Wireless communication system and wireless communication apparatus

• US 9,307,574 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nogawa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chacko, Joe
• Application Number:
  US14/200,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

There is provided a wireless communication system including a first wireless communication apparatus and a second wireless communication apparatus. In a specific case, the first wireless communication apparatus changes a state from a first state of being a master station of a first wireless network to a second state of being a slave station of a second wireless network in which the second wireless communication apparatus is a master station, and transmits target data to the second wireless communication apparatus using the second wireless network in which the first wireless communication apparatus is the slave station and the second wireless communication apparatus is the master station. The second wireless communication apparatus receives the target data from the first wireless communication apparatus using the second wireless network.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication apparatus; and

a second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the first wireless communication apparatus comprises;

a first control device configured to;

where a first wireless network in which the first wireless communication apparatus is a master station and a second wireless network in which the second wireless communication apparatus is a master station are formed, change a state of the first wireless communication apparatus from a first state to a second state in a specific case where transmission of target data is to be executed from the first wireless communication apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus, the first state being a state in which the first wireless communication apparatus is the master station of the first wireless network, the second state being a state in which the first wireless communication apparatus is a slave station of the second wireless network, and in the specific case, transmit the target data to the second wireless communication apparatus using the second wireless network in which the first wireless communication apparatus is the slave station and the second wireless communication apparatus is the master station, and wherein the second wireless communication apparatus comprises;

a second control device configured to;

in the specific case, receive the target data from the first wireless communication apparatus using the second wireless network in which the first wireless communication apparatus is the slave station and the second wireless communication apparatus is the master station.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the specific case includes a case where a predetermined instruction to transmit the target data to an external apparatus different from the first and second wireless communication apparatuses is provided to the first wireless communication apparatus, and

wherein the second control device of the second wireless communication apparatus is further configured to transmit the target data received from the first wireless communication apparatus to the external apparatus.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus further comprises a scanning execution unit,

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is further configured to:

control the scanning execution unit to scan an original in the specific case; and

transmit the target data obtained by scanning the original to the second wireless communication apparatus, and

wherein the second control device of the second wireless communication apparatus is configured to transmit the target data received from the first wireless communication apparatus to the external apparatus via a public communication network.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is further configured to receive the target data from an external apparatus different from the first and second wireless communication apparatuses,

wherein the specific case includes a case where the target data is received from the external apparatus, and

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is further configured to transmit the target data received from the external apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus in the specific case.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 4,

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is further configured to receive the target data from the external apparatus via a public communication network,

wherein the second wireless communication apparatus further comprises:

a printing execution unit, and

wherein the second control device of the second wireless communication apparatus is further configured to control the printing execution unit to print an image represented by the target data received from the first wireless communication apparatus.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus further comprises:

a storage memory configured to store wireless setting information used in the second wireless network, and

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is configured to, in the specific case, control the first wireless communication apparatus to participate in the second wireless network using the wireless setting information in the storage memory so as to change the state of the first wireless communication apparatus from the first state to the second state.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is further configured to, after the transmission of the target data to the second wireless communication apparatus is completed, return the state of the first wireless communication apparatus from the second state to the first state so as to re-form the first wireless network.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is further configured to, before changing the state of the first wireless communication apparatus from the first state to the second state, control a third wireless communication apparatus different from the first and second wireless communication apparatuses to participate in the first wireless network as a slave station.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 8, wherein the first control device of the first communication apparatus is further configured to:

acquire identification information of the third wireless communication apparatus from the third wireless communication apparatus in a case where the third wireless communication apparatus participates in the first wireless network;

change the state of the first wireless communication apparatus from the first state to the second state;

after the transmission of the target data to the second wireless communication apparatus is completed, return the state of the first wireless communication apparatus from the second state to the first state to re-form the first wireless network; and

after re-forming the first wireless network, transmit a specific command including the identification information of the third wireless communication apparatus to the third wireless communication apparatus, which has been disassociated from the first wireless network due to change of the state of the first wireless communication apparatus from the first state to the second state, so as to cause the third wireless communication apparatus to again participate in the first wireless network as a slave station.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first control device of the first wireless communication apparatus is further configured to, in a case where the first wireless communication apparatus is powered on, set the state of the first wireless communication apparatus in the first state, and

wherein the second control device of the second wireless communication apparatus is further configured to, in a case where the second wireless communication apparatus is powered on, set the state of the second wireless communication apparatus in a third state in which the second wireless communication apparatus is the master station of the second wireless network.

11. A first wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a control device configured to;

where a first wireless network in which the first wireless communication apparatus is a master station and a second wireless network in which a second wireless communication apparatus is a master station are formed, change a state of the first wireless communication apparatus from a first state to a second state in a specific case where transmission of target data is to be executed from the first wireless communication apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus, the first state being a state in which the first wireless communication apparatus is the master station of the first wireless network, the second state being a state in which the first wireless communication apparatus is a slave station of the second wireless network, and in the specific case, transmit the target data to the second wireless communication apparatus using the second wireless network in which the first wireless communication apparatus is the slave station and the second wireless communication apparatus is the master station.