WIRELESS ACCESS POINT DEVICE AND WIRELESS NETWORK SYSTEM WITH THE SAME

• US 20140355587A1
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: TANAKA, Tsutomu, HASEGAWA, Daijirou
• Granted Patent: US 9,386,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

There is provided a configuration in an access point managed by a management device for dealing with a situation in which management by the management device is no longer possible. An access point 3 includes a controller 30 that controls the operation of the access point 3, and a management status detector 32 that detects the management status by a management device 2. The controller 30 changes the operation of the access point 3 by validating or invalidating an SSID according to the detecting result of the management status.

Claims

1. A wireless access point device, in which authentication settings or communication settings are managed by a management device, the wireless access point device comprising:

a controller configured to control operation of the wireless access point device; and

a management status detector configured to detect a management status by the management device,

the controller being further configured to change the operation of the wireless access point device according to a detecting result of the management status.

2. The wireless access point device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to control at least authentication of a client terminal that has attempted to connect to the wireless access point device, and access restriction to the client terminal for which the authentication has been successful.

3. The wireless access point device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to make the wireless access point device publicly available according to the detecting result of the management status.

4. The wireless access point device according to claim 1, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status in a plurality of stages, and

the controller is further configured to change the operation for each of the plurality of stages.

5. The wireless access point device according to claim 4, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status by the management device in at least the following two stages:

the length of time that management has been interrupted is less than a specific duration; and

the length of time that management has been interrupted is at least the specific duration.

6. The wireless access point device according to claim 4, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status by the management device in at least the following two stages:

a state in which an error has occurred in a network; and

a state in which an error has not occurred in the network.

7. The wireless access point device according to claim 1, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect that management by the management device has been interrupted based on at least one of the following conditions:

a situation in which there is a problem with management communication with the management device;

a situation in which communication with the management device is impossible; and

a situation in which an administrator has no access to the management device.

8. The wireless access point device according to claim 5, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect that management by the management device has been interrupted based on at least one of the following conditions:

a situation in which there is a problem with management communication with the management device;

a situation in which communication with the management device is impossible; and

a situation in which an administrator has no access to the management device.

9. The wireless access point device according to claim 6, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect that management by the management device has been interrupted based on at least one of the following conditions:

a situation in which there is a problem with management communication with the management device;

a situation in which communication with the management device is impossible; and

a situation in which an administrator has no access to the management device.

10. The wireless access point device according to claim 1, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status based on a state of communication with a device other than the management device.

11. The wireless access point device according to claim 7, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status based on a state of communication with a device other than the management device.

12. The wireless access point device according to claim 8, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status based on a state of communication with a device other than the management device.

13. The wireless access point device according to claim 9, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status based on a state of communication with a device other than the management device.

14. The wireless access point device according to claim 10, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to store addresses for a plurality of confirmation-use devices, which are devices other than the management device, and

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status based on a number of addresses with which communication cannot be performed.

15. The wireless access point device according to claim 14, wherein

the controller is further configured to change the operation according to the number of addresses with which communication cannot be performed.

16. The wireless access point device according to claim 10, wherein

a device other than the management device is a default gateway to the wireless access point device.

17. The wireless access point device according to claim 16, wherein

the controller is further configured to cut off communication with a client device when communication with the default gateway is impossible.

18. The wireless access point device according to claim 1, wherein

the management status detector is further configured to detect the management status when a specific operation is performed on the wireless access point device.

19. A wireless network system comprising:

the wireless access point device according to claim 1; and

the management device.

20. A method for controlling a wireless access point device, in which authentication settings or communication settings are managed by a management device, the method comprising:

detecting the management status by the management device; and

changing operation of the wireless access point device according to a detecting result of the management status.