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AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorAkane Yokota
Estimating the term…
Disclosed are a communication device and a method of controlling the same, whereby it is possible to change the device name independently in such a manner that a plurality of communication devices having the same name will not exist on the same wireless communication network. The communication device queries another device with regard to its name and determines whether its own name and the name of the other device are the same. If the two names are the same, the querying communication device generates a name different from that of the other device using, e.g., its own wireless communication address, thereby changing its name. As a result, even if new devices are added to the network, the querying communication device automatically assigns to itself a name that is always different from those of these other devices.
A communication device having a name used on a communication network, comprising:
A method of controlling a communication device having a name used on a communication network, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Backward citations are indexed for grants only.
Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming: managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames
Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames: mechanisms for avoiding name conflicts
Types of network names: application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
Term end not estimated
This invention relates to a communication device and a method of controlling the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a communication device having a name used on a communication network and to a method of controlling this device.
In communication using TCP/IP, a communication device is capable of possessing an IP address having a unique value for each device, and a name, which is for expressing the device, corresponding to the IP address. The IP address and the name of the device corresponding to this address are managed by a domain name server so that the same device name will not appear in duplicate on the same network. By using the device name, therefore, a user of the network is capable of accessing a specific communication device in the network.
According to the specifications of short-distance wireless communication, it is possible for a device that is used in order to connect to a short-distance wireless communication network to have a name for expressing the device in addition to a unique address. However, a short-distance wireless communication network is temporary and there are cases where there is no arrangement for managing device names collectively as in the manner of a domain name server. Communications equipment using such a short-distance wireless communication system often is assigned a device name beforehand by the manufacturer of the equipment and the name is recorded within the device.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a short-distance wireless communication network according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating an example of the state that prevails after a printer (103-a) has executed name-change processing in the first embodiment of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the internal structure of a communication device according to the first embodiment;
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1A, 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a short-distance wireless communication network constructed using a communication device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A communication device 102 for wireless communication is connected to a computer 101. It will be assumed here that the device name of the communication device 102 has been changed from an initial value by input means (a keyboard and mouse, etc., which are not shown) of the computer 101 and that the “My PC” device name has been set. Printing apparatus 103-a, 103-b (referred to generically as printing apparatus 103) internally incorporate communication devices 104a, 104b (referred to collectively as a communication device 104 below), respectively. Further, it is assumed that the printing apparatus 103 does not possess input means for changing the device name of the communication device 104, and that the communication device 104 executes communication processing using the device name “PRINTER”, which is the initial value of the name.
In the state prevailing in FIG. 1A, the computer 101 sees that the short-distance wireless communication network includes “My PC” and two printing apparatus each having the name “PRINTER”. It should be noted that the computer 101 and the printing apparatus 103 are linked by short-distance wireless communication using the communication devices 102 and 104 and are capable of sending and receiving commands and print images.