protocol in this embodiment, this command is an “OpenSession” command. If the central processing unit 203, the CPU receives the response packet transmitted after the digital camera 100 has processed the instruction packet and determines that the image transmission service has been started, then it proceeds to step S604.

[0081] In step S604, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU causes the digital camera 100 to transmit the image file. The central processing unit 203, the CPU generates a command packet that prompts the transfer of the image file via the PTP-IP protocol, and transmits it to the digital camera 100. In the case of using the PTP-IP protocol in this embodiment, this command is a GetObject command. Before the GetObject command, it is necessary to execute the GetDeviceInfo command and the GetObjectInfo command, as well as obtain information about the device of the digital camera 100 and information about the number and type of image files stored in the recording medium 141.

[0082] In step S605, the CPU 203 receives a picture file. The central processing unit 203 of the CPU stores the data packet of the image file transmitted from the digital camera 100 in a directory on the auxiliary data storage device 205. After receiving all the packets, in accordance with the image file size, the CPU 203 finalizes the image file and completes the storage process. In the case of receiving a plurality of image files, the CPU 203 repeats the above processing.

[0083] In step S606, the CPU 203 determines whether a command to terminate the image transmission service has been detected. When the user completes the transfer of the desired image file and presses the completion button located on the GUI of the image transfer program (not shown) displayed on the display unit 201 to complete the image transfer service, the CPU 203 detects the completion of the image transfer service and proceeds to step S607. If “NO” is obtained in step S606, then the CPU 203 returns to step S604 and re-causes the digital camera 100 to transmit the image file.

[0084] In step S607, the CPU 203 issues a command to terminate the image transmission service. In this case, the central processing unit 203, the CPU transmits a packet of instructions to the digital camera 100 to end the communication session with the digital camera 100. In the case of using the PTP-IP protocol in this embodiment, this command is a “CloseSession” command.

[0085] If the central processing unit 203 of the CPU receives a response command transmitted after the digital camera 100 has processed the instruction packet, it ends the image transfer service program to the PC 200.

[0086] The basic principle of operation regarding the image transfer process performed by the PC 200 in accordance with this embodiment has been described above. The PC 200 functions as a control point that causes the digital camera 100 to transmit images in accordance with the image transfer protocol.

DETECTION PROCESSING (FIRST CONNECTION) IN A DIGITAL CAMERA

[0087] Next, details of the detection process performed in step S407 of FIG. 4. FIG. 7A and 7B are flowcharts illustrating the principle of the detection process in the digital camera 100.

[0088] First, in step S701, the control unit 101 determines whether the digital camera 100 should connect to the PC 200, the connection with which has not been previously established. If, the user selects on the GUI, which is shown in FIG. 5C and is displayed in FIG. 4 of step S404, the button icon 503, the control unit 101 determines that the digital camera 100 should be connected to the PC 200, the connection with which has not been previously established, and proceeds to step S702. If “NO” is received in step S701, then the control unit 101 proceeds to processing for connecting the digital camera 100 to the PC 200, the connection with which was previously established.

[0089] In step S702, the control unit 101 starts the search processing of the PC 200 connected to the network. Details of the search process of the PC 200 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. As described with reference to FIG. 3, the digital camera 100 in this embodiment transmits data using both UPnP and Bonjour discovery protocols. Therefore, UPnP and Bonjour compatible PCs detected through these two discovery protocols serve as targets for the connection. In FIG. 3 of this embodiment, PCs 200a and 200c are UPnP compatible PCs and PC 200b is a Bonjour compatible PC. An example of a PC that is compatible with UPnP is a PC on which Microsoft® introduced the Windows® operating system. An example of a Bonjour compatible PC is the PC running the Mac® operating system from Apple. The control unit 101 starts the device search process and displays the GUI shown in FIG. 13A.

[0090] In step S801, the control unit 101 determines whether the multicast message "SSDP: Alive" has been received. SSDP (Simple Service Discovery Protocol) is a protocol used to search for and discover a device that supports UPnP on a network. The message “SSDP: Alive” performs the so-called group notification operation about the presence of a device in relation to devices in the network at the time the device is connected to the network. The notification process depicted in FIG. 10A is an example of multicast SSDP data transmission by a PC 200 for notification purposes. The HOST header indicates the multicast IP address. The CHACHE-CONTROL header indicates the time in seconds during which the alert is issued. The LOCATION header indicates the URL of the PC 200. The NT tag indicates the type of device that will be notified on the network. SERVER indicates the OS system of the PC 200. In FIG. 3 of this embodiment, after the PC 200a and 200b are connected to the network, they perform the multicast SSDP: Alive message. When the control unit 101 determines the reception of the “SSDP: Alive” message from the PC 200 over the network, it proceeds to step S802, and if “NO” is received in step S801, then proceeds to step S804.

