Electric power communication device, electric power communication system, electric power communication method, and program

An electric power communication system, comprising:

• a first electric power communication device;
• and
• a second electric power communication device that includes
• a plurality of directional antennas, each of which has directionality;
• a plurality of electric power communication portions, each of which has directionality, is configured to transmit and receive electrical power, and is associated with a different one of or combination of the plurality of directional antennas;
• and
• an electric power communication control portion configured to select one of the plurality of electric power communication portions to use for electric power communication with the first communication device, based on which one of the plurality of directional antennas receives an incoming wireless signal transmitted from the first communication device,
• a receiving detection portion that detects which one of the plurality of directional antennas receives the incoming wireless signal, and
• an antenna control portion that sequentially switches among the plurality of directional antennas
• wherein the receiving detection portion also detects, based on the contents of the incoming wireless signal transmitted from the first electric power communication device, a time slot in which the incoming wireless signal will be transmitted later from the first electric power communication device, and
• the antenna control portion switches, for the time slot that has been detected by the receiving detection portion, to the one of the plurality of directional antennas that received the incoming wireless signal that was transmitted from the first electric power communication device.

An electric power communication method, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting an incoming wireless signal from a partner communication device;
• detecting receipt of the incoming wireless signal by one of a plurality of directional antennas, each of which has directionality;
• selecting one of a plurality of electric power communication portions, each of which has directionality, to use for electric power communication with the partner communication device, based on which one of the plurality of directional antennas is detected to receive the incoming wireless signal transmitted from the partner communication device, each of the plurality of electric power communication portions being configured to transmit and receive electrical power and associated with a different one of or combination of the plurality of directional antennas;
• and
• sequentially switching among the plurality of directional antennas,
• wherein, based on the contents of the incoming wireless signal transmitted from the partner communication device, a time slot in which the incoming wireless signal will be transmitted later from the partner communication device is detected, and
• for the time slot that has been detected by the receiving detection portion, the one of the plurality of directional antennas that received the incoming wireless signal that was transmitted from the partner communication device is switched to.

A non-transitory computer storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the steps of:

• detecting an incoming wireless signal that has been transmitted by a partner communication device and has been received by one of a plurality of directional antennas, each of which has directionality;
• selecting one of a plurality of electric power communication portions, each of which has directionality, to use for electric power communication with the partner communication device, based on which one of the plurality of directional antennas received the incoming wireless signal transmitted from the partner communication device, each of the plurality of electric power communication portions being configured to transmit and receive electrical power and associated with a different one of or combination of the plurality of directional antennas, and
• sequentially switching among the plurality of directional antennas
• wherein, based on the contents of the incoming wireless signal transmitted from the partner communication device, a time slot in which the incoming wireless signal will be transmitted later from the partner communication device is detected, and
• for the time slot that has been detected by the receiving detection portion, the one of the plurality of directional antennas that received the incoming wireless signal that was transmitted from the partner communication device is switched to.