Management apparatus, control method, and program

• US 8,908,614 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirose, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): ANWAR, MOHAMMAD S
• Application Number:
  US12/744,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20100246522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/331
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

The invention makes it possible to manage, even if some of wireless terminals leave a wireless communication network to be managed, the wireless terminals which have left. The invention provides a management apparatus which is connected to an AP and manages each wireless terminal communicating with the AP by using a management table, including a unit for determining based on the management table, when a wireless terminal leaves the first wireless communication network to newly form the second wireless communication network, the SSID of the second wireless communication network, a unit for updating the management table with the determined SSID, and a unit for transmitting the determined SSID to the wireless terminal which is to form the second wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store, in correspondence with each other, (a) apparatus information regarding a wireless apparatus which belongs to a wireless communication network and (b) identification information of the wireless communication network to which the wireless apparatus belongs;

a determination unit configured to determine, in a case that a wireless apparatus of a first wireless communication network requests moving out of a network, new identification information of a second wireless communication network to be newly formed by the wireless apparatus as a wireless communication network of a moving destination;

a sending unit configured to send the identification information of the second wireless communication network determined by the determination unit to the wireless apparatus, so that the wireless apparatus can communicate in the second wireless communication network.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sending unit sends the identification information of the second wireless communication network determined by the determination unit to the wireless apparatus which moves to the second wireless communication network via a base station which forms the first wireless communication network.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless apparatus is switchable between (a) a function for operating as a wireless apparatus to communicate with a base station and (b) a function for operating as a base station, and

wherein the sending unit sends the identification information of a base station which forms the first wireless communication network so that the wireless apparatus which requests moving out of a network forms the second wireless communication network as a base station, corresponding to the identification information of the second wireless communication network determined by the determination unit.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an update unit configured to update information regarding the wireless apparatus which formed the second wireless communication network as a base station.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the update unit further updates channel information of the second wireless communication network.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a request unit configured to periodically request search of identification information of the second wireless communication network for wireless apparatuses which belong to the first wireless communication network after the second wireless communication network is formed,

wherein the update unit updates information regarding the wireless apparatus stored by the storage unit based on a response to the request.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an acquiring unit configured to acquire attribute information of a wireless apparatus which newly belongs to the first wireless communication network;

and

a decision unit configured to decide, based on the acquired attribute information of the wireless apparatus which newly belongs to the first wireless communication network and attribute information of another wireless apparatus stored by the storage unit, whether or not the wireless apparatus which newly belongs to the first wireless communication network is to be maintained as belonging to the first wireless communication network.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the decision unit transmits, to the wireless apparatus which newly belongs to the first wireless communication network, a disconnection instruction if the decision unit decides that the wireless apparatus which newly belongs to the first wireless communication network is not to be maintained as belonging to the first wireless communication network.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the decision unit transmits, to the wireless apparatus which newly belongs to the first wireless communication network, a moving instruction to the second wireless communication network in a case that the decision unit decides that the wireless apparatus which newly belongs to the first wireless communication network is not to be maintained as belonging to the first wireless communication network.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification information of the second wireless communication network determined by the determination unit is sent to (a) the wireless apparatus which requests moving out of a network and (b) a wireless apparatus which is designated by the wireless apparatus which requests moving out of a network.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit further stores communication band information used by each wireless apparatus, and

wherein the determination unit determines, based on the communication band information stored by the storage unit, whether or not the communication band is able to be added in a case that the determination unit receives a request for adding the communication band from the wireless apparatus which formed the second wireless communication network, after the second wireless communication network is formed.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an update unit configured to update network information, corresponding to the apparatus information, stored by the storage unit, regarding the wireless apparatus which moves to the second wireless communication network, based on the identification information of the second wireless communication network determined by the determination unit.

13. A control method executed by a communication apparatus which stores in a storage, in correspondence with each other, (a) apparatus information regarding a wireless apparatus which belongs to a wireless communication network, and (b) identification information of the wireless communication network to which the wireless apparatus belongs, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, in a case that a wireless apparatus of a first wireless communication network requests moving out of a network, new identification information of a second wireless communication network to be newly formed by the wireless apparatus as a wireless communication network of a moving destination; and

sending the identification information of the second wireless communication network determined in the determining step to the wireless apparatus, so that the wireless apparatus can communicate in the second wireless communication network.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which, when executed by a computer of a communication apparatus, which stores, in correspondence with each other, (a) information regarding a wireless apparatus which belongs to a wireless communication network and (b) identification information of the wireless communication network to which the wireless apparatus belongs, performs a method comprising the steps of:

determining, in a case that a wireless apparatus of a first wireless communication network requests moving out of a network, new identification information of a second wireless communication network to be newly formed by the wireless apparatus as a wireless communication network of a moving destination; and

sending the identification information of the second wireless communication network determined in the determining step to the wireless apparatus, so that the wireless apparatus can communicate in the second wireless communication network.

15. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive, from a second wireless communication apparatus which belongs to a first wireless network formed by a first wireless communication apparatus, a move request to move to a second wireless network which is newly formed by the second wireless communication apparatus as a wireless communication network of a moving destination; and

an acquiring unit configured to acquire frequency channel information sent from the second wireless communication apparatus in the case that the second wireless communication apparatus moves to the second wireless network.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an instruction unit configured to instruct the second wireless communication apparatus to move to the second wireless network,

wherein the acquiring unit acquires network information of the second wireless network from the second wireless communication apparatus in the case that the second wireless communication apparatus moves to the second wireless network in correspondence with the instruction by the instruction unit.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the receiving unit receives the move request via the first wireless communication apparatus, and the acquiring unit acquires the frequency channel information via the first wireless communication apparatus.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the frequency channel information is information of a frequency channel which is used in the second wireless network.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the acquiring unit acquires identification information of the second wireless communication network.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the move request includes information of a third wireless communication apparatus which moves from the first wireless network to the second wireless network, wherein the third wireless communication network is different from the second wireless communication apparatus.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the information processing apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus are separate from each other.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the information processing apparatus is connected to the first wireless communication apparatus by wire.

23. An information processing method, comprising:

receiving, from a second wireless communication apparatus which belongs to a first wireless network formed by a first wireless communication apparatus, a move request to move to a second wireless network which is newly formed by the second wireless communication apparatus as a wireless communication network of a moving destination; and

acquiring frequency channel information sent from the second wireless communication apparatus in the case that the second wireless communication apparatus moves to the second wireless network.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which, when executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus, performs the steps of:

receiving, from a second wireless communication apparatus which belongs to a first wireless network formed by a first wireless communication apparatus, a move request to move to a second wireless network which is newly formed by the second wireless communication apparatus as a wireless communication network of a moving destination; and

acquiring frequency channel information sent from the second wireless communication apparatus in the case that the second wireless communication apparatus moves to the second wireless network.