COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, BASE STATION DEVICE, AND TERMINAL DEVICE

• US 20100266125A1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hera Wireless S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Hera Wireless S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Inventors: Hatayama, Yoshinori, Ogawa, Kazuya, Tanaka, Yoko
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

An identifier generator generates a second identifier containing information on contents. The second identifier is different from a first identifier used to grant a connection request sent from a terminal apparatus. A beacon transmitter transmits the second identifier, generated by the identifier generator, as a beacon. A connection processing unit permits the connection request by the first identifier stored beforehand in the terminal apparatus, and rejects the connection request by the second identifier. A base station apparatus generates the first identifier containing address information used to access a server apparatus, as an identifier used to permit a connection request sent from the terminal apparatus. The base station apparatus transmits, as beacons, a first identifier and a second identifier used to identify the base station itself. The terminal apparatus acquires the address information contained in the received first identifier, conveys the second identifier to the server apparatus identified by the address information, and acquires information on the contents distributed by the base station apparatus.

Claims

1. A base station apparatus for distributing a predetermined content, comprising:

an identifier generator configured to generate a second identifier, containing information on the content, which is different from a first identifier used to permit a connection request sent from a terminal apparatus; and

a beacon transmitter configured to transmit the second identifier, generated by said identifier generator, as a beacon.

2. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a connection processing unit configured to reject a connection request by the second identifier and permit a connection request by the first identifier,

wherein said beacon transmitter does not transmit the first identifier.

3. A base station apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said connection processing unit permits a connection request by the first identifier stored beforehand in the terminal apparatus.

4. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a connection processing unit configured to reject a connection request by the second identifier and permits a connection request by the first identifier,

wherein said identifier generator encrypts the first identifier, and

wherein said beacon transmitter transmits the first identifier encrypted by said identifier generator, as a beacon.

5. A base station apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said connection processing unit permits a connection request by the first identifier decrypted by the terminal apparatus.

6. A terminal apparatus for receiving a predetermined content from a base station apparatus, comprising:

a first identifier storage configured to store first identifiers by which the base station apparatus permits a connection request;

a beacon receiver configured to receive, as a beacon, a second identifier which contains information on the content and which is generated apart from the first identifier, from the base station apparatus;

an identifier processing unit configured to extract the information on the content from the second identifier included in the beacon received by said beacon receiver;

a user interface configured to provide the information extracted by said identifier processing unit and prompt a connection requesting instruction which is to be sent to the base station apparatus; and

a connection processing unit configured to acquire a first identifier associated with the second identifier from said first identifier storage, upon receipt of the connection requesting instruction, and request the base station apparatus to establish a connection with said terminal apparatus using the acquired first identifier.

7. A terminal apparatus capable of receiving a predetermined content from a base station apparatus, the terminal apparatus comprising:

an encryption key storage configured to store an encryption key used to decrypt an encrypted first identifier by which the base station apparatus permits a connection request;

a beacon receiver configured to receive, as a beacon, a second identifier which contains information on the content and which is generated apart from the first identifier and the encrypted first identifier from the base station apparatus;

an identifier processing unit configured to extract the information on the content from the second identifier included in the beacon received by said beacon receiver;

a user interface configured to provide the information extracted by said identifier processing unit and prompt a connection requesting instruction which is to be sent to the base station apparatus; and

a connection processing unit configured to acquire the encryption key used to decrypt the encrypted first identifier from said encryption key storage, upon receipt of the connection requesting instruction from said user interface, decrypt the encrypted first identifier using the acquired encryption key and request the base station apparatus to establish a connection with said terminal apparatus using the acquired encryption key.

8. A communication system, including a base station apparatus, a terminal apparatus and a server apparatus, for distributing a predetermined content from the base station apparatus,

said base station apparatus including:

an identifier generator configured to generate, as an identifier by which to permit a connection request sent from the terminal apparatus, a first identifier containing address information necessary for accessing said server apparatus; and

a beacon transmitter configured to transmit the first identifier generated by the identifier generator and a second identifier by which to identify the base station apparatus, as beacons,

said terminal apparatus including;

a beacon receiver configured to receive the beacons transmitted from said base station apparatus;

an identifier processing unit configured to acquire address information contained in the first identifier received by the beacon receiver; and

an information acquiring unit configured to convey the second identifier, received by the beacon receiver, to a server apparatus, identified by the address information acquired by the identifier processing unit, via a network different from a network to be connected to the base station apparatus and configured to acquire information on the content from the identified server,

said server apparatus including;

a storage configured to store the second identifier and the information on the content by associating them with each other; and

an information providing unit configured to provide information on the content corresponding to the second identifier conveyed from the terminal apparatus, to the terminal apparatus by referencing the storage.

9. A communication system according to claim 8, wherein the address information is a uniform resource locator (URL),

wherein the first identifier is an extended service set identifier (ESSID), and

wherein the identifier generator compresses the URL and includes the compressed URL in the ESSID.

10. A base station apparatus for distributing a predetermined content, comprising:

an identifier generator configured to generate, as an identifier by which to permit a connection request sent from a terminal apparatus, a first identifier containing address information necessary for accessing a server apparatus which stores information on the content; and

a beacon transmitter configured to transmit the first identifier generated by said identifier generator and a second identifier by which to identify said base station apparatus, as beacons.

11. A terminal apparatus, comprising:

a beacon receiver configured to receive a beacon transmitted from a base station apparatus which distributes a predetermined content;

an identifier processing unit configured to acquire address information by which to access a server apparatus that stores information on the content, from a first identifier received by said beacon receiver;

an information acquiring unit configured to acquire the information on the content from the server apparatus identified by the address information acquired by said identifier processing unit; and

a user interface configured to provide the information acquired by said information acquiring unit and prompt a connection requesting instruction which is to be sent to the base station apparatus.

12. A terminal apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said beacon receiver receives a second identifier by which to identify the base station apparatus, from the base station apparatus and

wherein said information acquiring unit conveys the second identifier received by said beacon receiver, to a server apparatus identified by the address information acquired by said identifier processing unit so as to acquire information on the content.