WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND USER EQUIPMENT

• US 20150264559A1
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKAGI, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus is connected to a wireless network, and is capable of functioning as a wireless network base station or as a wireless network terminal. The wireless apparatus comprises a connection control unit configured to, while the wireless communication apparatus functions as a wireless network base station, receive a configuration change request. In response to receiving said request, the connection control unit reconfigures the wireless communication apparatus to stop functioning as a wireless network base station and to start functioning as a wireless network terminal.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus that is connected to a wireless network, and is capable of functioning as a wireless network base station or as a wireless network terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a connection control unit configured to, while the wireless communication apparatus functions as a wireless network base station, receive a configuration change request and, in response to receiving said request, reconfigure the wireless communication apparatus to stop functioning as a wireless network base station and to start functioning as a wireless network terminal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request is received from a wireless device that is connected to a local wireless network, and the connection control unit is further configured to, in response to receiving the request, reconfigure the wireless communication apparatus to stop transmitting a periodic beacon, the periodic beacon being an indication that the wireless communication apparatus is currently functioning as a wireless network base station.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the connection control unit is further configured to send a request over the local wireless network to the wireless device to begin communicating over a wireless channel, wherein a predetermined wireless base station is configured to communicate over said wireless channel.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connection control unit is further configured to determine that the predetermined wireless base station is reachable over said wireless channel and performs said reconfiguring in response to the determining.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a scan control unit configured to receive a report from the wireless device indicating that the predetermined wireless base station has been located by the wireless device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the scan control unit is configured to, while the wireless communication apparatus functions as a wireless network terminal, periodically determine the status of communication between the wireless communication apparatus and the predetermined wireless base station;

and,

if said communication is impeded, then the connection control unit reconfigures the wireless communication apparatus to stop functioning as a wireless network terminal and to start functioning as a wireless network base station.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the scan control unit is configured to transmit and receive in accordance with a wireless local area network communication standard.

8. A wireless device capable of switching a connection destination thereof from a predetermined wireless base station to a wireless communication apparatus, the wireless communication apparatus being capable of switching between functioning as a wireless base station and functioning as a wireless terminal, the wireless device comprising:

a scan control unit configured to, while the connection destination of the wireless device is the wireless communication apparatus, perform a first scan to locate the predetermined wireless base station; and

a connection control unit configured to;

if the scan control unit locates the predetermined wireless base station, transmit a request to the wireless communication apparatus, wherein said request causes the wireless communication apparatus to be reconfigured to stop functioning as a wireless base station and to start functioning as a wireless terminal; and

change the connection destination of the wireless device from the wireless communication apparatus to the predetermined wireless base station.

9. The wireless device according to claim 8, wherein the scan control unit is further configured to:

if the first scan by the scan control unit does not locate the predetermined wireless base station, then perform a second scan to locate the predetermined wireless base station.

10. The wireless device according to claim 9, wherein the scan control unit is further configured to:

if the first scan by the scan control unit locates the predetermined wireless base station, then;

determine a channel over which the predetermined wireless base station communicates; and

transmit a scan report to the wireless communication apparatus, the scan report identifying said channel over which the predetermined wireless base station communicates.

11. The wireless device according to claim 10, wherein the connection control unit is further configured to:

receive a change channel request from the wireless communication apparatus; and

responsive to receiving the change channel request, changing a channel over which the wireless device communicates from a first channel to said channel over which the predetermined wireless base station communicates.

12. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the scan control unit is further configured to:

while the connection destination of the wireless device is the predetermined wireless base station, perform a third scan to locate the predetermined wireless base station; and

if the predetermined wireless base station is located by the third scan, then perform a fourth scan to locate the predetermined wireless base station.

13. The wireless device according to claim 12, wherein the connection control unit is further configured to, if the predetermined wireless base station is not located by the third scan, change the connection destination of the wireless device from the wireless base station to the wireless communication apparatus.

14. A method of wireless communication, the communication occurring between a wireless device, a wireless communication apparatus, and a predetermined wireless base station, the method comprising:

setting, by the wireless device, a communication destination of the wireless device to the wireless communication apparatus;

performing a first scan, by the wireless device, to locate the predetermined wireless base station;

determining, by the wireless device, that the predetermined wireless base station was located by the first scan;

transmitting a reconfiguration request, by the wireless device, to the wireless communication apparatus, to reconfigure the wireless communication apparatus to stop functioning as a wireless base station and to start functioning as a wireless terminal; and

setting, by the wireless device, the communication destination thereof to the predetermined base station.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting, by the wireless device, a scan report to the wireless communication apparatus, the scan report identifying a channel over which the predetermined wireless base station communicates.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless communication apparatus, the reconfiguration request;

scanning, by the wireless communication apparatus, the channel over which the predetermined wireless base station communicates;

based on the scanning, determining, by the wireless communication apparatus, that communication with the predetermined wireless base station is possible; and

responsive to the determining, reconfiguring the wireless communication apparatus to stop functioning as a wireless base station and to start functioning as a wireless terminal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a change channel request from the wireless communication apparatus, changing, by the wireless device, a channel over which the wireless device communicates from a first channel to said channel over which the predetermined wireless base station communicates.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

performing a second scan, by the wireless device, to locate the predetermined wireless base station;

determining, by the wireless device, that the predetermined wireless base station was not located by the second scan; and

setting, by the wireless device, the communication destination thereof to the wireless communication apparatus.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

if the predetermined wireless base station was not located by the second scan, then reconfiguring the wireless communication apparatus to stop functioning as a wireless terminal and to start functioning as a wireless base station.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining, by the wireless device, that the predetermined wireless base station was located by the second scan; and

responsive to the determining, performing a third scan to locate the predetermined wireless base station.