RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, RADIO COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20090161643A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Togashi, Ko, Ihori, Shoko, Hirata, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A radio communication system and apparatus is disclosed wherein setting necessary for communication with a desired radio communication apparatus with which a user wants to communicate can be performed with certainty by an operation system familiar to the user and a high security level can be assured for the communication which uses the setting. When a first radio communication apparatus receives a request for communication information necessary for communication through a radio network from a second radio communication apparatus through a radio circuit, it transmits identification information for the radio network and information regarding the security set in advance as communication information therein to the second radio communication apparatus through the radio circuit. The second radio communication apparatus sets the communication information to itself. The invention can be applied to a radio LAN for which a household electric appliance is used.

Claims

1. A radio communication system, comprising:

a first radio communication apparatus in which first information for identification of a radio network and second information regarding security are set in advance as communication information necessary for communication through said radio network, said first radio communication apparatus including a switch; and

a second radio communication apparatus configured to communicate with said first radio communication apparatus by radio communication through said radio network, said second radio communication apparatus including a switch;

said second radio communication apparatus configured to transmit request information for requesting for transmission of the communication information to said first radio communication apparatus by radio communication after the switch of the second radio communication apparatus is actuated;

said first radio communication apparatus configured to transmit the first and second information as a response to the request information transmitted thereto from said second radio communication apparatus when said switch of the first radio communication is actuated and the request information is received from said second radio communication apparatus;

said second radio communication apparatus is configured to set the first and second information transmitted thereto from said first radio communication apparatus as the communication information;

said first and second radio communication apparatuses configured to utilize the communication information individually set therein to communicate with each other by radio communication.

2. The radio communication apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the second radio communication apparatus is configured to start a timer when the switch of the second radio communication apparatus is actuated, and the second radio communication apparatus is configured to stop the timer and execute an error process if the first and second information is not received from the first radio communication apparatus within a predetermined time.

3. The radio communication apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the first radio communication apparatus is configured to start a timer when the switch of the first radio communication apparatus is actuated, and the first radio communication apparatus is configured to stop the timer and execute an error process if the request information is not received from the second radio communication apparatus within a predetermined time.

4. A radio communication method for a radio communication system which includes a first radio communication apparatus in which first information for identification of a radio network and second information regarding the security are set in advance as communication information necessary for communication through said radio network and a second radio communication apparatus operable for communicating with said first radio communication apparatus by radio communication through said radio network, the first and second radio communication apparatuses each including a switch, comprising:

detecting actuation of the switch of the first radio communication apparatus;

detecting actuation of the switch of the second radio communication apparatus;

transmitting the request information from said second radio communication apparatus to the first radio communication apparatus after detection of actuation of the switch of the second radio communication apparatus;

transmitting by said first radio communication apparatus the first and second information as a response to the request information transmitted thereto from said second radio communication apparatus after detection of actuation of the switch of the first radio communication apparatus;

setting by the second radio communication apparatus the first and second information transmitted thereto from said first radio communication apparatus as the communication information; and

utilizing by said first and second radio communication apparatuses the communication information individually set therein to communicate with each other by radio communication.

5. The radio communication method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

starting a timer in the second radio communication apparatus when the switch of the second radio communication apparatus is actuated; and

stopping the timer in the second radio communication apparatus and executing an error process if the first and second information is not received from the first radio communication apparatus within a predetermined time.

6. The radio communication method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

starting a timer in the first radio communication apparatus when the switch of the first radio communication apparatus is actuated; and

stopping the timer in the first radio communication apparatus and executing an error process if the request information is not received from the second radio communication apparatus within a predetermined time.