JP4134786B2 - Network system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a network setting for connecting to the Internet from different network environments, and is an Internet setting information automatic switching system suitable for communication between terminal devices including a wireless LAN repeater and a wireless LAN communication device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, when a terminal device connects to the Internet, various settings such as an IP address, a domain name, a host name, and a PROXY server address need to be made in accordance with the network environment to be used.
[0003]
When attempting to connect to the Internet from a network environment different from the previously connected network environment, it is necessary to change the Internet setting information previously input and set in the terminal device. For users who connect to the Internet from a plurality of different networks, complicated setting switching work occurs.
[0004]
For this purpose, for example, in Patent Document 1, the communication method (communication device) to be used and the Internet setting information in the communication method are associated with each other and stored in advance in the database of the terminal device as Internet setting information. A technique for automatically switching the Internet connection by automatically selecting and applying setting information information determined to be optimal based on moving speed information is disclosed.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-309445
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a conventional method, it is necessary to register Internet setting information in a database for each communication method (communication device) to be used in advance. Therefore, in an environment where the Internet setting information is not known in advance, an Internet connection is immediately established. Can't start. For example, if the network connection environment itself is changed by the network administrator and the Internet setting information is changed, or the Internet connection setting is unknown, such as where the network environment is publicly installed (hotspot) The situation is not convenient because the Internet cannot be started until the setting information is obtained separately and set manually.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to provide an Internet setting information automatic switching system capable of quickly starting the Internet even in an environment where the Internet setting information is not known, particularly in a communication environment using a wireless LAN.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, Internet setting information is held in a setting storage unit provided in a wireless LAN bridge as a network repeater. When the wireless LAN bridge detects a terminal device having a wireless LAN communication function newly entered within the effective communication range (hereinafter abbreviated as a wireless LAN terminal device), the wireless LAN bridge holds the wireless LAN terminal device in advance. The Internet setting information of the wireless LAN terminal device is transmitted by embedding the Internet setting information in an Internet setting information notification frame configured by a frame control unit dedicated to notification of the Internet setting information. The wireless LAN terminal includes a control unit that receives a wireless LAN bridge frame. When the wireless LAN terminal receives the Internet setting information notification frame, the wireless LAN terminal sets the obtained setting information value in the wireless LAN terminal. This realizes automatic switching of the Internet setting information of the wireless LAN terminal.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a system block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the wireless LAN bridge in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a wireless communication function part of the wireless LAN terminal device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the wireless LAN terminal device and the wireless LAN bridge in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting information held in the setting information database of the wireless LAN terminal in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a setting information notification frame according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0010]
1, 2, and 3, the terminal 25 is a wireless LAN terminal device. The wireless LAN bridge 23 is a wireless LAN bridge capable of performing wireless communication with the wireless LAN terminal device 25 via a wireless communication line, and is connected to the Internet via the network 2 including the wired communication line 22 and the router 21. Connected to. Similarly, the wireless LAN bridge 33 is a wireless LAN bridge capable of performing wireless communication with the wireless LAN terminal device 25 via a wireless communication line, and the network 3 including the wired communication line 32 and the router 31 is connected. Connected to the Internet via
[0011]
In this embodiment, the wireless LAN terminal 25 moves from the communication effective range 36 of the wireless LAN bridge 33 to the communication effective range 26 of the wireless LAN bridge 23, and the network connected before the movement is the network 3. The network to be connected after moving is referred to as network 2.
[0012]
The wireless LAN bridges 23 and 33 include a memory 233 that holds Internet setting information, a wired interface 234 for connecting to a wired communication line, a MAC circuit 235 that controls a MAC frame, and performs digital-analog conversion. A baseband circuit 237, a frequency conversion circuit 238, a power amplifier 239, and an antenna 240. The wireless LAN bridges 23 and 33 according to the present invention include an Internet setting information notification frame control unit 236 that configures and controls an Internet setting information notification frame. Further, the memory 233 includes a MAC address table 231 that holds MAC addresses of the wireless LAN terminal device, and Internet settings for holding various setting values for Internet setting information according to the present invention. An information storage unit 232 is provided.
