COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, METHOD OF SHARING, AND PROGRAM

• US 20170026833A1
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Goto, Fumihide
• Granted Patent: US 10,178,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• 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

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a first notification unit, a second notification unit, a reception unit, and a sharing unit. The first notification unit provides first information containing information unique to the communication apparatus and information on a predetermined channel for use in sharing a communication parameter for wireless communication with a different communication apparatus. The second notification unit provides second information containing the information unique to the communication apparatus but not containing information on the predetermined channel. When the first information is provided, the reception unit waits to receive a predetermined signal containing information corresponding to the information unique to the communication apparatus without shifting to another channel. When the second information is provided, the reception unit waits to receive the predetermined signal using a plurality of channels. When the predetermined signal is provided, the sharing unit shares the communication parameter with the different communication apparatus.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a first notification unit configured to provide notification of first information containing information unique to the communication apparatus and information on a predetermined channel for use in sharing a communication parameter for wireless communication with a different communication apparatus;

a second notification unit configured to provide notification of second information containing the information unique to the communication apparatus but not containing information on the predetermined channel;

a reception unit configured to, when the first information is provided, wait to receive a predetermined signal containing information corresponding to the information unique to the communication apparatus without shifting from the predetermined channel to another channel, and configured to, when the second information is provided, wait to receive the predetermined signal from the different communication apparatus using a plurality of channels; and

a sharing unit configured to, when the reception unit receives the predetermined signal from the different communication apparatus, perform a process for sharing the communication parameter with the different communication apparatus.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first notification unit provides the notification to the different communication apparatus via a code containing the first information, wherein the code is displayed on a display unit.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second notification unit provides the notification to the different communication apparatus via a code containing the second information, wherein the code is displayed on a display unit.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first notification unit or the second notification unit provides notification to the different communication apparatus using communication based on Bluetooth®

or near-field communication.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first notification unit provides the notification via a code containing the first information, wherein the code is located on the communication apparatus or an item associated with of the communication apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second notification unit provides the notification via a code containing the second information, wherein the code is located on the communication apparatus or an item associated with the communication apparatus.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first information or the second information contains encoded information of the information unique to the communication apparatus.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information unique to the communication apparatus includes one of a public key of the communication apparatus, a MAC address of the communication apparatus, or a universally unique identifier of the communication apparatus.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit waits a predetermined time for the predetermined signal.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, when the predetermined time elapses and the reception unit has not received the predetermined signal from the different communication apparatus, the reception unit waits for the predetermined signal from the different communication apparatus using a plurality of channels even if the predetermined information contains the information on the predetermined channel.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sharing unit shares the communication parameter with the different communication apparatus by acquiring the communication parameter from the different communication apparatus.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether to provide the notification of the first information or the notification of the second information, wherein, if the determination unit determines to provide the first information, the first notification unit provides the notification of the first information and the second notification unit does not provide the notification of the second information.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether to provide the first information or the second information,

wherein, if the determination unit determines to provide the second information, the second notification unit provides the notification of the second information and the first notification unit does not provide the notification of the first information.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a frequency channel.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication parameter includes at least one of information on an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, or an authentication key for wireless communication.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus performs wireless communication based on an IEEE 802.11 series with the different communication apparatus using the communication parameter.

17. A method for sharing a communication parameter for wireless communication among a plurality of communication apparatuses, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a notification of first information containing information unique to a communication apparatus and information on a predetermined channel for use in sharing a communication parameter for wireless communication with a different communication apparatus;

providing a notification of second information containing the information unique to the communication apparatus but not containing information on the predetermined channel;

waiting to, when the first information is provided, receive a predetermined signal containing information corresponding to the information unique to the communication apparatus without shifting from the predetermined channel to another channel;

waiting to, when the second information is provided, receive the predetermined signal from the different communication apparatus using a plurality of channels; and

performing, when the predetermined signal is provided from the different communication apparatus, a process for sharing the communication parameter with the different communication apparatus.

18. A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for sharing a communication parameter for wireless communication among a plurality of communication apparatuses, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a notification of first information containing information unique to a communication apparatus and information on a predetermined channel for use in sharing a communication parameter for wireless communication with a different communication apparatus; and

providing a notification of second information containing the information unique to the communication apparatus but not containing information on the predetermined channel;

waiting to, when the first information is provided, receive a predetermined signal containing information corresponding to the information unique to the communication apparatus without shifting from the predetermined channel to another channel;

waiting to, when the second information is provided, receive the predetermined signal from the different communication apparatus using a plurality of channels; and

performing, when the predetermined signal is provided from the different communication apparatus, a process for sharing the communication parameter with the different communication apparatus.