Patent Application
20150189687
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
In wireless communication such as a wireless LAN that complies with the IEEE802.11 standard series, many setting items need to be set before use. Examples of the setting items include communication parameters that are needed for performing wireless communication, such as a service set identifier (SSID) serving as a network identifier, an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key. It is very complicated to set all of these by manual input of a user. Accordingly, automatic setting methods for easily setting communication parameters for a wireless device are proposed by various manufacturers. In these automatic setting methods, communication parameters are provided from one device to another, and automatically set using procedures and messages that are predetermined between the devices to be connected to each other.
In Wi-Fi Alliance, a method of automatic setting of communication parameters for communication in the wireless LAN infrastructure mode (infrastructure communication) is defined. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-15286 discloses an example in which a plurality of methods for automatically setting communication parameters is set for an apparatus. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-15286, the apparatus includes means for detecting a device in which a communication parameter setting process is running, without a user selecting an automatic setting method that is started via a menu screen or the like. By using a result that was detected by this detecting means, it is possible to automatically execute a method for automatically setting communication parameters, improving the ease of use for a user.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-15286, when a communication apparatus is wirelessly connected to an access point, there are two main phases. The first phase is a phase in which an access point (process-running access point) in which a communication parameter automatic setting process is running is detected, and it is determined which of the plurality of methods for automatically setting communication parameters is running (phase 1). The second phase is a phase in which a communication parameter automatic setting process is executed with respect to the detected access point using the determined method (phase 2).
For example, a case is considered in which an error occurs in phase 2 and connection fails. In the processing disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-15286, when, after the connection failure, the user tries to re-connect to the access point to which he or she has earlier tried to connect, the communication apparatus has to start the process again from phase 1, and detect again a process-running access point. If the user connects to the same access point as the access point to which the user failed to connect, the process starting from the phase 1 will be unnecessary and take time, leading to a deterioration in usability.
Furthermore, there may be a case where a communication environment between an access point and the communication apparatus is bad, and the process of phase 1 takes a lot of time due to a packet loss or the like. In this case, the process-running access point may break the communication parameter setting process during phase 2 due to a time-out. Accordingly, depending on the time period needed for the process of phase 1, the process may fail at phase 2 every time the user tries to connect to the access point, and it may be impossible for the user to complete the connection process.
The present invention provides, in a technical field for automatically executing a communication parameter automatic setting method without a user selecting a communication parameter setting method, a technique for reducing a time period for re-connection even when setting fails before it is completed, improving the ease of use for the user.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus comprising: a process unit configured to search for an access point in which a setting process for setting a parameter for wireless communication is running in response to a connection request, and to set the parameter in accordance with a method of the setting process; and a setting unit configured to set, when a connection process for connecting to the access point fails after the setting, either a first process in which the searching is performed and then the setting is performed, or a second process in which the setting is performed in accordance with the method of the setting process that is running at the most recently found access point, depending on a factor of the failure, wherein the process unit executes the process that is set by the setting unit upon receiving a re-connection request.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a communication apparatus, comprising: a processing step of searching for an access point in which a setting process for setting a parameter for wireless communication is running in response to a connection request, and setting the parameter in accordance with a method of the setting process; and a setting step of setting, when a connection process for connecting to the access point fails after the setting, either a first process in which the searching is performed and then the setting is performed, or a second process in which the setting is performed in accordance with the method of the setting process that is running at the most recently found access point, depending on a factor of the failure, wherein, in the processing step, the process that is set in the setting step is executed upon receiving a re-connection request.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below show examples in which the present invention is specifically implemented, that is, specific working examples of configurations described in the Claims.
In the present embodiment, a description will be given, taking an example in which a wireless LAN system that complies with the IEEE802.11 standard series is used, but the type of communication is not necessarily limited to the wireless LAN system complying with the IEEE802.11 standard. For example, the present invention may be implemented in another wireless medium, such as a wireless USB, MBOA, Bluetooth (registered trademark), UWB, or ZigBee. Furthermore, the present invention may also be implemented in a wired communication medium such as a wired LAN. In this context, MBOA is an abbreviation of “Multi Band OFDM Alliance”. Furthermore, UWB includes a wireless USB, wireless 1394, WINET, and the like.
First, an example of a hardware configuration of a communication apparatus of the wireless LAN system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of
A controller 102, which is a processor such as a CPU or MPU, executes processing using a computer program and data that are stored in a storage unit 103, thereby controlling overall operations of the communication apparatus 101 and executing the processes that are described below as being executed by the communication apparatus 101. For example, the controller 102 controls automatic setting of parameters (communication parameters) for wireless communication with another apparatus. In the control of automatic setting of communication parameters, the controller 102 can execute an automatic setting process while serving as an access point (hereinafter, abbreviated as “AP”) in a wireless LAN infrastructure mode, and an automatic setting process while serving as a station in the wireless LAN infrastructure mode.
