Patent ID: 8155587
Filing Date: 2012-04-10
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A communication method for performing wireless communications with a plurality of communication devices, comprising: wirelessly transmitting a plurality of inquiry messages from a transmitting device during a plurality of stages with periodically altering communication ranges to discover the plurality of communication devices residing within multiple communication ranges by periodically adjusting a transmission power in accordance with information relating to the transmission power stored in a memory such that a communication device residing in a close communication range receives an inquiry message more often than a communication device residing in a distant communication range during the plurality of stages; receiving response messages from the plurality of communication devices responding to the inquiry messages during the plurality of stages, the response messages including identifications of the plurality of communication devices and lists of functions provided by the plurality of communication devices; storing the identifications of the plurality of communication devices and the lists of functions provided by the plurality of communication devices; storing count information in association with the stored identifications of the plurality of communication devices, the count information relating to the number of times the response messages were received from the respective communication devices during the plurality of stages, the count information indicative of a distance between the respective communication devices and the transmitting device; and selecting, among the plurality of communication devices, a communication device having the highest count of the received response messages and providing a required function as a connection object for wireless communications based on the stored count information and the lists of functions, the selected communication device being in closest vicinity and providing the required function.