Patent ID: 8959170
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A communication method between a first network, which is organized by a plurality of information processing apparatuses each including a first communication unit carrying out non-contact type communication with an external apparatus via a first communication path using carder waves with a predetermined frequency and a second communication unit carrying out communication with an external apparatus via a second communication path different from the first communication path, and in which one information processing apparatus of the plurality of information processing apparatuses serves as a first master apparatus playing a role of a master in the communication via the second communication path and the other information processing apparatuses serve as first slave apparatuses playing a role of a slave, and a second network having the same configuration as that of the first network, the communication method comprising: a first transmission step of transmitting from the first master apparatus, via the first communication path using the carrier waves with the predetermined frequency, (i) first setting information used for the external apparatus to make a connection to the second communication path, which uses a different frequency range than the first communication path, and carry out the communication with the first master apparatus via the second communication path and (ii) first network organization information regarding the organization of the first network from the first master apparatus of the first network to one information processing apparatus of the second network; a first determination step of determining a role of the communication with the first master apparatus via the second communication path by the second master apparatus on the basis of the received first network organization information and role adjustment information used to determine the role of the communication via the second communication path, when the information processing apparatus receiving the first setting information and the first network organization information transmitted in the first transmission step is a second master apparatus playing a role of a master in the second network; a second transmission step of transmitting from the second master apparatus, via the first communication path using the carrier waves with the predetermined frequency, (i) second setting information used for the external apparatus to make a connection to the second communication path, which uses a different frequency range than the first communication path, and carry out the communication with the second master apparatus via the second communication path and (ii) second network organization information regarding the organization of the second network from the second master apparatus to the first master apparatus; a second determination step of determining a role of the communication with the second master apparatus via the second communication path by the first master apparatus on the basis of the received second network organization information and role adjustment information used to determine the role of the communication via the second communication path; and a first communication start step of starting the communication via the second communication path by one information processing apparatus of the first and second master apparatuses determined to play the role of the master in the first or second determination step with another information processing apparatus organizing the network, to which the other information processing apparatus determined to play the role of the slave in the first or second determination step belongs, on the basis of the first setting information and the first network organization information or on the basis of the second setting information and the second network organization information.