Sony Corporation

Hiroshi Kakuda

Takashi Sasai

Kazuo Ishii

Hiroaki Ogawa

Yasuharu Asano

Miyuki Tanaka

Koji Nishimura

Kazuya Odagiri

Masamitsu Higo

Katsuki Minamino

Makoto Akabane

Osamu Hamada

Masanori Omote

Eiji Yamamoto

Makoto Sato

Yasuhiko Kato

Masao Watari

Tetsuya Kagami

Takuro Noda

Yoshitaka Ukita

Yoriko Komatsuzaki

Junichi Rekimoto

Masakazu Hattori

Hiroaki Kitano

Keiichi Yamada

Satoshi Fujimura

Atsuo Hiroe

Masato Shimakawa

Takao Morita

Hitoshi Honda

Takashi Sakuma

Kayo Ishii

Bao Hongchang

Kazunori Sasano

Garen Fujimaki

Yuka Endo

The present invention relates to a communication system and a method thereof, an information processing apparatus and a method thereof, an information processing terminal and a method thereof, which can start wireless communication easily and promptly. When an electromagnetic wave radiated from a reader/writer of a PDAis received in a reader/writer of a personal computer, the personal computernotifies the PDAof device information stored therein. The PDAestablishes synchronization for Bluetooth communication with the personal computerin accordance with a Bluetooth address contained in the device information and selects a service in accordance with a service record contained in the device information to establish communication via Bluetooth. The present invention can be applied to various information processing apparatuses such as a personal computer or a PDA.

Communication system and method, information processing apparatus and method, information processing terminal and method

The present invention relates to a communication system and a method thereof, an information processing apparatus and a method thereof, an information processing terminal and a method thereof, which can start wireless communication easily and promptly. When an electromagnetic wave radiated from a reader/writer of a PDA is received in a reader/writer of a personal computer, the personal computer notifies the PDA of device information stored therein. The PDA establishes synchronization for Bluetooth communication with the personal computer in accordance with a Bluetooth address contained in the device information and selects a service in accordance with a service record contained in the device information to establish communication via Bluetooth. The present invention can be applied to various information processing apparatuses such as a personal computer or a PDA.

The present invention relates to a control apparatus and a method, a recording medium and a program, which enable to control at least one first device more efficiently and quickly through the use of a second device. The control apparatus stores at least one first operation panel information corresponding to the at least one first device received from the second device; detects the at least one first device; determines whether the at least one first operation panel information remains stored in the control apparatus; displays at least one first operation panel based on the at least one first operation panel information if the at least one first operation panel information remains stored in the control apparatus; and controls the at least one first device.

Control apparatus and method, recording medium and program

The present invention relates to a radio communication apparatus and a radio communications method, a radio communication system, a recording medium, and a computer program in which a response signal to an inquiry is returned to a master only when instructions to perform radio communications are issued. A CPUblinks LEDwhen an inquiry signal is received, and transmits a response to the inquiry signal when a user who has referred to lighting of the LEDoperates a connection response button. The connection response buttonis operated when the user issues radio communications instructions with respect to the inquiry signal. In other words, even when wireless headphonesare within an area capable of radio communications with the master, only if the connection response buttonis operated by the user, it sends to the master a response to the inquiry, and establishes connection. The present invention may be applied to a wireless storage server, wireless headphones, and audio reproduction apparatuses.

Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method, radio communication system, recording medium, and computer program

The present invention relates to a control apparatus and a method, a recording medium and a program, which enable to control at least one first device more efficiently and quickly through the use of a second device. The control apparatus detects the at least one first device, requests at least one first operation panel information corresponding to the at least one first device from the second device; displays the at least one first operation panel; and controls the at least one first device.

The present invention relates to a radio communication apparatus and a radio communications method, a radio communication system, a recording medium, and a computer program in which a response signal to an inquiry is returned to a master only when instructions to perform radio communications are issued. A CPUblinks LEDwhen an inquiry signal is received, and transmits a response to the inquiry signal when a user who has referred to lighting of the LEDoperates a connection response buttonThe connection response buttonis operated when the user issues radio communications instructions with respect to the inquiry signal. In other words, even when wireless headphonesare within an area capable of radio communications with the master, only if the connection response buttonis operated by the user, it sends to the master a response to the inquiry, and establishes connection. The present invention may be applied to a wireless storage server, wireless headphones, and audio reproduction apparatuses.

