Communication apparatus, computer-readable storage medium having stored therein communication control program, communication control method, and communication system for decreased connection time to an access point

• US 8,745,248 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US12/791,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229, 455/500, 455/507
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

A first determination section determines, when an instruction for connection establishment is issued, whether or not connection information including target apparatus specifying information that uniquely specifies a predetermined target apparatus is stored in a first storage section. A first connection section performs, when the first determination section determines that the connection information is stored in the first storage section, a process for establishing a connection by wireless communication to the target apparatus that is specified based on the target apparatus specifying information stored in the first storage section.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus which performs wireless communication with a target apparatus, comprising:

a first storage section;

a first determination section for determining, when an instruction for connection establishment is issued, whether or not connection information is stored in the first storage section, the connection information including target apparatus specifying information that uniquely specifies a predetermined target apparatus; and

a first connection section for performing, when the first determination section determines that the connection information is stored in the first storage section, a process for establishing a connection, by wireless communication, to the target apparatus that is specified based on the target apparatus specifying information stored in the first storage section.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a searching section for searching, when the instruction for connection establishment is issued, for a connectable target apparatus, and receiving a signal including the connection information;

a second connection section for performing a process for establishing a connection, by wireless communication, to the target apparatus searched for by the searching section, using the connection information included in the received signal; and

a connection information storage section for storing, when a connection has been established by the second connection section, the connection information used for the connection in the first storage section, wherein

when the instruction for connection establishment is issued, if a result of the determination by the first determination section indicates that the connection information is stored in the first storage section, the first connection section performs the connection establishing process, and if the result of the determination by the first determination section indicates that the connection information is not stored in the first storage section, the searching section and the second connection section perform the connection establishing process.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:

a connection result determination section for determining whether the first connection section has succeeded or failed in connection establishment, wherein

when the instruction for connection establishment is issued, the first connection section performs the connection establishing process, and if the connection result determination section determines that the first connection section has failed in connection establishment, then the searching section and the second connection section perform the connection establishing process; and

when the second connection section has succeeded in connection establishment which has been performed when the first connection section has failed in connection establishment, the connection information storage section stores the connection information used for the successful connection.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the connection information storage section continues to hold the connection information stored in the first storage section when the second connection section has succeeded in connection establishment, after the established connection was disconnected.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the searching section searches for a target apparatus by scanning an available frequency band.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the target apparatus specifying information is a BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier).

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first storage section stores a plurality of pieces of connection information corresponding to a plurality of target apparatuses, respectively, and

the communication apparatus further comprises:

a connection result determination section for determining whether the first connection section has succeeded or failed in the connection establishment; and

a priority setting section for setting connection priorities to the plurality of target apparatuses, in association with the plurality of pieces of connection information, wherein

the first determination section determines whether or not connection information of a target apparatus having a highest connection priority is stored in the first storage section, and when it is determined that the connection information of a target apparatus having a highest connection priority is stored in the first storage section, the first connection section attempts to establish a connection to the target apparatus having the highest connection priority, and, wherein if the connection result determination section determines that the first connection section has failed in establishing a connection to the target apparatus having the highest connection priority, the first determination section determines whether or not connection information of a target apparatus having a second highest connection priority is stored in the first storage section.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first storage section stores a plurality of pieces of connection information corresponding to a plurality of target apparatuses, respectively, and

the communication apparatus further comprises:

a priority setting section for setting connection priorities to the plurality of target apparatuses, in association with the plurality of pieces of connection information;

wherein

the first determination section determines whether or not connection information of a target apparatus having a highest connection priority is stored in the first storage section, and when it is determined that the connection information of a target apparatus having a highest connection priority is not stored in the first storage section, the first determination section determines whether or not connection information of a target apparatus having a second highest connection priority is stored in the first storage section.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a priority order changing section for changing the order of the connection priorities given to the plurality of target apparatuses.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the first storage section stores a plurality of pieces of connection information corresponding to a plurality of target apparatuses, respectively, and

the communication apparatus further comprises:

a priority setting section for setting connection priorities to the plurality of target apparatuses, in association with the plurality of pieces of connection information;

wherein

the first determination section determines whether or not connection information of a target apparatus having a highest priority is stored in the first storage section; and

when the first determination section determines that the connection information of a target apparatus having a highest priority is not stored in the first storage section, the searching section searches for the target apparatus having the highest connection priority, and receives a signal including the connection information of the target apparatus having the highest priority; and

the second connection section performs a process for establishing a connection to the target apparatus having the highest priority searched for by the searching section.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the connection information storage section includes, in the connection information, frequency band information indicating a frequency band used when a connection is established by the second connection section, and stores the connection information in the first storage section;

and

the first connection section performs a process for establishing a connection to the target apparatus specified based on the target apparatus specifying information, by using the frequency band indicated by the stored frequency band information.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the searching section receives a signal including at least the target apparatus specifying information and network identifying information which is identification information relating to a network to which the target apparatus belongs and is different from the target apparatus specifying information, and

the communication apparatus further comprises:

a second storage section for storing the network identifying information; and

a second determination section for determining whether or not the network identifying information included in the signal received by the searching section matches the network identifying information stored in the second storage section, wherein

