Patent ID: 7593350

Claim:
Apparatus comprising: a personal area network device connecting at short range with any wireless communication terminal within range, comprising: a terminal detector which transmits an inquiry packet for inquiry as to whether any wireless communication terminal exists within range as to be able to communicate with the apparatus, detects one by one a plurality of wireless data communication terminals transmitting inquiry response packets in response to the inquiry packet, and completes the detection of wireless communication terminals if no wireless communication terminal is detected within a predetermined detection completion timeout period after starting the transmission of the inquiry packet; a terminal suspender, coupled to said terminal detector, which suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within the detection completion timeout period; a wireless transceiver, coupled to said terminal detector, which connects to and then performs wireless data communication with the wireless communication terminal detected by said terminal detector while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended; and an initialization circuit, coupled to said terminal detector, which restarts detection of other wireless communication terminals by said terminal detector after completion of both the connection and the data communication is detected; wherein if one of the wireless communication terminals is detected within a predetermined detection suspension timeout period shorter than the detection completion timeout period after the transmission of the inquiry packet was started, said terminal suspender suspends the detection of wireless communication terminals performed by said terminal detector; and wherein while the detection of wireless communication terminals is suspended, said wireless transceiver performs data communication with the wireless communication terminal detected by said terminal detector within the detection suspension timeout period.