WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20080298331A1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shimura, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

When a wireless communication network is built in an ad hoc mode, it is possible to appropriately build the wireless communication network regardless of start timings of wireless communication functions of image capturing apparatuses. In order to achieve the object, there is provided the image capturing apparatus which is capable of building a wireless communication network by wirelessly connecting to another image capturing apparatus in an ad hoc mode, and which is capable of switching between a function as a creator and a function as a joiner, including a start unit configured to start as the creator, a unit configured to execute a scan process, and a unit configured to determine based on a result of the scan process whether to function as the creator and to function as the joiner, and to control the image capturing apparatus in accordance with the determination result.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus which is capable of building a wireless communication network with another wireless communication apparatus, and which is capable of switching between a function as a control apparatus and a function as a control target apparatus of the wireless communication network, comprising:

a start unit configured to start as the control apparatus;

a transmission unit configured to transmit a search request for searching for another wireless communication apparatus which exists in a communicable range and functions as a control apparatus;

a discrimination unit configured to discriminate on the basis of a response to the search request whether a wireless communication network is built between a plurality of other wireless communication apparatuses;

a determination unit configured to determine on the basis of a discrimination result by said discrimination unit whether to function as the control apparatus or to function as the control target apparatus; and

a control unit configured to end the started function as the control apparatus and control to start the function as the control target apparatus when said determination unit determines to function as the control target apparatus, and to control to keep functioning as the control apparatus when said determination unit determines to function as the control apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the wireless communication apparatus starts as the control apparatus, a network identifier to identify a wireless communication network built by the wireless communication apparatus is determined.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said control unit controls to start the function as the control target apparatus, a network identifier to identify a wireless communication network already built between the plurality of other wireless communication apparatuses is set.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said discrimination unit discriminates that a wireless communication network is not built between the plurality of other wireless communication apparatuses, and responses to the search request are received from more than one of the plurality of other wireless communication apparatuses, the wireless communication apparatus retransmits the search request after a predetermined period of time elapses.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a retransmission unit configured to retransmit the search request after the control by said control unit is complete and the wireless communication apparatus builds a wireless communication network with another wireless communication apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when it is determined on the basis of a response to the search request transmitted by said retransmission unit that the wireless communication network has been already built between the plurality of other wireless communication apparatuses, and when the network identifier to identify the wireless communication network built between the plurality of other wireless communication apparatuses is different from that to identify the wireless communication network which the wireless communication apparatus has built with said other wireless communication apparatus, the wireless communication apparatus overwrites the network identifier to identify the wireless communication network built with said other wireless communication apparatus.

7. A control method for a wireless communication apparatus which is capable of building a wireless communication network with another wireless communication apparatus, and which is capable of switching between a function as a control apparatus and a function as a control target apparatus of the wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

starting as the control apparatus;

transmitting a search request for searching for another wireless communication apparatus which exists in a communicable range and functions as a control apparatus;

discriminating on the basis of a response to the search request whether a wireless communication network is built between a plurality of other wireless communication apparatuses;

determining on the basis of a discrimination result in the discriminating step whether to function as the control apparatus or to function as the control target apparatus; and

ending the started function as the control apparatus and controlling to start the function as the control target apparatus when it is determined to function as the control target apparatus in the determining step, and controlling to keep functioning as the control apparatus when it is determined to function as the control apparatus in the determining step.

8. A computer-readable control program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 7.