COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND COMMUNICATION PARAMETER CONFIGURATION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090092060A1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Goto, Fumihide
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1466 Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A communication apparatus functioning as a master device denies participation by new communication apparatuses in a network in communication parameter configuration mode based on participation statuses of communication apparatuses functioning as slave devices in the network. The communication apparatus functioning as a master device establishes the network in communication parameter configuration mode between the communication apparatuses participating in the network, and configures communication parameters.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A communication parameter configuration method for a communication apparatus, comprising:

a forming step of forming a network for configuring communication parameters;

a determination step of determining a master device which determines a transfer direction of the communication parameters in the network for configuring communication parameters formed in the forming step;

a managing step of managing a number of slave devices that communication parameters are configured in accordance with instructions of the master device determined in the determination step;

a control step of controlling whether participation of the slave devices in the network for configuring communication parameters is permitted or is refused, based on the number of the slave devices managed in the managing step; and

a communication parameter configuration step of configuring communication parameters between the master device and the slave devices that the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters are permitted in the control step.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein participation refusal is notified in a case where the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters is refused in the control step.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the number of the slave devices is added in the managing step in a case where an inquiry message of the master device is received.

23. A communication parameter configuration method for a communication apparatus, comprising:

a forming step of forming a network for configuring communication parameters;

a determination step of determining a master device which determines a transfer direction of the communication parameters in the network for configuring communication parameters formed in the forming step;

a requisition step of requiring capability information of slave devices that communication parameters are configured in accordance with instructions of the master device determined in the determination step;

a control step of controlling whether participation of the slave devices in the network for configuring communication parameters is permitted or is refused, based on elapsed time until the capability information is acquired in the requisition step; and

a communication parameter configuration step of configuring communication parameters between the master device and the slave devices that the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters are permitted in the control step.

24. A communication parameter configuration method for a communication apparatus, comprising:

a forming step of forming a network for configuring communication parameters;

a determination step of determining a master device which determines a transfer direction of the communication parameters in the network for configuring communication parameters formed in the forming step;

an acquisition step of acquiring capability information of slave devices that communication parameters are configured in accordance with instructions of the master device determined in the determination step;

a control step of controlling whether participation of the slave devices in the network for configuring communication parameters is permitted or is refused, based on the capability information acquired in the acquisition step; and

a communication parameter configuration step of configuring communication parameters between the master device and the slave devices that the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters are permitted in the control step.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein participation refusal is notified in a case where the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters is refused in the control step.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capability information is information related to authentication methods.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the capability information is information related to encryption methods.

28. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a forming unit constructed to form a network for configuring communication parameters;

a determination unit constructed to determine a master device which determines a transfer direction of the communication parameters in the network for configuring communication parameters formed by said forming unit;

a managing unit constructed to manage a number of slave devices that communication parameters are configured in accordance with instructions of the master device determined by said determination unit;

a control unit constructed to control whether participation of the slave devices in the network for configuring communication parameters is permitted or is refused, based on the number of the slave devices managed by said managing unit; and

a communication parameter configuration unit constructed to configure communication parameters between the master device and the slave devices that the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters are permitted by said control unit.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein participation refusal is notified in a case where the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters is refused by said control unit.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said managing unit adds the number of the slave devices in a case where an inquiry message of the master device is received.

31. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a forming unit constructed to form a network for configuring communication parameters;

a determination constructed to determine a master device which determines a transfer direction of the communication parameters in the network for configuring communication parameters formed by said forming unit;

an acquisition unit constructed to acquire capability information of slave devices that communication parameters are configured in accordance with instructions of the master device determined by said determination unit;

a control unit constructed to control whether participation of the slave devices in the network for configuring communication parameters is permitted or is refused, based on the capability information acquired by said acquisition unit; and

a communication parameter configuration unit constructed to configure communication parameters between the master device and the slave devices that the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters are permitted by said control unit.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein participation refusal is notified in a case where the participation in the network for configuring communication parameters is refused by said control unit.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the capability information is information related to authentication methods.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the capability information is information related to encryption methods.