Communication system, information processing system, image forming apparatus and portable information terminal device

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a first wireless communication unit that receives data from a mobile phone, and a reader-writer that transmits an address of the first wireless communication unit to the mobile phone. The mobile phone includes a contact / non-contact IC card that receives the address, and a second wireless communication unit that transmits image data to the first wireless communication unit utilizing the address. When communication is made between the mobile phone and the image forming apparatus, the address of the first wireless communication unit is transmitted to the contact / non-contact IC card through the reader-writer, and the second wireless communication unit transmits data to the first wireless communication unit utilizing the address.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 2009-17209 filed in Japan on Jan. 28, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The present invention relates to a communication system including a plurality of wireless communication devices, an information processing system including a portable electronic apparatus and an information processing device that executes data transmission / reception with the electronic apparatus, an image forming apparatus that receives image data from an external device and forms an image, and a portable information terminal device that executes communication with an external device having two wireless communication units.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Mobile phones with camera function have lately become very popular and one can easily shoot a digital photo any time and anywhere. Als...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]The present invention has been accomplished in view of the foregoing situation, with an object to provide a communication system that allows skipping troublesome operation for set-up (certification) such as the pairing, and is capable of preventing leakage of confidential information from an electronic apparatus.

[0033]The present invention provides a portable information terminal device that communicates with an external device including two wireless communication means, comprising a first communication unit that communicates with one of the two wireless communication means in the external device; and a second communication unit that receives identification data relevant to the one of the wireless communication means in the external device through the other wireless communication means; wherein the first communication unit communicates with the one of the wireless communication means utilizing the identification data received by the second communication unit. According to the present invention, when communication is made with the external device, the second communication unit receives the identification data relevant to the one of the wireless communication means through the other wireless communication means, and the first communication unit communicates with the one of the wireless communication means utilizing the identification data. Such arrangement allows skipping the troublesome operation for set-up (certification) such as the pairing.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, troublesome procedures have to be performed and the card-type memory may be left unremoved from the memory card reader of the image forming apparatus after the printing.

However, the pairing requires complicated and troublesome procedures.

For example, when the user wants to print image data in the memory of the mobile phone with the image forming apparatus, the user has to retrieve through the mobile phone those image forming apparatus capable of performing the wireless communication in a predetermined radius (for instance, 100 mm), and distinguish the Bluetooth address of the image forming apparatus among the Bluetooth addresses of the plurality of image forming apparatuses listed on the display unit of the mobile phone as a result of the retrieval, however such distinction is very difficult.

Further, in the case of the wireless communication based on the RFID system such as Felica® or Edy®, since the communication speed is slow, the mobile phone has to be held up over the image forming apparatus for a predetermined time, for wirelessly transmitting the data to be printed.

The wireless communication method according to the publicly known literature 1 and the communication system according to the publicly known literature 2, however, have a drawback in terms of security.

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