Pairing method between electronic devices including communication function and electronic device

Abstract

Disclosed is a pairing method which pairs electronic devices. Each electronic device includes a communication unit to communicate data and a light receiving unit to detect receiving light amount. The method includes the following. The electronic devices are set to a pairing standby state. Light intensity on the light receiving units is changed under a same light receiving environment. Time series data of receiving light amount detected by the light receiving unit of a second electronic device is transmitted from the second electronic device to a first electronic device. The electronic devices are paired based on time series data of receiving light amount detected by the receiving light units.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pairing method which pairs a first electronic device with a second electronic device, each electronic device including a communication unit to communicate data and a light receiving unit to detect a received light amount of light received thereby, the method comprising:
 judging whether or not the received light amount detected by the light receiving unit of each of the first electronic device and the second electronic device satisfies a predetermined light receiving environment condition; 
 setting the first electronic device and the second electronic device to a pairing standby state when it is judged that the received light amount detected by the light receiving unit of each of the first electronic device and the second electronic device satisfies the predetermined light receiving environment condition; 
 detecting a changing of a light intensity on the light receiving unit of the first electronic device and on the light receiving unit of the second electronic device under a same light receiving environment; 
 transmitting, from the second electronic device to the first electronic device, time series data of the received light amount detected by the light receiving unit of the second electronic device in the detected changing of the light intensity; and 
 pairing the first electronic device with the second electronic device based on time series data of the received light amount detected by the light receiving unit of the first electronic device in the detected changing of the light intensity and the time series data of the received light amount transmitted from the second electronic device. 
 
     
     
       2. The pairing method according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the pairing of the electronic devices, it is judged whether an increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the first electronic device matches with an increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the second electronic device and, when it is judged that both increase/decrease patterns match, the first electronic device is paired with the second electronic device. 
     
     
       3. The pairing method according to  claim 2 , wherein, in the pairing of the electronic devices, when a variation width of the received light amount included in the time series data of the first electronic device or the time series data of the second electronic device is less than a predetermined value, it is judged that the increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the first electronic device does not match with the increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the second electronic device. 
     
     
       4. The pairing method according to  claim 2 , wherein, in the pairing of the electronic devices, when a number of times of an increase or a decrease in the time series data of the first electronic device or the time series data of the second electronic device within a predetermined amount of time is less than a predetermined number, it is judged that the increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the first electronic device does not match with the increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the second electronic device. 
     
     
       5. The pairing method according to  claim 3 , wherein, in the pairing of the electronic devices, when a number of times of an increase or a decrease in the time series data of the first electronic device or the time series data of the second electronic device within a predetermined amount of time is less than a predetermined number, it is judged that the increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the first electronic device does not match with the increase/decrease pattern of the time series data of the second electronic device. 
     
     
       6. An electronic device comprising:
 a communication unit which communicates data; 
 a light receiving unit which detects a received light amount of light received thereby; 
 a judging unit which judges whether or not the received light amount detected by the light receiving unit satisfies a predetermined light receiving environment condition; 
 a pairing standby unit which sets the electronic device to a pairing standby state when the judging unit judges that the received light amount detected by the light receiving unit satisfies the predetermined light receiving environment condition; 
 an obtaining unit which obtains, from another electronic device, time series data of a received light amount detected by the another electronic device at a same timing as a timing of detecting the received light amount by the light receiving unit; and 
 a pairing unit which pairs the electronic device with the another electronic device based on time series data of the received light amount detected by the light receiving unit and the time series data of the received light amount obtained by the obtaining unit.