Patent ID: 7626954

Claim:
A communication apparatus comprising: a data communication unit which performs half-duplex communication of video frame data with an external device on a video frame-by-video frame basis; a switching unit which switches a transmission direction in which the data communication unit transmits the video frame data; a first control unit which, when the transmission direction is to be switched while the data communication unit is sending the video frame data, controls the data communication unit to include a start command for instructing a start of a transmission direction switch, in the video frame data that is being sent, and send the video frame data, as well as controls the switching unit to switch the transmission direction in response to completion of the sending of the video frame data that includes the start command; and a second control unit which, when the start command is included in video frame data that is being received by the data communication unit, controls the switching unit to switch the transmission direction in response to completion of the reception of the video frame data that includes the start command.