Radio station, operation control program, and operation control method

• US 20050054342A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A radio station, which is to be connected to a first wireless network through an access point, has an AP storage section that stores network identification information indispensable for grouping subjects of communication in a wireless network, an AP function section that establishes connection with a second wireless network based on the network identification information stored in the AP storage section, a client storage section that stores client identification information used in connecting to the first wireless network, a client function section that establishes connection with the first wireless network based on the client identification information stored in the client storage section, and an operation control section that simultaneously controls operation of the AP function section and operation of the client function section.

Claims

1. A radio station to be connected to a first wireless network through an access point, comprising:

an AP storage section that stores network identification information indispensable for grouping subjects of communication in a wireless network;

an AP function section that establishes connection with a second wireless network based on the network identification information stored in the AP storage section;

a client storage section that stores client identification information used in connecting to the first wireless network;

a client function section that establishes connection with the first wireless network based on the client identification information stored in the client storage section; and

an operation control section that simultaneously controls operation of the AP function section and operation of the client function section.

2. The radio station according to claim 1,

wherein the operation control section stops the operation of the AP function section while the radio station connects with the first wireless network.

3. The radio station according to claim 1, further comprising:

a processing execution section that executes a predetermined processing when the radio station receives an instruction signal for instructing the radio station to execute the predetermined processing through the second wireless network.

4. The radio station according to claim 3,

wherein if the instruction signal involves setup information required for establishing connection with the first wireless network, the processing execution section records the setup information in the client storage section.

5. The radio station according to claim 4,

wherein when the setup information is recorded in the client storage section, the operation control section controls the client function section so as to try to connect to the first wireless network, and controls the AP function section so as to transmit a result signal indicating a trial result to the radio station transmitting the instruction signal.

6. The radio station according to claim 4,

wherein if the instruction signal involves setup information required for establishing connection with the first wireless network, the processing execution section records the setup information in the client storage section only when the processing execution section does not execute any processing other than recording the setup information in the client storage section.

7. The radio station according to claim 3, further comprising:

a print section that prints an image in response to an instruction from the processing execution section,

wherein if the instruction signal is a signal for instructing to print a predetermined image, the processing execution section instructs the print section to print the predetermined image.

8. The radio station according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first instruction transmission section that transmits an instruction signal for instructing another radio station connected to the second wireless network to execute a predetermined processing.

9. The radio station according to claim 8,

wherein the instruction signal involves setup information required for establishing connection with a predetermined wireless network and is a signal for instructing to make settings based on the setup information.

10. The radio station according to claim 8,

wherein the instruction signal involves setup information required for establishing connection with the first wireless network and is a signal for instructing to make settings based on the setup information.

11. The radio station according to claim 10, further comprising:

a connection test section that tries to communicate with the another radio station through the second wireless network after the first instruction transmission section transmits the instruction signal to the another radio station.

12. The radio station according to claim 8,

wherein when the radio station receives a request signal for requesting to transmit the instruction signal from the another radio station through the second wireless network, the first instruction transmission section transmits the instruction signal.

13. The radio station according to claim 1, further comprising:

a synchronization authentication section that conducts authentication by a predetermined authentication system in also conducting communications through the second wireless network if setting is made so as to conduct authentication by the predetermined authentication system in conducting communications through the first wireless network.

14. The radio station according to claim 13,

wherein the synchronization authentication section conducts the authentication in conducting communications through the second wireless network only while the radio station is connected with the first wireless network.

15. The radio station according to claim 1, further comprising:

an encryption section that conducts encryption with a predetermined cipher key in also conducting communications through the second wireless network if setting is made so as to conduct encryption using the predetermined cipher key in conducting communications through the first wireless network.

16. The radio station according to claim 15,

wherein the encryption section conducts the encryption in conducting communications through the second wireless network only while the radio station is connected with the first wireless network.

17. A radio station which transmits an instruction signal through a second wireless network to another radio station connected to a first wireless network through an access point, the another radio station comprising:

an AP storage section that stores network identification information indispensable for grouping subjects of communication in a wireless network;

an AP function section that establishes connection with the second wireless network based on the network identification information stored in the AP storage section;

a client storage section that stores client identification information used in connecting to the first wireless network;

an operation control section that simultaneously controls connection with the first wireless network based on the client identification information stored in the client storage section; and

a processing execution section that executes a predetermined processing when the another radio station receives an instruction signal for instructing the another radio station to execute the predetermined processing through the second wireless network.

18. The radio station according to claim 17,

wherein the instruction signal involves setup information required for establishing connection with the first wireless network, and

the radio station comprising:

a result reception section that receives a result signal indicating a result of trying to connect to the first wireless network from the another radio station; and

a notification section that reports the result indicated by the result signal.

19. The radio station according to claim 17,

wherein the radio station transmits an instruction signal involving a plurality of setup information required for establishing connection with the first wireless network in order.

20. The radio station according to claim 19 comprising:

an input section with which a user of the radio station enters the plurality of setup information in order,

wherein the radio station transmits the instruction signal involving the setup information every time the setup information is entered through the input section.

21. A radio station comprising a processing execution section that executes a predetermined processing when the radio station receives an instruction signal through a second wireless network from another radio station connected to a first wireless network through an access point, the another radio station comprising:

an AP storage section that stores network identification information indispensable for grouping subjects of communication in a wireless network;

an AP function section that establishes connection with the second wireless network based on the network identification information stored in the AP storage section;

a client storage section that stores client identification information used in connecting to the first wireless network;

an operation control section that simultaneously controls connection with the first wireless network based on the client identification information stored in the client storage section; and

an instruction transmission section that transmits the instruction signal for instructing the another radio station connected to the second wireless network to execute the predetermined processing through the second wireless network.

22. The radio station according to claim 21,

wherein if the instruction signal involves setup information required for establishing connection with the first wireless network, the processing execution section records the setup information in the client storage section.

23. The radio station according to claim 22, further comprising:

a request signal transmission section that transmits a request signal for requesting to transmit the instruction signal through the second wireless network.

24. A program for making a computer, which comprises:

a client storage section that stores client identification information used in connecting to a first wireless network;

a client function section that establishes connection with the first wireless network based on the client identification information stored in the client storage section;

an AP storage section that stores network identification information indispensable for grouping subjects of communication in a wireless network; and

an AP function section that establishes connection with a second wireless network based on the network identification information stored in the AP storage section,

execute a procedure for simultaneously controlling operation of the client function section and operation of the AP function section.

25. An operation control method of controlling a radio station connected to a first wireless network through an access point, the radio station comprising an AP storage section that stores network identification information indispensable for grouping subjects of communication in a wireless network;

an AP function section that establishes connection with a second wireless network based on the network identification information stored in the AP storage section;

a client storage section that stores client identification information used in connecting to the first wireless network transmitted from the second wireless network; and

a client function section that establishes connection with the first wireless network based on the client identification information stored in the client storage section, the operation control method comprising the step of;

simultaneously controlling operation of the AP function section and operation of the client function section.