COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION METHOD, TERMINAL AND MANAGEMENT DEVICE

• US 20100281525A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Takafumi
• Application Number:
  US12/811,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281525A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A communication system includes a plurality of terminals and a management device that manages a plurality of networks. A first terminal, which is connected to a first network to which the management device is also connected, transmits a connection request for connecting to a second network to the management device. Upon receiving the connection request, the management device determines a predetermined topology from among a plurality of topologies that can be formed when the first terminal connects to the second network. The first terminal receives network configuration information indicating the predetermined topology from the management device. The first terminal transmits the network configuration information to a plurality of terminals participating in the second network. The second network is recreated accordingly.

Claims

1. A communication system including a plurality of terminals and a management device that manages a plurality of networks,

the plurality of terminals including a first terminal that is connected to a first network to which the management device is connected, the first terminal comprising:

a first transmission unit which transmits, to the management device, a connection request for connecting to a second network that is different from the first network;

a first reception unit which receives from the management device, network configuration information indicating a predetermined topology from among a plurality of topologies that can be formed when the first terminal connects to the second network;

a notification unit which notifies the received network configuration information to a plurality of terminals participating in the second network; and

a recreation unit which recreates the second network along with the plurality of terminals participating in the second network, in accordance with the network configuration information, and

the management device comprising;

a second reception unit which receives the connection request from the first terminal; and

a second transmission unit which transmits, to the first terminal, the network configuration information indicating the predetermined topology from among the plurality of topologies that can be formed when the first terminal connects to the second network.

2. The communication system of claim 1,

wherein the management device further comprises:

a judgment unit which judges whether a plurality of terminals that can operate as an access point exist in the second network;

a calculation unit which, if the plurality of terminals that can operate as the access point exist in the second network, calculates a communication bandwidth of a topology formed when a terminal operating as the access point is switched to another terminal; and

a determination unit which determines the predetermined topology in accordance with the calculated communication bandwidth and a communication bandwidth of a current topology, and

wherein the second transmission unit transmits the network configuration information indicating the topology determined by the determination unit to the first terminal.

3. The communication system of claim 1,

wherein if a plurality of terminals that can operate as an access point do not exist in the second network, the management device rejects connection to the second network by the first terminal, or permits connection to the second network by the first terminal while maintaining a current topology.

4. The communication system of claim 1,

wherein the management device determines a parameter in a case of recreating the second network, in accordance with security information pertaining to the first terminal and security information pertaining to the plurality of terminals participating in the second network.

5. The communication system of claim 1,

wherein the connection request includes authentication information indicating a validity of the first terminal, and

the management device performs authentication processing with use of the authentication information obtained from the connection request, in order to judge whether to permit the first terminal to participate in the second network.

6. The communication system of claim 1,

wherein the first terminal transmits authentication information indicating a validity of the network configuration information to the second network along with the network configuration information, and

another terminal participating in the second network performs authentication processing with use of the authentication information, in order to judge whether to recreate the second network with use of the network configuration information received from the first terminal.

7. The communication system of claim 1,

wherein the first terminal further comprises:

a confirmation unit which confirms whether recreation of the second network has been completed;

a connection unit which connects to the first network upon completion of recreation of the second network; and

a third transmission unit which transmits, to the management device via the first network, a message indicating that recreation of the second network has been completed.

8. A communication method in a communication system including a plurality of terminals and a management device that manages a plurality of networks, comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the management device, by a first terminal that is included in the plurality of terminals and is connected to a first network to which the management device is connected, a connection request for connecting to a second network that is different from the first network;

receiving from the first terminal, by the management device, the connection request for connecting to the second network;

transmitting to the first terminal, by the management device, network configuration information indicating a predetermined topology from among a plurality of topologies that can be formed when the first terminal connects to the second network;

receiving the network configuration information by the first terminal;

notifying, by the first terminal, the received network configuration information to a plurality of terminals participating in the second network; and

recreating, by the first terminal, the second network along with the plurality of terminals participating in the second network, in accordance with the network configuration information.

9. A terminal in a communication system including a management device that manages a plurality of networks, the terminal comprising:

a first transmission unit which transmits, to the management device, a connection request for connecting to a second network that is different from a first network to which the management device is connected;

a reception unit which receives, from the management device, network configuration information indicating a predetermined topology from among a plurality of topologies that can be formed when the terminal connects to the second network;

a notification unit which notifies the received network configuration information to a plurality of terminals participating in the second network; and

a recreation unit which recreates the second network along with the plurality of terminals participating in the second network, in accordance with the network configuration information.

10. A management device that manages a plurality of networks, comprising:

a reception unit which receives a connection request from a first terminal that is connected to a first network to which the management device is also connected, the connection request being for connecting to a second network that is different from the first network; and

a transmission unit which transmits, to the first terminal, network configuration information indicating a predetermined topology from among a plurality of topologies that can be formed when the first terminal connects to the second network.