COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING NETWORK THEREBY

• US 20100296455A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Takafumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,406,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

When a connection is made to a wireless network constructed by a base station, a request to construct a wireless network in which a wireless communication apparatus operates as a base station is sensed and a determination is made as to whether communication is in progress with a communication apparatus of a network different from the wireless network constructed by the base station. If the request to construct the wireless network is sensed and it is determined that communication is in progress with a communication apparatus of a network different from the wireless network in which the base station is the intermediary, then an attempt is made to construct a wireless network in which the wireless communication apparatus operates as a base station.

Claims

1. A first communication apparatus comprising:

a connection unit that connects to a first network constructed by a base station;

a first determination unit that determines whether or not communication is in progress with a second communication apparatus other than apparatus under the control of the base station, via the base station after connecting to the first network by the connection unit;

a second determination unit that determines whether to operate as a base station of a second network or to operate as a station connected to the base station of the second network; and

a construction unit that operates as the base station of the second network while maintaining the connection with the first network to construct the second network in a case where it is determined to operate as the base station of the second network by the second determination unit,

wherein, when the first communication apparatus starts communicating with a third communication apparatus connected to the first network, it is determined to operate as the base station of the second network by the second determination unit and the construction unit tries to construct the second network as the base station while maintaining the connection with the first network, in a case where it is determined that communication is in progress with the second communication apparatus by the first determination unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines whether or not the first communication apparatus is communicating with the second communication apparatus based upon a destination address of data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines that the first communication apparatus is communicating with the second communication apparatus, if a destination address of data is not the same segment as the first communication apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the address is an IP address and whether the segment is the same segment is decided by using a subnet mask.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines whether or not the first communication apparatus is communicating with the second communication apparatus based upon network topology.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said construction unit transmits a message indicating that the first communication apparatus operates as a base station to the first network, and constructs the second network as the base station in accordance with a response to the message.

7. A method of constructing a network by a first communication apparatus, comprising:

a connection step of connecting to a first network constructed by a base station;

a first determination step of determining whether or not communication is in progress with a second communication apparatus other than apparatus under the control of the base station, via the base station after connecting to the first network in the connection step;

a second determination step of determining whether to operate as a base station of a second network or to operate as a station connected to the base station of the second network; and

a construction step of operating as the base station of the second network while maintaining the connection with the first network to construct the second network in a case where it is determined to operate as the base station of the second network in the second determination step,

wherein, when the first communication apparatus starts communicating with a third communication apparatus connected to the first network, it is determined to operate as the base station of the second network in the second determination step and the first communication apparatus tries to construct the second network as the base station in the construction step while maintaining the connection with the first network, in a case where it is determined that communication is in progress with the second communication apparatus in the first determination step.

9. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute a method of constructing a network by a first communication apparatus set forth in claim 7 has been recorded.

8. (canceled)