[0091] In step S802, the control unit 101 executes an HTTP GET command to obtain information about the device of the PC 200. The UPnP compatible PC describes its device information in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format and stores it as a descriptor. The handle shown in FIG. 11A is an example of a descriptor stored on an auxiliary data storage device 205 by a PC 200. The descriptor depicted in FIG. 11A is formed from several tags. For example, the “UDN” tag indicates the GUID (globally unique identifier) of the PC 200. The “friendlyName” tag indicates the name of the PC. The deviceType tag indicates the type of device. The “serviceType” tag indicates a service that can be provided through the PC 200. The HTTP GET command is a method of receiving data from a destination in accordance with the HTTP protocol. If, in step S801, the control unit 101 determines the reception of the multicast message “SSDP: Alive”, then it prompts the PC 200 to multicast the descriptor.

[0092] In step S803, the control unit 101 obtains a descriptor. If, in step S802, the PC 200 receives the descriptor transmission command from the digital camera 100, then it transmits the descriptor to the digital camera 100. The control unit 101 stores the descriptor received through the communication unit 152 in the RAM memory of the storage device 104, and proceeds to step S815.

[0093] In step S804, the control unit 101 determines whether a multicast "MulticastDNS: Notify" message has been received. When the device is connected to the network in MulticastDNS, it adds a “serviceType” tag to the notification message indicating the presence of the device and services that can be provided through the device, and then multicast sends the notification message to devices on the network. In FIG. 3 of this embodiment, after connecting the PC 200b to the network, it adds a “serviceType” tag with the value “_ptp-init” in the notification message, indicating that it can function as an initiator in PTP-IP, and performs a multicast notification message . If the control unit 101 determines the receipt of the notification message, then it proceeds to step S805, and if “NO” is received in step S804, then proceeds to step S807.

[0094] In step S805, the control unit 101 requests a TXT record. A Bonjour compatible PC describes its device information in text format and saves it as a TXT record. FIG. 12A illustrates a TXT record stored on the auxiliary data storage device 205 by the PC 200. The TXT record is associated with the “serviceType” tag and is formed from the “Key” tag and its value. In this embodiment, the “serviceType” tag, which is being multicast from the PC 200, has the value “_ptp-init”, with the “Version Key” tag of the TXT record associated with the “serviceType” tag indicating the version of the TXT record. The Model Key tag indicates the type of device model. The Product Key tag indicates the name of the product. The Service Available Key tag indicates whether the service has become valid. If the service has become valid, then the "Value" tag is updated with the value "1". The "GUID Key" tag indicates the GUID of the PC 200. If, in step S802, the control unit 101 determines the receipt of the notification message, then it refers to the "serviceType" tag added to the message. If the tag "serviceType" displays the ability to provide an image transmission service, then the control unit 101 prompts the PC to perform multicast TXT recording. For example, referring to FIG. 3, suppose that the tag “serviceType”, which is multicast by the PC 200b, has the value “_ptp-init”, while the tag “serviceType” of the PC that the digital camera 100 needs to find is set to “_ptp-init”. In this case, the control unit 101 prompts the PC 200b to transmit the TXT record.

[0095] In step S806, the control unit 101 obtains a TXT record. If the PC 200 receives the TXT recording transmission command from the digital camera 100 in step S805, then it transmits the TXT record to the digital camera 100. The control unit 101 stores in the RAM memory of the storage device 104 a TXT record obtained through the communication unit 152 and proceeds to step S815 .

[0096] In step S807, the control unit 101 starts the “M-Search” SSDP search process. “M-Search” is a way to discover a UPnP-compatible device on the network. The "M-Search" depicted in FIG. 10B is an example of SSDP protocol data for performing an “M-Search” search process. The HOST header indicates the multicast IP address. The ST header indicates the type of device sought. The MX header indicates the time in minutes that the search will become valid.

[0097] In step S808, the control unit 101 starts the Query MulticastDNS query process. “Query” is a way to discover a Bonjour compatible device on the network. The wanted tag "serviceType" is specified and the query process "Query" is executed.

