COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20130188523A1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Goto, Fumihide
• Application Number:
  US13/747,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188523A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a unit configured to operate as a providing apparatus for providing a communication parameter to another communication apparatus, a unit configured to operate as a reception apparatus for receiving a communication parameter provided from another communication apparatus, a determination unit configured to determine a role to perform based on predetermined processing for determining whether the communication apparatus operates as the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus by communication with another communication apparatus, and an execution unit configured to execute the predetermined processing again in a case where communication for sharing the communication parameter with another communication apparatus is not started after the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus operates as either the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a unit configured to operate as a providing apparatus for providing a communication parameter to another communication apparatus;

a unit configured to operate as a reception apparatus for receiving a communication parameter provided from another communication apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine a role to perform based on predetermined processing for determining whether the communication apparatus operates as the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus by communication with another communication apparatus; and

an execution unit configured to execute the predetermined processing again in a case where communication for sharing the communication parameter with another communication apparatus is not started after the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus operates as either the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a termination unit configured to, in a case where processing for sharing the communication parameter is not completed within a first predetermined time period, terminate the processing for sharing the communication parameter as an error,

wherein the execution unit executes the predetermined processing again before the termination unit terminates the communication for sharing the communication parameter with another communication apparatus as an error.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit executes the predetermined processing again in a case where the communication apparatus does not receive a predetermined packet from another communication apparatus within a second predetermined time period after the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus operates either as the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus starts communication for sharing the communication parameter in a case where the communication apparatus receives a predetermined packet from another communication apparatus within a second predetermined time period after the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus operates as either the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to issue an error notification in a case where communication for sharing the communication parameter with another communication apparatus is not started after the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus operates as either the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first inquiry unit configured to inquire of a user whether the execution unit is to execute the predetermined processing again in a case where communication for sharing the communication parameter with another communication apparatus is not started after the determination unit determines that the communication apparatus operates as either the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus,

wherein the execution unit executes the predetermined processing again in a case where the user instructs the communication apparatus to execute the predetermined processing again.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to, in a case where the communication apparatus shares a communication parameter with another communication apparatus according to a role determined based on the predetermined processing executed again by the execution unit, display information regarding the another communication apparatus.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second inquiry unit configured to, in a case where the communication apparatus shares a communication parameter with another communication apparatus according to a role determined based on the predetermined processing executed again by the execution unit, inquire of a user about whether to connect to the another communication apparatus; and

a control unit configured to perform processing for connecting to the another communication apparatus in a case where the user instructs the communication apparatus to connect to the another communication apparatus.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing for connecting to the another communication apparatus is encryption key exchange processing.

10. A method for controlling a communication apparatus having a providing function for providing a communication parameter to another communication apparatus to share the communication parameter with the another communication apparatus, and a reception function for receiving a communication parameter provided by another communication apparatus to share the communication parameter with the another communication apparatus, the method comprising:

determining a function to perform based on predetermined processing for determining whether the communication apparatus performs the providing function or the reception function by communication with another communication apparatus; and

executing the predetermined processing again in a case where communication for sharing the communication parameter with another communication apparatus is not started after it is determined that the communication apparatus performs either the providing function or the reception function.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method according to claim 10.

12. A communication apparatus comprising:

a unit configured to operate as a providing apparatus for providing a communication parameter to another communication apparatus;

a unit configured to operate as a reception apparatus for receiving a communication parameter provided from another communication apparatus;

a first determination unit configured to determine a function to perform based on predetermined processing for determining whether the communication apparatus operates as the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus by communication with first another communication apparatus; and

a second determination unit configured to determine a function to perform based on predetermined processing for determining whether the communication apparatus operates as the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus by communication with second another communication apparatus, in a case where communication for sharing the communication parameter with the first another communication apparatus is not started after the first determination unit determines that the communication apparatus operates as either the providing apparatus or the reception apparatus by the communication with the first another communication apparatus.

13. A method for controlling a communication apparatus having a providing function for providing a communication parameter to another communication apparatus to share the communication parameter with the another communication apparatus, and a reception function for receiving a communication parameter provided by another communication apparatus to share the communication parameter with the another communication apparatus, the method comprising:

making a first determination to determine a function to perform based on predetermined processing for determining whether the communication apparatus performs the providing function or the reception function by communication with first another communication apparatus; and

making a second determination to determine a function to perform based on predetermined processing for determining whether the communication apparatus performs the providing function or the reception function by communication with second another communication apparatus, in a case where communication for sharing the communication parameter with the first another communication apparatus is not started after it is determined that the communication apparatus performs either the providing function or the reception function by the communication with the first another communication apparatus.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method according to claim 13.