Communication Device Role Determination via Conflict Assessment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication methods require multiple steps and exchange of functional information to determine the roles of communication apparatuses, leading to complex session establishment processes and increased processing and communication loads.

Innovation Solution

A communication apparatus with an access control section, an access request issuing section, and a conflict determining section that dynamically determines and switches roles based on received requests, allowing for role determination without prior exchange of capability information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If communication apparatuses exchange functional information in advance to determine roles, then role determination accuracy is improved, but the number of steps and processing load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverole determination accuracyVSAvoidsession establishment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having communication apparatuses exchange functional information about their capabilities (host or device roles) before the actual role determination process. This allows each apparatus to understand what roles the other can serve, enabling more accurate and efficient role assignment without requiring multiple iterative steps during the actual connection establishment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by having apparatuses send requests indicating which role they wish to serve, and the receiving apparatus responds with acceptance or rejection based on its own functional capabilities and the received request. This feedback mechanism allows for dynamic role determination that adapts to the actual capabilities and preferences of both parties, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If communication apparatuses exchange functional information in advance to determine roles, then role determination reliability is improved, but communication load increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverole determination reliabilityVSAvoidcommunication load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential functional information needed for role determination (capability to serve as host or device) from the complete set of possible communication parameters. By exchanging only this specific subset of information rather than all functional details, the patent achieves reliable role determination while minimizing communication load and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If communication apparatuses follow a multi-step role determination process, then role assignment accuracy is improved, but time required for session establishment increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverole assignment accuracyVSAvoidsession establishment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functional information exchange step with the role determination request process into a single integrated communication flow. Instead of separating capability advertisement from role selection into distinct phases, the patent combines them, allowing role determination to occur in fewer steps while maintaining accuracy through the preliminary exchange of functional capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2704515B1Communication device, communication method, and communication program
Publication Date: 2017.05.31 PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP
  • EP2704515B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2704515B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2704515B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An objective of the present invention is to determine a function of each communication apparatus with few steps. A first communication apparatus (100) is capable of carrying out at least one of a function of an apparatus which receives an access thereto from a second communication apparatus (200), and a function of a host which accesses the second communication apparatus (200). The first communication apparatus (100) comprises: an access request issuing unit (140) which issues a request which denotes the function thereof to the second communication apparatus (200); and a conflict assessment unit (150) which, either when the request and a request which the second communication apparatus (200) has issued conflict or when the request is rejected, makes the access request issuing unit (140) reissue a request to the second communication apparatus (200) which denotes another function.