The storage unit 103 has stored therein computer programs and data for causing the controller 102 to execute the processes that are described below as being executed by the communication apparatus 101. The storage unit 103 may be a memory such as a ROM or RAM, or a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a DVD, or the like.
An input unit 108 is a user interface that can be operated by a user to input various instructions in the controller 102, and the user can input, for example, a connection request to connect to an AP by operating this input unit 108.
A display unit 105 is constituted by a liquid crystal screen or the like, and can display, in images or characters, a result of the process performed by the controller 102. Furthermore, the display unit 105 may also have, in addition to the display function, a sound output function. Furthermore, the display unit 105 may also output visually recognizable information, as with a LCD or LED. Furthermore, the display unit 105 may also be a touch panel screen, and in this case, this display unit 105 can display various types of information and detect touch operations by a user.
A wireless unit 104 controls wireless communication with an AP using an antenna 107 and an antenna controller 106. The antenna controller 106 controls the antenna 107.
Hereinafter, an example of a functional configuration of the communication apparatus 101 will be described with reference to the block diagram of
Furthermore, each functional unit shown in
A packet receiving unit 202 receives a packet or a beacon (annunciation signal) that is transmitted from an AP via wireless communication. The packet receiving unit 202 also receives a device search signal such as a probe request that is transmitted from an AP via wireless communication. The probe request can also be referred to as a network search signal for searching for a desired network. The packet receiving unit 202 also receives a probe response, which is a response signal in response to a probe request transmitted from the present apparatus to an AP.
A packet transmitting unit 203 transmits a packet or beacon, and a probe request to an AP via wireless communication. Furthermore, the packet transmitting unit 203 transmits a probe response, which is a response signal in response to a probe request transmitted from an AP via wireless communication.
In the present embodiment, when a device search signal or a response signal is transmitted from an apparatus A, self-information is added to that signal. The self-information in this case includes an SSID of a network to which the apparatus A belongs, information indicating whether or not a communication parameter automatic setting process is running in the apparatus A, and information indicating, if the process is running, the method of the automatic setting process (automatic setting method). As described above, the self-information added to a device search signal or a response signal that is transmitted from the apparatus A includes such information on the apparatus A.
A network controller 204 controls network connection to an AP (process for connecting to a wireless LAN network).
An access point search unit 205 lets the packet transmitting unit 203 transmit a probe request and lets the packet receiving unit 202 receive probe responses, which are response signals in response to this probe request, and searches for APs that are present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus 101. Note that a method for searching for APs that are present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus 101 is not limited to this, and a configuration is also possible in which, by letting the packet receiving unit 202 receive beacons, the access point search unit 205 searches for APs that are present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus 101.
An access point determination unit 206 specifies, among the APs found by the access point search unit 205, an AP in which a communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication is running. Examples of the communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication include an industry-standard process, such as “Wi-Fi Protected Setup”, and a process provided by the individual manufacturer. Note that the access point determination unit 206 may also be configured to detect a station in which a communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication is running.
A setting unit 207 for a station (for STA) receives, as a station, communication parameters for infrastructure communication from the AP. The setting unit 207 for the station executes, as a station, a predetermined setting process protocol with respect to the AP, and receives communication parameters that are needed for performing wireless communication, such as an SSID serving as a network identifier, an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key.
If a user operates the input unit 108 to input a connection request to connect to an AP, an automatic setting controller 208 detects the connection request and then controls a communication parameter setting process in accordance with an automatic setting method that was selected by an automatic setting selection unit 209.
The automatic setting selection unit 209 references, as a station, information indicating an automatic setting method included in the self-information of the probe response received by the packet receiving unit 202 from the AP specified by the access point determination unit 206. Then, the automatic setting selection unit 209 selects the automatic setting method that is indicated by the referenced information.
A connection determination unit 211 determines whether or not the process for connecting to the AP using the communication parameters received by the setting unit 207 for station is successful, and, if it is determined that the connection process fails, the connection determination unit 211 determines a factor (error content) of the failure.
A re-connection process setting unit 210 sets, upon receiving again a connection request (re-connection request) to connect to an AP from the user via the input unit 108 after the determination by the connection determination unit 211, a process start position at which the communication apparatus 101 starts the process, based on the failure factor determined by the connection determination unit 211.
