Communication apparatus and method for controlling the same

• US 8,134,986 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Tatsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US12/119,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20080299909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/418, 455/422.1, 370/338, 370/350, 709/203, 709/229
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

An apparatus includes a storage unit to store communication parameters and a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters and an acquisition unit to acquire a configuration processing identifier from another apparatus. The apparatus determines whether to use communication parameters stored in the storage unit or acquire communication parameters from other communication apparatus, based on the configuration processing identifier stored in the storage unit and the configuration processing identifier acquired by the acquisition unit.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store one or more sets of communication parameters, which comprises at least one of authentication method, encryption method and encryption key, and one or more configuration processing identifiers for identifying each of the one or more sets of communication parameters;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire one or more configuration processing identifiers which identifies each of the one or more sets of communication parameters stored in another apparatus, from the another communication apparatus; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether any one of the one or more configuration processing identifiers acquired by the acquisition unit agrees with any one of the one or more configuration processing identifiers stored in the storage unit; and

a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the another apparatus, the wireless communication being performed by;

1) in a case where any one of the acquired one or more configuration processing identifiers is determined to agree with any one of the one or more configuration processing identifiers stored in the storage unit, designating the agreed configuration processing identifier to the another apparatus and using the set of communication parameters corresponding to the agreed configuration processing identifier, and

2) in a case where the acquired one or more configuration processing identifiers are determined not to agree with the one or more configuration processing identifiers stored in the storage unit, acquiring a set of communication parameters from the another apparatus and using the acquired set of the communication parameters.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the wireless communication unit performs wireless communication with the another communication apparatus in an ad hoc mode.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a search unit configured to search a providing apparatus that provides communication parameters, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the one or more configuration processing identifiers from the providing apparatus detected by the search unit.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a role determination unit configured to determine a role relating to communication parameter configuration processing, wherein the acquisition unit executes acquisition of any configuration processing identifier if the role determination unit determines the role of the communication apparatus as a reception apparatus that receives communication parameters.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a role determination unit configured to determine a role relating to communication parameter configuration processing, wherein the role determination unit determines the role of the communication apparatus based on the number of configuration processing identifiers agreeing with the one or more configuration processing identifiers of each of the other.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a role determination unit configured to determine a role relating to communication parameter configuration processing; and

a notification unit configured to notify the another communication apparatus of a configuration processing identifier, if the role determination unit determines the role of the communication apparatus as a providing apparatus that provides the set of communication parameters, wherein the notification unit notifies the other communication apparatus if a predetermined notification condition is satisfied.

7. A communication apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store communication parameters and a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a configuration processing identifier from another communication apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine whether to use the communication parameters stored in the storage unit or acquire communication parameters from the another communication apparatus, based on the configuration processing identifier stored in the storage unit and the configuration processing identifier acquired by the acquisition unit; and

a role determination unit configured to determine a role relating to communication parameter configuration processing, wherein the role determination unit determines the role of the communication apparatus as a reception apparatus that receives communication parameters if there is any providing apparatus existing in an enabled communication area and as a providing apparatus that provides communication parameters if there is not any other providing apparatus existing in the enabled communication area.

8. A first communication apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store communication parameters and a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit a configuration processing identifier stored in the storage unit in response to a request received from a second communication apparatus,

wherein if common communication parameters are configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and a third communication apparatus, the transmission unit transmits a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters having been configured, and

if common communication parameters are not configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and the third communication apparatus, the transmission unit transmits all of the configuration processing identifiers stored in the storage unit.

9. A communication apparatus comprising:

a providing unit configured to provide communication parameters to another communication apparatus; and

a notification unit configured to notify the another communication apparatus of a configuration processing identifier allocated to the provided communication parameters if a predetermined notification condition is satisfied, wherein the predetermined notification condition includes at least one of the following conditions;

whether device information of the another communication apparatus agrees with predetermined information;

whether the communication parameters supplied to the another communication apparatus have a security level higher than a predetermined security level; and

whether an item selected by a user via a user interface agrees with a predetermined item.

10. A method for controlling a communication apparatus that stores one or more sets of communication parameters , which comprises at least one of authentication method, encryption method and encryption key, and one or more configuration processing identifiers for identifying each of the one or more sets of communication parameters, the method comprising:

and

acquiring one or more configuration processing identifiers, which identifies each of the one or more sets of communication parameters stored in another apparatus, from the another communication apparatus;

determining whether any one of the acquired one or more configuration processing identifiers agrees with any one of the stored one or more configuration processing identifiers;

wirelessly communicating with the another communication apparatus, the wireless communicating being performed by;

1) in a case where any one of the acquired one or more configuration processing identifiers is determined to agree with any one of the stored one or more configuration processing identifiers, designating the agreed configuration processing identifier to the another apparatus and using the set of communication parameters corresponding to the agreed configuration processing identifier, and

2) in a case where the acquired one or more configuration processing identifiers are determined not to agree with the stored one or more configuration processing identifiers, acquiring a set of communication parameters from the another apparatus and using the acquired set of the communication parameters.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

performing wireless communication with the another communication apparatus in an ad hoc mode.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining a role relating to communication parameter configuration processing by a role determination unit ; and

notifying the another communication apparatus of a configuration processing identifier by a notification unit, if the role determination unit determines the role of the communication apparatus as a providing apparatus that provides the set of communication parameters, wherein the notification unit notifies the other communication apparatus.

13. A method for controlling a first communication apparatus that store communication parameters and a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters, the method comprising:

transmitting a stored configuration processing identifier in response to a request received from a second communication apparatus, wherein

if common communication parameters are configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and a third communication apparatus, transmitting a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters having been configured, and

if common communication parameters are not configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and the third communication apparatus, transmitting all of the stored configuration processing identifiers.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for controlling a communication apparatus that stores one or more sets of communication parameters, which comprises at least one of authentication method, encryption method and encryption key, and one or more configuration processing identifiers for identifying each of the one or more sets of communication parameters, the storage medium storing:

computer-executable instructions for acquiring one or more configuration processing identifiers, which identifies each of the one or more sets of communication parameters stored in another apparatus, from the another communication apparatus; and

computer-executable instructions for determining whether any one of the acquired one or more configuration agrees with any one of the stored one or more configuration processing identifiers; and

wirelessly communicating with the another communication apparatus, the wireless communicating being performed by;

1) in a case where any one of the acquired one or more configuration processing identifiers is determined to agree with any one of the stored one or more configuration processing identifiers, designating the agreed configuration processing identifier to the another apparatus and using the set of communication parameters corresponding to the agreed configuration processing identifier, and

2) in a case where the acquired one or more configuration processing identifiers are determined not to agree with the stored one or more configuration processing identifiers, acquiring a set of communication parameters from the another apparatus and using the acquired set of the communication parameters.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising:

computer-executable instructions for determining a role relating to communication parameter configuration processing; and

computer-executable instructions for notifying the another communication apparatus of a configuration processing identifier, if it is determined that the role of the communication apparatus as a providing apparatus that provides the set of communication parameters, wherein the notifying notifies the other communication apparatus.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for controlling a first communication apparatus that stores communication parameters and a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters, the storage medium storing:

computer-executable instructions for transmitting a stored configuration processing identifier in response to a request received from a second communication apparatus;

if common communication parameters are configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and a third communication apparatus, computer-executable instructions for transmitting a configuration processing identifier allocated to the communication parameters having been configured; and

if common communication parameters are not configured for communication between the first communication apparatus and the third communication apparatus, computer-executable instructions for transmitting all of the stored configuration processing identifiers.