[0098] In step S809, the control unit 101 determines whether an SSDP response has been received. After starting the “M-Search” search process in step S807, the UPnP compatible PC transmits a response to the digital camera 100 over the network. FIG. 10C illustrates SSDP data transmitted as a “Response” response. The ST header indicates the type of device sought. The LOCATION header indicates the IP address of the PC 200. The SERVER header indicates the OS of the PC 200. The control unit accesses the ST: multicast tag from the PC 200. ST header: the tag indicates the type of device being searched for. If the PC 200 is of the type of the target device, then the PC 200 transmits the “Response” response shown in FIG. 10C. If the control unit 101 determines the SSDP response via the communication unit 152, then it proceeds to step S810, and if “NO” is received in step S809, then proceeds to step S812.

[0099] In step S810, the control unit 101 executes the HTTP GET command to obtain the handle of the PC 200. This processing is similar to the processing performed in step S802, so its description will not be repeated.

[0100] In step S811, the control unit 101 receives a descriptor. This process is similar to the process carried out in step S803, therefore, its description will not be repeated.

[0101] In step S812, the control unit 101 determines whether a Query MulticastDNS response has been received. If the “Query” query process was started in step S808, then the PC 200 corresponding to the specified “serviceType” tag transmits a response to the digital camera 100. If the control unit 101 detects a “Query” response, then it proceeds to step S813. If “NO” is received in step S812, then the control unit 101 determines that the device was not detected, and interprets it so that the PC was not detected.

[0102] In step S813, the control unit 101 issues a TXT record transfer command. This processing is similar in relation to the processing performed in step S805, therefore, its description will not be repeated.

[0103] In step S814, the control unit 101 obtains a TXT record. This processing is similar to the processing performed in step S806, therefore, its description will not be repeated.

[0104] In step S815, the control unit 101 determines whether a PC is available for connection. In the case of using a UPnP compatible PC, the control unit 101 accesses the SERVER headers shown in FIG. 10A and 10C, and determines whether the OS system is the target for the connection. If the control unit 101 determines that the OS is the target for the connection, then it stores the "friendlyName" tag of the handle shown in FIG. 11A, as the PC name in the storage device 104 in conjunction with the GUID described in the "UDN" tag. In the case of using a PC compatible with the Bonjour protocol, the control unit 101 receives a record with an address (not shown), receives the host name of the PC, and saves the host name as the PC name in the memory 104 together with the "Key" tag of the TXT record GUID shown on FIG. 12A. Then, the control unit 101 treats this as PC detection. If “NO” is received in step S815, then the control unit 101 interprets this so that the PC was not detected.

[0105] DETAILS FOR SEARCH PROCESSING WERE DESCRIBED ABOVE.

[0106] In step S703, the control unit 101 determines whether the PC 200 has been detected. If the control unit 101 determines that the PC 200 was detected in the device search processing shown in FIG. 8, then it proceeds to step S704, and if “NO” is obtained in step S703, then proceeds to step S706.

[0107] In step S704, the control unit 101 displays on the GUI interface the name of the detected PC 200. The PC name stored in the memory 104 in step S815 of FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 130 as a GUI. Each time a PC is detected, the control unit 101 adds a display of the PC name on the GUI. The GUIs shown in FIG. 13B and 13C are examples of this. On the GUI shown in FIG. 13B, PC names are displayed on the GUI regardless of the discovery protocol. In another display method, PCs 200 may be categorized as appropriate discovery protocols, as demonstrated on the GUI shown in FIG. 13C. In yet another method, although this is not shown, the search results can be displayed immediately after the device search time has elapsed in step S706.

[0108] In step S705, the control unit 101 determines whether a PC 200 has been selected. The PC names displayed in step S704 on the GUI shown in FIG. 13B can be selected by using the operation unit 102. When the user selects one of the displayed PC names, the control unit 101 proceeds to step S712, and if “no” is obtained in step S705, then proceeds to step S706.

[0109] In step S706, the control unit 101 determines whether the device search time (N minutes) has elapsed. The device search time is determined in advance by the program or set by the user in the menu mode (not shown) and recorded in the non-volatile memory of the memory 104. If the control unit 101 determines that a certain / set time has passed, then it goes to step S707, and if to step S706 received "NO", the transition to step S709.