Hereinafter, wireless communication between the communication apparatus 101 and an AP will be described with reference to
Next, processing performed by the communication apparatus 101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of
In step S402, the automatic setting controller 208 references a short re-connection process setting value (flag value) that is stored in the storage unit 103, and determines whether or not the referenced value indicates “valid”. As a result of the determination, if the referred value indicates “valid”, the procedure advances to step S409, whereas if the referenced value indicates “invalid”, the procedure advances to step S403. Note that the default of the short re-connection process setting value indicates “invalid”.
In step S403, the automatic setting controller 208 first activates the access point search unit 205. The access point search unit 205 lets the packet transmitting unit 203 transmit a probe request, and lets the packet receiving unit 202 receive probe responses, which are response signals in response to the probe request. It is also possible that the access point search unit 205 lets the packet receiving unit 202 receive beacon signals. With this, the access point search unit 205 searches for APs that are present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus 101.
In step S404, the access point determination unit 206 references pieces of self-information that are respectively added to the probe responses or beacons that were received by the packet receiving unit 202 in step S403. Then, the access point determination unit 206 determines whether or not there is the self-information that includes information indicating that “a communication parameter automatic setting process is running”, among the pieces of referenced self-information.
As a result of the determination, if there is self-information that includes information indicating that “a communication parameter automatic setting process is running”, that is, there is an AP in which a communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication is running, the procedure advances to step S405.
On the other hand, if there is not self-information that includes information indicating that “a communication parameter automatic setting process is running”, that is, there is no AP in which a communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication is running, the procedure advances to step S413.
In step S405, the access point determination unit 206 stores, in the storage unit 103, the self-information (the self-information that includes information indicating that “a communication parameter automatic setting process is running”) found in step S404.
In step S406, the automatic setting selection unit 209 references “information on an automatic setting method” included in the self-information that is stored in the storage unit 103 in step S405, and selects the automatic setting method indicated by the information. Then, the automatic setting controller 208 controls a communication parameter setting process in accordance with the automatic setting method selected by the automatic setting selection unit 209, and thereby the setting unit 207 for the station receives communication parameters from the AP. Then, the automatic setting controller 208 controls the network controller 204, and starts, as a station, a process for connecting to the AP using the received communication parameters.
In step S407, the connection determination unit 211 determines whether or not the connection process started in step S406 is successful. As a result of the determination, if the connection process is successful, the procedure advances to step S408, whereas if the connection process fails, the procedure advances to step S410.
In step S408, the network controller 204 participates an infrastructure network that is constructed by the successfully connected AP and performs communication, and the automatic setting controller 208 displays, on the display unit 105, the fact that connection to the AP is successful. The method for notifying of the successful connection is not limited to this, and the successful connection may also be notified using sound or a flashing pattern of an LED or the like.
On the other hand, in step S410, the connection determination unit 211 determines a factor of the failure of the connection process started in step S406. Since this determination process is well known, a description regarding the technique is omitted.
In step S411, the re-connection process setting unit 210 determines, upon receiving again a connection request to connect to an AP from the user via the input unit 108, whether to start the process from searching for APs that are present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus 101 or from the communication parameter automatic setting process, based on the factor determined in step S410.
At that time, the re-connection process setting unit 210 references, for example, the table exemplified in
When this table is referenced, the factor of failure of the connection process “AP search time-out error”, for example, has the short re-connection process setting value of “invalid”, and thus the re-connection process setting unit 210 sets the current short re-connection process setting value to “invalid”. Accordingly, by referencing such a table, the re-connection process setting unit 210 can set the short re-connection process setting value to a value that corresponds to the factor of failure of the connection process.
If, for example, the factor of the connection failure is determined to be an “automatic setting process time-out error”, it is conceivable that the automatic setting process has been timed out at the access point before the automatic setting controller 208 executes the automatic setting process using the automatic setting method selected by the automatic setting selection unit 209. Therefore, when re-connection is tried, the process after the determination of an automatic setting method onward can be performed, that is, the short re-connection process can be made valid. On the other hand, in case of a parameter error or an error for an unknown reason, it is conceivable that stored self-information of the access point is erroneous. In this case, even if an automatic connection process is performed again using the same self-information, the automatic connection process is likely to result in a failure, and thus the short re-connection process is considered not to be made valid. Note that information registered in this table is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the error contents, or handling when the short re-connection process is to be made valid or invalid.
Returning to
In step S412, the re-connection process setting unit 210 sets the short re-connection process setting value that is stored in the storage unit 103 to “valid”. On the other hand, in step S414, the re-connection process setting unit 210 sets the short re-connection process setting value that is stored in the storage unit 103 to “invalid”.
