Communications apparatus and control method therefor

• US 8,931,040 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOHAMMADI, FAHIMEH M
• Application Number:
  US13/177,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20110261892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 726/6, 726/27, 726/30, 726 1- 4, 713155-159, 713/150, 713/181, 709/22, 709/225, 380/200, 380/242
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

When exchanging communication parameter setting information on a wireless network, a communications apparatus selects between a first operation mode in which communications parameter information is exchanged with a specific communications apparatus and a second operation mode in which communications parameter information is exchanged with an unspecified number of communications apparatus. Depending on the selected operation mode, the communications apparatus control security upon holding the communications parameter information exchanged with the specific communications apparatus and the communications parameter information exchanged with the unspecified number of communications apparatus.

Claims

1. A communications apparatus comprising:

at least one hardware controller configured to perform the functions of;

a processing unit that performs a sharing process for sharing, by a wireless communication, a communication parameter for a wireless communication with a communication partner apparatus;

a selection unit that selects either a first operation mode or a second operation mode, wherein the first operation mode being a mode in which the communication parameter used for access to the communication partner apparatus via a wireless network, which is previously shared with the communication partner apparatus through the sharing process, can be reused without performing again the sharing process when again accessing the communication partner apparatus after release of a network, in which the shared communication parameter was used, and wherein the second operation mode being a mode in which the sharing process is performed again with the communication partner apparatus when again accessing the communication partner apparatus after release of a network, which is based on the communication parameter that is used for access to the communication partner apparatus and that was previously shared with the communication partner apparatus; and

a control unit that controls the communication apparatus to operate in accordance with the selection of the first or second operation mode by the selection unit,

wherein a wireless network of the second operation mode is formed when required and ceases to exist after an initial use completes, and wherein a wireless network of the first operation mode has a lifetime that extends over a plurality of distinct sessions beyond the initial use until the wireless network of the first operation mode is deliberately dissolved.

2. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sharing process is started in response to pressing a button for instructing start of the sharing process.

3. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller manages the communication parameter of the first operation mode by a first management method and the communication parameter of the second operation mode by a second management method, which is different from the first management method.

4. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication parameter of the second operation mode is cleared upon release of the network.

5. The communications apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the network is released by the completion of a communications service.

6. The communications apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the network is released in response to an instruction to power off the communications apparatus.

7. The communications apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the network is released by the expiration of a predetermined time period.

8. The communications apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the network is released when a communication parameter is newly set.

9. The communications apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the communication parameter of the second operation mode is deleted in accordance with release of the network.

10. The communications apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the communication parameter of the second operation mode is cleared by rewriting the communication parameter of the second operation mode with a different communication parameter.

11. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication parameter to be shared by the sharing process is at least one of network identifier, encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, or authentication key.

12. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sharing process is performed over a wireless LAN.

13. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication parameter of the first operation mode is cleared in response to a user instruction.

14. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication parameter of the first operation mode is not automatically cleared in accordance with completion of a communication session.

15. The communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication parameter to be shared by the sharing process includes SSID (Service Set Identifier), encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, and authentication key.

16. A control method for a communications apparatus:

wherein the communications apparatus comprises a controller to perform at least a function of a processing unit that performs a sharing process for sharing, by a wireless communication, a communication parameter for a wireless communication with a communication partner apparatus, and wherein said method comprises

a selecting step of selecting, by the controller, either a first operation mode or a second operation mode, wherein the first operation mode being a mode in which the communication parameter used for access to the communication partner apparatus via a wireless network, which is previously shared with the communication partner apparatus through the sharing process, can be reused without performing again the sharing process when again accessing the communication partner apparatus after release of a network, in which the shared communication parameter was used, and wherein the second operation mode being a mode in which the sharing process is performed again with the communication partner apparatus when again accessing the communication partner apparatus after release of a network, which is based on the communication parameter that is used for access to the communication partner apparatus and that was previously shared with the communication partner apparatus; and

a controlling step of controlling, by the controller, the communication apparatus to operate in accordance with the first or second operation mode selected at the selecting step,

wherein a wireless network of the second operation mode is formed when required and ceases to exist after an initial use completes, and wherein a wireless network of the first operation mode has a lifetime that extends over a plurality of distinct sessions beyond the initial use until the wireless network of the first operation mode is deliberately dissolved.

17. A computer program product which is embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium and that when executed by a processor causes a computer comprised in a communications apparatus to perform a control method:

wherein the communications apparatus comprises a processor configured to perform at least a function of a processing unit that performs a sharing process for sharing, by a wireless communication, a communication parameter for a wireless communication with a communication partner apparatus, and

wherein the control method includes

a selecting step of selecting either a first operation mode or a second operation mode, wherein the first operation mode being a mode in which the communication parameter used for access to the communication partner apparatus via a wireless network, which is previously shared with the communication partner apparatus through the sharing process, can be reused without performing again the sharing process when again accessing the communication partner apparatus after release of a network, in which the shared communication parameter was used, and wherein the second operation mode being a mode in which the sharing process is performed again with the communication partner apparatus when again accessing the communication partner apparatus after release of a network, which is based on the communication parameter that is used for access to the communication partner apparatus and that was previously shared with the communication partner apparatus; and

a controlling step of controlling the communication apparatus to operate in accordance with the first or second operation mode selected at the selecting step, and

wherein a wireless network of the second operation mode is formed when required and ceases to exist after an initial use completes, and wherein a wireless network of the first operation mode has a lifetime that extends over a plurality of distinct sessions beyond the initial use until the wireless network of the first operation mode is deliberately dissolved.

18. A communications apparatus comprising:

at least one hardware controller configured to perform the functions of;

a processing unit that performs a sharing process for sharing, by a wireless communication, a communication parameter that is required to join a communication group;

a selection unit that selects either a first communication group or a second communication group, wherein the first communication group being a group for which the communication parameter shared by the sharing process is stored and available for reuse after an initial use of the communication parameter completes, and wherein the second communication group being a group for which the communication parameter shared by the sharing process is not available for reuse after an initial use of the communication parameter completes; and

a control unit that controls the communication apparatus to operate in accordance with the selection of the first or second communication group by the selection unit,

wherein the second communication group is formed when required and ceases to exist after an initial use completes, and wherein the first communication group has a lifetime that extends over a plurality of distinct sessions beyond the initial use until the first communication group is deliberately dissolved.

19. The communications apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the communication parameter to be shared by the sharing process includes SSID (Service Set Identifier), encryption method, encryption key, authentication method, and authentication key.

20. The communications apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the sharing process is performed over a wireless LAN.