[0013]
The wireless LAN terminal 25 includes an Internet setting information database 251 (hereinafter abbreviated as a setting information database) that stores input / setting information for Internet connection, information indicating a communication method, and the like. The setting information database 251 holds various setting values required when connecting to the Internet. For example, the various setting values are made to correspond to the MAC addresses of the connection destination wireless LAN bridge. (Hereinafter, a group of setting information stored corresponding to the MAC address of the connection destination wireless LAN bridge is referred to as a profile).
[0014]
FIG. 5 shows an example of the Internet setting information held in the Internet setting information database 251 in the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the Internet setting information database 251 stores an “initial profile” that holds setting values that enable an initial stage connection between the wireless LAN bridge and the wireless terminal device. For example, when the communication method is 802.11b, a profile in which an ID value (generally ESSID) for identifying a network is set to “ANY” or blank, and an encryption function called WEP is set to “not use” is initialized. A profile. A wireless LAN terminal set with this profile performs initial communication with a wireless LAN bridge of a general setting that does not use an authentication function such as encryption (WEP) or connection restriction (filtering) using a MAC address. It is possible to obtain a mutual MAC address.
[0015]
Based on the flowchart of FIG. 4, the operation of the system in this embodiment shown in the block diagrams of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 will be described. It is assumed that the wireless LAN terminal 25 is within the effective communication range 36 of the wireless LAN bridge 33 at the start and is connected to the Internet via the wireless LAN bridge 33. In this case, the Internet setting information database of the wireless LAN terminal 25 holds and applies the Internet setting information value (denoted as “abc” in FIG. 1) in the network 3.
[0016]
Next, in step 11, when the wireless LAN terminal detects a disconnection of communication, for example, when the wireless LAN terminal 25 moves to a range beyond the effective communication range of the wireless LAN bridge 33, or receives an Internet connection command from the user. The wireless LAN terminal 25 selects the aforementioned initial profile from the setting information database 251 and sets each setting value. The wireless LAN bridge monitors a wireless LAN terminal within the effective communication range by transmitting a signal called a beacon to the wireless LAN terminal at regular intervals (step 21), and the wireless LAN terminal checks the radio wave intensity of the beacon signal. Thus, disconnection of communication with the wireless LAN bridge can be detected.
[0017]
When the wireless LAN terminal 25 in which the initial profile is selected and set in step 12 enters the communication range of the wireless LAN bridge 23, the wireless LAN terminal 25 synchronizes with the wireless LAN bridge 23 by receiving a beacon signal transmitted from the wireless LAN bridge 23. The wireless LAN terminal 25 and the wireless LAN bridge 23 acquire each other's MAC address (steps 13 and 22).
[0018]
Next, in step 14, the wireless LAN terminal 25 acquires the acquired MAC address (indicated as “B” in FIG. 1) of the wireless LAN bridge 23 in the setting information database 251 of the terminal 25. A search is made from the MAC address group of the LAN bridge, and if it is not found, the wireless LAN bridge 23 is determined as a new bridge. If it is found, it is determined that the wireless LAN bridge has been connected before, and by selecting and setting the profile corresponding to the found MAC address, the wireless LAN bridge that has been connected before is selected. When used, you can connect to the Internet instantly.
[0019]
Similarly, in step 23, the wireless LAN bridge 23 acquires the acquired MAC address of the wireless LAN terminal (shown as “C” in FIG. 1) stored in the MAC address table 231 of the wireless LAN bridge. If the wireless LAN terminal is not found, the wireless LAN terminal is determined as a newly connected wireless LAN terminal. If found, it is determined that the wireless LAN terminal has been connected before, and the process returns to the normal wireless LAN terminal monitoring state (step 21).
[0020]
In step 24, when the wireless LAN bridge 23 determines that the wireless LAN terminal 25 is a new wireless LAN terminal in the previous step 23, the bridge sends Internet setting information ("xyz" in FIG. After obtaining the setting information in the Internet setting information notification frame control unit 236 to form the Internet setting information notification frame, the wireless information obtained in step 23 from the frame control unit 236 or the MAC circuit 235 is obtained. The MAC address of the LAN terminal 25 (displayed as “C” in FIG. 1) is transmitted to the wireless LAN terminal 25 as the destination address. Here, the Internet setting information notification frame control unit 236 is configured as hardware provided separately from the MAC circuit as shown in FIG. 2 in this embodiment, but the same function is provided by firmware or software. You may comprise so that it may carry out with a MAC circuit.
