NFC and Wi-Fi Direct Communication System for MFP Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional communication systems between information processing apparatuses, such as multifunction peripherals or printers, and communication devices like mobile terminals are limited in data accessibility, restricting users' ability to select and obtain various types of data beyond what is supported by installed applications.
Innovation Solution
A communication system comprising an information processing apparatus and a communication apparatus that uses short-range wireless communication for initial pairing and high-speed wireless communication for data transfer, allowing users to designate and obtain specific data items through a user interface, with the communication apparatus obtaining connection information via NFC and establishing a Wi-Fi Direct connection to retrieve the data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional communication systems are used, then connection establishment is simple, but data accessibility is limited to application-supported data types
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is divided into two distinct phases: a simple pairing phase using NFC for connection establishment, and a data transfer phase using Wi-Fi Direct for high-speed communication. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently - NFC provides simple authentication while Wi-Fi Direct enables versatile data access without complicating the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Wi-Fi Direct acts as an intermediary communication channel between the mobile terminal and information processing apparatus. After initial NFC pairing, Wi-Fi Direct facilitates flexible data transfer for various data types (logs, settings, etc.) without requiring complex application-specific protocols, thus improving data accessibility while maintaining system simplicity.
2Speed
If NFC communication is used for data transfer, then connection establishment is simple, but communication speed is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary pairing and authentication actions using NFC before the actual data transfer. This preliminary action establishes a secure connection and exchanges connection information, after which the high-speed Wi-Fi Direct communication can proceed without repeating the authentication process, thus achieving both high speed and operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system dynamically switches from NFC to Wi-Fi Direct based on the operational requirements. NFC is used for initial pairing and small data exchanges, while Wi-Fi Direct is activated for high-speed data transfer. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize both communication speed and ease of operation by using the appropriate protocol for each task.
3Adaptability or versatility
If applications are used to access data, then data retrieval is straightforward, but data selection flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The Wi-Fi Direct communication interface provides universal access to multiple data types stored in the information processing apparatus, including logs, settings, and other data. This unified interface allows users to select and retrieve various data types without needing separate applications for each data type, thus improving data selection flexibility while avoiding the complexity of multiple specialized interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile terminal (communication apparatus) selects a data item that needs to be obtained from an MFP (information processing apparatus) according to a user instruction given via an operation screen. Upon establishment of NFC communication between the mobile terminal and an NFC tag of the MFP as a result of the mobile terminal being brought closer to the NFC tag by the user, the mobile terminal reads, from the NFC tag, connection information for connecting to the MFP by using the Wi-Fi Direct. The mobile terminal connects to the MFP by using the Wi-Fi Direct based on the obtained connection information, and obtains data corresponding to the selected data item from the MFP through the Wi-Fi Direct communication.