Terminal for automatically changing operating mode and wireless network system having the same, and method thereof

• US 20060104200A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Park, Jae-Hyun
• Application Number:
  US11/274,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20060104200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A terminal for automatically changing a communication mode, a wireless network system having the same, and a method thereof are disclosed. The terminal comprises a wireless communication module for communicating with a corresponding terminal through an access point connected to a communication infrastructure. The terminal further comprising a first memory for storing Ad-Hoc information previously established between the terminal and the corresponding terminal, and a controller for controlling the wireless communication module to communicate with the corresponding terminal based on an Ad-Hoc communication mode using the Ad-Hoc information stored in the first memory when the network access point has malfunctioned.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a wireless communication module for performing a communication with a corresponding terminal through an access point coupled to a communication infrastructure;

a first memory for storing an Ad-Hoc information previously established between the terminal and the corresponding terminal; and

a controller for controlling the wireless communication module to communicate with the corresponding terminal based on an Ad-Hoc communication mode using the Ad-Hoc information stored in the first memory.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller determines that the access point has malfunctioned when the terminal does not receive a response packet from the corresponding terminal for a predetermined time after the terminal transmits a packet to the access point.

3. The terminal of claim 2, further comprising a second memory for storing un-transmitted data when the controller has determined that the access point has malfunctioned during data transmission to the corresponding terminal.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the controller controls the wireless communication module to transmit the un-transmitted data stored in the second memory when communication between the terminal and the corresponding terminal is re-established based on the Ad-Hoc communication mode.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller transmits the Ad-Hoc information to the corresponding terminal while the terminal communicates with the corresponding terminal through the access point in order to change communication mode to the Ad-Hoc communication mode when the access point has malfunctioned.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the Ad-Hoc mode information comprises at least one of a media access control (MAC) address of a corresponding terminal, a MAC address of the terminal, a service set identifier (SSID), a basic service set identifier (BSSID) and a signal channel number.

7. A wireless network system comprising:

an access point coupled to a communication infrastructure;

an image forming apparatus coupled to the communication infrastructure through the access point; and

a terminal for transmitting a printing object data to the image forming apparatus through the access point,

wherein the image forming apparatus and the terminal re-establish communication based on an Ad-Hoc communication mode when the access point has malfunctioned.

8. The wireless network system of claim 7, wherein the terminal transmits Ad-Hoc information used for the Ad-Hoc communication mode while the terminal communicates with the image forming apparatus through the access point for the image forming apparatus to perform a communication based on the Ad-Hoc communication mode using the transmitted Ad-Hoc information.

9. The wireless network system of claim 7, wherein the Ad-Hoc information comprises a MAC address of the image forming apparatus, a MAC address of the terminal, a SSID, a BSSID and a signal channel number.

10. A communication method comprising:

causing a terminal to communicate with a corresponding terminal based on an infrastructure communication mode through an access point coupled to a communication infrastructure;

checking a communication state of the access point;

extracting pre-stored Ad-Hoc information when the access point has malfunctioned; and

re-establishing communication between the terminal and the corresponding terminal based on an Ad-Hoc communication mode using the extracted Ad-Hoc information.

11. The communication method of claim 10, wherein the Ad-Hoc information comprises a MAC address of the corresponding node, a MAC address of the terminal, a SSID, a BSSID and a signal channel number.

12. The communication method of claim 10, wherein the checking of the communication state of the access point comprises:

transmitting a packet to the access point;

determining whether a response packet is received within a predetermined time; and

deciding that the access point has malfunctioned when the response packet is not received within the predetermined time.

13. The communication method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing un-transmitted data when a portion of data is not transmitted to the corresponding terminal due to access point malfunction; and

transmitting the un-transmitted data to the corresponding terminal when the communication to the terminal is re-established based on the Ad-Hoc communication mode.

14. The communication method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting the Ad-Hoc information to the corresponding terminal through the access point while the terminal communicates with the corresponding terminal based on the infrastructure communication mode.

15. A computer readable medium for storing thereon instructions for automatically changing a communication operating mode, the computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing a terminal to communicate with a corresponding terminal based on an infrastructure communication mode through an access point coupled to a communication infrastructure;

instructions for checking a communication state of the access point;

instructions for extracting pre-stored Ad-Hoc information when the access point has malfunctioned; and

instructions for re-establishing communication between the terminal and the corresponding terminal based on an Ad-Hoc communication mode using the extracted Ad-Hoc information.

16. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the Ad-Hoc information comprises a MAC address of the corresponding node, a MAC address of the terminal, a SSID, a BSSID and a signal channel number.

17. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein instructions for checking the communication state of the access point comprise:

instructions for transmitting a packet to the access point;

instructions for determining whether a response packet is received within a predetermined time; and

instructions for deciding that the access point has malfunctioned when the response packet is not received within the predetermined time.

18. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

instructions for storing un-transmitted data when a portion of data is not transmitted to the corresponding terminal due to access point malfunction; and

instructions for transmitting the un-transmitted data to the corresponding terminal when the communication to the terminal is re-established based on the Ad-Hoc communication mode.

19. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

instructions for transmitting the Ad-Hoc information to the corresponding terminal through the access point while the terminal communicates with the corresponding terminal based on the infrastructure communication mode.