Communication apparatus and communication layer role deciding method

• US 8,248,961 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSE, KERRI M
• Application Number:
  US12/159,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/254, 370/392, 370/400, 370/401, 370464-469, 709/227, 709/228, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.1, 348/213.1
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

When setting a communication parameter, apparatuses decide on each other'"'"'s roles for setting the communication parameter. When constructing a new network after the communication parameter is set, the roles of individual communication layers (e.g., a physical layer, IP layer, transport layer, and application layer) are decided on to correspond to the roles when the communication parameter is set.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a decision unit adapted to decide on a role as a communication parameter provider or a communication parameter accepter in a wireless network parameter sharing process when sharing communication parameters for a network with another apparatus, wherein the communication parameters comprise at least one of a network identifier, encryption scheme, encryption key, authentication scheme, and authentication key;

a memory adapted to store information specifying roles of a plurality of communication layers corresponding to the role for when sharing the communication parameters;

a sharing unit adapted to perform the wireless network parameter sharing process with said another apparatus in accordance with the role in the wireless network parameter sharing process decided on by the decision unit and share the communication parameters for the network;

a forming unit adapted to form the network with said another apparatus based on the communication parameters shared at the sharing unit;

a setting unit adapted to set roles in a plurality of communication layers of the network corresponding to the role in the wireless network parameter sharing process decided on by said decision unit based on the information stored in the memory, wherein the plurality of communication layers include at least one of a data link layer, an IP (Internet Protocol) layer, a transport layer, and an application layer.

2. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an execution unit adapted to execute a communication function based on the roles in the communication layers set by said setting unit.

3. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said decision unit decides on one of a communication parameter provider and a communication parameter acceptor as the role when setting the communication parameter.

4. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit sets one of a role of forming a network and a role of joining a network formed by another apparatus, as a role of one communication layer.

5. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit sets one of a server and a client as a role of one communication layer.

6. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit sets, as a role of one communication layer, one of a side of requesting connection in the communication layer and a side of accepting a connection request.

7. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit sets one of a side of requesting authentication and a side of performing authentication, as a role of one communication layer.

8. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting unit sets one of a side having priority control and a side having no priority control, as a role of one communication layer.

9. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit adapted to determine a type of communication partner; and

a selection unit adapted to select a communication protocol in accordance with the determination by said determination unit.

10. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit adapted to determine a type of communication partner, wherein

said setting unit sets the roles in said plurality of communication layers in accordance with the role decided on by said decision unit and the type of communication partner determined by said determination unit.

11. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit adapted to allow a user to instruct the decision unit to start to decide on a role when setting the communication parameter.

12. A communication layer role deciding method by a communication apparatus, comprising steps of:

deciding on a role as a communication parameter provider or a communication parameter accepter in a wireless network parameter sharing process when sharing communication parameters for a network with another apparatus, wherein the communication parameters comprise at least one of a network identifier, encryption scheme, encryption key, authentication scheme, and authentication key;

storing in a memory information specifying roles of a plurality of communication layers corresponding to the role for when sharing the communication parameters;

performing the wireless network parameter sharing process with said another apparatus in accordance with the role in the wireless network parameter sharing process decided on by the deciding step and sharing the communication parameters for the network;

forming the network with said another apparatus based on the communication parameters shared at the sharing step;

setting roles in a plurality of communication layers of the network corresponding to the role in the wireless network parameter sharing process decided on at said deciding step in the wireless network parameter sharing process, wherein the plurality of communication layers include at least one of a data link layer, an IP (Internet Protocol) layer, a transport layer, and an application layer.

13. A communication layer role deciding method according to claim 12, wherein the step of deciding on a role when setting the communication parameter is performed based on an operation by a user at an operation unit.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a communication layer role deciding method by a communication apparatus, the medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for deciding on a role as a communication parameter provider or a communication parameter accepter in a wireless network parameter sharing process when sharing communication parameters for a network with another apparatus, wherein the communication parameters comprise at least one of a network identifier, encryption scheme, encryption key, authentication scheme, and authentication key;

computer-executable instructions for storing in a memory information specifying roles of a plurality of communication layers corresponding to the role for when sharing the communication parameters;

computer-executable instructions for performing the wireless network parameter sharing process with said another apparatus in accordance with the decided role in the wireless network parameter sharing process and sharing the communication parameters for the network;

computer-executable instructions for forming the network with said another apparatus based on the shared communication parameters;

computer-executable instructions for setting roles in a plurality of communication layers of the network corresponding to the decided role in the wireless network parameter sharing process based on the information stored in the memory, wherein the plurality of communication layers include at least one of a data link layer, an IP (Internet Protocol) layer, a transport layer, and an application layer.