Communication apparatus, communication parameter configuration method and communication method

• US 7,882,196 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Tatsuhiko, Moritomo, Kazuo, Fujii, Kenichi, Watanabe, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US11/409,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20060246947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/208, 709/217, 709/218, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

In a communication apparatus on a network where communication apparatuses perform direct communication with other apparatuses, a providing apparatus that provides communication parameters, and a reception apparatus that receives the communication parameters are determined based on information indicating the capabilities of communication apparatuses existing on the network, and a transfer direction of the communication parameters is notified to the providing apparatus and the reception apparatus thereby determined.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a determination unit that determines a providing device and one or more reception devices from among three or more devices on a network, based on information indicating respective capabilities of the three or more devices on the network, wherein the providing device provides communication parameters for forming another network and the one or more reception devices receive the communication parameters from the providing device,

a notification unit that notifies the providing device of a transfer direction of the communication parameters using identification information of the one or more reception devices determined by the determination unit, upon the determination unit determining that the communication apparatus is one of the one or more reception devices; and

an authentication unit that performs authentication processing upon receiving a request for authentication processing from the providing device, receives an encryption key and encrypted communication parameters from the providing device determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing, decrypts the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key upon receiving the encryption key and the encrypted communication parameters, and stores the communication parameters upon decrypting the encrypted communication parameters.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a collection unit that collects information indicating the respective capabilities of the three or more devices on the network,

wherein the determination unit determines the providing device providing the communication parameters and the one or more reception devices receiving the communication parameters based on the collected information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the one or more reception devices of the identification information of the communication apparatus, upon the determination unit determining that the communication apparatus is the providing device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the one or more reception devices of the identification information of the providing devices, upon the determination unit determining that the communication apparatus is one of the one or more reception devices.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that displays message information indicating an error of the transfer direction, upon the determination unit determining that each of two or more of the three or more devices on the network is the providing device.

6. A control method of a communication apparatus, the method comprising:

determining a providing device and one or more reception devices from among three or more devices on a network, based on information indicating respective capabilities of the three or more devices on the network, wherein the providing device provides communication parameters for forming another network and the one or more reception devices receive the communication parameters from the providing device;

notifying the providing device of a transfer direction of the communication parameters using identification information of the one or more reception devices, upon the communication apparatus being determined to be one of the one or more reception devices;

performing authentication processing, upon receiving a request for authentication processing from the providing device;

receiving an encryption key and encrypted communication parameters from the providing device determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing;

decrypting the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key, upon receiving the encryption key and the encrypted communication parameters; and

storing the communication parameters, upon decrypting the encrypted communication parameters.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute the control method set forth in claim 6.

7. A communication apparatus comprising:

a determination unit that determines a providing device and one or more reception devices from among three or more devices on a network, based on information indicating respective capabilities of the three or more devices on the network, wherein the providing device provides communication parameters for forming another network and the one or more reception devices receive the communication parameters from the providing device;

a notification unit that notifies the one or more reception devices of a transfer direction of the communication parameters using identification information of the providing device, upon the determination unit determining that the communication apparatus is one of the one or more reception devices; and

an authentication unit that performs authentication processing upon receiving a request for authentication processing from the providing device, receives an encryption key and encrypted communication parameters from the providing device determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing, decrypts the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key upon receiving the encryption key and the encrypted communication parameters, and stores the communication parameters upon decrypting the encrypted communication parameters.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the notification unit notifies the one or more reception devices of the identification information of the communication apparatus, upon the determination unit determining that the communication apparatus is the providing device.

9. A control method of a communication apparatus, the method comprising:

determining a providing device and one or more reception devices from among three or more devices on a network, based on information indicating respective capabilities of the three or more devices on the network, wherein the providing device provides communication parameters for forming another network and the one or more reception devices receive the communication parameters from the providing device;

notifying the one or more reception devices of a transfer direction of the communication parameters using identification information of the providing apparatus, upon the communication apparatus being determined to be one of the one or more reception devices;

performing authentication processing, upon receiving a request for authentication processing from the providing apparatus;

receiving an encryption key and encrypted communication parameters from the providing apparatus determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing;

decrypting the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key, upon receiving the encryption key and the encrypted communication parameters; and

storing the communication parameters, upon decrypting the encrypted communication parameters.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute the control method set forth in claim 9.

