Communication apparatus

• US 7,533,165 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Makino, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean; Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US10/733,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/226, 709/220, 709/246, 709/245, 709/224, 709/217, 709/219, 358/1.15, 370/352, 370/401, 370/466
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a plurality of network connection units connected to a network. The communication apparatus (a) notifies an external device of a plurality of IP addresses assigned respectively to the plurality of network connection units so that the external device can select one of the plurality of IP addresses, and (b) releases the plurality of IP addresses except an IP address selected by the external device so that the communication apparatus can provide a service to the external device via the network using the IP address selected by the external device.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus that provides a service to an external device via a network, comprising:

a plurality of network connection units that are connected to the network; and

a control unit that (a) notifies the external device of a plurality of IP addresses assigned respectively to the plurality of network connection units so that the external device can select one of the plurality of IP addresses, and (b) releases the plurality of IP addresses except an IP address selected by the external device so that the communication apparatus can provide a service to the external device via the network using the IP address selected by the external device.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit notifies the external device which of the plurality of IP addresses has priority for the service.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service includes an image recording service.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service includes a file management service.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the network conforms to UPnP (Universal Plug and Play).

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the external device is a control point on the network.

7. A method of controlling a communication apparatus that provides a service to an external device via a network, the communication apparatus including a plurality of network connection units connected to the network, the method performed by the communication apparatus and comprising the steps of:

notifying the external device of a plurality of IP addresses assigned respectively to the plurality of network connection units so that the external device can select one of the plurality of IP addresses; and

releasing the plurality of IP addresses except an IP address selected by the external device so that the communication apparatus can provide a service to the external device via the network using the IP address selected by the external device.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of notifying the external device which of the plurality of IP addresses has priority for the service.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the service includes an image recording service.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the service includes a file management service.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the network conforms to UPnP (Universal Plug and Play).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the external device is a control point on the network.