Wireless system, wireless device, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein communication program, and communication method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10911930-B2
Application number	US-201916377908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2019
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A communication system as an example of an exemplary embodiment includes two mobile terminals and two BLE terminals. The mobile terminals establish connections with the BLE terminals. Specifically, one of the mobile terminals and one of the BLE terminals are connected together such that the mobile terminal is a central and the BLE terminal is a peripheral. In the state of being connected to the mobile terminal, the BLE terminal communicates with the other BLE terminal in the state of being connected to the other mobile terminal. The BLE terminals may establish a connection with each other and communicate with each other, or may communicate with each other without establishing a connection with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless system including a plurality of devices capable of performing wireless communication,
the wireless system comprising a first device, a second device, a third device, and a fourth device,
the first device and the second device being configured to establish a connection between the first device and the second device such that the first device is a master and the second device is a slave, and perform wireless communication with each other,
the fourth device and the third device being configured to establish a connection between the fourth device and the third device such that the fourth device is a master and the third device is a slave, and perform wireless communication with each other,
the second device is configured to:
execute a transmission process for wirelessly transmitting data by broadcast or multicast,
execute a reception process for wirelessly receiving data transmitted by broadcast or multicast,
in a state of being connected as a slave to the first device, the second device executes the transmission process and the reception process, thereby communicating with the third device in a state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device, wherein

while the second device is connected to the first device, the second device performs wireless communication with the first device at a first certain timing, and performs wireless communication with the third device at a first timing when the second device does not communicate with the first device, and
while the third device is connected to the fourth device, the third device performs wireless communication with the fourth device at a second certain timing, and performs wireless communication with the second device at a second timing when the third device does not communicate with the fourth device.

2. The wireless system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second device in a state of not being connected to the third device transmits or receives predetermined data by wireless communication to or from the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device.

3. The wireless system according to claim 2 , wherein
the second device in the state of being connected to the first device repeatedly executes the transmission process and the reception process, thereby performing wireless communication with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device, without establishing a connection with the third device.

4. The wireless system according to claim 2 , wherein
at least any of an execution period of the transmission process, timing for executing the transmission process, an execution period of the reception process, and timing for executing the reception process is variable, the timing for executing the transmission process or the timing for executing the reception process being different than the first certain timing.

5. The wireless system according to claim 4 , wherein
at least any of the execution period of the transmission process, the timing for executing the transmission process, the execution period of the reception process, and the timing for executing the reception process is randomly set.

6. The wireless system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first timing is set such that the second device preferentially performs communication with the first device over the third device.

7. The wireless system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second device
executes an interval setting process for setting an interval of wireless communication, and
establishes a connection with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device and then performs wireless communication between the second device and the third device at the interval set in the interval setting process wherein the interval does not coincide with the first certain timing or the second certain timing.

8. The wireless system according to claim 1 , wherein
the wireless system
executes a first allowance period setting process for setting a first allowance period for a connection between the first device and the second device, and
executes a second allowance period setting process for setting a second allowance period for a connection between the second device and the third device,
the second device in the state of being connected to the first device executes a determination process for determining, based on the first allowance period, whether or not to execute synchronous communication with the first device,
the third device in a state of being connected to the second device executes a determination process for determining, based on the second allowance period, whether or not to execute synchronous communication with the second device, and
in the second allowance period setting process, the second allowance period is set to be longer than the first allowance period.

9. The wireless system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second device in the state of being connected as a slave to the first device establishes a connection with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device and performs wireless communication with the third device in a state where the established connection is maintained.

10. The wireless system according to claim 1 , wherein the first certain timing and the second certain timing are the same.

11. A wireless system including a plurality of devices capable of performing wireless communication,
the wireless system comprising a first device, a second device, a third device, and a fourth device,
the first device and the second device being configured to establish a connection between the first device and the second device such that the first device is a master and the second device is a slave, and perform wireless communication with each other,
the fourth device and the third device being configured to establish a connection between the fourth device and the third device such that the fourth device is a master and the third device is a slave, and perform wireless communication with each other,
the second device is configured to:
execute a transmission process for wirelessly transmitting data,
execute a reception process for wirelessly receiving data,
in a state of being connected as a slave to the first device, the second device executes the transmission process and the reception process, thereby communicating with the third device in a state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device, and wherein
the second device in the state of being connected as a slave to the first device establishes a connection with the third device in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device and performs wireless communication with the third device in a state where the established connection is maintained.

12. The wireless system according to claim 11 , wherein
the wireless system executes an allowance period setting process for setting an allowance period for a connection between the first device and the second device, and
the second device in the state of being connected to the first device executes a determination process for determining, based on the allowance period, whether or not to execute the synchronous communication with the first device.

13. The wireless system according to claim 12 , wherein
the second device repeatedly executes the transmission process and the reception process to search for another device around the second device and establishes a connection with the third device detected by the search and in the state of being connected as a slave to the fourth device.

14. The wireless system according to

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takeuchi Hiroyuki
• Imura Yoshitaka

Classifications

• H04W76/40

  for selective distribution or broadcast · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W8/005 Primary

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W84/20

  Leader-follower arrangements · CPC title