WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS NETWORK AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA

• US 20120322498A1
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: NOGAWA, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/525
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus may operate selectively as a master station or as a remote station in a wireless network. When the apparatus operates as the master station, the apparatus may manage one or more remote devices that operate as remote stations. The apparatus continues operating as the master station until a continuation period elapses when the number of remote devices to be managed is zero. The continuation period begins when the number of remote devices becomes zero. If the number of remote devices becomes one or more before the continuation period elapses, the apparatus continues operating as the master station, even after a lapse of the continuation period. If the number of remote devices remains zero until the continuation period elapses, the apparatus stops operating as the master station after the lapse of the continuation period.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus configured to operate selectively as a master station or as a remote station in a wireless network, comprising:

a processor configured to operate as;

a management unit configured to manage one or more remote devices, which operate as remote stations in a particular wireless network, when the wireless communication apparatus operates as the master station in the particular wireless network; and

an operation control unit configured to continue the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station, when the wireless communication apparatus operates as the master station in the particular wireless network, until a continuation period elapses when the number of remote devices to be managed is zero, wherein the continuation period begins at a time when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero,

wherein, if the number of remote devices to be managed becomes one or more before the continuation period elapses, the operation control unit is configured to continue the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station in the particular wireless network, even after a lapse of the continuation period, and

wherein, if the number of remote devices to be managed remains zero until the continuation period elapses, the operation control unit is configured to stop the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station after the lapse of the continuation period.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero without obtaining a disconnect signal from a last removed remote device, which is a last device that has been removed from the particular network, among the one or more remote devices to be managed, the operation control unit is configured to continue the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station until the continuation period elapses, and

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero while the disconnect signal is obtained from the last removed remote device, the operation control unit is configured to stop the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station before the continuation period elapses.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation control unit comprises:

a holding period determination unit configured to;

determine a holding period that begins when the first-type remote device is removed from the particular wireless network, each time a first-type remote device among the one or more remote devices to be managed is removed from the particular wireless network, and

not determine the holding period if a second-type remote device among the one or more remote devices to be managed is removed from the particular wireless network; and

a continuation period determination unit configured to determine an end of the holding period that is the longest, among one or more holding periods determined by the holding period determination unit, as an end of the continuation period, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero,

wherein the first-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network without supplying a disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus, and

wherein the second-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network by supplying the disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation control unit comprises:

an information obtaining unit configured to obtain, from each of the one or more remote devices to be managed, category data indicating a category of each of the one or more remote devices to be managed; and

a continuation period determination unit configured to determine an end of the continuation period based on the category data obtained from the one or more remote devices to be managed.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero, the continuation period determination unit determines the end of the continuation period based only on the category data obtained from a last removed remote device, which is a last device that has been removed from the particular wireless network among the one or more remote devices to be managed.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of category data and corresponding periods, associating each of the category data with each period,

wherein the continuation period determination unit determines the end of the continuation period based on a period associated with the category data obtained from the last removed remote device.

7. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the operation control unit further comprises:

a holding period determination unit configured to determine a holding period based on the category data obtained from the first-type remote device, each time a first-type remote device, among the one or more remote devices to be managed, is removed from the particular wireless network, wherein the holding period begins when the first-type remote device is removed from the particular wireless network, and

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero, the holding period determination unit is configured to determine an end of the holding period that is the longest, among one or more holding periods determined by the holding period determination unit, as an end of the continuation period.

8. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein, if a second-type remote device, among the one or more remote devices to be managed, is removed from the particular wireless network, the holding period determination unit does not determine the holding period,

wherein the first-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network without supplying a disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus, and

wherein the second-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network by supplying the disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus.

9. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of category data and corresponding periods, associating each of the category data with each period,

wherein, each time the first-type remote device is removed from the particular wireless network, the holding period determination unit is configured to determine an end of the holding period based on a period associated with the category data obtained from the first-type remote device.

12. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero without obtaining a disconnect signal from a last removed remote device, which is a last device that has been removed from the particular network, among the one or more remote devices to be managed, the operation controller is configured to continue the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station until the continuation period elapses, and

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero while the disconnect signal is obtained from the last removed remote device, the operation controller is configured to stop the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station before the continuation period elapses.

10. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions for a processor of a wireless communication apparatus configured to operate selectively as a master station or a remote station in a wireless network, the computer-readable instructions instructing the processor to perform the steps of:

managing one or more remote devices that operate as remote stations in the particular wireless network, when the wireless communication apparatus operates as the master station in a particular wireless network; and

controlling the operation of the wireless communication apparatus, when the wireless communication apparatus operates as the master station in the particular wireless network, to continue as the master station until a continuation period elapses when the number of remote devices to be managed is zero, wherein the continuation period begins when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero,

wherein the controlling step comprises continuing the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station in the particular wireless network, even after a lapse of the continuation period, if the number of remote devices to be managed becomes one or more before the continuation period elapses, and

wherein the controlling step comprises stopping the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station after the lapse of the continuation period, if the number of remote devices to be managed remains zero until the continuation period elapses.

11. A wireless communication apparatus configured to operate selectively as a master station or a remote station in a wireless network, comprising:

a management unit configured to manage one or more remote devices that operate as remote stations in a particular wireless network, when the wireless communication apparatus operates as the master station in the particular wireless network; and

an operation controller configured to continue the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station, when the wireless communication apparatus operates as the master station in the particular wireless network, until a continuation period elapses when the number of remote devices to be managed is zero, wherein the continuation period begins when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero,

wherein, if the number of remote devices to be managed becomes one or more before the continuation period elapses, the operation controller is configured to continue the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station in the particular wireless network, even after a lapse of the continuation period, and

wherein, if the number of remote devices to be managed remains zero until the continuation period elapses, the operation controller is configured to stop the operation of the wireless communication apparatus as the master station after the lapse of the continuation period.

13. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a holding period determination unit configured to;

determine a holding period that begins when the first-type remote device is removed from the particular wireless network, each time a first-type remote device among the one or more remote devices to be managed is removed from the particular wireless network, and

not determine the holding period if a second-type remote device among the one or more remote devices to be managed is removed from the particular wireless network; and

a continuation period determination unit configured to determine an end of the holding period that is the longest, among one or more holding periods determined by the holding period determination unit, as an end of the continuation period, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero,

wherein the first-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network without supplying a disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus, and

wherein the second-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network by supplying the disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus.

14. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

an information obtaining unit configured to obtain, from each of the one or more remote devices to be managed, category data indicating a category of each of the one or more remote devices to be managed; and

a continuation period determination unit configured to determine an end of the continuation period based on the category data obtained from the one or more remote devices to be managed.

15. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero, the continuation period determination unit determines the end of the continuation period based only on the category data obtained from a last removed remote device, which is a last device that has been removed from the particular wireless network among the one or more remote devices to be managed.

16. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of category data and corresponding periods, associating each of the category data with each period,

wherein the continuation period determination unit determines the end of the continuation period based on a period associated with the category data obtained from the last removed remote device.

17. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a holding period determination unit configured to determine a holding period based on the category data obtained from the first-type remote device, each time a first-type remote device, among the one or more remote devices to be managed, is removed from the particular wireless network, wherein the holding period begins when the first-type remote device is removed from the particular wireless network, and

wherein, when the number of remote devices to be managed becomes zero, the holding period determination unit is configured to determine an end of the holding period that is the longest, among one or more holding periods determined by the holding period determination unit, as an end of the continuation period.

18. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein, if a second-type remote device, among the one or more remote devices to be managed, is removed from the particular wireless network, the holding period determination unit does not determine the holding period,

wherein the first-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network without supplying a disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus, and

wherein the second-type remote device is a remote device that is removed from the particular wireless network by supplying the disconnect signal to the wireless communication apparatus.

19. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of category data and corresponding periods, associating each of the category data with each period,

wherein, each time the first-type remote device is removed from the particular wireless network, the holding period determination unit is configured to determine an end of the holding period based on a period associated with the category data obtained from the first-type remote device.