COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20140023061A1
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Tatsuhiko, Fujii, Kenichi, Watanabe, Mitsuhiro, Moritomo, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,655,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

In a communication apparatus on a network where communication apparatuses perform direct communication with each other, a network management apparatus for managing the network based on message information transmitted and received on the network is determined. When the communication apparatus itself is determined as the network management apparatus, the apparatus collects information indicating device capabilities from other communication apparatuses. On the other hand, the communication apparatus receives information indicating device capabilities from another communication apparatus when the other communication apparatus is determined as the network management apparatus.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A communication apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire first information from another communication apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine a provider apparatus and a receiver apparatus among the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the provider apparatus is configured to provide a communication parameter to the receiver apparatus, and the communication parameter includes an identifier of a wireless network to be established between the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus;

a providing unit configured to provide the communication parameter to the receiver apparatus when the communication unit is determined as the provider apparatus; and

a receiving unit configured to receive the communication parameter from the provider apparatus when the communication apparatus is determined as the receiver apparatus.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the acquisition unit is further configured to acquire the first information from the other communication apparatus via a wireless communication.

31. The communication apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the communication apparatus is a digital camera.

32. A communication apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire first information from an external apparatus via wireless communication;

a determination unit configured to determine a provider apparatus and a receiver apparatus among the communication apparatus and another communication apparatus based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the provider apparatus is configured to provide a communication parameter to the receiver apparatus, and the communication parameter includes an identifier of a wireless network to be established between the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus;

a providing unit configured to provide the communication parameter to the receiver apparatus when the communication unit is determined as the provider apparatus; and

a receiving unit configured to receive the communication parameter from the provider apparatus when the communication apparatus is determined as the receiver apparatus.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the communication parameter further includes an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key which are used in the wireless network.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus are configured to perform communication in the wireless network in accordance with IEEE802.11 series using the communication parameter.

35. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the first information is related to the other communication apparatus.

36. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the determination unit is further configured to determine the provider apparatus and the receiver apparatus among the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit and second information related to the communication apparatus.

37. A communication method comprising:

acquiring first information by a communication apparatus from another communication apparatus;

determining a provider apparatus and a receiver apparatus among the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus based on the first information, wherein the provider apparatus is configured to provide a communication parameter to the receiver apparatus, and the communication parameter includes an identifier of a wireless network to be established between the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus; and

providing the communication parameter from the provider apparatus to the receiver apparatus.

38. A communication method comprising:

acquiring first information by a communication apparatus from an external apparatus via a wireless communication;

determining a provider apparatus and a receiver apparatus among the communication apparatus and another communication apparatus based on the first information, wherein the provider apparatus is configured to provide a communication parameter to the receiver apparatus, and the communication parameter includes an identifier of a wireless network to be established between the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus; and

providing the communication parameter from the provider apparatus to the receiver apparatus.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program thereon, wherein the program instructs a computer of a communication apparatus to:

acquire first information from another communication apparatus;

determine a provider apparatus and a receiver apparatus among the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus based on the first information, wherein the provider apparatus is configured to provide a communication parameter to the receiver apparatus, and the communication parameter includes an identifier of a wireless network to be established between the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus;

provide the communication parameter to the receiver apparatus when the communication unit is determined as the provider apparatus; and

receive the communication parameter from the provider apparatus when the communication apparatus is determined as the receiver apparatus.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program thereon, wherein the program instructs a computer of a communication apparatus to:

acquire first information from an external apparatus via a wireless communication;

determine a provider apparatus and a receiver apparatus among the communication apparatus and another communication apparatus based on the first information, wherein the provider apparatus is configured to provide a communication parameter to the receiver apparatus, and the communication parameter includes an identifier of a wireless network to be established between the communication apparatus and the other communication apparatus;

provide the communication parameter to the receiver apparatus when the communication unit is determined as the provider apparatus; and

receive the communication parameter from the provider apparatus when the communication apparatus is determined as the receiver apparatus.