Apparatus and method to control reconnection of a terminal device to a wireless network via another wireless network

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor that is coupled to the memory and that:

obtains, from an access point, connection status information of each of terminal devices coupled to a first wireless network via the access point,

detects, from among the terminal devices based on the connection status information, a disconnected device whose communication with the access point is disconnected, and

transmits, via a second wireless network and to the disconnected device without going through the access point, a reconnection instruction that instructs the disconnected device to reconnect to the first wireless network by accessing the access point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the processor further:

delivers, to each of the terminal devices, a beacon pattern assigned to each of the terminal devices, wherein the beacon pattern is a combination of transmission frequency channels of a beacon used for the second wireless network; and

transmits the reconnection instruction to the disconnected device by broadcasting a beacon that includes the reconnection instruction using a beacon pattern assigned to the disconnected device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein

the processor further:

extracts a disconnection time at which the communication between the disconnected device and the access point is disconnected, and

instructs the disconnected device that holds the disconnection time to execute reconnection to the first wireless network by broadcasting the beacon using the beacon pattern assigned to the disconnected device, wherein the beacon includes the disconnection time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the processor further:

stores address information used in the second wireless network by the terminal devices; and

establishes connection with the disconnected device via the second wireless network using address information, among the address information used in the second wireless network, assigned to the disconnected device, and

the reconnection instruction transmitted via the second wireless network includes a command to restart the disconnected device.

5. A method comprising:

obtaining, from an access point, connection status information of each of terminal devices coupled to a first wireless network via the access point;

detecting, from among the terminal devices based on the connection status information, a disconnected device whose communication with the access point is disconnected;

transmitting, via a second wireless network and to the disconnected device without going through the access point, a reconnection instruction that causes instructs the disconnected device to reconnect to the first wireless network by accessing the access point; and

executing, at the disconnected device, a reconnection process to the first wireless network based on the reconnection instruction received over the second wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

delivering, to each of the terminal devices, a beacon pattern assigned to each of the terminal devices, wherein the beacon pattern is a combination of transmission frequency channels of a beacon used for the second wireless network, and

wherein the transmitting of the reconnection instruction includes broadcasting a beacon that includes the reconnection instruction based on a beacon pattern assigned to the disconnected device.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising

extracting a disconnection time at which the communication between the disconnected device and the access point is disconnected, and

instructing the disconnected device that holds the disconnection time to execute reconnection to the first wireless network by broadcasting the beacon using the beacon pattern assigned to the disconnected device, wherein the beacon includes the disconnection time.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

storing address information used in the second wireless network by the terminal devices, and

wherein the transmitting of the reconnection instruction includes establishing connection with the disconnected device via the second wireless network using address information, among the address information used in the second wireless network, assigned to the disconnected device, and

wherein the reconnection instruction transmitted via the second wireless network includes a command to restart the disconnected device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute:

obtaining, from an access point, connection status information of each of terminal devices coupled to a first wireless network via the access point;

detecting, from among the terminal devices based on the connection status information, a disconnected device whose communication with the access point is disconnected; and

transmitting, via a second wireless network and to the disconnected device without going through the access point, a reconnection instruction that instructs the disconnected device to reconnect to the first wireless network by accessing the access point.