[0110] In step S707, the control unit 101 determines whether a PC name has been displayed. When one or more PCs are detected, in step S704, the names of the PCs available for connection are displayed on the GUI. If the control unit determines that the GUI has been displayed, then it proceeds to step S708, and if “NO” is obtained in step S707, then proceeds to step S710.

[0111] In step S708, the control unit 101 determines whether the PC 200 has been selected. This processing is similar to the processing performed in step S705, so its description will not be repeated. If the control unit 101 determines that the PC 200 has been selected, then it proceeds to step S712, and if “NO” is obtained in step S708, then proceeds to step S711.

[0112] In step S709, the control unit 101 determines whether the device search process has been interrupted. At the interfaces depicted in FIG. 13A and 13B, an interrupt button icon 1301 is located. When the user clicks on the interrupt button icon 1301, the control unit 101 determines the interrupt command, interrupts the device search process, and proceeds to step S707. If “NO” is received in step S709, then the control unit 101 returns to step S702 and continues to search for the device.

[0113] In step S710, the control unit 101 displays on the display unit 130 a GUI informing that the PC 200 was not detected. The GUI shown in FIG. 13D is an example of this.

[0114] In step S711, the control unit 101 determines whether the user has selected a repeat search. On the GUI shown in FIG. 13D, a button icon 1302 serves to perform a re-search process. When the user performs operations with the operation unit 102 and does not click on the icon of the re-search button, but on the return button 1303, the control unit 101 ends the detection processing and proceeds to step S723. If it is positive in step S711, then the control unit 101 resets the device search time counter, returns to step S702, and repeatedly performs the device search process.

[0115] In step S712, the control unit 101 temporarily stores the pairing information of the selected PC 200 in the RAM memory of the storage device 104. In the case of using the UPnP protocol, the following information is stored from the descriptor (Fig. 11A) received from the selected PC 200:

- The name of the PC described in the header "friendlyName",

- Detected type of discovery protocol,

- the IP address described in the “LOCATION” header of the “Advertisement” message (FIG. 10A) or “Response” (FIG. 10C), and

- The GUID (globally unique identifier) described in the UDN tag.

[0116] In the case of using the Bonjour protocol, the host name and IP address of the PC, which were obtained from the address record (not shown), the detected protocol type x, as well as the GUID of the GUID Key tag in the TXT record, are saved (Fig. 12A) .

[0117] In step S713, the control unit 101 triggers an alert. Details of the notification processing will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9. After starting the alert processing, the control unit 101 displays the GUI shown in FIG. 13E.

[0118] In step S901, the control unit 101 determines whether the detection protocol by which the PC 200 was selected in step S705 or S708 is UPnP. The control unit 101 accesses the pairing information temporarily stored in step S712 in the RAM memory of the memory 104, and if it determines that the detection protocol is UPnP, then it proceeds to step S902. If “NO” is obtained in step S901, then the control unit 101 proceeds to step S903.

[0119] In step S902, the control unit 101 performs the multicast transmission of the “SSDP: Alive” message.

[0120] In step S903, the control unit 101 performs the multicast multicast DNS notify message together with the serviceType tag.

[0121] In step S904, the control unit 101 determines whether a descriptor transmission command has been received from the PC 200. If the control unit 101 determines whether the transmission command has been received from the PC 200, then it proceeds to step S905. If “NO” is received in step S904, then the control unit 101 waits for a request to be received. FIG. 11B illustrates a descriptor stored in a digital camera 100. The descriptor depicted in FIG. 11B is formed from several tags. For example, the URLBase tag indicates the IP address of the digital camera 100. The deviceType tag indicates the type of device. The "friendlyName" tag indicates the name of the digital camera 100. The "UDN" tag indicates the GUID of the digital camera 100. The "serviceType" tag indicates the service that can be provided by the digital camera 100. The HTTP GET command is a method of receiving data from the destination in accordance with the protocol HTTP When the user clicks on the interrupt button icon 1304 displayed on the GUI shown in FIG. 13E, the control unit 101 interrupts the notification process.

[0122] In step S905, the control unit 101 transmits a descriptor to the requesting PC 200.

