Wireless communication system allowing group identification information to be publicly available and to be hidden, wireless access point device, and communication method and program for wireless access point device

• US 7,903,646 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US11/071,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20050195781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,197 Days
• Field of Search: 370/245, 370/232, 370/254
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

According to the present invention, the host device judges whether or not to grant a connection permission to the wireless communication device. Having been instructed to start the entry processing, the wireless access point device sends a beacon with group identification information made publicly available. Upon reception of the beacon, the wireless communication device performs an authentication processing and an association processing with the wireless access point device and further performs the authentication processing. Having been instructed to end the entry processing, the wireless access point device switches into the sending of the beacon with the group identification information hidden, thereby hiding the group identification information from other wireless access point devices.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless access point device; and

a host device,

the wireless access point device comprising;

a first notification device configured to notify the host device of a connection request upon reception of the connection request from a wireless communication device;

a publicizing device configured to add group identification information to a beacon signal different from a response signal of the connection request, in response to an instruction to start an entry processing issued from the host device; and

a hiding device configured to hide the group identification information by hiding the group identification information in the beacon signal in response to an instruction to end the entry processing issued from the host device,

the host device comprising;

a judgment device configured to make a judgment as to whether or not to grant a connection permission to the wireless communication device that has issued the connection request upon reception of the connection request from the wireless access point device;

a start instructing device configured to instruct the wireless access point device to start the entry processing according to the judgment made by the judgment device; and

an end instructing device configured to instruct the wireless access point device to end the entry processing according to an entry completion notification of the wireless communication device issued from the wireless access point device.

2. A wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless access point device further comprises:

an entry device configured to perform the entry processing on the wireless communication device;

an identification device configured to identify a result of an authentication processing between the wireless communication device and an authentication server; and

a second notification device configured to issue the entry completion notification to the host device based on an entry processing result of the entry device and an identification result of the identification device.

3. A wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the start instructing device instructs the wireless access point device to start the entry processing one of after an elapse of a predetermined period since the connection request is received from the wireless access point device and upon reception of connection requests corresponding to a plurality of pre-registered wireless terminal devices.

4. A wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the end instructing device instructs the wireless access point device to end the entry processing upon reception of entry completion notifications corresponding to a plurality of pre-registered wireless terminal devices.

5. A wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the host device is included in the wireless access point device.

6. A wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the hiding device hides the group identification information after an elapse of a predetermined period since the group identification information is made publicly available by the publicizing device.

7. A wireless access point device connected to a host device via a network, comprising:

a first notification device configured to notify the host device of a connection request upon reception of the connection request from a wireless communication device;

a publicizing device configured to add group identification information to a beacon signal different from a response signal of the connection request, in response to an instruction to start an entry processing issued from the host device; and

a hiding device configured to hide the group identification information in the beacon signal in response to an instruction to end the entry processing issued from the host device.

8. A wireless access point device according to claim 7, further comprising:

an entry device configured to perform the entry processing on the wireless communication device;

an identification device configured to identify a result of an authentication processing between the wireless communication device and an authentication server; and

a second notification device configured to issue the entry completion notification to the host device based on an entry processing result of the entry device and an identification result of the identification device.

9. A wireless access point device according to claim 7, wherein the host device is included in the wireless access point device.

10. A wireless access point device according to claim 7, wherein the hiding device hides the group identification information after an elapse of a predetermined period since the group identification information is made publicly available by the publicizing device.

11. A wireless access point device, comprising:

a judgment device configured to make a judgment as to whether or not to grant a connection permission to a wireless communication device upon reception of a connection request from the wireless communication device;

a publicizing device configured to add group identification information to a beacon signal different from a response signal of the connection request, according to the judgment made by the judgment device; and

a hiding device configured to hide the group identification information by hiding the group identification information in the beacon signal according to an entry completion of a plurality of pre-registered wireless terminal devices.

12. A wireless access point device according to claim 11, wherein the hiding device hides the group identification information after an elapse of a predetermined period since the publicizing device adds the group identification information to the beacon signal.

13. A communication method for a wireless access point device connected to a host device via a network, comprising:

a first notification step of notifying the host device of a connection request upon reception of the connection request from a wireless communication device;

a publicizing step of making publicly available group identification information by adding the group identification information to a beacon signal different from a response signal of the connection request, in response to an instruction to start an entry processing issued from the host device; and

a hiding step of hiding the group identification information by hiding the group identification information in the beacon signal in response to an instruction to end the entry processing issued from the host device.

14. A communication method for a wireless access point device, comprising:

a judgment step of making a judgment at the wireless access point as to whether or not to grant a connection permission to a wireless communication device upon reception of a connection request from the wireless communication device;

a publicizing step of making publicly available group identification information by adding the group identification information to a beacon signal different from a response signal of the connection request, according to the judgment of the judgment step; and

a hiding step of hiding the group identification information by hiding the group identification information in the beacon signal according to an entry completion of a plurality of pre-registered wireless terminal devices.

15. A method of sending beacon information for a wireless access point device, comprising:

a judgment step of making a judgment at the wireless access point as to whether or not a wireless communication device that has sent a connection request to a network is a predetermined wireless communication device; and

a switching step of switching between sending of the beacon signal whose group identification is made publicly available, and sending of the beacon signal whose group identification is not made publicly available, according to the judgment of the judgment step, wherein the beacon signal differs from a response signal of the connection request;

wherein the switching step allows the sending of the beacon information whose group identification is made publicly available if the wireless communication device that has sent the connection request is judged to be a predetermined wireless communication device according to the judgment of the judgment step, and allows the switching into the sending of the beacon information whose group identification is not made publicly available one of after completion of an entry processing of the wireless communication device with respect to the network and after an elapse of a predetermined period.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a stored computer program for controlling a wireless access point device connected to a host device via a network to execute:

a first notification step of notifying the host device of a connection request upon reception of the connection request from a wireless communication device;

a publicizing step of making publicly available group identification information by adding the group identification information to a beacon signal different from a response signal of the connection request, in response to an instruction to start an entry processing issued from the host device; and

a hiding step of hiding the group identification information by hiding the group identification information in the beacon signal in response to an instruction to end the entry processing issued from the host device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a stored computer program for controlling a wireless access point device to execute:

a judgment step of making a judgment as to whether or not to grant a connection permission to a wireless communication device upon reception of a connection request from the wireless communication device;

a publicizing step of making publicly available group identification information by adding the group identification information to a beacon signal different from a response signal of the connection request, according to the judgment of the judgment step; and

a hiding step of hiding the group identification information by hiding the group identification information in the beacon signal according to an entry completion of a plurality of pre-registered wireless terminal devices.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a stored computer program for sending beacon information, controlling a wireless access point device to execute:

a judgment step of making a judgment as to whether or not a wireless communication device that has sent a connection request to a network is a predetermined wireless communication device; and

a switching step of switching between sending of the beacon signal whose group identification is made publicly available, and sending of the beacon signal whose group identification is not made publicly available, according to the judgment of the judgment step, wherein the beacon signal differs from a response signal of the connection request.