10. A communication parameter configuration method comprising:

determining a master device that determines both a providing device that provides communication parameters for forming another network and a reception device that receives the communication parameters from the providing device;

determining, by the master device, the providing device and the reception device based on information indicating respective capabilities of a plurality of devices on a network;

notifying, by the master device, the providing device or the reception device of a transfer direction of the communication parameters,

wherein the communication parameters are transferred from the providing device to the reception device according to the transfer direction, and the transferred communication parameters are configured to the reception devices,

wherein the providing device requests authentication processing from the reception device, exchanges an encryption key with the reception device determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing, encrypts the communication parameters using the encryption key, and transmits the encrypted communication parameters to the reception device, and

wherein the reception device decrypts the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key and stores the communication parameters.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute the communication parameter configuration method set forth in claim 10.

11. A communication apparatus comprising:

a first determination unit that determines a master device that determines both a providing device that provides communication parameters for forming another network and a reception device that receives the communication parameters from the providing device;

a second determination unit that determines the providing device and the reception device based on information indicating respective capabilities of a plurality of devices on a network, upon the determination unit determining that the communication apparatus is the master device; and

a notification unit that notifies the providing device or the reception device determined by the second determination unit of a transfer direction of the communication parameters,

wherein the communication parameters are transferred from the providing device to the reception device according to the transfer direction notified by the notification unit, and the transferred communication parameters are configured to the reception device,

wherein the providing device requests authentication processing from the reception device, exchanges an encryption key with the reception device determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing, encrypts the communication parameters using the encryption key, and transmits the encrypted communication parameters to the reception device, and

wherein the reception device decrypts the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key and stores the communication parameters.

12. A communication method comprising:

forming a network for communication parameter configuration at each of a plurality of devices on a network, upon configuration of communication parameters;

determining a master device for determining a providing device that provides communication parameters for forming another network;

collecting, by the master device information regarding other of the plurality of devices on the network;

determining, by the master device, the providing device based on the collected information; and

notifying, by the master device, the providing device of a transfer direction of the communication parameters for forming the other network,

wherein the providing device requests authentication processing from the reception device, exchanges an encryption key with the reception device determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing, encrypts the communication parameters using the encryption key, and transmits the encrypted communication parameters to the reception device, and

wherein the reception device decrypts the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key and stores the communication parameters.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising forming the other network using the communication parameters.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the master device, following the determining of the providing device, one or more reception devices that receive the communication parameters from the providing device, and

notifying, by the master device, other of the plurality of devices on the network, based on the determining of the providing device and the determining of the one or more reception devices, of becoming either the providing device or one of the one or more reception devices.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising notifying, by the master device, the providing device of identification information of the one or more reception devices.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising notifying, by the master device, the one or more reception devices of identification information of the providing device.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute the communication method set forth in claim 12.

17. A communication apparatus comprising:

a forming unit that forms a network for communication parameter configuration among other of a plurality of devices on the network, upon configuration of communication parameters;

a first determination unit that determines a master device for determining a providing device that provides communication parameters for forming another network;

a collection unit that collects respective information regarding other of the plurality of devices on the network, upon the first determination unit determining that the communication apparatus is the master device;

a second determination unit that determines the providing device based on the collected information, wherein the communication parameters for forming the other network are notified from the providing device to other of the plurality of devices on the network; and

a notification unit that notifies the providing device of a transfer direction of the communication parameters for forming the other network,

wherein the providing device requests authentication processing from the reception device, exchanges an encryption key with the reception device determined to be correct by performing the authentication processing, encrypts the communication parameters using the encryption key, and transmits the encrypted communication parameters to the reception device, and

wherein the reception device decrypts the encrypted communication parameters using the encryption key and stores the communication parameters.