[0021]
FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of the Internet setting information notification frame used in the present embodiment. This configuration example is a MAC frame configuration example when the communication method of the wireless LAN bridge and the wireless LAN terminal is 802.11b. The MAC header 41 stores the MAC address of the destination terminal. The frame body 42 stores Internet setting information. As one configuration example of the frame body, a frame identification number storage unit 43 is provided, and the storage unit 43 stores an identification number by which the frame receiving side can determine that this frame is an Internet setting information notification frame. After the storage unit 43, each setting data paired with a data identification number is stored. The data identification number 44 is an identification number for identifying the type of data indicated by the data value 45 that follows.
[0022]
In step 16, the wireless LAN terminal 25 identifies and receives the sent Internet setting information notification frame by the Internet setting information notification frame control unit.
[0023]
In step 17, each value of the Internet setting information extracted from the received frame is set in a portion corresponding to each setting information in the setting information database of the terminal 25. When all the setting operations are completed, one new profile corresponding to the wireless LAN bridge 23 is added to the terminal setting information database. The wireless LAN terminal 25 validates the profile simultaneously with the addition of the new profile. With the above steps, in step 18, the switching of the Internet connection settings in the wireless LAN terminal 25 is completed.
[0024]
In the above-described embodiment, the Internet setting information database 251 is provided in the memory of the wireless LAN terminal, but may be provided in the HDD provided in the wireless LAN terminal device.
[0025]
Further, as a setting information saving method in the setting information database 251, processing such as changing a setting value setting location or sharing a saving location based on a result of referring to a value of a certain item may be performed. Good. Alternatively, addresses may be provided on the vertical axis and the horizontal axis, respectively, and setting information may be managed by an address address determined by each address.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the Internet can be started promptly even in a network environment where the Internet setting information is unknown, there is an effect that connectivity to the Internet is improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wireless LAN bridge in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a wireless communication function part of a wireless LAN terminal device in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a wireless LAN terminal device and a wireless LAN bridge in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting information held in a setting information database of a wireless LAN terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a setting information notification frame according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Internet, 2.3 ... Network, 21.31 ... Router,
22.32 ... Wired communication line, 23.33 ... Wireless LAN bridge,
24 ... wireless communication line, 25 ... wireless LAN terminal,
26/36: Effective communication range of wireless LAN bridge,
231,331 ... MAC address table,
232 · 332 ... Setting information storage unit, 251 ... Setting information database

Claims (1)

In a network system having a terminal device and a network repeater for connecting a network,
The network repeater includes a MAC address table of a terminal device wirelessly connected to the network repeater, an Internet setting information storage unit that stores Internet setting information set in the terminal device, and the terminal device between the network repeater Transmission means for transmitting the Internet setting information to the terminal device when communication is possible,
The terminal device includes an initial profile in which the network identification ID with the network repeater is ANY and the encryption function is set to unused, and Internet setting for recording Internet connection setting information for each MAC address of the network repeater An information database;
Receiving means for receiving Internet setting information transmitted from the network repeater ,
The terminal device, when receiving a disconnection of wireless communication or a user's Internet connection command, sets a wireless LAN according to an initial profile recorded in the Internet setting information database, and acquires a MAC address of the network repeater,
If the acquired MAC address is recorded in the Internet setting information database, set the terminal device by the corresponding Internet setting information,
If the acquired MAC address is not recorded in the Internet setting information database, the receiving unit acquires the Internet setting information from the network repeater and sets the terminal device, and updates the Internet setting information database.
The network repeater acquires the MAC address of the terminal device connected to a wireless network,
If the acquired MAC address is not recorded in the Internet setting information storage unit, the Internet setting information in the Internet setting information storage unit is sent to the terminal device by the transmitting means, and the acquired MAC address is stored in the Internet setting information storage unit. recorded in part,
A network system characterized in that when a terminal device is wirelessly connected to a new network repeater, Internet setting information is automatically acquired from the network repeater, and the network information of the terminal device is set by the setting information.

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