[0123] In step S906, the control unit 101 determines whether a TXT record transfer command has been received. If the control unit 101 determines the reception of the transmission command from the PC 200, then it proceeds to step S907. If “NO” is received in step S906, then the control unit 101 waits for a request to be received. FIG. 12B illustrates a TXT record stored in the digital camera 100. The TXT record is associated with a “serviceType” tag and is formed from a “Key” tag and its value. In this embodiment, the “serviceType” tag, which is being multicast from the digital camera 100, has the value “_ptp”, and the “Version Key” tag of the TXT record associated with the “serviceType” tag indicates the version of the TXT record. The Model Key tag indicates the type of device model. The Product Key tag indicates the name of the product. The Service Available Key tag indicates whether the service is valid. If the service is valid, then the “Value” tag is updated with the value “1”. The "GUID Key" tag indicates the GUID of the digital camera 100. The "Target GUID Key" tag indicates the GUID of the PC 200 selected in step S705. When the user clicks on the interrupt button icon 1304 displayed on the GUI shown in FIG. 13E, the control unit 101 interrupts the notification process.

[0124] In step S907, the control unit 101 transmits a TXT record to the requesting PC 200.

[0125] The details of the notification processing performed in step S713 by the digital camera 100 have been described above.

[0126] In step S714, the control unit 101 determines whether reception of an InitCommandRequest packet transmitted from the PC 200 has been detected. The InitCommandRequest packet is one type of packet determined by the PTP-IP protocol and is used to exchange device information between the PC and a digital camera, as well as for approving the TCP port number for receiving / transmitting commands and data. If the control unit 101 determines the reception of the “InitCommandRequest” packet through the communication unit 152, then it proceeds to step S715, and if “NO” is received in step S714, then proceeds to step S716.

[0127] In step S715, the control unit 101 determines whether the identifiers correspond to each other. During this processing, the control unit 101 determines whether the PC 200 selected in step S705 or S708 corresponds to the PC 200 that transmitted the “InitCommandRequest” packet. The GUID of the PC 200 is stored in the “InitCommandRequest” packet received in step S714. This GUID is compared with the GUID stored in step S712 as pairing information. If these GUIDs are consistent with each other, then the control unit 101 determines that the PCs 200 are one PC and proceeds to step S717, and if “NO” is received in step S715, then proceeds to step S718. Instead of comparing the GUIDs, a comparison can be made between the IP address of the selected PC and the IP address of the PC that transmitted the InitCommandRequest packet, and if these IP addresses match, it can be determined that these PCs are one PC. The identifier is arbitrary as long as it can confirm that the PC 200 selected during the discovery process and the PC 200 that transmitted the InitCommandRequest packet correspond to each other.

[0128] In step S716, the control unit 101 determines whether M minutes have elapsed serving as the alert processing action period. The period during which the InitCommandRequest packet is received is determined in advance by the program or specified by the user command. The control unit 101 determines whether this period has expired. If this period has not expired, then the control unit 101 repeats step S714, and if “NO” is obtained in step S716, then proceeds to step S723.

[0129] In step S717, the control unit 101 transmits the "InitAct" packet to the PC. If, in step S715, the control unit 101 determines that the identifiers correspond to each other, then the control unit 101 transmits the “InitAct” packet to notify the PC of the permission to receive the “InitCommandRequest” packet.

[0130] In step S718, the control unit 101 transmits the “InitFail” packet to the PC. If in step S715, the control unit 101 determines that the identifiers do not match, then the control unit 101 transmits an “InitFail” packet to notify the PC of the refusal to receive the “InitCommandRequest” packet.

[0131] In step S719, the control unit 101 determines whether an “InitEventRequest” packet has been received. The “InitEventRequest” packet is one type of packet defined by the PTP-IP protocol and asserts the TCP port number for receiving / transmitting an event. If the control unit 101 detects reception of the “InitEventRequest” packet through the communication unit 152, then it proceeds to step S720, and if “NO” is received in step S719, then proceeds to step S721.

[0132] In step S720, the control unit 101 transmits the "InitAct" packet to the PC.

[0133] In step S721, the control unit 101 determines whether M minutes have elapsed serving as the alert processing validity period. A period similar to the period set in step S716 is set, and if M minutes have elapsed, the control unit 101 proceeds to step S723, and if “NO” is received in step S721, then step S719 is repeated.

