User equipment, communication method, program, and communication system

• US 9,325,385 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikenaga, Yoshihiko, Itoh, Katsutoshi, Suzuki, Hideyuki, Saito, Erika
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/387,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20150050882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to user equipment for, a communication method of, a program for, and a communication system for starting wireless communication among pieces of user equipment without placing operational load on a user. In the communication system according to the present disclosure, child equipment includes a detection module that detects different user equipment and performs authentication processing with the different user equipment that is detected, a notification module that notifies the parent equipment of identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated, and a communication module that performs the wireless communication with the different user equipment that is caused to belong to the group that is managed by the parent equipment, and the parent equipment includes an obtainment module that obtains the identification information which is notified from the child equipment, and an authentication module that, if there is a connection request from different user equipment that does not belong to the group, authenticates connection of the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, based on the identification information that is notified from the child equipment. The present disclosure, for example, can be applied to the user equipment that performs the wireless communication according to Wi-Fi Direct.

Claims

1. A user equipment that performs wireless communication as a child equipment which belongs to a group which is managed by a parent equipment, the user equipment comprising:

a detection module that detects a different user equipment and performs authentication processing with the different user equipment that is detected;

a notification module that notifies the parent equipment of identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated; and

a communication module that performs the wireless communication with the different user equipment that is caused to belong to the group that is managed by the parent equipment,

wherein, after a predetermined time elapses from the authentication, the different user equipment directly transmits a provisioning request for requesting a connection to the parent equipment.

2. The user equipment according to claim 1,

wherein the communication module performs the wireless communication with the different user equipment that is caused by the parent equipment to belong to the group, based on the identification information that is notified by the notification module.

3. The user equipment according to claim 2,

wherein the detection module authenticates the different user equipment, by detecting the different user equipment as being in close proximity.

4. The user equipment according to claim 3,

wherein the detection module detects the different user equipment as being in close proximity, based on strength of a wireless signal that is transmitted by the different user equipment.

5. The user equipment according to claim 3,

wherein the detection module detects the different user equipment as being in close proximity using Near Field Communication (NFC).

6. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment is at least any one of a personal computer, a smartphone, a digital camera, and a mobile player.

7. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment is at least any one of a television receiver, and a stereo system.

8. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment includes a user interface.

9. A communication method for use in a user equipment that performs wireless communication as a child equipment which belongs to a group which is managed by a parent equipment, the communication method comprising:

a detection step of causing the user equipment to detect a different user equipment;

an authentication step of performing authentication processing with the different user equipment that is detected;

a notification step of notifying the parent equipment of identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated; and

a communication step of performing the wireless communication with the different user equipment that is caused to belong to the group that is managed by the parent equipment,

wherein, after a predetermined time elapses from the authentication, the different user equipment directly transmits a provisioning request for requesting a connection to the parent equipment.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having stored thereon, a set of instructions for causing a computer that performs wireless communication as a child equipment which belongs to a group that is managed by a parent equipment, to function as:

a detection module that detects a different user equipment and performs authentication processing with the different user equipment that is detected;

a notification module that notifies the parent equipment of identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated; and

a communication module that performs the wireless communication with the different user equipment that is caused to belong to the group that is managed by the parent equipment,

wherein, after a predetermined time elapses from the authentication, the different user equipment directly transmits a provisioning request for requesting a connection to the parent equipment.

11. A user equipment that performs wireless communication with a child equipment which belongs to a group which is managed by the user equipment itself as a parent equipment, the user equipment comprising:

a network management module that transmits, to a different user equipment that is to be authenticated by the child equipment, a probe response that includes identification information of the child equipment that belongs to the group of the user equipment;

an obtainment module that obtains identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated by the child equipment, which is notified from the child equipment; and

an authentication module that, if there is a connection request from the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, authenticates connection of the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, based on the identification information that is notified from the child equipment.

12. The user equipment according to claim 11,

wherein for management, the obtainment module obtains and lists the identification information that is notified from the child equipment, and

wherein if there is the connection request from the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, the authentication module determines whether or not connection of the different user equipment that does not belong to the group is approved, by referring to the identification information that is listed.

13. A communication method for use in a user equipment that performs wireless communication with a child equipment which belongs to a group which is managed by the user equipment itself as a parent equipment, the communication method comprising:

a transmission step of causing the user equipment to transmit, to a different user equipment that is to be authenticated by the child equipment, a probe response that includes identification information of the child equipment that belongs to the group of the user equipment;

an obtainment step of causing the user equipment to obtain identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated by the child equipment, which is notified from the child equipment; and

an authentication step of authenticating connection of the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, based on the identification information that is notified from the child equipment, if there is a connection request from the different user equipment that does not belong to the group.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having stored thereon, a set of instructions for causing a computer that performs wireless communication with a child equipment that belongs to a group that is managed by the computer itself as a parent equipment, to function as:

a network management module that transmits, to a different user equipment that is to be authenticated by the child equipment, a probe response that includes identification information of the child equipment that belongs to the group of the user equipment;

an obtainment module that obtains identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated by the child equipment, which is notified from the child equipment; and

an authentication module that, if there is a connection request from the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, authenticates connection of the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, based on the identification information that is notified from the child equipment.

15. A communication system in which a parent equipment and a child equipment that belongs to a group that is managed by the parent equipment perform wireless communication,

wherein the child equipment includes:

a detection module that detects a different user equipment and performs authentication processing with the different user equipment that is detected,

a notification module that notifies the parent equipment of identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated, and

a communication module that performs the wireless communication with the different user equipment that is caused to belong to the group that is managed by the parent equipment, and

wherein the parent equipment includes;

a network management module that transmits, to the different user equipment that is to be authenticated by the child equipment, a probe response that includes identification information of the child equipment that belongs to the group of the user equipment;

an obtainment module that obtains the identification information which is notified from the child equipment, and

an authentication module that, if there is a connection request from the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, authenticates connection of the different user equipment that does not belong to the group, based on the identification information that is notified from the child equipment.

16. A user equipment that performs wireless communication as a parent equipment that belongs to a group, the user equipment comprising:

a network management module that transmits, to a different user equipment that is to be authenticated by a child equipment, a probe response that includes identification information of the child equipment that belongs to the group of the user equipment;

a reception module that receives identification information indicating the different user equipment that has been authenticated, from the child equipment that, unlike the different user equipment, has a close-proximity detection module; and

a registration module that puts the identification information on a list.

17. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein the close-proximity detection module is configured using Near Field Communication (NFC).

18. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein the user equipment is at least any one of a personal computer, a smartphone, a digital camera, and a mobile player.

19. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein the user equipment is at least any one of a television receiver, and a stereo system.

20. The user equipment according to claim 16, wherein the user equipment includes a user interface.