Communication control device, method of determining communication control device, and storage medium for performing the method

• US 8,396,422 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kanda, Tetsuo, Takasaki, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLEMING-HALL, ERICA L
• Application Number:
  US11/550,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 709/223
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A device and method for controlling communication among a plurality of communication devices, the device and method including causing each of one or more candidate devices to which control rights of a network are transferable, from among the plurality of communication devices, to transmit a pseudo information signal, counting, for each of the one or more candidate devices, the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal, and determining a candidate device to which to transfer control rights of the network based on the number of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices having responded to the pseudo information signal.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store information indicating a plurality of other communication apparatuses participating in a network managed by the communication apparatus;

an instruction unit configured to instruct a first communication apparatus to transmit a first signal, wherein the first signal is a signal for causing an apparatus that has received the first signal to transmit a second signal to the communication apparatus;

a receiving unit configured to receive the second signal from at least one apparatus that receives the first signal from the first communication apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine, based on the information stored in the storage unit and a result of reception by the receiving unit, whether the receiving unit has received the second signal from the plurality of other communication apparatuses; and

a request unit configured to request the first communication apparatus to manage the network according to a result of determination by the determination unit.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit further stores specification information for specifying the first communication apparatus, and

wherein the instruction unit instructs the first communication apparatus to transmit the first signal based on the specification information stored in the storage unit.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request unit requests the first communication apparatus to manage the network prior to termination of control of the network by the communication apparatus.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first signal comprises network identification information for identifying the network and apparatus information of an apparatus having transmitted the first signal, and

wherein another communication apparatus that has received the first signal transmits the second signal in a case where the first signal received by the another communication apparatus comprises the network identification information of a network in which the another communication apparatus participates and apparatus information which indicates an apparatus different from the communication apparatus.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instruction unit instructs the first communication apparatus to transmit the first signal during a period when the communication apparatus is to transmit an annunciation signal for network synchronization.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises same network information as an information signal for network synchronization transmitted from the communication apparatus.

7. A communication method for a communication apparatus, the method comprising steps of:

storing information indicating a plurality of other communication apparatuses participating in a network managed by the communication apparatus;

instructing a first communication apparatus to transmit a first signal, wherein the first signal is a signal for causing an apparatus that has received the first signal to transmit a second signal to the communication apparatus;

receiving the second signal from at least one apparatus that receives the first signal from the first communication apparatus;

determining, based on the stored information and a result of reception, whether the second signal has been received from the plurality of other communication apparatuses; and

requesting the first communication apparatus to manage the network according to a result of determination.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising steps of:

storing specification information for specifying the first communication apparatus; and

instructing the first communication apparatus to transmit the first signal based on the stored specification information.

9. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising requesting the first communication apparatus to manage the network prior to termination of control of the network by the communication apparatus.

10. The communication method according to claim 7,

wherein the first signal comprises network identification information for identifying the network and apparatus information of an apparatus having transmitted the first signal, and

wherein another communication apparatus that has received the first signal transmits the second signal in a case where the first signal received by the another communication apparatus comprises the network identification information of a network in which the another communication apparatus participates and apparatus information which indicates an apparatus different from the communication apparatus.

11. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein the instructing step instructs the first communication apparatus to transmit the first signal during a period when the communication apparatus is to transmit an annunciation signal for network synchronization.

12. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein the first signal comprises same network information as an information signal for network synchronization transmitted from the communication apparatus.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable process steps for controlling a communication apparatus, the computer-executable process steps comprising:

storing information indicating a plurality of other communication apparatuses participating in a network managed by the communication apparatus;

instructing a first communication apparatus to transmit a first signal, wherein the first signal is a signal for causing an apparatus that has received the first signal to transmit a second signal to the communication apparatus;

receiving the second signal from at least one apparatus that receives the first signal from the first communication apparatus;

determining, based on the stored information and a result of reception, whether the second signal has been received from the plurality of other communication apparatuses; and

requesting the first communication apparatus to manage the network according to a result of determination.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, the computer-executable process steps further comprising:

storing specification information for specifying the first communication apparatus; and

instructing the first communication apparatus to transmit the first signal based on the stored specification information.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, the computer-executable process steps further comprising requesting the first communication apparatus to manage the network prior to termination of control of the network by the communication apparatus.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13,

wherein the first signal comprises network identification information for identifying the network and apparatus information of an apparatus having transmitted the first signal, and

wherein another communication apparatus that has received the first signal transmits the second signal in a case where the first signal received by the another communication apparatus comprises the network identification information of a network in which the another communication apparatus participates and apparatus information which indicates an apparatus different from the communication apparatus.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the instructing step instructs the first communication apparatus to transmit the first signal during a period when the communication apparatus is to transmit an annunciation signal for network synchronization.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the first signal comprises same network information as an information signal for network synchronization transmitted from the communication apparatus.