[0134] In step S722, the control unit 101 records pairing information. Information stored in steps S405 and S712 in the memory 104 is stored in non-volatile memory. FIG. 14 is a conceptual graphical representation illustrating pairing information to be stored. The “PC Name” tag indicates the name of the connected PC 200. The “PC GUID” tag indicates the GUID of the connected PC 200. The “Discovery Protocol” tag indicates the discovery protocol used in the device search process. The IP-address tag indicates the IP address of the connected PC 200. The SSID tag indicates the SSID of the network with which the PC 200 is connected. The Security Key tag indicates the encryption key of the network with which the PC 200 is connected.

[0135] In step S723, the control unit 101 displays, on the display unit 130, a screen image of a connection error. The GUI shown in FIG. 13F is an example of this.

[0136] The details of the detection processing performed by the digital camera that makes the first connection have been described above.

DETECTION PROCESSING (COMBINATION IN THE SECOND AND NEXT TIMES) IN A DIGITAL CAMERA

[0137] Next, details of the detection process performed in step S407, which is shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a detection process when a digital camera 100 is connected to a PC that has previously been connected. This flowchart illustrates the processing until the return process returns to the start of the notification processing in step S713 after in step S701 of FIG. 7A, in the detection processing, it was determined that the digital camera 100 should be reconnected to the PC 200.

[0138] First, in step S1501, the control unit 101 refers to the pairing information. Access is made to the pairing information that was recorded in the non-volatile memory of the memory 104 during the previous connection.

[0139] In step S1502, the control unit 101 determines whether the detection protocol of the PC 200 previously connected to is UPnP. The control unit 101 refers to the discovery protocol in the pairing information in step S1501, and if the discovery protocol is UPnP, it proceeds to step S1503. If “NO” is received in step S1502, then the control unit 101 proceeds to step S1504.

[0140] In step S1503, the control unit 101 searches for UPnP compatible devices. In this case, sequential execution of processes similar to those performed in steps S807, S809, S810, S811 and S815, which are shown in FIG. 8, therefore, their description will not be repeated.

[0141] In step S1504, the control unit 101 searches for devices compatible with the Bonjour protocol. In this case, sequential execution of processes similar to those performed in steps S808, S812, S813, S814 and S815, which are shown in FIG. 8, therefore, their description will not be repeated.

[0142] In step S1505, the control unit 101 determines whether a PC 200 has been detected. The control unit 101 compares the GUID obtained from the descriptor or TXT record obtained in step S1503 or S1504 with the GUID found in the pairing information. If these GUIDs are consistent with each other, then the control unit 101 determines the fact of detection of the PC 200, the connection with which was established earlier. If “NO” is received in step S1505, then the control unit 101 proceeds to step S1506.

[0143] In step S1506, the control unit 101 determines whether L minutes have elapsed. That is, if the PC 200, the connection with which was established earlier, was not detected, then the control unit 101 repeats step S1505 until the time period expires, which is determined in advance by the program or set by the user. If the control unit 101 determines that L minutes have elapsed, the process advances to step S1507.

[0144] In step S1507, the control unit 101 displays on the display unit 130 a GUI informing that the PC 200 was not detected. The GUI shown in FIG. 13D is an example of this.

[0145] If, in step S1505, the control unit 101 detects a PC, then it proceeds to step S713 shown in FIG. 7B, and starts alert processing. The subsequent processing steps are the same as described above.

[0146] The details of the detection process for connecting the digital camera 100 to a PC that was previously connected are described above.

PC DETECTION PROCESSING

[0147] Next, details of the detection process performed in step S602 of FIG. 6 by the PC 200. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a detection process performed by the PC 200.

[0148] First, in step S1601, the CPU 203 starts the alert processing. Alert processing is provided as a primary function through the OS system of the PC 200 or as an application function installed on the auxiliary data storage device 205. The PC 200 starts alert processing in accordance with a compatible discovery protocol. A UPnP compatible PC performs the bulk transmission of the SSDP: Alive message. A Bonjour compatible PC performs multicast DNS Notify.

[0149] In step S1602, the CPU 203 determines whether a multicast device search transmission has been received. The digital camera 100, as applied to devices on a network, performs multicast M-Search or Multicast DNS Query to search for a device. If the central processing unit 203, the CPU determines the multicast reception through the communication device 206, then it proceeds to step S1603. If “NO” is received in step S1602, then the CPU 203 continues to process until it receives a multicast.

[0150] In step S1603, the CPU 203 transmits a response. In the case of using the “M-Search” message, the CPU 203 transmits a “Response” message shown in FIG. 10C. In the case of using the “Query” message, the CPU 203 refers to the added “serviceType” tag, and if it determines that the “serviceType” tag indicates the image transfer service stored on the PC 200, it transmits the response to the digital camera 100 and switches to step S1604.

