Communication device, communication method, control method for communication device, and communication system

• US 8,369,231 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirose, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mian, Omer
• Application Number:
  US11/673,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 370/447, 370/252, 370/254, 712/26
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A combination of devices in which communication parameters are to be set is selected on the basis of information indicating the capabilities of communication devices located on a network, and an unselected device is notified of termination of the setting of the communication parameters. Therefore, the communication parameters are set in a desired combination of devices, and the communication parameters are not set in an unintended pair of devices.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a processor that controls the following;

a configuration unit that configures a first network for sharing communication parameters to configure a second network, the communication parameters including at least one of an encryption method, and encryption key, and authentication method, and an authentication key;

a storing unit configured to store one or more predetermined device combinations in a predetermined combination selection order;

a collecting unit that collects capability information and category information of one or more other communication devices located on the first network, the capability information including a communication parameter service attribute that indicates whether the device has one or more of a communication-parameter-providing capability and a communication-parameter-receiving capability, and the category information indicating whether the device is one or more of an input device and an output device;

an extracting unit that performs first extraction that extracts, on the basis of capability information including the communication parameter service attribute of the other communication devices collected by the collecting unit, at least one combination of devices, wherein each of the combination of devices comprises a provider device having the communication-parameter-providing capability that provides the communication parameters to configure the second network, and one or more receiver devices having the communication-parameter-receiving capability that receives the communication parameters from the provider device;

performs second extraction that extracts, in a case where the first extraction extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, on the basis of the category information of the other communication devices collected by the collecting unit, at least one combination of devices including an input device and an output device, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the first extraction;

performs third extraction that extracts, in case where the second extraction unit extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, on the basis of the predetermined device combinations stored in the storing unit, a combination of devices corresponding to a predetermined device combination according to the predetermined combination selection order, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the second extraction;

a communication parameter setting unit configured, in a case where at least one of the first, second and third extractions extracts one combination of devices including a provider device and one or more receiver devices, to set communication parameters in the devices included in the extracted one combination of devices; and

a notifying unit that notifies, a device that is not included in the extracted combination of devices, of cancellation of a communication parameter setting process for sharing the communication parameters between the provider device and the one or more receiver devices, that notifies the extracted provider device that it is to become the provider device and of an address of the one or more receiver devices, and that notifies the extracted one or more receiver devices that it is to become the receiver device and of an address of the provider device.

2. A communication device comprising:

a processor that controls the following;

a configuration unit that configures a first network for sharing communication parameters to configure a second network, the communication parameters including at least one of an encryption method, an encryption key, and authentication method, and an authentication key;

a storing unit configured to store one or more predetermined device combinations in a predetermined combination selection order;

a collecting unit that collects capability information and category information of one or more other communication devices located on the first network;

a determining unit that determines first information and second information as capability information of other communication devices collected by the collecting unit, wherein the first information is a communication parameter service attribute that indicates whether each of the other devices has one or more of a communication-parameter-providing capability and a communication-parameter-receiving capability and the second information is category information that indicates whether each of the other devices is one or more of an input device and an output device;

an extracting unit that performs first extraction that extracts at least one combination of devices including a device having the communication-parameter-providing capability and one or more devices having the communication-parameter-receiving capability, based on the first information collected by the collecting unit;

performs second extraction that extracts, in a case where the first extraction extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, at least one combination of devices including an input device and an output device, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the first extraction on the basis of the second information;

performs third extraction that extracts, in a case where the second extraction extracts a plurality of devices, a combination of devices corresponding to the predetermined device combination according to the predetermined combination selection order, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the second extraction on the basis of the predetermined device combinations stored in the storing unit;

a communication parameter setting unit configured, in a case where at least one of the first, second and third extractions extracts one combination of devices including a provider device and one or more receiver devices, to set communication parameters in the devices; and

a notifying unit that notifies, if at least one of the first, second and third extractions extracts one combination of devices, a device, that is not the device in the one combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extractions, of cancellation of a communication parameter setting process for sharing the communication parameters between the devices in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extractions, that notifies a provider device, which is in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extractions, that it is to become the provider device and of an address of one or more receiver devices, and that notifies the one or more receiver devices, which is in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extractions, that it is to become the receiver device and of an address of the provider device.

3. A method for controlling a communication device for setting a communication parameter, the method comprising:

a configuration step of configuring a first network for sharing communication parameters to configure a second network, the communication parameters including at least one of an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key;

a storing step of storing one or more predetermined device combinations in a predetermined combination selection order

a collecting step of collecting capability information and category information of one or more other communication devices located on the first network, the capability information including a communication parameter service attribute that indicates whether the device has one or more of a communication-parameter-providing capability and a communication-parameter receiving capability, and the category information indicating whether the device is one or more of an input device and an output device;

a first extracting step of extracting, on the basis of capability information including the communication parameter service attribute of the communication devices collected in the collecting step, at least one combination of devices, wherein each combination of devices comprises a provider device having the communication-parameter-providing capability that provides the communication parameters to configure the second network, and one or more receiver devices having the communication-parameter-receiving capability that receives the communication parameters from the provider device;

a second extracting step of extracting, in a case where the first extracting step extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, on the basis of the category information of the other communication devices collected by the collecting unit, at least one combination of devices including an input device and an output device, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the first extracting step;

a third extracting step that extracts, in case where the second extracting step extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, on the basis of the predetermined device combinations stored in the storing step, a combination of devices corresponding to a predetermined device combination according to the predetermined combination selection order, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the second extracting step;

a communication parameter setting step of, in a case where at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps extracts one combination of devices including a provider device and one or more receiver devices, setting communication parameters in the devices included in the extracted one combination of devices; and

a notifying step of notifying, a device that is not included in the extracted combination of devices, of cancellation of a communication parameter setting process for sharing the communication parameters between the provider device and the one or more receiver devices, notifying the provider device included in the extracted combination of devices that it is to become the provider device and of an address of the one or more receiver devices, and notifying the one or more receiver devices included in the extracted combination of devices that it is to become the receiver device and of an address of the provider device.

