Patent ID: 8908695

Claim:
A wireless communication device, wherein the wireless communication device is a first wireless communication device in a communication group, wherein the communication group includes the first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device wirelessly connected to the first wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device comprising: a communication unit configured to: receive information identifying the second wireless communication device; and receive a disclosure signal transmitted from the second wireless communication device; a storage unit configured to store the information identifying the second wireless communication device; and a control unit configured to: initiate an information disclosure period in response to receiving an indication of a user operation on the second wireless communication device, wherein the disclosure signal received by the communication unit includes the indication of the user operation; receive a request from a third wireless communication device that is not part of the communication group; determine whether the information disclosure period has ended; disclose the information identifying the second wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device based, at least in part, on the determination of whether the information disclosure period has ended; and terminate the information disclosure period when a connection process between said second wireless communication device and said third wireless communication device reaches a predetermined stage.