COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION METHOD, CONTROL METHOD FOR COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20070189322A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirose, Takatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• 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

A combination of devices in which communication parameters are to be set is selected on the basis of information indicating the capabilities of communication devices located on a network, and an unselected device is notified of termination of the setting of the communication parameters. Therefore, the communication parameters are set in a desired combination of devices, and the communication parameters are not set in an unintended pair of devices.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a selecting unit that selects, on the basis of capability information relating to other communication devices located on a network of which the communication device is a part, a combination of devices for which a communication parameter for configuring a second network is to be set; and

a notifying unit that notifies a device that is not selected by the selecting unit of termination of a communication parameter setting process.

2. A communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a collecting unit that collects the capability information of the other communication devices,

wherein the selecting unit is arranged to select the combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set on the basis of the information collected by the collecting unit.

3. A communication device according to claim 1, wherein the capability information of the other communication devices includes information concerning a communication-parameter-providing capability.

4. A communication device according to claim 1, wherein the capability information of the other communication devices includes information concerning a device type.

5. A communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores information concerning a combination of devices to be preferentially selected as the combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set,

wherein the selecting unit is arranged to select the combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set on the basis of the information stored in the memory and the capability information of the other communication devices.

6. A communication device comprising:

a determining unit that determines first information and second information as capability information of other communication devices located on a network of which the communication device is also a part, the first information being information concerning a communication-parameter-providing capability and the second information being information concerning a device type;

a first extracting unit that extracts at least one combination of devices in which a communication parameter for configuring a second network is to be set on the basis of the first information;

a second extracting unit that extracts at least one combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set from among the at least one combination of devices extracted by the first extracting unit on the basis of the second information; and

a selecting unit that selects a combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set on the basis of the combination of devices extracted by the first extracting unit and the combination of devices extracted by the second extracting unit.

7. A communication device according to claim 6, further comprising a memory that stores information concerning a combination of devices to be preferentially selected as the combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set,

wherein the selecting unit is arranged to select the combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set on the basis of the information stored in the memory.

8. A communication device comprising:

a receiver that receives, from a second communication device located on a network of which the communication device is also a part, a request for performing setting of a communication parameter for configuring a second network or a request for terminating the setting of the communication parameter; and

an executing unit that selectively performs communication for setting the communication parameter or terminates the setting of the communication parameter in response to the request received by the receiver from the second communication device.

9. A method for controlling a communication device for setting a communication parameter, the method comprising:

a selecting step of selecting, on the basis of capability information relating to communication devices located on a network of which the communication device is a part, a combination of devices for which a communication parameter for configuring a second network is to be set; and

a notifying step of notifying a device that is not selected in the selecting step of termination of a communication parameter setting process.

10. A method for controlling a communication device for setting a communication parameter, the method comprising;

a receiving step of receiving, from a second communication device located on a network of which the communication device is also a part, a request for performing setting of a communication parameter for configuring a second network or a request for terminating the setting of the communication parameter; and

a step of selectively performing communication for setting the communication parameter or terminating the setting of the communication parameter in response to the request received in the receiving step from the second communication device.

11. A communication method for setting a communication parameter, the communication method comprising:

a step of, by communication devices, establishing a communication parameter setting network;

a step of determining from among the communication devices a selection device configured to select a combination of devices for which a communication parameter for configuring a second network is to be set;

a step of, by the selection device, selecting the combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set on the basis of capability information relating to the other communication devices; and

a step of, by a communication device that is not selected by the selection device, terminating a communication parameter setting process.

12. A communication system for setting a communication parameter, the communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices located on a network,

wherein a selection device is determined from among the plurality of communication devices, the selection device comprising;

a selecting unit that selects, on the basis of capability information relating to other communication devices located on the network, a combination of devices for which a communication parameter for configuring a second network is to be set; and

a notifying unit that notifies a request for performing setting of the communication parameter or a request for terminating the setting of the communication parameter according to a selection result obtained by the selecting unit;

the other communication devices comprising;

a receiver that receives the request for performing the setting of the communication parameter for configuring the second network or the request for terminating the setting of the communication parameter; and

a unit that selectively performs the setting of the communication parameter or terminates the setting of the communication parameter in response to the request received by the receiver.

13. A computer readable medium storing a program for use in performing a method for controlling a communication device, the method comprising:

a selecting step of selecting, on the basis of capability information relating to communication devices located on a network of which the communication device is a part, a combination of devices for which a communication parameter for configuring a second network is to be set; and

a notifying step of notifying a device that is not selected in the selecting step of termination of a communication parameter setting process.

14. A computer readable medium storing a program for use in performing a method for controlling a communication device, the method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving, from a second communication device located on a network of which the communication device is also a part, a request for performing setting of a communication parameter for configuring a second network or a request for terminating the setting of the communication parameter; and

a step of selectively performing communication for setting the communication parameter or terminating the setting of the communication parameter in response to the request received in the receiving step from the second communication device.

15. A computer readable medium storing a program for use in performing a communication method for setting a communication parameter, the method comprising:

a step of, by communication devices, establishing a communication parameter setting network;

a step of determining from among the communication devices a selection device configured to select a combination of devices for which a communication parameter for configuring a second network is to be set;

a step of, by the selection device, selecting the combination of devices in which the communication parameter is to be set on the basis of capability information relating to the other communication devices; and

a step of, by a communication device that is not selected by the selection device, terminating a communication parameter setting process.