In step S413, the automatic setting controller 208 displays, on the display unit 105, the fact that connection to an AP fails. The method for notifying of the connection failure is not limited to this, and the connection failure may also be notified using sound or a flashing pattern of an LED or the like.
The next time when a connection request to connect to the AP is received again from a user via the input unit 108, if, in step S402, the short re-connection process setting value stored in the storage unit 103 indicates “valid”, the procedure advances to step S409.
In step S409, the automatic setting controller 208 reads self-information that is stored most recently in the storage unit 103, or self-information of the AP that is the target of the last connection process (that is, self-information of the most recently found AP) from the storage unit 103, and supplies the read self-information to the automatic setting selection unit 209. When the procedure advances from step S409 to step S406, the automatic setting selection unit 209 references, in step S406, “information on an automatic setting method” included in the self-information that was supplied from the automatic setting controller 208 in step S409, and selects the automatic setting method that is indicated by that information. Then, the automatic setting controller 208 controls a communication parameter setting process in accordance with the automatic setting method selected by the automatic setting selection unit 209, and thereby the setting unit 207 for the station receives communication parameters from the AP. Then, the automatic setting controller 208 controls the network controller 204, and starts, as a station, a process for connecting to the AP, using the received communication parameters.
The following will describe, with reference to
When a setting button (not shown) of the AP is pressed down, the AP starts a communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication (F601). After the start of the communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication, the AP adds, to a beacon or probe response, self-information that includes information indicating that the AP itself in which the automatic setting process is running, and transmits the beacon or probe response.
After an operation to start a connection process on the communication apparatus 101 side is performed, the communication apparatus 101 starts the procedure according to the flowchart of
Upon receiving the probe response from the AP in which the communication parameter automatic setting process is running, the communication apparatus 101 stores the self-information added to the probe response (F605). Then, the communication apparatus 101 selects an automatic setting method from the stored self-information (F606), and starts a communication parameter automatic setting process in accordance with the selected automatic setting method (F607). Then, the communication apparatus 101 determines that the connection fails due to an automatic setting process time-out error (F608). In this case, the communication apparatus 101 sets the value for a short re-connection process to “valid” based on the factor of connection failure (F609). Then, the communication apparatus 101 notifies the user of the connection failure (F610).
When the user presses down the setting button (not shown) of the AP again in order to try a re-connection process, the AP starts the communication parameter automatic setting process for infrastructure communication (F611).
After an operation to start a connection process on the communication apparatus 101 side is performed, the communication apparatus 101 starts the procedure according to the flowchart of
Then, the communication apparatus 101 executes a wireless connection establishment process in order to perform association for temporal wireless connection to the AP using an SSID included in the self-information stored in the storage unit 103 (F614). Note that, at the stage in which association is completed, normal data communication using encryption or authentication cannot be performed since the SSID matches each other but an encryption key or the like does not match each other.
As a result, the communication apparatus 101 obtains communication parameters from the AP (F615). After having obtained the communication parameters, the communication apparatus 101 determines that connection is successful (F616) and notifies the user of the successful connection (F617).
Accordingly, the communication apparatus 101 detects, among APs in the vicinity, an AP in which an automatic setting process is running, and executes a process for automatically setting appropriate communication parameters in accordance with the same method as that in the AP, and if connection fails, it is possible to shorten the re-connection process using an appropriate method.
In the first embodiment, if the value for the short re-connection process indicates “valid”, a process for searching again for APs is not performed. In the present embodiment, if the value for the short re-connection process indicates “valid”, a user will determine whether or not to execute a process for searching again for APs, instead of the process being determined not to be executed without exception. In this case, in step S413, the procedure according to the flowchart of
In step S701, the automatic setting controller 208 references the short re-connection process setting value (flag value) that is stored in the storage unit 103, and determines whether or not the referenced value indicates “valid”. As a result of the determination, if the referenced value indicates “valid”, the procedure advances to step S702, whereas if the referenced value indicates “invalid”, the procedure advances to step S705.
In step S702, the automatic setting controller 208 lets the display unit 105 display a graphical user interface (GUI) for causing a user to select whether or not to re-connect to the most recently found AP. If the user inputs, using the input unit 108, an instruction to re-connect to the most recently found AP, the procedure according to the flowchart of
For example, in step S702, the GUI exemplified in
In step S704, the re-connection process setting unit 210 sets the short re-connection process setting value that is stored in the storage unit 103 to “invalid”. Then, in step S705, the automatic setting controller 208 displays, on the display unit 105, the fact that connection to the AP fails. In step S705, a screen as shown in, for example,
Embodiment(s) of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-273167, filed Dec. 27, 2013 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-273167 | Dec 2013 | JP | national |
