Station for wireless network
A wireless network device, such as a printer, to enter an infrastructure-type user wireless LAN as a station, has an additional access point function. A printer having an ESS-ID ‘MM’ as an initial setting is connected with a user wireless LAN, which includes an access point and a personal computer and uses a common ESS-ID ‘XX’. In this case, the procedure changes the ESS-ID set in the personal computer to ‘MM’ to establish an infrastructure-type communication with the printer. This arrangement enables the ESS-ID set in the printer to be changed to the common ESS-ID ‘XX’ for the user wireless LAN without varying the ESS-ID set in the access point. The technique of the invention ensures easy connection of any device without sufficient input interfaces to the wireless LAN.
1. A station that is connected with a wireless network in which multiple communication devices mutually communicate via a relay station, the station comprising:
a terminal storage module that stores terminal identification information used for connection as a station to another relay station provided externally;
a terminal function module that establishes a connection with a wireless network provided by the another relay station based on the terminal identification information stored in the terminal storage module;
a relay storage module that stores relay identification information for grouping objects of communication in a wireless network;
a relay function module that functions as a relay station to establish a wireless network based on the relay identification information stored in the relay storage module; and
a switchover control module that switch between the terminal function module and the relay function module.
2. A station in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a relay identification information write module that, during the connection established by the terminal function module to the wireless network provided by the another relay station, receives the relay identification information via the wireless network provided by the another relay station, and then writes the relay identification information into the relay storage module.
3. A station in accordance with claim 1 or 2 , further comprising:
a terminal information sending module that, when the wireless network is established by the relay function module as the relay station, sends the terminal identification information to another station which is connected with the wireless network established by the relay function module.
4. A method of causing a second station to join a first wireless network provided by a first relay station, the method comprising:
(a) causing a first station, which has established, based on a first identification information, a connection with the first wireless network provided by the first relay station, to break the connection with the first wireless network and then provide a second wireless network as a second relay station based on a second identification information; and
(b) causing the first station to send the first identification information to the second station which is connected with the second wireless network based on the second identification information, while the first station provides the second wireless network.
5. A method in accordance with claim 4 , further comprising:
(c) causing the second station to break the connection with the second wireless network and then establish a connection with the first wireless network based on the first identification information.
6. A method in accordance with claim 4 or 5 , wherein
the step (a) includes alternating
the breaking the connection with the first wireless network and the providing the second wireless network; and
stopping providing the second wireless network and then establishing a connection with the first wireless network.
7. A method in accordance with claim 4 or 5 , wherein the step (a) includes
causing the first station to acquire the second identification information via the first relay station.
8. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for causing a second station to join a first wireless network provided by a first relay station, the computer program comprising:
causing a first station, which has established based on a first identification information a connection with the first wireless network provided by the first relay station, to break the connection with the first wireless network and then provide a second wireless network as a second relay station based on a second identification information; and
causing the first station to send the first identification information to the second station which is connected with the second wireless network based on the second identification information, while the first station provides the second wireless network.