[0151] In step S1604, the CPU 203 determines whether a descriptor request has been received from the digital camera 100. If in step S1603, the digital camera 100 receives a response, then it transmits the descriptor discovery request to the PC 200. In the case of using UPnP, the digital camera 100 executes the HTTP GET command and starts the descriptor discovery process. In the case of using the Bonjour protocol, the digital camera 100 starts the TXT recording detection process. If the central processing unit 203, the CPU determines the fact of receiving the descriptor transmission command via the communication device 206, then it proceeds to step S1605. If “NO” is received in step S1604, the CPU 203 awaits the detection of a descriptor transfer command.

[0152] In step S1605, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU transmits the descriptor to the digital camera 100. In the case of using UPnP protocol, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU transmits the descriptor shown in FIG. 11A. In the case of using the Bonjour protocol, the CPU 203 transmits the TXT record depicted in FIG. 12A.

[0153] In step S1606, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU determines whether a multicast alert has been received from the digital camera 100. If the central processing unit 203 of the CPU determines the notification processing performed in step S902 or S903, which are shown in FIG. 9, then it proceeds to step S1607. If “NO” is received in step S1606, then the central processing unit 203 of the CPU continues to process until it receives the multicast transmission of the notification.

[0154] In step S1607, the CPU 203 requests the digital camera to transmit the descriptor.

[0155] In step S1608, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU receives a descriptor. In the case of using the UPnP protocol, the CPU 203 receives from the digital camera 100 the handle shown in FIG. 11B. In the case of using the Bonjour protocol, the CPU 203 receives from the digital camera 100 the TXT record shown in FIG. 12B.

[0156] In step S1609, the CPU 203 determines whether the digital camera supports the image transfer service. The descriptor describes information representing whether a digital camera supports an image transmission service.

[0157] The CPU 203 refers to the tag, and if it determines that the digital camera supports the image transfer service, then it proceeds to step S1610. If “NO” is received in step S1609, the CPU 203 returns to step S1606 and waits until it receives a multicast notification from another PC. As described above, the protocol used in the image transmission service in this embodiment is PTP-IP, so the process will be explained based on the PTP-IP connection method.

[0158] In step S1610, the CPU 203 transmits to the digital camera 100 a PTP-IP InitCommandRequest packet.

[0159] In step S1611, the central processing unit 203 of the CPU determines whether an “InitAct” packet that has been transmitted from the digital camera 100 has been received and indicates that the “InitCommandRequest” packet has been received. If the central processing unit 203, the CPU determines the reception of the “InitAct” packet through the communication device 206, then it proceeds to step S1612, and if “NO” is received in step S1611, then proceeds to step S1614.

[0160] In step S1612, the CPU 203 transmits a PTP-IP InitEventRequest packet to the digital camera 100.

[0161] In step S1613, the CPU 203 receives the “InitAct” packet, notifying that the digital camera 100 has processed the “InitEventRequest” packet normally.

[0162] After receiving the "InitAct" packet, the CPU 203 determines that the connection with the digital camera 100 is successful, proceeds to step S603 shown in FIG. 6, and activates an application that provides an image transmission service.

[0163] In step S1614, the CPU 203 determines whether an “InitFail” packet has been received, which has been transmitted from the digital camera 100, and indicates that reception of the “InitCommandRequest” packet has been rejected. If the central processing unit 203 of the CPU determines the reception of the “InitFail” packet, then it proceeds to step S1615. If “NO” is received in step S1614, the CPU 203 returns to step S1611 and waits for a response from the digital camera 100 to the “InitCommandRequest” packet.

[0164] In step S1615, in the event that the central processing unit 203 of the CPU received the “InitFail” packet in step S1614, it determines that no connection to the digital camera 100 has been established and displays a GUI informing on the display unit 201 of the PC 200 informing about connection failed.

[0165] In step S1616, the CPU 203 determines whether to complete the connection with the digital camera. If the user performs actions from the PC and interrupts the start of the image transfer service on the GUI interface (not shown), the CPU 203 processes this as a failure to establish a connection, and terminates the image transfer service. If the central processing unit 203 of the CPU is waiting to establish a connection with another digital camera, then it returns to step S1602 and continues processing.

