COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20170215067A1
• Filed: 01/23/2017
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Goto, Fumihide
• Granted Patent: US 10,575,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A communication apparatus receives information encrypted based on encryption information obtained by capturing an image of code information about the communication information from a different communication apparatus operating as an access point to form a wireless network. The communication apparatus and the different communication apparatus perform encrypted communication based on the information.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a forming unit configured to operate as an access point and form a wireless network having a first network identifier;

a provision unit configured to provide a first communication parameter relating to the wireless network having the first network identifier, the first communication parameter including at least any one of the first network identifier, an encryption method, or an authentication method;

a reception unit configured to receive a second communication parameter for performing encrypted communication over the wireless network having the first network identifier from a first different communication apparatus having obtained the provided first communication parameter, the second communication parameter being encrypted using encryption information obtained from a captured image corresponding to the communication apparatus; and

a communication unit configured to perform the encrypted communication based on the received second communication parameter over the wireless network having the first network identifier.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit configured to display code information obtained by encoding the encryption information.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit is configured to, in a case where the wireless network is formed by the forming unit, display the code information including information indicating that the wireless network is formed.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the forming unit is configured to form the wireless network based on a third communication parameter encrypted using the encryption information and received from a second different communication apparatus other than the first different communication apparatus.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the third communication parameter includes the first network identifier.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus is configured not to, in a case where a network identifier different from the first network identifier is received by the reception unit, form a network having the network identifier different from that of the wireless network.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit is configured to receive the second communication parameter encrypted with a common key shared with the first different communication apparatus according to processing including communication of the encrypted information.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit is configured to receive the second communication parameter including any one of an authentication key, a pre-shared common key, a passphrase, a network key, or an encryption key used for unicast communication.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encryption information is a public key.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the captured image is an image obtained by capturing a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the captured image is an image obtained by capturing a QR Code®

or a barcode.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit is configured to receive the second communication parameter from the first different communication apparatus when the wireless network having the first network identifier is formed.

13. A communication apparatus comprising:

a first acquisition unit configured to acquire a first communication parameter relating to a wireless network having a first network identifier from a different communication apparatus serving as an access point and forming the wireless network having the first network identifier, the first communication parameter including at least any one of the first network identifier, an encryption method, or an authentication method;

a second acquisition unit configured to acquire encryption information from a captured image corresponding to the different communication apparatus;

a transmission unit configured to transmit a second communication parameter for performing encrypted communication over the wireless network having the first network identifier to the different communication apparatus identified by the acquired first communication parameter, the second communication parameter being encrypted using the encryption information acquired by the second acquisition unit; and

a communication unit configured to perform the encrypted communication, based on the second communication parameter transmitted by the transmission unit, over the wireless network having the first network identifier.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the transmission unit is configured to, if the different communication apparatus has not formed the wireless network, transmit a network identifier to set to the different communication apparatus.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether a network identifier acquired from the different communication apparatus when communication for generating an encryption key based on the obtained encryption information is performed is the first network identifier acquired by the second acquisition unit, wherein the transmission unit is configured to,

if the determination unit determines that the network identifier acquired from the different communication apparatus when the communication for generating the encryption key based on the acquired encryption information is performed is the first network identifier acquired by the acquisition unit, transmit the second communication parameter to the different communication apparatus.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising an imaging unit configured to capture the captured image.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a selection unit configured to select whether to set a communication parameter including at least any one of a network identifier, an encryption method, or an authentication method to the access point or set a communication parameter for performing encrypted communication over a wireless network to the access point,

wherein the transmission unit is configured to transmit the communication parameter according to the selection.

18. A communication method comprising:

acquiring, by a first communication apparatus, a first communication parameter relating to a wireless network having a first network identifier from a second communication apparatus serving as an access point;

forming the wireless network having the first network identifier, the first communication parameter including at least any one of the first network identifier, an encryption method, or an authentication method;

acquiring, by the first communication apparatus, encryption information from a captured image of code information about the second communication apparatus;

transmitting, by the first communication apparatus, a second communication parameter encrypted using the acquired encryption information to the second communication apparatus; and

performing, by the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus, encrypted communication based on the transmitted second communication parameter over the wireless network having the first network identifier.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing a computer to execute a communication method, the communication method comprising:

acquiring, by a first communication apparatus, a first communication parameter relating to a wireless network having a first network identifier from a second communication apparatus serving as an access point;

forming the wireless network having the first network identifier, the first communication parameter including at least any one of the first network identifier, an encryption method, or an authentication method;

acquiring, by the first communication apparatus, encryption information from a captured image of code information about the second communication apparatus;

transmitting, by the first communication apparatus, a second communication parameter encrypted using the acquired encryption information to the second communication apparatus; and

performing, by the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus, encrypted communication based on the transmitted second communication parameter over the wireless network having the first network identifier.