Method and device for communication on a network

• US 20050174967A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tocze, Lionel, Caillerie, Alain, Morvan, Isabelle
• Granted Patent: US 7,116,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The communication method of the invention applies to communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when at least one of said communication stations supplies a control signal, said station then functioning in “base station” mode and the stations not supplying a control signal then functioning in “mobile station” mode. The method of the invention includes, for at least one communication between two communication stations functioning in mobile station mode, in connection with a first base station: an operation of determining a second station, during which a communication station functioning in mobile station mode able to function in base station mode is determined, a switching request operation during which a message representing a request to switch into base station mode is sent to the second station determined during the determination operation.

Claims

1. Method of communication between communication stations adapted to communicate with each other when at least one of said communication stations supplies a control signal, said station then functioning in “

base station”

mode and the stations not supplying a control signal then functioning in “

mobile station”

mode, characterised in that it includes, for at least one communication between two communication stations functioning in mobile station mode, in connection with a first base station;

an operation of determining a second station, during which a communication station functioning in mobile station mode able to function in base station mode is determined,

a switching request operation during which a message representing a request to switch into base station mode is sent to the second station determined during the determination operation.

2-146. -146. (canceled)