4. A communication method for setting a communication parameter, the communication method comprising:

a step of, by communication devices, configuring a first network for sharing communication parameters to configure a second network, the communication parameters including at least one of an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key;

a storing step of storing one or more predetermined device combinations in a predetermined combination selection order;

a collecting step of collecting capability information and category information of one or more other communication devices located on the first network;

a step of determining first information and second information as capability information of other communication devices collected in the collecting step, wherein the first information is a communication parameter service attribute that indicates whether each of the other devices has one or more of a communication-parameter-providing capability and a communication-parameter-receiving capability and the second information is category information indicates whether each of the other devices is one or more of an input device and an output device;

a first extracting step of extracting at least one combination of devices including a device having the communication-parameter-providing capability and one or more devices having the communication-parameter-receiving capability, based on the first information collected by the collecting unit;

a second extracting step of extracting, in a case where the first extracting step extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, at least one combination of devices including an input device and an output device, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted in the first extracting step on the basis of the second information;

a third extracting step of extracting, in a case where the second extracting step extracts a plurality of devices, a combination of devices corresponding to the predetermined device combination according to the predetermined combination selection order, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the second extracting step on the basis of the predetermined device combinations stored in the storing step;

a communication parameter setting step of, in a case where at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps extracts one combination of devices including a provider device and one or more receiver devices, setting communication parameters in the devices; and

a notifying step of notifying, if at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps extracts one combination of devices, a device, that is not the device in the one combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, of cancellation of a communication parameter setting process for sharing the communication parameters between the devices in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, that notifies a provider device, which is in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, that it is to become the provider device and of an address of one or more receiver devices, and that notifies the one or more receiver devices, which is in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, that it is to become the receiver device and of an address of the provider device.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for use in performing a method for controlling a communication device, the method comprising:

a configuration step of configuring a first network for sharing communication parameters to configure a second network, the communication parameters including at least one of an encryption method, and encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key;

a storing step of storing one or more predetermined device combinations in a predetermined combination selection order;

a collecting step of collecting capability information and category information of one or more other communication devices located on the first network, the capability information including a communication parameter service attribute that indicates whether the device has one or more of a communication-parameter-providing capability and a communication-parameter-receiving capability, and the category information indicating whether the device is one or more of an input device and an output device;

a first extracting step of extracting, on the basis of capability information including the communication parameter service attribute of the other communication devices collecting in the collecting step, at least one combination of devices, wherein each combination of devices comprises a provider device having the communication-parameter-providing capability that provides a communication parameters to configure the second network, and one or more receiver devices having the communication-parameter-receiving capability that receives the communication parameters from the provider device;

a second extracting step of extracting, in a case where the first extracting step extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, on the basis of the category information of the other communication devices collected by the collecting unit, at least one combination of devices including an input device and an output device, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the first extracting step;

a third extracting step that extracts, in case where the second extracting step extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, on the basis of the predetermined device combinations stored in the storing step, a combination of devices corresponding to a predetermined device combination according to the predetermined combination selection order, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the second extracting step;

a communication parameter setting step of, in a case where at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps extracts one combination of devices including a provider device and one or more receiver devices, setting communication parameters in the devices included in the extracted one combination of devices; and

a notifying step of notifying, a device that is not included in the extracted combination of devices, of cancellation of a communication parameter setting process for sharing the communication parameters between the provider device and the one or more receiver devices, notifying the provider device included in the extracted combination of devices that it is to become the provider device and of an address of the one or more receiver devices, and notifying the one or more receiver devices included in the extracted combination of devices that it is to become the receiver device and of an address of the provider device.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for use in performing a communication method for setting a communication parameter, the method comprising:

a step of, by communication devices, configuring a first network for sharing communication parameters to configure a second network, the communication parameters including at least one of an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key;

a storing step of storing one or more predetermined device combinations in a predetermined combination selection order

a collecting step of collecting capability information and category information of one or more other communication devices located on the first network;

a step of determining first information and second information as capability information of other communication devices collected in the collecting step, wherein the first information is a communication parameter service attribute that indicates whether each of the other devices has one or more of a communication-parameter-providing capability and a communication-parameter-receiving capability and the second information is category information indicates whether each of the other devices is one or more of an input device and an output device;

a first extracting step of extracting at least one combination of devices including a device having the communication-parameter providing capability and one or more devices having the communication-parameter receiving capability, based on the first information collected by the collecting step;

a second extracting step of extracting, in a case where the first extracting unit extracts a plurality of combinations of devices, at least one combination of devices including an input device and an output device, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted in the first extracting step on the basis of the second information;

a third extracting step of extracting, in a case where the second extracting step extracts a plurality of devices, a combination of devices corresponding to the predetermined device combination according to the predetermined combination selection order, from among the plurality of the combination of devices extracted by the second extracting step on the basis of the predetermined device combinations stored in the storing step;

a communication parameter setting step of, in a case where at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps extracts one combination of devices including a provider device and one or more receiver devices, setting communication parameters in the devices; and

a notifying step of notifying, if at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps extracts one combination of devices, a device, that is not the device in the one combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, of cancellation of a communication parameter setting process for sharing the communication parameters between the devices in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, that notifies a provider device, which is in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, that it is to become the provider device and of an address of one or more receiver devices, and that notifies the one or more receiver devices, which is in the combination of devices extracted by at least one of the first, second and third extracting steps, that it is to become the receiver device and of an address of the provider device.