COMMUNICATION CONTROL DEVICE, METHOD OF DETERMINING COMMUNICATION CONTROL DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD

• US 20070100983A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takasaki, Atsushi, Kanda, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A device and method for controlling communication among a plurality of communication devices, the device and method including causing each of one or more candidate devices to which control rights of a network are transferable, from among the plurality of communication devices, to transmit a pseudo information signal, counting, for each of the one or more candidate devices, the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal, and determining a candidate device to which to transfer control rights of the network based on the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal.

Claims

1. A communication control device configured to control communication among a plurality of communication devices, the communication control device comprising:

a counting unit configured to cause each of one or more candidate devices to which control rights of a network are transferable, from among the plurality of communication devices, to transmit a pseudo information signal, and to count, for each of the one or more candidate devices, the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal; and

a determination unit configured to determine a candidate device to which to transfer control rights of the network based on the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein control rights of the network are transferred to the candidate device to whose pseudo information signal all of the communication devices responded to.

3. The communication control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information for specifying the candidate device; and

a specifying unit configured to specify the candidate device based on the information stored in the storage unit,

wherein the counting unit causes the candidate device specified by the specifying unit to transmit the pseudo information signal.

4. The communication control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information on a function of the candidate device; and

an order determining unit configured to determine an order according to which a plurality of candidate devices are caused to transmit the pseudo information signal based on the information stored in the storage unit.

5. The communication control device according to claim 4, wherein the counting unit causes the plurality of candidate devices to transmit the pseudo information signal in the order determined by the order determining unit

6. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a candidate device to which to transfer control rights of the network prior to termination of control of the network by the communication control device.

7. A method for controlling communication among a plurality of communication devices, the method comprising:

causing each of one or more candidate devices to which control rights of a network are transferable, from among the plurality of communication devices, to transmit a pseudo information signal;

counting, for each of the one or more candidate devices, the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal; and

determining a candidate device to which to transfer control rights of the network based on the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication device having responded to the pseudo information signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the control rights of the network are transferred to the candidate device to whose pseudo information signal all of the communication. devices responded to.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising storing information for specifying the candidate device, wherein a specified candidate device transmits the pseudo information signal.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising storing information on a function of the candidate device and determining an order to which a plurality of candidate devices transmit the pseudo information signal based on stored information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of candidate devices transmit the pseudo information signal in a determined order.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein determining a candidate device to which to transfer control rights occurs prior to termination of control of the network by a device currently controlling the network.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable process steps for causing a device to control communication among a plurality of communication devices, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

causing each of one or more candidate devices to which control rights of a network are transferable, from among the plurality of communication devices, to transmit a pseudo information signal;

counting, for each of the one or more candidate devices the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal; and

determining a candidate device to which to transfer control rights of the network based on the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the control rights of the network are transferred to the candidate device to whose pseudo information signal all of the communication devices responded to.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising storing information for specifying the candidate device, wherein a specified candidate device transmits the pseudo information signal.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, further comprising storing information on a function of the candidate device and determining an order to which a plurality of candidate devices transmit the pseudo information signal based on stored information.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of candidate devices transmit the pseudo information signal in a determined order.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein determining a candidate device to which to transfer control rights occurs prior to termination of control of the network by a device currently controlling the network.