System, computer program product and method for managing and controlling a local network of electronic devices and reliably and securely adding an electronic device to the network

• US 8,122,135 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US12/314,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system method and computer program product for setting up a wireless electronic device to join a wireless local area network (LAN). The method upon which the system and computer program product is based includes sending a setup request from the wireless electronic device to a control device, the setup request including a request to be added to the wireless LAN, and receiving at the wireless device a data package from the control device, the data package including network information necessary for the wireless device to join the wireless LAN. The network information are then executed at the wireless device to establish a wireless connection to an access point of the wireless LAN. The setup request may be sent at a low power to ensure that only the control device in close proximity can receive the request. After the wireless connection to the LAN is established, the wireless electronic device resumes full power communications.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a device to communicate as a network node on a wireless network, the method comprising:

sending from the device, via a limited communication range connection having a setup communication range, a wireless set-up request message to a registration device configured to communicate on said wireless network, wherein the limited communication range connection is established using a predetermined wireless communication protocol at a first power;

receiving at the device, via the limited communication range connection, data from the registration device, said data including information necessary for the device to directly access the wireless network and communicate as a network node on the wireless network; and

using at the device, the data received from the registration device to establish a network connection for the device to directly access the wireless network and communicate as a network node on the wireless network, said network connection being established using the predetermined wireless communication protocol at a second power greater than the first power and having a network communication range corresponding to the second power, such that the network communication range is greater than the setup communication range of the limited communication range connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a mobile terminal, said sending comprising sending the wireless set-up request message from the mobile terminal to said registration device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a general purpose computer, said sending comprising sending the wireless set-up request message from the general purpose computer to said registration device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises one of a wireless electronic device, office equipment, an environmental control device, an appliance or an entertainment device, said sending comprising sending the wireless set-up request message from one of a wireless electronic device, office equipment, an environmental control device, an appliance or an entertainment device, to said registration device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending comprises sending from the device a wireless set-up request message comprising data identifying a communication protocol of the wireless network, to said registration device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending comprises sending from the device a wireless set-up request message comprising data identifying the wireless network, to said registration device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending comprises sending from the device the wireless set-up request message in response to a prompt received from the registration device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending comprises providing the device at a first distance from the registration device, said first distance being less than the setup communication range of the limited communication range connection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said providing comprises providing the device at a first distance of one meter or less from the registration device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said providing comprises providing the device in physical contact with the registration device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating with said registration device via said network connection having the network communication range greater than said setup communication range of the limited communication range connection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said communicating comprises communicating with said registration device via a Bluetooth network connection or an IEEE 802.11b network connection, or a combination of both of these network connections.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating with said registration device via said network connection, said network connection being a peer-to-peer network connection.

14. A device, comprising:

a memory having embodied therein, data related to setting up the device to communicate as a network node on a wireless network;

a transceiver configured to send and receive wireless communication signals on said wireless network; and

a processor in communication with said memory and said transceiver, said processor configured to;

send, via a limited communication range connection having a setup communication range, a wireless set-up request message to a registration device configured to communicate on said wireless network, wherein the limited communication range connection is established using a predetermined wireless communication protocol at a first power;

receive, via the limited communication range connection, data from the registration device, said data including information necessary for the device to directly access the wireless network and communicate as a network node on the wireless network; and

use the data received from the registration device to establish a network connection for the device to directly access the wireless network and communicate as a network node on the wireless network, said network connection being established using the predetermined wireless communication protocol at a second power greater than the first power and having a network communication range corresponding to the second power, such that the network communication range is greater than the setup communication range of the limited communication range connection.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said device is a mobile terminal comprising said memory, said transceiver and said processor.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said device is a general purpose computer comprising said memory, said transceiver and said processor.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein said device comprises one of a wireless electronic device, office equipment, an environmental control device, an appliance or an entertainment device, said one of a wireless electronic device, office equipment, an environmental control device, an appliance or an entertainment device comprising said memory, said transceiver and said processor.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to send data identifying a communication protocol of the wireless network, or data identifying the wireless network, or data identifying the communication protocol and identifying the wireless network to said registration device.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to send the wireless set-up request message in response to a prompt received from the registration device.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to control the transceiver to communicate with the registration device when the device is located a first distance from the registration device, said first distance being less than the setup communication range of the limited communication range connection.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein said processor is further configured to control the transceiver to communicate with the registration device via the limited communication range connection when the device is located at a first distance of one meter or less from the registration device.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein said processor is further configured to control the transceiver to communicate with the registration device via the limited communication range connection when the device is in physical contact with the registration device.

23. The device of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to control the transceiver to communicate with the registration device via the network connection having the network communication range greater than said setup communication range.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said processor is further configured to control the transceiver to communicate with the registration device via the network connection, said network connection being a Bluetooth network connection or an IEEE 802.11b network connection, or both the Bluetooth network and IEEE 802.1b network connections.

25. The device of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to control the transceiver to communicate with the registration device via the network connection, said network connection being a peer-to-peer network connection.

26. The device of claim 20, wherein said processor is further configured to control the transceiver to communicate with the registration device as a network node on said wireless network when the device is located at a second distance from the registration device, said second distance being greater than the setup communication range of the limited communication range connection.