Wireless communication device, wireless communication system, memory medium storing method and computer program

• US 9,226,334 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Yoshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thai
• Application Number:
  US13/853,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/437, 370/334
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

To reduce burden of a user'"'"'s wireless LAN setting, a wireless communication system includes a first communication device and a second communication device so as to perform a wireless communication with each other. The first communication device includes a determination part that determines whether the wireless communication device connects to a relay station which performs a wireless relay communication, and a communication part that performs a wireless communication in a first connection mode to communicate with the second communication device through the relay station in a case that the relay station is connected, and in a case that the relay station is not connected, the communication part that performs a wireless communication in a second connection mode with the second communication device, which do not communicate through the relay station.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device that performs a wireless communication with another communication device, comprising:

a determination part that determines whether the wireless communication device connects to a relay station which performs a wireless relay communication;

a communication part that performs a wireless communication in a first connection mode to communicate with the other communication device through the relay station in a case that the relay station is connected, and in a case that the relay station is not connected, the communication part that performs a wireless communication in a second connection mode with the other communication device, which does not communicate through the relay station; and

a temporary communication part that forms temporary communication to perform a temporary wireless communication with the other communication device without connecting to the relay station,

the temporary wireless communication being different from the wireless communication in the second connection mode and the temporary wireless communication being connected before the wireless communication in the first connection mode or the wireless communication in the second connection mode is connected,

in a case that the wireless communication is performed in the first connection mode, the communication part connecting to the other communication device through the relay station by sending a connection setting information, which is used to connect to the relay station, to the other communication device through the temporary communication channel,

in a case that the wireless communication is performed in the second connection mode, the communication part acquiring a direct connection setting information as a connection setting information, which is used to connect to the other communication device, from the other communication device through the temporary communication, and connecting to the other communication device based on the direct connection setting information, and

the relay station being a wireless access point, the first connection mode being an infrastructure mode, and the second connection mode being a WiFi Direct mode.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the other communication device is compatible with any one of the infrastructure mode and the WiFi Direct mode.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the determination part determines whether the wireless communication of the communication part is connected to the relay station based on a connection setting information, which is used to connect to the relay device.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the WiFi Direct mode is a mode for connecting to an access point of the other communication device.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the determination part determines whether the wireless communication device connects to the relay station based on a connection history information indicating a relay station that the communication part has been connected to.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1,

wherein the determination part determines whether the wireless communication device connects to the relay station based on a connection history information indicating a relay station that the communication part has been connected to most recently.

7. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first communication device and a second communication device so as to perform a wireless communication with each other;

wherein the first communication device comprises a determination part that determines whether the first wireless communication device connects to a relay station which performs a wireless relay communication,

a communication part that performs a wireless communication in a first connection mode to communicate with the second communication device through the relay station in a case that the relay station is connected, and in a case that the relay station is not connected, the communication part that performs a wireless communication in a second connection mode with the second communication device, which do not communicate through the relay station, and

a temporary communication part that forms temporary communication to perform a temporary wireless communication with the other communication device without connecting to the relay station,

the temporary wireless communication being different from the wireless communication in the second connection mode and the temporary wireless communication being connected before the wireless communication in the first connection mode or the wireless communication in the second connection mode is connected,

in a case that the wireless communication is performed in the first connection mode, the communication part connecting to the other communication device through the relay station by sending a connection setting information, which is used to connect to the relay station, to the other communication device through the temporary communication channel,

in a case that the wireless communication is performed in the second connection mode, the communication part acquiring a direct connection setting information as a connection setting information, which is used to connect to the other communication device, from the other communication device through the temporary communication, and connecting to the other communication device based on the direct connection setting information, and

the relay station being a wireless access point, the first connection mode being an infrastructure mode, and the second connection mode being a WiFi Direct mode.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a computer program that causes a wireless communication device to perform a wireless communication with another communication device, when the program is executed by a processor of the wireless communication device, operations comprising:

determining whether the wireless communication device connects to a relay station which performs a wireless relay communication;

performing a wireless communication in a first connection mode to communicate with the other communication device through the relay station in a case that the relay station is connected, and performing a wireless communication in a second connection mode with the other communication device, which do not communicate through the relay station; and

forming temporary communication to perform a temporary wireless communication with the other communication device without connecting to the relay station,

the temporary wireless communication being different from the wireless communication in the second connection mode and the temporary wireless communication being connected before the wireless communication in the first connection mode or the wireless communication in the second connection mode is connected,

in a case that the wireless communication is performed in the first connection mode, the communication part connecting to the other communication device through the relay station by sending a connection setting information, which is used to connect to the relay station, to the other communication device through the temporary communication channel,

in a case that the wireless communication is performed in the second connection mode, the communication part acquiring a direct connection setting information as a connection setting information, which is used to connect to the other communication device, from the other communication device through the temporary communication, and connecting to the other communication device based on the direct connection setting information, and

the relay station being a wireless access point, the first connection mode being an infrastructure mode, and the second connection mode being a WiFi Direct mode.