INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus; a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with each of one or more second wireless communication apparatuses; an acquisition unit configured to acquire from the first communication apparatus via the first communication unit an apparatus ID that is held by the first communication apparatus and that is used for identifying one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data; and a control unit configured to control the second communication unit to transmit or receive the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that is identified by the apparatus ID acquired by the acquisition unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a data processing system to which an information processing apparatus and a portable information terminal according to a first embodiment can be applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an image processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a contactless ID card capable of communicating with a card reader/writer shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a second wireless communication apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a first data process performed by an information processing system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a data process performed by the information processing system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a data process performed by the information processing system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a data process performed by an information processing system according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an illustration for explaining a memory map of a storage medium in which various data processing programs that can be read by an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention are stored.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration in which a first wireless communication apparatus and a second wireless communication apparatus are integrated with each other according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a screen displayed on a display unit.

FIG. 12 shows an example of another screen displayed on the display unit.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a further screen displayed on the display unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising: a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus;a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with each of one or more second wireless communication apparatuses;an acquisition unit configured to acquire via the first communication unit from the first communication apparatus an apparatus ID that is held by the first communication apparatus and that is used for identifying one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data; anda control unit configured to control the second communication unit to transmit or receive the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that is identified by the apparatus ID acquired by the acquisition unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an authentication unit configured to perform user authentication in accordance with a first user ID,wherein the first communication unit receives the first user ID from the first communication apparatus, andwherein after the authentication unit completes the user authentication, the control unit controls the acquisition unit to acquire the apparatus ID from the first communication apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires from the first communication unit a second user ID that allows the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives the data to be operable, andwherein the control unit transfers the second user ID acquired by the acquisition unit to the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to the apparatus ID acquired by the acquisition unit, and when the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses has completed user authentication using the second user ID on the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses, the control unit permits transmission or reception of the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a user interface unit configured to inform a user of information and to receive an operation input entered by the user,wherein when the acquisition unit has received a plurality of apparatus IDs from the first communication unit, a list of the plurality of apparatus IDs is displayed on the user interface unit, andwherein the control unit performs control so as to start transmission or reception of the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to one of the plurality of apparatus IDs that is selected, in accordance with a user instruction, from the list of the plurality of apparatus IDs displayed on the user interface unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a user interface unit configured to inform a user of information and to receive an operation input entered by the user,wherein when the acquisition unit has not acquired from the first communication apparatus the apparatus ID that identifies the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives the data, a screen enabling the user to input a new apparatus ID is displayed on the user interface unit, andwherein the control unit performs control so as to start transmission or reception of the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to the new apparatus ID input via the user interface unit.

6. An information processing apparatus comprising: a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus;a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with each of one or more second wireless communication apparatuses;an acquisition unit configured to acquire from the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses capable of communication via the second communication unit apparatus IDs that identify the corresponding one or more second wireless communication apparatuses in response to start of communication between the first communication unit and the first communication apparatus;a determination unit configured to determine one of the apparatus IDs acquired by the acquisition unit that corresponds to the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data; anda control unit configured to control the second communication unit to transmit or receive the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to the one of the apparatus IDs determined by the determination unit.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a transfer unit configured to transfer the apparatus IDs acquired by the acquisition unit to the first communication apparatus via the first communication unit,wherein the determination unit determines the one of the apparatus IDs that corresponds to the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives the data in accordance with a response from the first communication apparatus with respect to the transfer of the apparatus IDs by the transfer unit.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first communication apparatus holds the apparatus ID of the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that communicates with the second communication unit, andwherein the response sent from the first communication apparatus with respect to the transfer of the apparatus IDs by the transfer unit includes an apparatus ID that is the same as the apparatus ID held by the first communication apparatus from among the apparatus IDs transferred from the transfer unit.

9. A method for wireless communication for use in an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus and a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with each of one or more second wireless communication apparatuses, the method comprising: acquiring from the first communication apparatus an apparatus ID that identifies one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data; andcontrolling the second communication unit to transmit or receive the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to an acquired apparatus ID.

10. A method for wireless communication for use in an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus and a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with each of one or more second wireless communication apparatuses, the method comprising: acquiring from the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses capable of communication via the second communication unit apparatus IDs that identify the corresponding one or more second wireless communication apparatuses in response to start of communication between the first communication unit and the first communication apparatus;determining one of an acquired apparatus ID that corresponds to the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data; andcontrolling the second communication unit to transmit or receive the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to an acquired apparatus ID that corresponds to the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data.

11. A storage medium storing a program for causing an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus and a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with each of one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to perform a wireless communication method for use in the information processing apparatus, the program comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring from the first communication apparatus an apparatus ID that identifies one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data; anda control step of controlling the second communication unit to transmit or receive the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to the apparatus ID acquired in the acquisition step.

12. A storage medium storing a program for causing an information processing apparatus including a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus and a second communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with each of one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to perform a wireless communication method for use in the information processing apparatus, the program comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring from the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses capable of communication via the second communication unit apparatus IDs that identify the corresponding one or more second wireless communication apparatuses in response to start of communication between the first communication unit and the first communication apparatus;a determination step of determining one of the apparatus IDs acquired in the acquisition step that corresponds to the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses to or from which the second communication unit transmits or receives data; anda control step of controlling the second communication unit to transmit or receive the data to or from the one of the one or more second wireless communication apparatuses that corresponds to the one of the apparatus IDs determined in the determination step.