An imaging apparatus includes: a captured image data generation unit generating captured image data by capturing a subject; a positional information acquisition unit acquiring positional information indicating a position at which the captured image data are generated; an area determination unit determining whether the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in a positional information conversion area for converting the acquired positional information; a positional information conversion unit, when the area determination unit determines that the position indicated by the acquired positional information is included in the positional information conversion area, converting the acquired positional information into positional information indicating a position different from the position indicated by the acquired positional information; and a record control unit, when recording the generated captured image data, carrying out control to record the generated captured image data in association with the positional information converted by the positional information conversion unit.

Information recording apparatus, imaging apparatus, information recording method, and program

The present invention relates to a control apparatus and a method, a recording medium and a program, which enable to control devices more efficiently and quickly. As information of the devices that can be controlled by a remote controllerby way of a personal computer, the address information of a television receiverand a personal computer, which are connected via a wireless LAN to the personal computer, are provided from the personal computerto the remote controller. Between the remote controllerand the television receiver, and between the remote controllerand the personal computer, a variety of information are sent/received by way of the personal computer, and these devices are controlled by the remote controller. The present invention is applicable to an information processing apparatus, which can control by wireless communication a variety of AV equipment, appliances, and the like.

Control device and method, recording medium and program

When wireless communications are performed with other communication devices, an inquiry message to discover other communication devices residing in the vicinity is wirelessly transmitted by having communication ranges altered at a plurality of stages; response messages to the transmitted inquiry message are received; information relating to a receiving state or frequency of receipt of the response messages from the respective communication ranges is preserved with respect to each communication device which is a source of the response message; and based on the preserved information relating to the receiving state or the frequency of receipt of the response messages a communication device to be a connection object for wireless communication is selected. By doing so, when short-range wireless communications are performed, communication services can be performed appropriately between required devices.

Communication method, communication system, and communication device for performing communication having altering communication ranges

The present invention relates to a communications apparatus and method, a storage medium and a program that make it possible for the user to select a device to be made a communications partner more quickly and reliably. The searcher deviceperforms a search so as to detect only one device. If the response message from the searchee deviceis obtained by the searcher device, on the display section of the searcher deviceis displayed a selection screen for selecting whether or not to make the searchee devicea communications partner. If the searchee deviceis not selected as a communications partner, the searcher deviceperforms another search so as to detect two devices. If the searchee deviceand the searchee deviceare detected in the second search, the searcher deviceexcludes the searchee device, which was not selected as a communications partner in the previous search, and displays a selection screen for selecting whether or not to perform communications with the searchee device. The present invention is applicable to various kinds of communications apparatuses, such as personal computers, PDAs, mobile phones and the like.

Communications apparatus and method, storage medium, as well as program

The present invention relates to a communication system, a communication method, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing method for easily and quickly organizing a communication group containing a plurality of apparatuses. The user places a PDAin proximity to a personal computer. When an electromagnetic wave emitted from a reader/writer of the PDAis received by a reader/writer of the personal computer, the personal computernotifies the PDAof stored communication group organizing information. The PDAstores the communication group organizing information while establishing a synchronization for a Bluetooth communication with the personal computerbased on the communication group organizing information to establish the Bluetooth communication with the personal computer. The present invention is applicable to a variety of information processing apparatuses such as a personal computer and a PDA.

Communication system and method, and information processing apparatus and method

Communications device and method, recording medium, and program

The invention relates to a telephone set comprises a connection apparatus to execute a connecting process for enabling transmission and reception of an information signal to and from a home appliance such as a general audio device remote-controllable by radio communication; a control apparatus for generating, upon arrival of an incoming call, a remote control signal such as a pause command to the home appliance; and a radio communication apparatus for sending the remote control signal to the home appliance by radio communication. Thus, upon arrival of an incoming call at the telephone set, the remote control signal is sent to the audio device or the like either directly from the telephone set or via a communication adaptor installed therein, hence pausing or muting the output of the audio device under remote control. Such control action enables a user to perceive the incoming call with facility.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Hiroshi Kakuda