Communication apparatus, information processing system, and information processing method

An information processing system comprising:

• a communication apparatus;
• and
• an information processing apparatus, wherein
• the communication apparatus includes
• a first communication unit configured to transmit a beacon signal including identification information,
• a second communication unit configured to communicate with the information processing apparatus,
• a first storage unit configured to store a plurality of pieces of the identification information different from each other, and
• a first control unit configured to select one piece of identification information from among the plurality of pieces of identification information and instruct the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected piece of identification information,
• the information processing apparatus includes
• a third communication unit configured to receive the beacon signal,
• a fourth communication unit configured to communicate with the communication apparatus,
• a second storage unit configured to store, for each of the pieces of identification information, status information including a value of a status regarding reception or non-reception of the beacon signal of each of the pieces of identification information, and
• a second control unit configured to update the status information upon reception of the beacon signal and instruct the fourth communication unit to transmit the status information,
• the status is associated with each of the pieces of identification information,
• in the communication apparatus, the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal,
• in the information processing apparatus, when the third communication unit receives the beacon signal, the second control unit updates, in the status information stored in the second storage unit, the value of the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal received by the third communication unit and instructs the fourth communication unit to transmit the updated status information to the communication apparatus, and
• in the communication apparatus, when the second communication unit receives the status information after the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal, the first control unit selects, based on the status information, another identification information different from the identification information included in the beacon signal transmitted most recently and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information, instead of the beacon signal transmitted most recently.

An information processing method by an information processing system including a communication apparatus configured to store a plurality of pieces of identification information different from each other and transmit a beacon signal including one piece of identification information selected from among the plurality of pieces of identification information, and an information processing apparatus configured to store status information including a value of a status regarding reception or non-reception of the beacon signal, the status being associated with each of the pieces of identification information, the information processing method comprising:

• a first step of transmitting, by the communication apparatus, the beacon signal;
• a second step of receiving, by the information processing apparatus, the beacon signal;
• a third step of updating, by the information processing apparatus, the value of the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal received in the second step, the value being included in the status information;
• a fourth step of transmitting, by the information processing apparatus, the status information updated in the third step to the communication apparatus;
• and
• a fifth step of, when the status information is received, selecting, by the communication apparatus, another identification information different from the identification information included in the beacon signal transmitted most recently based on the status information and transmitting, by the communication apparatus, the beacon signal including the selected identification information, instead of the beacon signal transmitted most recently.