Communication apparatus, method and system

• US 10,645,630 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yokota, Akane
• Primary Examiner(s): Smarth, Gerald A
• Application Number:
  US15/895,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

If a network having the same SSID as but a different BSSID from those of a network that has been established by a first communication apparatus is detected, the network established by the first communication apparatus is terminated and the first communication apparatus participates in the detected network. This makes it possible for the first communication apparatus and another communication apparatus to participate in the same network.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing code to be executed by the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor executes the code to function as;

a generating unit configured to generate a wireless network when operating in a first role;

a participating unit configured to participate in a wireless network when operating in a second role;

a display unit configured to display a screen for selecting at least whether to communicate with an external apparatus after executing a role determination process or to communicate with an external apparatus without executing the role determination process;

an execution unit configured to execute the role determination process in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus after executing the role determination process, wherein, in a case where first information set in an another apparatus and first information set in the communication apparatus are the same as each other, the role determination process determines based on second information which of the first role and the second role the communication apparatus operates in, and wherein the value of the second information is set randomly in at least one of the communication apparatus and the another apparatus; and

a communication unit configured such that (i) in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus after executing the role determination process, the communication unit performs a wireless communication with the another apparatus according to the role determined by the role determination process; and

(ii) in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus without executing the role determination process, the communication unit performs a wireless communication with the another apparatus using a wireless network of SSID stored in the communication apparatus without executing the role determination process by the execution unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a wireless LAN conforming to IEEE802.11 series.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first information set in the communication apparatus and the first information set in the another apparatus is identification information for identifying a wireless network.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second information is a BSSID.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sending unit configured to send a request,

wherein a receiving unit receives the first information as a response to the request.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the request includes the first information set in the communication apparatus.

7. The apparatus according claim 1, wherein the wireless network is an ad-hoc network.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit determines the role based on a large/small relation of a value represented by the second information randomly set in the communication apparatus and a value represented by the second information randomly set in the another apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the communication apparatus and the another apparatus comprises a printer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the communication apparatus and the another apparatus comprises a camera.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second information is randomly set by the communication apparatus and the another apparatus.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus operates in the first role in a case where a value of the second information set in the communication apparatus is larger than a value of the second information set in the another apparatus, and

wherein the communication apparatus operates in the second role in a case where a value of the second information set in the communication apparatus is smaller than a value of the second information set in the another apparatus.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit does not perform the role determination process in a case where the first information received by a receiving unit and the first information set in the communication apparatus are not same.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the communication apparatus and the another apparatus generates a random value and sets the generated value as the value of the second information.

15. A method of deciding which role of a first role for generating a wireless network and a second role for participating in a generated wireless network a communication apparatus operates, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a wireless network when operating in the first role;

participating in a generated wireless network when operating in the second role;

displaying a screen for selecting at least whether to communicate with an external apparatus after executing a role determination process or to communicate with an external apparatus without executing the role determination process;

executing the role determination process in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus after executing the role determination process, wherein, in a case where first information set in an another apparatus and first information set in the communication apparatus are the same as each other, the role determination process determines based on second information which of the first role and the second role the communication apparatus operates in, and wherein the value of the second information is set randomly in at least one of the communication apparatus and the another apparatus; and

performing, in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus after executing the role determination process, a wireless communication with the another apparatus according to the role determined by the role determination process, and

performing, in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus without executing the role determination process, a wireless communication with the another apparatus using a wireless network of SSID stored in the communication apparatus without executing the role determination process.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute the steps of:

generating a wireless network when operating in the first role;

participating in a generated wireless network when operating in the second role;

displaying a screen for selecting at least whether to communicate with an external apparatus after executing a role determination process or to communicate with an external apparatus without executing the role determination process;

executing the role determination process in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus after executing the role determination process, wherein, in a case where first information set in an another apparatus and first information set in the communication apparatus are the same as each other, the role determination process determines based on second information which of the first role and the second role the communication apparatus operates in, wherein the value of the second information is set randomly in at least one of the communication apparatus and the another apparatus; and

performing, in a case where it is selected to communicate with an external apparatus after executing the role determination process, a wireless communication with the another apparatus according to the role determined by the role determination process, and

performing, in a case where it is not selected to communicate with an external apparatus after executing the role determination process, a wireless communication with the another apparatus using a wireless network of SSID stored in the communication apparatus without executing the role determination process.