Wireless LAN access point

1. A wireless LAN (Local Area Network) access point comprising:

a physical controller, wherein the physical controller is operable as a plurality of virtual controllers that respectively logically configure a plurality of sub-access points to which different unique identifiers are respectively assigned and which are operable independently of one another,

the plurality of sub-access points include a plurality of normal sub-access points and a special sub-access point, the plurality of normal sub-access points supporting a plurality of encryption schemes respectively associated with different security levels and the special sub-access point commonly used for the plurality of normal sub-access points,

one or more encryption schemes of the plurality of encryption schemes are assigned to each of the plurality of normal sub-access points to allow each of the plurality of normal sub-access points to perform wireless communication using one of the assigned encryption schemes, such that highest security levels of the respective normal sub-access points are different from one another,

the special sub-access point is configured to exchange security information indicating a security level with a terminal device before each of the normal sub-access points start operation, and

upon exchange of the security information, wireless communication between one normal sub-access points and the terminal device is performed using an encryption scheme selected based on the security information; and

an activation control unit configured to activate or deactivate each of the normal sub-access points independently, wherein the activation control unit is configured to determine, for each of the normal sub-access points, whether there is a terminal device connectable to the each normal sub-access point, and deactivate the normal sub-access point if the normal sub-access point is connectable to no terminal device.

2. The wireless LAN access point according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the normal sub-access points is wirelessly connectable to the terminal device, and

the wireless LAN access point further comprises a selector configured to select an encryption scheme used in a wireless communication between one normal sub-access point and the terminal device, regardless of an encryption scheme used in a wireless communication between another normal sub-access point and another terminal device.

3. The wireless LAN access point according to claim 2 , wherein

when the selector is requested to select encryption scheme for one normal sub-access point, the selector negotiates encryption schemes with the terminal device based on the encryption schemes assigned to the one normal sub-access point and one or more encryption schemes supported by the terminal device and then selects an encryption scheme used in the wireless connection between the one normal sub-access point and the terminal device based on the negotiation, and

the plurality of sub-access points include the special sub-access point configured to exchange an encryption key with the terminal device to perform the negotiation.

4. The wireless LAN access point according to claim 1 , wherein the activation control unit executes the determination and deactivation in response to a first request to establish a connection between the wireless LAN access point and a first terminal device.

5. The wireless LAN access point according to claim 4 , wherein

the activation control unit executes the determination and deactivation after establishing the connection.

6. The wireless LAN access point according to claim 5 , wherein

the activation control unit activates one or more predetermined normal sub-access points in response to a second request to establish a connection between the wireless LAN access point and a second terminal device different from the first terminal device.

7. The wireless LAN access point according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a request input device to input at least one of the first request and the second request.

8. The wireless LAN access point according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the physical controller processes data for the virtual controllers with the encryption scheme selected for the respective normal sub-access points in a time sharing manner.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and readable by a computer of a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), said computer program, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to operate as:

a physical controller, wherein the physical controller is operable as a plurality of virtual controllers that respectively logically configure a plurality of sub-access points to which different unique identifiers are respectively assigned and which are operable independently of one another, the plurality of sub-access points include a plurality of normal sub-access points and a special sub-access point, the plurality of normal sub-access points supporting a plurality of encryption schemes respectively associated with different security levels and the special sub-access point commonly used for the plurality of normal sub-access points,

one or more encryption schemes of the plurality of encryption schemes are assigned to each of the plurality of normal sub-access points to allow each of the plurality of normal sub-access points to perform wireless communication using one of the assigned encryption schemes, such that highest security levels of the respective normal sub-access points are different from one another,

the special sub-access point is configured to exchange security information indicating a security level with a terminal device before each of the normal sub-access points start operation, and

upon exchange of the security information, wireless communication between one normal sub-access points and the terminal device is performed using an encryption scheme selected based on the security information; and

an activation control unit configured to activate or deactivate each of the normal sub-access points independently, wherein the activation control unit is configured to determine, for each of the normal sub-access points, whether there is a terminal device connectable to the each normal sub-access point, and deactivate the normal sub-access point if the normal sub-access point is connectable to no terminal device.