COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND NETWORK ESTABLISHING METHOD

• US 20090196200A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Moritomo, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communication apparatus determines whether another communication apparatus participating in a network established in accordance with a first communication standard is also compatible with a second communication standard. The communication apparatus detects leaving of the network by another communication apparatus incompatible with the second communication standard. The communication apparatus establishes a network that adheres to the second communication standard, depending on the detection result.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a determination device which determines whether another communication apparatus participating in a network established in accordance with a first communication standard is also compatible with a second communication standard;

a detection device which detects leaving of the network by another communication apparatus that is incompatible with the second communication standard; and

an establishing device which establishes a network that adheres to the second communication standard, depending on a result of the detection by said detection device.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said establishing device establishes a network that adheres to the second communication standard when it is detected by said detection device that all other communication apparatuses that are incompatible with the second communication standard have left the network.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination device transmits, to another communication apparatus participating in the network established in accordance with the first communication standard, an inquiry signal for inquiring whether the other communication apparatus is also compatible with the second communication standard, and determines whether the other communication apparatus is also compatible with the second communication standard according to a response to the inquiry signal by the other communication apparatus.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said determination device determines that the other communication apparatus is incompatible with the second communication standard if an explicit response signal indicating incompatibility with the second communication standard is received from the other communication apparatus or if there is an implicit response whereby a reply to the inquiry signal is not received.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said establishing device transmits a switching signal that indicates switching from the first communication standard to the second communication standard, and switches to the second communication standard and establishes a network, based on a response to the switching signal by another communication apparatus that is compatible with the second communication standard.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said establishing device does not switch to the second communication standard when switching to the second communication standard is rejected in response to the switching signal.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a broadcast device which transmits a broadcast signal when a turn of the communication apparatus arrives to transmit the broadcast signal, which each of a plurality of communication apparatuses participating in the network transmits in order, wherein

the inquiry signal is transmitted following transmission of the broadcast signal by said broadcast device.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said establishing device stores identification information on another communication apparatus included in a broadcast signal received from the other communication apparatus in a storage device in association with information indicating whether the other communication apparatus is compatible with the second communication standard, determines whether the other communication apparatus has left the network based on whether a broadcast signal was received from the other communication apparatus, and judges that all communication apparatuses incompatible with the second communication standard have left the network as a result of deleting, from the storage device, the information corresponding to the identification information of other communication apparatuses that have left the network.

9. A communication system comprising a plurality of communication apparatuses, at least one of the plurality of communication apparatuses including:

a determination device which determines whether another communication apparatus participating in a network established in accordance with a first communication standard is also compatible with a second communication standard;

a detection device which detects leaving of the network by another communication apparatus that is incompatible with the second communication standard; and

an establishing device which establishes a network that adheres to the second communication standard, depending on a result of the detection by said detection device.

10. A network establishing method of a communication apparatus, comprising the steps of:

determining whether another communication apparatus participating in a network established in accordance with a first communication standard is also compatible with a second communication standard;

detecting leaving of the network by another communication apparatus that is incompatible with the second communication standard; and

establishing a network that adheres to the second communication standard, depending on a result of the detection.