Patent ID: 7743268

Claim:
A communication apparatus comprising: a transmission unit adapted to transmit data via a network, a receiving unit adapted to receive data supplied via the network; an interface unit adapted to supply to-be-transmitted data to the transmission unit and extract particular information from data received by the receiving unit; control means for controlling an operation state of the interface unit, the control means including state setting means for outputting state setting information indicating an operation state into which to set the communication apparatus, the interface unit being configured to switch the operation state in accordance with the state setting information set by the state setting means; the control means being configured to control: (a) switching of the operation state of the interface unit between a transmission/reception-enabled state in which a process associated with transmission of data to be transmitted and a process associated with reception of incoming data are possible; and (b) a sleep state in which operation is stopped to reduce power consumption; and the state setting means being configured to output, as the state setting information, information indicating one of the following states: (a) an idle state in which transmission and reception of information is possible; (b) an active state in which an information processing apparatus adapted to transmit and receive data via the communication apparatus is in a transmission/reception-enabled state in which transmission/reception is possible and the interface unit is in a sleep state in which operation is stopped to reduce power consumption; (c) a passive state in which both the interface unit and the information processing apparatus are in the sleep state; and (d) an off-state in which no electric power is supplied and no operation is performed, wherein when the state setting information specifies the active state or the passive state, the interface unit goes into the sleep state, while when state setting information specifies the idle state, the interface unit goes into the state in which transmission and reception are possible.