US 12,075,508 B2
Communication device and method of controlling a communication unit to operate as a master or a slave to an external apparatus
Tai Hirakawa, Saitama (JP); Yoshiyuki Imada, Chiba (JP); and Masashi Kamata, Komazama (JP)
Assigned to SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/289,486
Filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Nov. 8, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/044025
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 28, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/096066, PCT Pub. Date May 14, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-211197 (JP), filed on Nov. 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0095407 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. H04W 76/20 (2018.01); H04W 76/10 (2018.01); H04W 84/20 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 76/20 (2018.02) [H04W 76/10 (2018.02); H04W 84/20 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communication device, comprising:
a communication unit operating to establish wireless connection among a plurality of external apparatuses; and
a control unit configured to control the communication unit, such that the communication unit is configured to operate as one of a master and a slave in order to facilitate the wireless connection among the plurality of external apparatuses,
wherein, when the communication unit has a current wireless connection with a first external apparatus among the plurality of external apparatuses, and the control unit seeks a future wireless connection with a second external apparatus among the plurality of external apparatuses, the control unit operates to control the communication unit to repeatedly and periodically alternate switching between: (i) a period of time during which the communication unit operates as the slave in order to seek the future wireless connection with the second external apparatus, and (ii) and a period within which the communication unit operates as the master in order to maintain the current wireless connection with the first external apparatus, and
wherein, after information necessary for the future wireless connection with the second external apparatus has been transferred between the communication unit and the second external apparatus, the communication unit operates as the master while the second external apparatus operates as the slave, such that a new current wireless connection with the second external apparatus is established, and the current wireless connection with the first external apparatus is terminated.