when a result of the determination by the second determination section indicates that the network identifying information included in the signal received by the searching section matches the network identifying information stored in the second storage section, the second connection section performs the connection establishing process with specifying the frequency band used when the searching section has received the signal, and specifying, as a destination of connection, the target apparatus indicated by the target apparatus specifying information included in the signal.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the first storage section stores a plurality of pieces of connection information corresponding to a plurality of target apparatuses, respectively, and

the communication apparatus further comprises:

a priority setting section for setting connection priorities to the plurality of target apparatuses, in association with the plurality of pieces of connection information, wherein

the first determination section determines whether or not connection information of a target apparatus having a highest connection priority is stored in the first storage section;

when the first determination section determines that the connection information of the target apparatus having the highest connection priority is not stored in the first storage section, the searching section receives a signal which is periodically transmitted from the predetermined target apparatus and includes the network information and the target apparatus specifying information;

the second determination section determines whether or not the network identifying information included in the signal received by the searching section matches the network identifying information of the target apparatus having the highest connection priority, which is stored in the second storage section;

when the second determination section determines that the network identifying information included in the signal received by the searching section matches the network identifying information stored in the second storage section, the second connection section performs a connection establishing process in which the target apparatus indicated by the target apparatus specifying information included in the signal received by the searching section is specified as a destination of connection; and

when the second connection section has established a connection, the connection information storage section stores, in the first storage section, the connection target specifying information included in the signal received by the searching section, and the frequency band information indicating the frequency band used for the connection, as the connection information relating to the target apparatus with which the connection has been established.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

when the second connection section has failed in connection establishment, the second determination section determines whether or not network identifying information corresponding to a target apparatus having a second highest priority, among the pieces of network identifying information stored in the second storage section, matches the network identifying information included in the received signal.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

when the second determination section determines that the network identifying information corresponding to the target apparatus having the highest priority, among the pieces of network identifying information stored in the second storage section, does not match the network identifying information included in the received signal, the second determination section determines whether or not network identifying information corresponding to a target apparatus having a second highest connection priority is included in the pieces of network identifying information stored in the second storage section.

16. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the connection information includes frequency band information indicating a frequency band used for performing wireless communication with the target apparatus, and

the communication apparatus further comprises:

a synchronization section for searching for the target apparatus with specifying the frequency band indicated by the frequency band information stored in the first storage section, receiving a signal including information for time synchronization from the target apparatus, and performing time synchronization with the target apparatus, based on the information for time synchronization.

17. The communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

immediately before the first connection section starts to perform connection establishment, the synchronization section searches for the target apparatus with specifying the frequency band, and performs the time synchronization.

18. The communication apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising:

a third storage section for storing information indicating whether or not time synchronization has been performed by the synchronization section; and

a synchronization determination section for determining, before the first connection section starts to perform connection establishment, whether or not time synchronization has been performed, with reference to the information that is stored in the third storage section and indicates whether or not time synchronization has been performed, wherein

when the synchronization determination section determines that time synchronization has not yet been performed, the synchronization section searches for the target apparatus with specifying the frequency band, performs time synchronization, and stores information indicating that the time synchronization has been performed, in the third storage section.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising:

a connection result determination section for determining whether the first connection section has succeeded or failed in connection establishment, wherein

when the connection result determination section determines that the first connection section has failed in connection establishment, the synchronization section searches for the target apparatus with specifying the frequency band, and performs time synchronization.

23. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection information includes the target apparatus specifying information that uniquely specifies the predetermined target apparatus by an address of the target apparatus and a frequency channel in which the apparatus wirelessly communicates.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a communication control program to be executed by a computer of a communication apparatus which performs wireless communication with a target apparatus,

the communication control program causing the computer to perform functionality comprising:

a first determination section for determining, when an instruction for connection establishment is issued, whether or not connection information is stored in a first storage section as a predetermined storage medium, the connection information including target apparatus specifying information that uniquely specifies a predetermined target apparatus; and

a first connection section for performing, when the first determination section determines that the connection information is stored in the first storage section, a process for establishing a connection, by wireless communication, to the target apparatus that is specified based on the target apparatus specifying information stored in the first storage section.

21. A communication control method for controlling a communication apparatus which performs wireless communication with a target apparatus, the method comprising:

a step of determining, when an instruction for connection establishment is issued, whether or not connection information is stored in a first storage section as a predetermined storage medium, the connection information including target apparatus specifying information that uniquely specifies a predetermined target apparatus; and

a step of performing, when it is determined that the connection information is stored in the first storage section, a process for establishing a connection, by wireless communication, to the target apparatus that is specified based on the target apparatus specifying information stored in the first storage section.

22. A communication system having a communication apparatus and a target apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

a first storage section;

a first determination section for determining, when an instruction for establishing a connection with the target apparatus is issued, whether or not connection information is stored in the first storage section, the connection information including target apparatus specifying information that uniquely specifies the target apparatus; and

a first connection section for performing, when the first determination section determines that the connection information is stored in the first storage section, a process for establishing a connection, by wireless communication, to the target apparatus that is specified based on the target apparatus specifying information stored in the first storage section; and

the target apparatus having an information storage section in which the target apparatus specifying information is stored.