[0166] The details of the detection processing performed in step S602 of FIG. 6, through a PC.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

[0167] Although the above embodiment has illustrated a wireless connection in a playback mode, the present invention is not limited to this mode. For example, the button for establishing a wireless connection can be prepared (created) in shooting mode or menu mode, while processing of the connection can continue after the user clicks on the button.

[0168] In the above embodiment, as an example of a communication apparatus, a digital camera 100, which is an apparatus including a wireless communication function, has been explained. However, the present invention can also be applied to a device that can be mounted in another device and provides a wireless communication function. For example, if the recording medium 141 is a recording medium equipped with a wireless communication function, then it can control the wireless communication. In this case, for the wireless communication circuit (not shown) of the recording medium 141 equipped with the wireless communication function, a control process similar to that described in the above embodiment is performed.

[0169] In addition, the present invention can also be applied to a system in which the digital camera 100 is controlled remotely from a PC and the like. In this case, the remote control can be implemented by performing polls and control requests from the PC control unit to the control unit 101 of the digital camera 100.

[0170] Aspects of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer system or apparatus (or devices, such as a CPU or MPU) that reads and executes a program recorded on a storage device to perform the functions of the above embodiment (s) of implementation, as well as by a method, the steps of which are performed by a computer system or device, for example, by reading and executing a program recorded on a storage device to perform the functions of the above option (s) implementation. For this, the program is provided to a computer, for example, through a network or from a recording medium of various types serving as a storage device (for example, from a computer-readable medium).

[0171] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications as well as equivalent structures and functions.

[0172] This application claims priority in accordance with Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-265312, filed December 2, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims (12)

1. A communications apparatus that establishes a connection with a device on a network by using a discovery protocol to discover a device, comprising:
first transmission means for transmitting a search command to search for devices on the network;
first receiving means for receiving portions of device information transmitted from devices on the network in response to a search command;
first selection means for selecting a device based on portions of device information received by said first reception means; second transmission means for transmitting a notification signal for notifying devices in the network of the presence of the communication apparatus, after selection by means of said first selection means;
second reception means for receiving a connection request transmitted from a device on the network, the connection request being transmitted by a device that has received a notification signal;
determination means for determining whether a connection request has been transmitted from a device selected by said first selection means; and
third transmission means for transmitting a response indicating that the connection was approved in response to the connection request in the case where said determination means determined that the connection request was transmitted from the device selected by said first selection means. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display means for displaying portions of device information received by said first receiving means,
wherein said first selection means selects a device based on device information displayed by said display means. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, in which
each piece of device information received by the first reception means comprises information about a service provided by the corresponding device, and
said display means displays information of a device that provides a predetermined service. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
registration means for registering as a destination of a device that approved the connection after said third transmission medium has transmitted a response; and
second selection means for selecting a device from devices registered by said registration means until a connection is established with another device,
moreover, if said second selection means selects a device, then said second transmission means transmits a notification signal without transmitting a search command by said first transmission means 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein after said third transmission medium has transmitted a response, data is transmitted to a device selected by said first selection means by using a data transmission protocol. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the data transfer protocol includes the PTP / IP protocol. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device information received by said first reception means comprises a type of detection protocol. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus includes one of the following: an image capturing apparatus, a mobile phone, a tablet device. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device includes one of the following: an image capturing apparatus, a mobile phone, a tablet device, a printer, a television receiver. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discovery protocol includes one of the UPnP and Bonjour protocols. 11. A method for controlling a communication apparatus that establishes a connection with a device on a network by using a discovery protocol to detect a device, comprising:
the first stage of the transfer, which perform the transmission of the search command to search for devices on the network;
a first receiving step, at which portions of device information transmitted from devices on the network are received in response to a search command;
a first selection step, at which device selection is performed based on portions of the arrangement information received at said first reception step;
a second transmission step, in which a notification signal is transmitted to notify devices on the network of the presence of the communication apparatus after selection in said first selection step;
a second receiving step, at which reception of a connection request transmitted from a device on the network is performed, the connection request being transmitted by a device that has received a notification signal;
a determining step in which it is determined whether a connection request has been transmitted from a device selected in said first selection step; and
a third transmission step, in which a response transmission is carried out indicating that the connection was approved in response to the connection request when it was determined at the determination stage that the connection request was transmitted from the device selected in the said first selection stage 12. A computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, which upon execution causes the processor to execute the method of claim 11.

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