COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION METHOD THEREFOR, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20110038443A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Tatsuhiko
• Application Number:
  US12/989,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20110038443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/340
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

When a button for setting a communication parameter is operated in a communication apparatus that has a communication-parameter receiving function (receiving apparatus) and that is currently participating in a network, the communication apparatus (receiving apparatus) sends a start notification message to another apparatus currently participating in the network. Upon receipt of the start notification message, a providing apparatus currently participating in the network starts a communication-parameter providing process.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for operating as a receiving apparatus that receives a communication parameter provided from a providing apparatus that provides a communication parameter;

determining means for determining whether the communication apparatus is currently participating in a network;

detecting means for detecting an operation entered by a user to give an instruction to provide or receive a communication parameter; and

sending means for sending, in case that the operation is detected by the detecting means, a message for enabling the providing apparatus to provide a communication parameter to another receiving apparatus in accordance with a determination result obtained by the determining means.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for sending the message using the sending means if the determining means determines that the communication apparatus is currently participating in the network, and for controlling the receiving means to operate as the receiving apparatus if the determining means determines that the communication apparatus is not currently participating in the network.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising changing means for changing, in case that the message is sent, a parameter for determining the number of broadcast signals sent by the communication apparatus per unit time so that the number of broadcast signals sent by the communication apparatus per unit time becomes less than the number of broadcast signals sent by another communication apparatus per unit time.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising reset means for resetting, upon receipt of a notification of a result of sending/receiving a communication parameter from the other communication apparatus, the parameter changed by the changing means to a parameter before being changed by the changing means.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising changing means for changing, upon receipt of the message, a parameter for determining the number of broadcast signals sent by the communication apparatus per unit time so that the number of broadcast signals sent by the communication apparatus per unit time becomes less than the number of broadcast signals sent by another communication apparatus per unit time.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising reset means for resetting, upon receipt of a notification of a result of sending/receiving a communication parameter from the other communication apparatus, the parameter changed by the change means to a parameter before being changed by the changing means.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising notification means for notifying, upon receipt of a notification of a result of sending/receiving a communication parameter from another communication apparatus, the user of the result of sending/receiving a communication parameter, on the basis of the received notification of the result.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a button operated by the user to give an instruction to provide or receive a communication parameter, wherein the detecting means detects an operation of the button by the user.

9. A communication apparatus, comprising:

detecting means for detecting an operation entered by a user to give an instruction to provide or receive a communication parameter;

providing means for operating as a providing apparatus that provides a communication parameter to a receiving apparatus that receives a communication parameter; and

receiving means for receiving a message requesting start of an operation as the providing apparatus, the message being sent from a first communication apparatus that is currently participating in a network and that is instructed by the user to provide a communication parameter, wherein, in case that the receiving means receives the message and a request is made by a second communication apparatus, the providing means provides a communication parameter for participating in the network to the second communication apparatus.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising changing means for changing, upon receipt of the message, a parameter for determining the number of broadcast signals sent by the communication apparatus per unit time so that the number of broadcast signals sent by the communication apparatus per unit time becomes greater than the number of broadcast signals sent by another communication apparatus per unit time.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising reset means for resetting the parameter changed by the setting means to a parameter before being changed by the setting means, in case that providing of the communication parameter by the providing means is completed, providing of the communication parameter by the providing means is terminated due to an error, a message indicating a notification of completion of sending/receiving a communication parameter is received, or a message indicating a notification of an error in sending/receiving a communication parameter is received.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising notification means for notifying the user of a result of sending/receiving a communication parameter, in case that providing of the communication parameter by the providing means is completed, providing of the communication parameter by the providing means is terminated due to an error, a message indicating a notification of completion of sending/receiving a communication parameter is received, or a message indicating a notification of an error in sending/receiving a communication parameter is received.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a button operated by the user to give an instruction to provide or receive a communication parameter, wherein, if the operation of the button is detected and the request is made by the second communication apparatus, the providing means provides the communication parameter for participating in the network to the second communication apparatus.

14. A control method for a communication apparatus, comprising:

a receiving step of performing a process of receiving, upon detection of an operation entered by a user to give an instruction to provide or receive a communication parameter, from a providing apparatus that provides a communication parameter, a communication parameter in accordance with a result of determining whether the communication apparatus is currently participating in a network; and

a sending step of sending, upon detection of the operation entered by the user to give the instruction to provide or receive a communication parameter, a message for enabling the providing apparatus to provide a communication parameter to another receiving apparatus in accordance with the result of determining whether the communication apparatus is currently participating in the network.

16. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform the control method according to claim 14.

15. A control method for a communication apparatus, comprising:

a detecting step of detecting an operation entered by a user to give an instruction to provide or receive a communication parameter;

a first providing step of operating, if the operation is detected in the detecting step, as a providing apparatus that provides a communication parameter to a receiving apparatus that receives a communication parameter;

a receiving step of receiving a message requesting start of an operation as the providing apparatus, the message being sent from a first communication apparatus that is currently participating in a network and that is instructed by the user to provide a communication parameter; and

a second providing step of providing, if the message is received in the receiving step and a request is made by a second communication apparatus, a communication parameter for participating in the network to the second communication apparatus.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform the control method according to claim 15.