# US 2018/0027366 A1 · Communication apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0027366 A1 - Document ID: US20180027366A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/651,246 - Filed: 2017-07-17 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yuki Fujimori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027366A1 ## CPC - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 52/02: Power saving arrangements - H04W 52/0229: {where the received signal is a wanted signal} - H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others} - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W 84/20: Leader-follower arrangements - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A communication apparatus includes a transmitting function and a receiving function for a radio signal, and, while belonging to a first group of devices, activates the transmitting and receiving functions to perform communication during a first period, and deactivates the transmitting and receiving functions outside the first period. The communication apparatus determines whether or not it performs monitoring for a presence of a second group of devices during a second period, controls performing of the monitoring by activating the receiving function during the second period when it is determined that the communication apparatus performs such monitoring, and keeping the transmission and receiving functions inactive outside the first period when it is determined that the communication apparatus does not perform such monitoring, and notifies another device in the first group of information related to the second group during the first period when a presence of the second group is detected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication apparatus comprising: a communication unit having a transmitting function and a receiving function for a radio signal, wherein, while belonging to a first group of devices, the communication apparatus activates the transmitting function and the receiving function to perform communication during a first period, and deactivates the transmitting function and the receiving function outside of the first period; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the communication apparatus, among devices in the first group, performs monitoring for a presence of a second group of devices which is different from the first group during a second period which is different from the first period; a control unit configured to control the communication unit by activating the receiving function and performing such monitoring during the second period when it is determined that the communication apparatus performs such monitoring, and by keeping the transmitting function and the receiving function inactive outside the first period when it is determined that the communication apparatus does not perform the monitoring; and a notification unit configured to notify another device in the first group of information related to the second group during the first period when a presence of the second group is detected during the second period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus performs the monitoring when the communication apparatus is operating in a role that transmits a beacon, and determines that the communication apparatus does not perform the monitoring when the communication apparatus is operating in a role that does not transmit a beacon. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus performs the monitoring when the communication apparatus is operating in a role that transmits a signal to be found by another device in the first group, and determines that the communication apparatus does not perform the monitoring when the communication apparatus is operating in a role that does not transmit the signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second period has a length equal to or longer than a cycle that a signal for assisting another device to find the second group is transmitted in a case where there is the second group. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring for a presence of a second group is performed by receiving a discovery beacon, which is transmitted from a device in the second group, according to the neighbor awareness network (NAN) standard. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the communication apparatus performs the monitoring every time the role of the communication apparatus changes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit further determines which of another device or the communication apparatus is to perform the monitoring when it is notified, from the another device the first group, that the another device is performing the monitoring and the communication apparatus is also performing the monitoring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit further determines which of another device or the communication apparatus is to perform the monitoring when it is not notified, from the another device in the first group, that the another device is performing the monitoring and the communication apparatus is not performing the monitoring either. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the further determination is made based on values of master ranks of the another device and the communication apparatus according to the neighbor awareness network (NAN) standard. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus is not to perform the monitoring when it is notified, from another device in the first group, that the another device is performing the monitoring, and determines that the communication apparatus is to perform the monitoring when it is not notified, from the another device in the first group, that the another device is performing the monitoring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit does not give notice of information related to the second group when the second group is merged with the first group, even in a case where a presence of the second group is detected during the second period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies information related to the second group, when a presence of the second group is detected during the second period and the first group is merged with the second group. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies information related to the second group after joining the second group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit determines that there is a second group when, during the second period, a signal to assist other devices to find the second group or a signal transmitted during a third period during which a device in the second group can communicate, is received. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first group and the second group are NAN clusters according to the neighbor awareness network (NAN) standard. ### Claim 16 A control method a communication apparatus that includes a communication unit having a transmitting function and receiving function for a radio signal, wherein, while belonging to a first group of devices, the communication apparatus activates the transmitting function and the receiving function to perform communication in a first period, and deactivates the transmitting function and the receiving function outside the first period, the control method comprising: determining whether or not the communication apparatus, among devices in the first group, performs monitoring for a presence of a second group of devices which is different from the first group during a second period which is different from the first period; controlling the communication unit by activating the receiving function and performing such monitoring during the second period when it is determined that the communication apparatus performs such monitoring, and by keeping the transmitting function and the receiving function inactive outside the first period when it is determined that the communication apparatus does not perform the monitoring; and notifying another device in the first group of information related to the second group during the first period when a presence of the second group is detected during the second period. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program that causes a communication apparatus to perform processes, the communication apparatus including a communication unit having a transmitting function and a receiving function for a radio signal, wherein, while belonging to a first group of devices, the communication apparatus activates the transmitting function and the receiving function to perform communication in a first period, and deactivates the transmitting function and the receiving function outside the first period, the processes comprising: determining whether or not the communication apparatus, among devices in the first group, performs monitoring for a presence of a second group of devices which is different from the first group during a second period which is different from the first period; controlling the communication unit by activating the receiving function and performing the monitoring during the second period when it is determined that the communication apparatus performs such monitoring, and by keeping the transmitting function and the receiving function inactive outside the first period when it is determined that the communication apparatus does not perform such monitoring; and notifying another device in the first group of information related to the second group during the first period when a presence of the second group is detected during the second period.